
Episode #231
Paula's surprise T100 Vancouver race recap, Eric sheds light on what it's like to watch your partner race, Swimrun gear on a budget, and more!
Nobody knew Paula was racing, not her inner circle, barely even Paula herself until she was already on the plane to Vancouver. Three weeks out from Kona, she lined up at T100 Vancouver against an elite international field with zero expectations and finished fourth. We get the full race recap: the ocean current swim, the Race Ranger chaos on the bike that had Eric firing off texts from the couch, why riding to the front was the only move that made sense, and what it felt like to run a controlled 3:45/km pace and feel totally fine doing it. Then we debut a new segment, Rate It , get into your questions, and have a conversations about what it's like to be the partner on the sideline. This week we discussed: Paula's surprise T100 Vancouver recap: the decision to race, the ocean current swim, Race Ranger draft zone chaos on the bike, and running to a fourth place finish on fresh-ish Ironman legs The T100 format from an athlete's perspective: what it does brilliantly, why the fields keep coming back, and an honest conversation about whether the series is sustainable long-term New segment, Rate It: having multiple bikes, open water swimming vs. pool, training and racing with a smartwatch, and local events The best and hardest thing about watching your partner race — Eric on the joy, the grief, and the slow process of making peace with a changing athletic identity How big is Paula's team, really? The case for keeping it small, why Eric doing bike mechanics at 10pm beats hiring anyone, and what Carmen Small couldn't believe when she came to 70.3 Worlds Swimrun gear on a budget: buoy size, paddle advice, whether you need trail shoes, and how the transition between swim and run actually works with paddles on your wrists Self-confidence anxiety when training and racing with others — what it actually means when someone chooses you as their swim run partner Paula and Eric are tentatively planning an Austin swimrun in November. The road to Qatar goes through Austin, Texas. Eric floats an idea. Everyone pretends it's not happening. A big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast

