It's been a crazy year to say the least, but we are lucky enough to have still had all star guests join us for some great chats. We pick some of our favorites from the last 12 months to give you a little something to listen to to finish out the year. Maybe you'll find an episode you haven't heard yet, or you'll be inspired to listen again!

In this Catch Up, Matt gives calls in a very special guest... Jordan Rapp! The two Power Up Tri hosts catch up on what Jordan is up to, including a career shift, and Matt gets some insight on Jordan's experiences at his 4 years at Zwift!

It's that time of year: Zwift Academy Tri! In this episode, ZA mentor extraordinaire Sarah True and coach of the stars, Dan Plews, talk about this year's Tri Academy with Matt. Lots of good banter as usual with this crew. There’s also amazing information about the program Dan designed. He even shares some great training advice. Give it a listen to learn more about Dan, the training, and the potential benefits of completing the program!

In this podcast special Matt Lieto brings in Sean Jefferson to talk about the inaugural Zwift Academy Run program. The training camp is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join Zwift’s new top end run team, and explore some killer workouts to improve your fitness. Matt and Sean bring on Terrence Mahon, a world renowned coach and runner in his own right, to chat about the coaching program he created. Some really good banter and running history covered in this episode, give it a listen.

Jess Learmonth is an ITU star who has had great success in a relatively short time within the most competitive levels of triathlon with both European Championships gold and silver medals as well as a WTS World Series silver.  She was hoping to build up to and compete in the 2020 Olympics but has pivoted, along with a lot of us, to adding some E-racing into her resume. She's come off a recent win at the inaugural Super League Triathlon Arena games as well as highlighting our Z Pro Tri series field earlier this year. We get some insight into her experiences with these new formats as well as chat about her move from swimming into triathlon and the current state of ITU racing.

Matt and Heather sit down for a quick chat about how Heather has been spending her time this year. Spoiler alert, she's been spending a lot of time on her gravel bike, she's been camping a lot, and oh yeah, she even did a "race"! Listen in for details and to find out what, exactly, a kitty puppy is. 

Jesse Thomas had a surprisingly quick rise to the top within the sport of  triathlon, and he stayed there until his recent retirement announcement. Jordan and Matt get Jesse on the podcast to catch up on what Jesse has been up to since, and reminisce about some great times shared within the sport. Some good engi-nerd talk between Jesse and Jordan in the tech corner and lots of good laughs in this one, so give it a listen! 

Matt jumps on the line with good friend and American long distance triathlon star, Ben Hoffman for this episode of The Catch Up. The two have a casual chat about what Ben has been up to this summer and what adjustments he's been making in his life and training. Ben fills us in on how he's mentally getting through this summer and living in the moment, and gives some great advice to the listeners on how to take advantage of the silver linings available during this time off of racing. Be sure to checkout the episode we did with Ben last year on the Business Side of Being a Pro. 

We are stoked to have a pillar of the endurance industry, Dirk Friel, with us for this episode. Dirk shares the history behind founding TrainingPeaks and what it's like to be the son of a true legend of the coaching world, Joel Friel. 

We also talk about how to use metrics while training to stay on point during these strange times as well as some things to try and avoid.

With the Z Pro Tri June Invitational over and done, it’s time we shined a spotlight on the two riders who’ve emerged victorious: Teresa Adam and Lionel Sanders! They chat with our hosts about their big wins. Series tactics, surprises during the race, and finally, just how much fun it was to get the competitive juices flowing during this worldwide downtime. In this episode, both athletes let us know how they’re managing summer and what they’re doing to keep motivated.

Matt sits down for a quick catch up with none other than "The Grip", Mark Allen. They have a casual conversation about what's been going on in Mark's world, how to stay motivated in training these days, the value of a good old fashioned walk, and why Mark's sporting a new head scar!

Join Matt Lieto for his conversation with 3x Ironman 70.3 champion Rach McBride on the Zwift PowerUp Tri Podcast. Listen as they talk through their plan for future Ironman races and how to be a good ally for members of the LGBTQI+ community. 

Say hello to Flora Duffy. The 32-year-old triathlete has been wildly successful in her triathlon career with multiple world championships over many disciplines. She’s the 2016 and 2017 ITU World Triathlon Series world champ. She’s a five-time winner of the XTERRA World Championships. She’s represented Bermuda at three Summer Olympics—2008, 2012, and 2016. Now, not all triathlons are equal. There’s ITU, Xterra, 70.3, and more; Flora has dominated all of the disciplines, which is no small feat! So in Ep. 29, we pick her brain on how she’s done so, and how we should all mix up the sort of racing that we do. 

In The Catch Up Matt drops a line to some former guests and personalities in the sport for a short coffee style catch up. This week he chats with Sarah True about her new interim teaching gig, how she's adjusted her training in this time, and a fave past time of hers- baking!

British pro triathlete David McNamee has been crushing it on Twitter the last few months. Why? Well, he’s locked down in Girona and has been churning out some fun, clever content to document his time indoors. A two-time podium finisher in Kona, with a best time of 8:01, David is in the prime of his career. Not being able to train outdoors for six weeks was undoubtedly tough, but what he actually found hardest might just surprise you.

Australian pro triathlete Sarah Crowley joins us for this week's episode, and we’ll be picking her brain about the all-important coach/athlete relationship. Sarah has always been vocal about crediting her team, and there’s no doubt that coaches play an important part in every athlete’s success. Sarah sheds some light on just how important that relationship can be!

We apologise that the audio quality is not up to our usual standard, due to Covid-19 and social distancing we can't use our usual recording equipment.

Welcome Michellie Jones 🇦🇺 One of the most successful triathletes of all time is on! Olympic Silver Medalist, Ironman Hawaii champ, and more World titles than we can count. Now an accomplished coach, we pick her brain on the best ways to optimize training during lockdown life. We’ve all had to make changes to our training, and the three of us chat about the best ways to adapt.

Fast cars and TT bikes is life for Brazilian IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan. We learn why the Indy 500 Champ leans on Zwift to support his racing career – the answer will surprise you. Plus, how coronavirus is affecting the season, and more insight into the onion that is Jordan Rapp.

This week, we chat with reigning IRONMAN World Champ, Jan Frodeno. We dig into his achievements and ask big questions. Is he the best? Does legacy transcend beyond race results? On the heels of the tragedy of Kobe Bryant, this standout episode hits all the notes. Plus, he spills the beans on why he’s changing shoe sponsors after 17 years! Not to miss. 

This week, we chat with Australian Pro Tim Reed and the perception vs reality of pro triathletes. From juggling training, family, sponsor obligations, and even a regular job, pro triathletes have more in common with age groupers than you may realize. We also chat about the recent news of a notable triathlete jumping back into the pro peloton and the recent sponsorship change with the reigning Kona champion. Jordan also discusses some new workout features he personally worked on that just came out for Zwift Run.

This week we were lucky enough to score a sit down with the freshly minted Canadian Marathon record holder, Malindi Elmore. You might ask why we'd have a runner on the show, but Malindi raced as a pro triathlete after 2 decades of running on the track, inclusive of an Olympic appearance and some National Championships, only to go back to dominate the Marathon in just her 2nd attempt. We talk all things marathon and what she learned from triathlon to make her a better runner!

This week we've got Skye Moench joining us and we're talking goal setting. As a new pro athlete Skye had a breakthrough season this year with several wins including the Eurpoean Ironman Championship in Frankfurt. With a recent bike crash Skye shares with us how she's learned more about goal setting in her recovery on her journey back to the top!

Heather and Trevor Wurtele have been a force in triathlon over the last decade. Recently, the power couple announced their retirement. What’s it like leaving something that’s been such a driving force in your life? How do you know when it’s time to move on? In Episode 20, they drop by the studio to answer these questions and chat about their next move as well recent tri happenings.

Say hello to Dan Plews, the architect of Zwift Academy Tri’s training plan. A physiologist, sport scientist, and researcher, Dan is a top-level triathlon coach as well as the fastest ever age group athlete at Kona. He’s all about low carbs, high fats, and heart rate variability. In Episode 19, he drops into the studio to chat about heat adaptation as well as some of his favorite workouts in the program and the "why" behind them.

When it comes to life as a pro athlete, performance is only half the battle. To truly reach the next level, you need to know the business of sports. In this episode, we bring in an expert on the matter: 9x winner of Ironman Switzerland, Ronnie Schildknecht. He dives into and corrects misconceptions about how athletes make their living. Beyond that, we also chat about news regarding aerodynamic effects of drafting riders and motos

Have you noticed that many elite endurance athletes are getting fitter and faster as they get older? Some are peaking in their late 40s.  Multi-time Ironman champ and Kona top 10 finisher, Dede Griesbauer, sat down to chat with us about this recent phenomenon. With an athletic career that will reach its 4th decade this January, Dede has some great insights. Lots of recent race news, too, as well as Jordan's quick take on CBD and its place in triathlon in this episode.

Kona is done and dusted, so Jordan, Matt, and Tim get back together to go over what was an epic race. The race had some big surprises throughout the day, and the titles ended up with the two Germans, Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug. We sit down to see whose predictions did the best, and we also talk to two Zwift Academy athletes about their successful Kona experiences.

It's Kona week! Matt catches up with Levi Hauwert, Yvonne Timewell, and team mentor Tim Don of the Specialized Zwift Academy Triathlon team. We learn about their experience on the the team and expectations going into race day. Tim and Matt make their rapid fire picks for Saturday, followed up with Jordan's analysis of these picks.

​This week we have 70.3 specialist Sam Appleton on with us as hecomes off of an impressive 8th place at 70.3 World Championships in Nice last month. Formany users, Zwift is an outlet to be able to combine their love of gaming with their necessity forquality training. This is very true for Sam, and we take the chance to chat with him about his (and Jordan’s) love for gaming and esports. We of course get a breakdown of the World Champs race as well as some exciting news about Sam's plans for the rest of the season. In the tech corner, Jordan talks about what to him was a surprise at Eurobike—that no one has released an answer for a 12 speed drivetrain on a smart trainer?!?!

Episode 15 brings recent Kona qualifier and Zwift Academy Tri mentor, Sarah True, in for a chat. We take this opportunity to talk about an often overlooked yet important topic: depression in endurance athletes. We dive right in and speculate on why depression seems to be so common in athletes as well as our advice for dealing with it. Sarah also offers a quick update on the Zwift Academy Tri team with Kona just around the corner. In the tech corner, Jordan gives us the rundown on the hotly debated E-Bike racing scene.

Jordan and Matt get together to share their thoughts and observations from the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Nice. Both the men's and women's races had some breakthrough performances as well as some surprises on this super challenging course. Did the pre-race favorites produce? Were there any Kona implications from race day? And Jordan checks in on steering on Zwift and the new Yorkshire course.

You know who Dan Empfield is, right? Multisport entrepreneur. Inventor of the triathlon wetsuit and triathlon racing bike. When it comes to the business side of triathlon, few people know more than Dan. He swings by the studio in Episode 14 to talk about the current state of the sport as well as where it’s headed. It’s demographics have been shifting over the last few years, causing alarm bells to go off for some. Dan, on the other hand, has a more positive outlook. He thinks triathlon has a bright future, but urges us all to do our part, otherwise we could see a downturn.

Where do you go after winning an Olympic Gold Medal in triathlon? If you’re Gwen Jorgensen, you make the jump to marathon. With Gold in mind, she’s shifted gears during her training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Gwen chats with us about the change, plus we catch up on recent tri news!

Alistair Brownlee is often seen on G.O.A.T. lists, and he just completed and won his first IRONMAN! What’s next for the 2x Olympic Gold Medalist? We chatted about his move up in distance and what podium he’s hoping to stand on next.

Almost half-a-century old, the sport of triathlon has seen its fair share of progress. A pillar of the sport for decades, tri legend Mike Reilly is a staunch advocate of its positive effects. He stops by in Episode 10 to talk all about it. How it’s evolved. What the scene looks like now versus then. His experiences, and recently published book, Finding My Voice. The crew also goes over a few recent races, and checks in on some interesting tech from E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

One of the reasons long-distance triathlon is so beloved is its all-ages appeal. Young. Old. It doesn’t matter. If you have the drive to go the distance, you can be a triathlete. Over the years, there’s been frequent debate on what the “ideal” age is for top performances. Traditionally, “older” (30–40) has been seen as better, with experience and knowledge helping tri veterans make it to the podium. Lucy Charles-Barclay is pushing back. Only 25 years old, she’s already racked up a number of Ironman wins as well as three World Championship podiums. She joins the crew in Episode 9 to explain how younger athletes can approach races similar to older competitors, and how age is just a number when it comes to experience and tri knowledge. We also talk about Allied's successful gravel bike launch in Kansas as well as other recent happenings in the tri scene.

How do we judge athletes over time? Are "World Records" the best way? The most wins? We asked one of the greatest of all time, Mark Allen, to explore the topic. With 6 Kona wins and multiple World Championship titles over various distances and a record-setting 21-race winning streak—he knows what it takes to be the best. Plus: Jordan and Matt talk shop with Mark about triathlon and see what makes him tick.

Staying motivated to train hard every year can be challenging, but when you’re a professional, it’s necessary.

2014 Ironman World Champion, two-time 70.3 World Champion, and three-time European Champion Sebastian Kienle knows a thing or two about this.

In Episode 6, he dives into the demands of staying motivated and goal-setting when you’ve already been on the top. Jordan and Matt also give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into the creation of the new Watopia expansion and discuss the latest wetsuit brand creating waves.

It’s a crossover episode!

Greg Henderson of the Power Up Cycling podcast visits Matt and Jordan to talk training differences between cycling and triathlon.

A cycling perspective can help triathletes tackle typical weaknesses on the bike.

In this episode, 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Champion Holly Lawrence joins Matt and Jordan to talk training, racing, life, injury, dietary habits, doping accusations, and everything in between. Episode 2’s key topic dives into nutrition, from carbo-loading with sweets to whether leaner is better in the world of tri.

Joining Matt and Jordan is Linsey Corbin who will lend her expert knowledge on the topic of how to do off-season right. Matt, Jordan, and Linsey tackle the tough topic of knowing when to shut it off and give your body rest, but actually resting and not just posting about #offseason on social media.