How Your Genetics Influence Training, Recovery & Longevity Ep 166

You don't have to be fast, experienced, or perfectly prepared to become a triathlete.But if you've ever felt overwhelmed by swim workouts, bike skills, training plans, or the idea of your first race, you're definitely not alone!In Episode 169 of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Coach Chris Newport sits down with triathlon coach and author Alison Freeman to discuss her new book, Unlocking Triathlon, and how athletes can approach the sport with more confidence.Alison shares why triathlon training should reflect your individual experience in swimming, cycling, and running—not a generic plan that assumes everyone starts at the same level.In this episode, you'll learn:How to start triathlon training without getting overwhelmedWhy preseason fitness matters before jumping into a race planHow to develop confidence with cycling and other technical skillsWhy strength training belongs in a triathlete's routineHow to build fitness gradually while reducing unnecessary injury riskWhy there's no single way to look, train, or succeed as a triathleteHow Alison is adapting her own training while navigating physical challengesWhether you're preparing for your first sprint triathlon or working toward your next big race, Alison's advice is a reminder that progress starts with meeting yourself where you are.ABOUT ALISON FREEMANAlison is a triathlon coach, co-owner of NYX Endurance, and author of Unlocking Triathlon, published by Human Kinetics.📖 Get Alison's book, Unlocking Triathlon:https://unlockingtriathlon.com/ code UTFriend for 50% off companion plans🏊‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♀️ Explore Triathlon & Run Coaching at The Endurance Edge:https://www.theenduranceedge.com/triathlon-coaching/🎙️ More Find Your Edge Podcast episodes:https://www.theenduranceedge.com/find-your-edge-podcast/Find Your Edge. Train smarter. Fuel better. Live healthier. Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at The Endurance Edge? Or who the people are behind all those training plans, performance reports, and race-day successes?Well, today you're getting a little sneak peek! 🎙️On this episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, I'm bringing you right into one of our coaches' meetings to meet four of the people who make The Endurance Edge so special: Jason Ward, Dr. Peter Ormsby, Dr. Carlie Frost- Poirier, and Marty Owens.You'll hear how they got started in coaching, what they love most about working with endurance athletes, and what makes each of them unique.We talk about everything from sports psychology and training data to fitting workouts around family life, favorite races, and even what it was like racing Kona in a Speedo back in the '90s! 😂But there's something else I hope you'll notice.While every coach has a different background, personality, and area of expertise, they all genuinely care about understanding the person behind the athlete.And that's one of my favorite things about our team.When you work with one of our coaches, you have your own dedicated coach AND the benefit of a team that collaborates, shares knowledge, and helps each other grow.Because great coaching is about more than telling you what workout to do next.It's about relationships, communication, and having people in your corner who understand what you're working toward.So come meet the team! We hope you'll get to know us a little better.🎯 Could you see yourself working with us?Learn more about our one-on-one triathlon and run coaching:https://www.theenduranceedge.com/triathlon-coaching/ Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Welcome to the world of SwimRun!On this episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Coach Chris Newport sits down with The Endurance Edge's own Dr. Alyssa Barber to hear about her first SwimRun adventure along the beautiful coast of Maine.Alyssa loves running and swimming. Cycling? Well, let's just say we're still working on that one. 😂So when she discovered an endurance event that combined her two favorite sports with ocean swimming, island hopping, and trail running, she was ready for the challenge.But as with most endurance events, race day came with a few surprises!In this episode, we discuss:🏊 What SwimRun actually is (and why you swim in your running shoes!)🏃 How Alyssa prepared for her first race while balancing work and family🌊 The unexpected challenges of ocean currents and tides💪 Why strength training and practicing transitions matter🎒 What equipment you actually need—and where you can save money❤️ Why racing without a specific finish-time goal can sometimes be the most rewarding experienceWhether you're an experienced triathlete, a runner looking for a new challenge, or simply curious about adventure racing, you'll enjoy this behind-the-scenes race report.The biggest takeaway?You don't have to train perfectly, own the most expensive equipment, or chase a PR to have an incredible endurance experience.Sometimes the best races are the ones that remind you why you love the sport in the first place.Ready to Take on Your Next Endurance Challenge?Get personalized, evidence-based coaching to help you train smarter, build confidence, and show up prepared for whatever challenge you choose next.👉 Explore Our One-on-One Triathlon & Run Coaching#FindYourEdge Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Why can two athletes follow the same training plan, eat similar foods, and get completely different results?Your genetics may be part of the answer!In this refreshed episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Chris Newport talks with Yael Jaffe from 3x4 Genetics about how our DNA can influence training adaptations, recovery, nutrition, and long-term health.But your genes aren't your destiny.We explore why genetic testing is about more than finding out whether you're built for endurance or power, and how understanding your unique physiology can help you make more informed decisions.In this episode:How genetics may influence your response to exerciseWhy cellular health, inflammation, and oxidative stress matterWhat genetics can tell us about nutrition and recoveryWhy personalized recommendations matter more than generic adviceHow to think about performance today AND longevity tomorrow📖 Read the full episode and show notes:https://www.theenduranceedge.com/harnessing-genetics-for-personalized-training-and-health/The Endurance Edge | Performance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.#FindYourEdge Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Could getting stronger actually help you become a faster runner?And what if strength training could help you stay active and healthy for decades to come?In this episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Coach Chris Newport welcomes Dr. Alyssa Barber, PhD, the newest exercise physiologist at The Endurance Edge!A former runner and sports scientist, Alyssa shares fascinating findings from her doctoral research on collegiate athletes, including the relationship between strength, muscle asymmetries, and running performance.You'll learn:Why distance runners need strength training, tooWhat Alyssa discovered about stronger, faster runnersWhy single-leg exercises deserve a place in your trainingHow to build strength without complicated equipmentWhy VO2max is useful—but doesn't tell the whole storyHow to make training decisions that support performance AND longevityPlus, meet the newest member of our team and discover why we're so excited to have another exercise physiology nerd in the lab!Ready to stop guessing about your training?Explore personalized metabolic and VO2max testing at The Endurance Edge in Cary, NC:https://www.theenduranceedge.com/sweat-and-metabolic-vo2max-testing#FindYourEdge #StrengthTrainingForRunners #RunningPerformance #VO2max #ExercisePhysiology Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

At 53, Hilary Topper couldn't swim one length of the pool. About ten years later, she swam 8.2 miles around Mackinac Island. In this episode of Find Your Edge, Coach Chris Newport welcomes Hilary back to talk about her new book, Unlocking the Open Water Swim, and how anyone can go from nervous to confident in the open water.If the swim is the leg that holds you back, this one's for you.In this episode:Why fear of open water stops so many people from trying triathlon, and how one swimmer went from panic to a fast mileSimple mental strategies to calm your nerves before and during a swimFish, crabs, and the "creepy crawlies" (spoiler: they're not interested in you)Open water safety: swim buddies, tow buoys, bright caps, and knowing when to get outCold water acclimation and the warning signs of SIPEWetsuit styles, booties, and buoyancy shortsWhy you swim slower in open water than in the poolWhy a DNF doesn't define youAdventure swims, aquabike, and planning your first "swimcation"Links:Unlocking the Open Water Swim by Hilary Topper: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstoreHilary's blog: ATriathletesDiary.comEp 114 How to Get Started in Triathlon: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/how-to-get-started-in-triathlon-with-author-hilary-topper/ Get the full episode here: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/open-water-swimming-for-beginners-hilary-topper Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Is your race week nutrition plan something you've actually practiced?New research on 27 women racing the IRONMAN World Championship found that only 26% met carbohydrate loading guidelines, even though most knew them. The women who ate more carbohydrate tended to finish faster, and higher fiber intake was linked to more GI symptoms.In this episode, Coach Chris Newport, MS, RDN, CISSN, breaks down what the study found and why race-day nutrition is as much a behavior and logistics challenge as a calorie one.In this episode:The race week "panic call" and why last-minute carb loading backfiresCarb loading guidelines (8-12 g per kg of body weight) and how to do the mathWhy fiber before a race can cause GI trouble"Competers" vs. "completers" and how mindset shapes fuelingRace nerves, travel and logistics that derail good plansCarbs in context: gout, A1C, PMOS and type 1 diabetesUnderfueling in female athletes and how to build up graduallyWhen to start gut training 📄 Read the study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsc.70193 💧 Know your sweat rate and fueling needs with our Fueling & Hydration Test: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/sweat-and-metabolic-vo2max-testing/ 📱 Track your hydration with the Hydration Edge app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hydration-edge/id6788021151📝 Blog + show notes: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/carb-loading-female-endurance-athletes  Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

What are you actually training for?A faster race? A new distance? A PR?Or are you also training for the ability to keep doing the things you love for decades to come?This episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast is a little different because Coach Chris Newport is on the other side of the mic.Dr. Sarah Gordon invited Chris onto her PhD Journey Unplugged podcast for a conversation about endurance sports, coaching, nutrition, motivation, longevity—and what it really means to train for a life you want to keep living.They discuss:Why training and nutrition need to be individualizedHow good coaching evolves as an athlete growsWhy more isn't always betterThe importance of autonomy, competence and connectionWhy community can be essential for long-term participation in endurance sportsThe difference between training because you want to and because you feel like you shouldHow performance goals and healthy aging can coexistWhy sometimes we need to stop climbing long enough to appreciate the viewThe thinking behind The Endurance Edge's Longevity LabWhat athletes like 80-year-old Ironman finisher Natalie Grabow can teach us about staying active for lifeThe goal isn't simply to add years to your life.It's to keep life in your years.And sometimes that means asking a bigger question:What are you training for?This conversation originally appeared on Dr. Sarah Gordon's PhD Journey Unplugged podcast, Episode #74.🎧 After you listen, go check out the episode we did with Sarah, #155 on the Science of Motivation. Ready to take a more personalized approach to performance and healthy aging?Explore The Endurance Edge Longevity Lab Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

Your sweat rate isn't one number—it's a pattern.The amount you sweat can change dramatically depending on your sport, intensity, temperature, humidity, environment, and individual physiology.So why are we still asking, “How much should I drink per hour?” as if there's one answer that works every time?In this episode of Find Your Edge, Coach Chris Newport breaks down how to understand your individual sweat-rate patterns and use them to make better hydration decisions.You'll learn why:Running, cycling, swimming, and indoor training can produce different sweat ratesOne hot-weather sweat-rate calculation isn't enoughFueling and hydration need to work togetherYour training partner's hydration strategy may not work for youSweat rate and sweat sodium are different pieces of the puzzleTracking several data points can help make hydration more predictablePlus, Chris introduces Hydration Edge, the new app designed to help endurance athletes turn their own sweat-rate data into personalized hydration plans.Stop guessing. Start learning your pattern.Ready to stop guessing about your hydration? Download Hydration Edge for Apple and start turning your sweat-rate data into personalized hydration plans.Download Hydration Edge on the App Store here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hydration-edge/id6788021151  Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.

What happens when being an athlete is part of your identity...but your body can no longer race the way it used to?You find another way.In this episode of the Find Your Edge Podcast, Coach Chris Newport talks with longtime Humans of Steel athlete Kris Bonot about a remarkable endurance journey.Kris started triathlon in 2013, became a successful age-group athlete and eventually competed at USA Triathlon Nationals. Then an autoimmune disease and bilateral knee fractures dramatically changed their mobility.But they didn't stop being an athlete.Today, Kris continues participating in endurance events using an all-terrain wheelchair and is an advocate for making triathlon more accessible and welcoming to athletes of different abilities and identities.We talk about:• Going from age-group triathlete to adaptive athlete • Living and training with ankylosing spondylitis • Grieving the loss of running and redefining athlete identity • Racing trails in a 40-pound all-terrain wheelchair • How Kris trains for adaptive racing • The challenges of adaptive and paratriathlon classifications • Racing authentically as a nonbinary athlete • Why representation and accessibility matter • What it really means to have the courage to show up • Why a changing body doesn't mean your athletic life is overKris's story is a reminder that sometimes finding your edge doesn't mean pushing harder.Sometimes it means finding another way forward.Ready for support with your own endurance journey? Explore Triathlon & Run Coaching Support the show🎧 Thanks for listening to the Find Your Edge Podcast!We're here to help you train smarter, fuel better, and stay strong and active for years to come.📚 Want more practical tips? Explore our free resources:🥗 High Performance Healthy Eating Guide💧 Hydration Guide for Athletes💪 Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a friend!🌐 The Endurance Edge | 📲 InstagramPerformance Today. Longevity Tomorrow.