Elise Lagerstrom — Eric's sister and two-time desert ultra champion — joins us to recount winning the Gobi March outright, becoming the first woman in the race's 20-year history to beat all men across a 250-kilometer, seven-day self-supported ultra through central Mongolia. We cover everything: the emergency electrolyte crisis at mile 12, how she managed a 52-minute buffer over second place through the legendary 80-kilometer Stage 4 long march, what carrying a 25-pound pack for 155 miles has to do with running ability, and why this kind of racing is so much more tactical than it looks. Then Paula emerges from a rough morning to join us for the second half.

This week we discussed:

• Elise Lagerstrom's Gobi March race recap: the first woman to win the 250K Mongolian desert ultra outright in 20 years of the event
• Self-supported racing explained: what you carry, what the race provides, and how the tent situation works
• Stage 4 long march — 80 kilometers in a single day and why Elise knew it was her moment
• The near-crisis at mile 12 and how she corrected her electrolyte strategy mid-race
• Why running ability matters less than you think in a 30-hour race
• Racing vs. surviving: how tactical the Gobi March actually gets, day by day
• The Roth swim controversy: how the men's field used a coordinated swim paceline to finally beat Christian
• Paula's take on Alanis Siffert's stunning Roth win — and her 2:45 marathon
• Should this new collegiate national champion race his first pro 70.3 on a road bike?
• Altitude racing tips for Leadville: heat training as the poor man's altitude prep, and the two-weeks-or-right-before rule
• When should you replace your running shoes — and the case for buying three pairs at once
• How motivation in triathlon evolves: from proving yourself to something harder to name
• Paula's first Iron Man in two weeks: wetsuit neck chafe solutions, and why Paula hates the words "Ironman training"
• Donut run at Lake Placid: Friday, 3 PM — come find us

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

This week we have a shorter episode getting straight to questions. Nick podiums third overall at San Diego International Triathlon, feeling breathless the whole time. We get into it. Then we launch the official TTL Eddington Number Challenge (with a gift card prize), debut the Lake Placid limited edition merch, and answer your questions.

This week we discussed:

• Nick's San Diego International Triathlon recap: third overall, why being too fresh can still leave you breathless, and why it felt harder than the numbers showed
• The official TTL Eddington Number Challenge: submit your cycling Eddington number in miles on Instagram for a chance to win a TTL gift card equal to your number
• Lake Placid limited edition poster, t-shirt, and hats: how to get yours before race day
• Combating imposter syndrome in triathlon, what to do when you earned the slot but don't feel like you belong
• TT bike saddle discomfort: when your bike fitter blames your bibs (and whether they might have a point)
• The best pocket camera for riding: Ricoh GR vs. phone vs. GoPro
• Has T100 paid its athletes? Paula addresses the Lucy Charles-Barclay question directly
• What would you do if you knew your next race was your last? A moving question from Jason, who's hanging up the tri kit after Ironman Oregon 70.3

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

Paula is racing the Canadian National Time Trial Championships, so it's a bro pod, especially when Ari Klau calls in live from O'Hare Airport after his first-ever 70.3 win at Mont-Tremblant to finally explain the shoe phone celebration that baffled the entire internet. We also break down a deceptively addictive cycling metric, answer your bike tech questions, and get into open water swimming in rough conditions.

This week we discussed:

• Paula races Canadian National Time Trial Championships, night-before logistics, bad roads, 23 mph winds, and going off 4th
• Martin Van Riel is 6-for-6 in 70.3s, the case for showing up only when you're ready
• The Eddington number explained: the cycling and running metric you didn't know you needed (and how to figure out yours)
• When to switch from road bike to TT bike in your race build, Ari and Eric weigh in
• Sharing one wheel set between a TT bike and road bike: does it actually work?
• How to keep your bottles cold in transition
• Swimming in choppy open water: Eric's technique advice
• The most minimalist race belt options, including the shoelace method and the Nerd Belt
• Is the North American Championship more prestigious than a regular 70.3 for age groupers?
• Do pros still fall off their bikes? Ari's trainer near-misses and the AirPod problem

A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive! To submit a question for the podcast and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast