Check out the TriFaster podcast featuring FWTC Coach Keith Kotar + FWTC Athlete Michael Mansfield!

Do you have questions you would like answered on the TriFaster Podcast? Ask on social media at #trifasterpodcast or email Coach Keith with “TriFaster Podcast” in the subject line.

 

Episode 33: Kona Preview, Ironman Pro Series

Friday Oct 13, 2023

The Women's Ironman World Championship is here! The guys preview the race and make their picks. First they discuss the newly announced Ironman Pro Series and what it means for the athletes.

Episode 32: Men’s IM World Champs Preview

Saturday Sep 09, 2023

It's here: The Nice Preview. The guys make their picks for the Men's World Championship this weekend.

Episode 31: Recaps!, Blummenfelt vs Hassan, Training Through Injuries

Thursday Aug 31, 2023

The guys are back to recap several major races since the last episode, including the Olympic Test Event in Paris, the PTO Asian Open and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. First they give some personal training updates, go into the main topic of training through injuries, and close with a comparison between Kristian Blummenfelt and Sifan Hassan. 

Episode 30: US Open Recap, Olympic Test Event, PTO/WT Partnership

Thursday Aug 17, 2023

The guys are back with a recap of the PTO US Open where they were able to catch the races live! They also recap the Women's Olympic Test Event and preview the Men. They also look ahead to the PTO Asian Open coming up this weekend. Off the race course, they discuss the partnership between the PTO and World Triathlon to bring a Long Distance World Championship Series to life.

Episode 29: Catching Up, Lake Placid and Oregon Previews

Wednesday Jul 26, 2023

The guys are back after a long break! Keith takes the blame for the hiatus then the guys catch up on the biggest stories since the last episode before previewing Ironman Lake Placid and 70.3 Oregon.

Episode 28: Recaps and Yokohama Preview

Saturday May 13, 2023

The guys kick off the episode with some training and racing updates, then they jump into recaps of all the racing over the weekend, including the PTO European Open. They finish with previews of WTCS Yokohama and 70.3 Gulf Coast.

Episode 27: News! Doping and Euro Open Preview

Friday May 05, 2023

Today the guys just cover news, namely Collin Chartier testing positive for EPO and the big showdown at the European Open. They recap a couple of the races that have happened since the previous episode.

Episode 26: Training for Ironman, WTCS Abu Dhabi Recap, Oceanside Preview

Sunday Mar 26, 2023

In this episode, the guys give some training updates and then jump into discussion about how to train for Ironman. After the main topic, they get into some news, including a recap of the WTCS event in Abu Dhabi, and some of the early-season long course action. To wrap, they preview the upcoming 70.3 in Oceanside.

Episode 25: Q&A

Thursday Mar 09, 2023

In this episode the guys answer your questions, including how the new PTO ranking system works. First, Keith gives a recap of his second marathon of the season and what he has learned from the two experiences.

Episode 24: Training for 70.3, View of Ironman, Roth Men’s Start List

Monday Feb 20, 2023

In this episode the guys dissect training for the half-iron distance, discuss Andrew Messick's appearance on the How They Train podcast, and take an early look at the recently revealed Challenge Roth Men's start list.

Episode 23: 2022 Recap, Looking Ahead to 2023, How Pros Make Money, Best Degree for Triathletes

Sunday Jan 22, 2023

The guys are back after a couple illnesses and races. They start off by giving some "awards" for 2022 then looking ahead to 2023. Next, they dive into the main topic of how pro triathletes make money and Keith gives some insight into his days as a pro and why he decided to compete as a lower level pro. They wrap up by answering a listener submitted question about the best degree for triathletes and also discuss the announcement by Ironman to split the men and women for the Ironman World Championship starting this year.

Episode 22: Training for Short Course, Grand Final Recap

Monday, Dec 26, 2022

In this episode, the guys give some training updates, then jump into discussion about training for short course. They talk about the phases of the season and how to plan for each specific sport. The episode wraps up with some race recaps including the Grand Final, Daytona and IM Israel.

Episode 21: Training for Specific Distances Part 1, IM AZ/COZ Recap

Wednesday Nov 23, 2022

In this episode the guys start a multi-part series where they will dive into the specifics of training for different distances. Part 1 covers the themes that you will see in every distance before moving into episodes covering Short Course, 70.3 and Ironman. After that they recap the weekend of Ironman racing and debate whether or not Ben Kanute is the greatest American triathlete of all time.

Episode 20: 70.3 Worlds Recap (Ben Kanute!) and Race Day Gear Selection

Saturday Nov 05, 2022

This week the guys recap the exciting 70.3 World Championship from last weekend, including the predicted podium finish of Ben Kanute, and the dominance of Taylor Knibb. Keith reviews his day out on the course and gives his thoughts on the Age Group experience. To wrap up, Keith and Michael go through the equipment they use on race day.

Episode 19: 70.3 Worlds Preview, Offseason Plans, and Recovery

Thursday Oct 27, 2022

This week the guys give some training updates and talk about what they're offseasons are starting to look like. They then tackle a great listener question about different recovery methods and what they think are the best ways to spend your money. With 70.3 worlds this weekend, they take a look at the favorites and predict their podiums.

Don't forget to submit questions using #trifasterpodcast

Episode 18: Kona Recap and Michael Runs Chicago

Thursday Oct 13, 2022

This week Michael kicks things off with his race report from the Chicago Marathon. The guys then dive into their takes on Kona and the fast times we saw on the Big Island.

Episode 17: Kona Preview and Chicago Marathon Week

Wednesday Oct 05, 2022

IT'S KONA WEEK! For the first time since 2019, the Ironman World Championship is going to be held in Hawaii. The guys preview the race and predict how they think the races will play out. First, Michael dives into the last few days of his taper as he gets ready for this weekend's Chicago Marathon.

Episode 16: PTO US Open Recap and Triathlon’s Many Organizations

Friday Sep 30, 2022

In this episode, Michael and Keith give some training updates, plus a recap of the PTO US Open, including a boots-on-the-ground viewpoint from Keith. They then dive into the main topic and explain the different major organizations in the sport and they affect both pros and age groupers alike.

Episode 15: Organizing a Training Week, PTO US Open Preview, Weekend Race Recaps

Thursday Sep 15, 2022

In Episode 15 the guys give some training updates as Michael nears the Chicago Marathon and Keith starts his taper for the PTO US Open. They then dive into this week's topic of Organizing a Training Week, and give you some things to consider when placing workouts.

Episode 14: The Long Run and Long Workouts, Collins Cup Recap, Bergen Preview

Wednesday Aug 31, 2022

This week the guys give some personal training updates then dive into the main topic of the Long workouts, particularly the long run, and how to structure and plan them into training. Then they give their thoughts on the Collins Cup and Long Distance Worlds, before finishing up with a preview of the first World Cup to be held in Norway.

Episode 13: Return of the pod, Training in the Heat, Race recaps, PTO Canadian Open Preview

Friday Jul 22, 2022

The guys are back! After a long hiatus that included some international travel, racing, covid and more, Michael and Keith are back to the podcast world! They start off with some life updates and try to explain the long break. Then they gives some tips and insight into training during the hot summer months. To wrap, they give brief recaps of the 2021 Ironman World Championship and Challenge Roth before previewing the PTO Canadian Open.

Episode 12: Racing Updates and St. George Preview

Thursday May 05, 2022

Michael and Keith first give some personal racing updates after a Half Marathon for Michael and a busy Multisport Nationals weekend in DFW for Keith. They then recap Ironman Texas and preview the St. George Ironman World Championship set for this Saturday.

Episode 11: Triathlon Tech, Oceanside Recap

Friday Apr 15, 2022

Michael and Keith first give some training updates and then discuss some tech they use in training, plus some gadgets they are interested in using. They tackle the listener question of what races are on their bucket lists, and then Keith gives an open water swimming workout for the episode.

Episode 10: Setting Up a Season and Training Phases; Oceanside Preview

April 1, 2022

Michael and Keith first give some training updates before getting into the main topic of setting up your season, selecting races and the training phases Keith uses in his coaching. After that, the guys discuss Oceanside and give their picks for one of the best early season lineups in recent memory.

Episode 09: Strength Endurance Training, Miami Recap and Lanzarote Preview

March 22, 2022

Michael and Keith first give some training updates before getting into the main topic of Strength Endurance Training and how it fits into your Long Course training program. They then answer some questions, including racing on back to back weekends, and give some workouts for the episode. To finish, the guys recap some recent pro races, including Clash Miami and look ahead to Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote.

Episode 08: We’re Back! - Training in Cold Climates and Training When Life Gets In the Way

February 5, 2022

Michael and Keith first talk about the break from the podcast (Michael's new baby and Keith contracting Covid) then they discuss training in cold weather and fitting in training with major life interruptions. They then give a workout for the episode and finish with some news, including Javier Gomez switching coaches to Dan Plews.

Episode 07: Speed Training (What is it and why do we do it?), 2021 Year in Review

December 31, 2021

Michael and Keith take a deep dive into Speed, including why we do it and how to incorporate it in your training. Keith offers a couple examples of Speed workouts.

The guys then discuss what they plan to do differently in their own training in 2022.

They finish the episode by giving out some 2021 awards and review what we saw on the pro scene this year.

Episode 6: Goal Setting, Daytona and Indian Wells Recap, PTO Tour 2022 Revealed

December 18, 2021

Michael and Keith discuss setting goals for a season, including what type of goals you should create and how to select them. They then discuss their own goals for 2022.  After the main topic, they answer the first ever listener question. Keith then gives a brief review of the Asics Metaspeed Edge as well as a swim workout for the offseason that you can build upon all the way to your A race.  They wrap the episode with news, including recaps from Daytona and Indian Wells, World Triathlon doping sanctions against Russia, and the announcement of the PTO majors for 2022, which has a stop in Dallas, TX!

Episode 05 - Incorporating Off Season Races Into Training, Alcohol Consumption in Training, Daytona Preview

December 3, 2021

Michael and Keith discuss how to incorporate single sport races into your offseason routine, answer a couple off topic questions (including consuming alcohol during training), recap Ironman Cozumel and the World Record, and preview Clash Daytona (disclaimer: the newly published start list has lost many of the headliners). 

Episode 04 - Traditional Base vs Reverse Periodization Base

November 16, 2021

Michael and Keith give some training updates then discuss Base Training, why we do it, what you are trying to accomplish, and what approach is best for you. They then give a Weekly Workout and answer a couple questions before covering the most recent news, including race recaps of Ironman Florida and WTCS Abu Dhabi. 

Episode 03 - Coached vs Self-Coached

November 7, 2021

Michael and Keith dive into the differences between having a coach and trying to navigate the training yourself, as well as how you know if a coach is the right fit and when to hire a coach. They also recap of 70.3 Oceanside.

Episode 02 - Weekend Recap: Waco, Portugal, LA; Oceanside and Florida Preview

October 29, 2021

Michael and Keith recap a busy weekend with races in Waco, Portugal and Korea, plus the cancellation of Ironman California. They also preview upcoming races in Oceanside and Florida, as well as the Pan American Championship in St. George. To close they discuss Igor Polyansky's EPO ban and the accusations against Triathlon Australia for potential race-fixing.

Episode 01 - Introduction, IMWC to St. George, Planning Your Offseason

October 18, 2021

Welcome to the first episode of the Tri Faster Podcast! Meet your hosts Keith Kotar and Michael Mansfield, and listen in as they discuss Ironman moving the 2021 World Championship to St. George in 2022 and how to set up your offseason.