#637 - Spikes in Running Distance and Injury. Racing and News from the Weekend.

Jack steps into the hot seat to cover for Tim whilst he battles the GODZONE course! Sue Beattie won the free race entry to the Kosciusko 50K Ultra. We find out how it all went. We chat about the metabolic cost of swimming and the dangers of poor fueling. We have a free race entry to giveaway to the Loan Market Tauranga Half Oceanside. (0:00:00) – Tim at Godzone (0:03:39) – UTMB Kosciuszko (0:06:14) – Sue Beattie (0:19:29) – IRONMAN WA this weekend (0:23:07) – Swimming stress and the metabolic cost (0:53:21) – Loan Market Tauranga Half Oceanside LINKS: Godzone Adventure Race at https://godzoneadventure.com/ Jack Moody at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/ Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko https://kosciuszko.utmb.world/WA Tauranga Half at https://mountfestival.kiwi/events/tauranga-half/ Hexis at https://www.hexis.live/ IRONMAN Western Australia at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-western-australia

Tim prepares for GODZONE. We catch up on the racing from the weekend plus we look ahead to the T100 Qatar start list. Meridith Cass is the Founder and CEO of Nix Biosensors, a company that develops wearable sensors to monitor hydration by measuring sweat. The Nix Biosensor provides real-time data on sweat loss, electrolyte loss, and sweat composition to help athletes and others optimize hydration for performance and health. In this conversation, Tim Brazier and Meridith Cass delve into the science of sweat and hydration, discussing the Nix Hydration Biosensor. They explore the importance of accurate hydration monitoring for athletes, the variability in sweat loss and the implications of dehydration on performance. Meridith shares insights on how the biosensor functions, its accuracy, and the significance of electrolyte balance. The discussion also touches on the future of hydration technology and its applications beyond endurance sports. (0:00:00) – Tim prepares for Godzone (0:17:12) – Laguna Phuket Tri (0:20:25) – Start list for Qatar (0:23:29) – IRONMAN Cozumel (0:28:05) – Hydration and racing in the heat (0:37:22) – NIX Biosensors LINKS: Nix Biosensors at https://nixbiosensors.com/ Godzone Adventure Race at https://godzoneadventure.com/ Laguna Phuket Triathlon at https://www.lagunaphukettri.com/ IRONMAN Cozumel at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-cozumel Alan McCubbin study "Sodium intake for athletes before, during and after exercise: review and recommendations" at https://performancenutrition.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s44410-025-00011-9 Buy the Nix Biosensor from Infinit Nutrition Australia at https://www.infinitnutrition.com.au/nix-hydration-biosensor T100 Qatar at https://t100triathlon.com/qatar/participate/

Auckland-based professional triathlete Jack Moody broke the tape at the Queenstown Marathon in 2:25:02, posting a new men's course record by more than a minute. We chat to Jack about his race. IRONMAN make changes to their World Championship qualification system. Clare Fitzpatrick won a free race entry to the IRONMAN 70.3 in Melbourne. We find out how her day went. We catch up on the racing from the weekend including the race management issues arising from the T100 in Dubai. (0:06:06) – Jack Moody (0:03:07) – IRONMAN Arizona (0:25:48) – IRONMAN Qualification System (0:31:59) – Clare Fitzpatrick (0:42:21) – T100 Dubai LINKS: Follow Jack Moody on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jacktmoody/ Queenstown Marathon at https://queenstown-marathon.co.nz/ IRONMAN Arizona at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-arizona IRONMAN 70.3 Melbourne at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-melbourne T100 Dubai at https://t100triathlon.com/dubai/pro/

We review the racing from the IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs at the weekend. We chat to Susan Phillips, winner of the free race entry to the Garmin Noosa Triathlon. (0:08:05) – Susan Phillips (0:03:07) – IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs Women's race (0:27:49) – Women's post race press conference (0:46:45) – IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs Men's race (1:00:04) – Men's post race press conference LINKS: Garmin Noosa Triathlon at https://noosatri.com.au/ IM703 Melbourne at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-melbourne IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-world-championship-2025

This week on FITTER Radio we welcome Kelly O'Mara Head of Content and Sports Reporter for Feisty Media. The new IRONMAN Kona qualification algorithm is significantly affecting female athletes. While early projections suggested a 30-40% representation of women at the World Championships, initial data from races shows this is not the case. In the 'performance pool' an overwhelming majority have gone to men (around 95%), with only about 5% going to women in the initial races analyzed. In some events, like IRONMAN California, only one performance slot was awarded to a woman. In this conversation, Kelly shares her history in triathlon and sports journalism, highlighting the evolution of women's sports and the challenges faced in media representation. She shares insights from the recent Kona race, the impact of the new qualification system on female participation and the implications of IRONMAN's business model.  We review the racing from the Noosa Triathlon at the weekend plus Braden Currie announces his retirement. (0:00:00) – Sprint finish in the NY marathon (0:03:07) – Retirements in triathlon (0:20:20) – Garmin Noosa Triathlon (0:29:47) – IRONMAN qualification system (0:36:22) – Kelly O'Mara: Feisty Media LINKS: Follow the Real Science of Sport podcast on X at https://x.com/sportsscipod Kelly O' Mara at https://www.kellyomara.com/ Feisty Media at https://feisty.co/ Feisty Newsletter "Understanding the New IRONMAN Kona qualification system at https://feisty.co/p/understanding-the-new-ironman-kona-qualification-system/  Garmin Noosa Triathlon at https://noosatri.com.au/  

We chat to the 2020 Olympic World Champion and 2021 IRONMAN World Champion Kristian Blummenfelt.  Kristian reflects on his recent race performance in Nice sharing his mixed emotions on his result and the importance of his relationship with Gustav and Casper.  We delve into training, nutrition and the work needed to maintain a balance between weight management and performance. The discussion also covers the dynamics of coaching and the role of science in training. We chat about Kristian's future aspirations in the sport including his prep for IRONMAN 70.3 Worlds in Marbella and his thoughts around race plans for 2026. Plus, we chat about the changes to the IRONMAN New Zealand bike course and how it'll enhance the race experience for 2026 (0:04:01) – The changes to the IMNZ bike course (0:12:32) – Alex Yee (0:17:48) – Plasmaide competition (0:18:55) – Kristian Blummenfelt (1:10:45) – IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs LINKS: Kristian Blummenfelt at https://www.instagram.com/kristianblu Mount Festival of Sport at https://mountfestival.kiwi/ IRONMAN New Zealand at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-new-zealand Plasmaide https://plasmaide.com/ IRONMAN 70.3 World Champs at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-world-championship-2025

We review the racing from the T100 and WTCS in Wollongong at the weekend. Hannah Tiedt is a PhD candidate at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) studying sports performance physiology and nutrition, with a focus on the resilience of endurance athletes to sleep restriction. She has previously completed a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation and a Master of Sport, Exercise and Health at AUT. Follow the link below to complete her survey. (0:00:00) - Tim back from Wollongong (0:06:07) - Racing from the weekend (0:18:05) - T100 announcements (0:28:50) - Racing from the weekend (0:52:17) - Hannah Tiedt LINKS: Link to Hannah's survey at https://aut.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Xi3Cn9hB5PK3z0 Follow Hannah at https://x.com/HannahTee20

We review the racing at the IRONMAN World Champs 2025 in Kona. Plus, we bring you the audio from the post-race conference with the top 5 finishers. LINKS: IRONMAN World Championship Kona at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-world-championship-kona

We catch up on the racing from SuperTri at the weekend Sue Beattie won the free race entry to the Kosciuszko Ultra, we find out more about her. It's Kona week, and we chat to Kiwi Professional Triathlete Hannah Berry. Hannah shares her experiences and insights as she prepares for the upcoming IRONMAN World Champs in Kona this weekend. She discusses her return to the Big Island, her strategies for racing in hot conditions and the surprises of her T100 season. Hannah emphasizes the importance of consistency in her training, her progress on the bike and the confidence gained from competing against top athletes. As she looks ahead to Kona, she reflects on her mindset, race strategies and future goals in the sport. (0:00:51) – SuperTri  (0:14:22) – Sue Beattie (0:24:57) – IRONMAN World Champs this weekend (0:36:47) – Hannah Berry LINKS: SuperTri at https://supertri.com/ Sue Beattie Tri Excel at https://triexcel.com.au/about-us IRONMAN World Championship Kona at https://www.ironman.com/races/im-world-championship-kona Kosciuszko Ultra at https://kosciuszko.utmb.world/ Follow Hannah Berry on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr_hannah_wells/

We review the racing from the weekend. Luke Smithers won the free race entry to the IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney. We find out how it all went. How much running is too much? We discuss a recent paper identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study and the dose-response relationship between changes in single-session distance and running-related injuries (0:07:42) – Racing from the weekend  (0:29:37) – How much running is too much? A study. (0:38:07) – IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney (0:41:03) – Luke Smithers  LINKS: Training Peaks Virtual at https://www.trainingpeaks.com/virtual/ WTCS Weihai at https://triathlon.org/events/2025-world-triathlon-championship-series-weihai/event-info IM703 Augusta at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-augusta   IM703 Chattanooga at https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-chattanooga How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study at https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/59/17/1203