The Giddy Up Edge: Conversations on Getting Faster
The Giddy Up Edge: Conversations on Getting Faster
Podcast Description
A deep dive into the world of triathlon training, racing, and the coach-athlete relationship. Join Michellie Jones—Olympic silver medalist, two-time ITU World Champion, IRONMAN World Champion, and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion—and her athlete Evan as they break down training strategies, race preparation, and lessons learned on the path to success. Whether you're chasing your next PR or looking to find your fast, this podcast delivers expert insights, real-world experiences, and behind-the-scenes conversations to help you become a stronger, smarter, and faster triathlete.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Key themes covered in the podcast include training strategies, race preparation, and the nuances of the coach-athlete relationship. Specific episodes tackle topics such as debunking triathlon training myths and mastering race season planning, aiming to give athletes practical tips and insights for improved performance and recovery.
A deep dive into the world of triathlon training, racing, and the coach-athlete relationship. Join Michellie Jones—Olympic silver medalist, two-time ITU World Champion, IRONMAN World Champion, and IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion—and her athlete Evan as they break down training strategies, race preparation, and lessons learned on the path to success. Whether you’re chasing your next PR or looking to find your fast, this podcast delivers expert insights, real-world experiences, and behind-the-scenes conversations to help you become a stronger, smarter, and faster triathlete.
In this episode of The Giddy Up Edge, Evan Gruda and 8x World Champion coach Michellie Jones break down the ultimate concept every triathlete loves: free speed—the performance you unlock without adding more training hours.
We look back on the biggest needle-movers from 2025 (and the mistakes worth leaving behind), starting with the foundations: sleep as a non-negotiable, smarter recovery, better warmups, automatic refueling, and ego-free easy days. From there, we go discipline-by-discipline with practical upgrades you can steal immediately:
🏊 Swim: masters groups, higher stroke rate, tempo trainer work, paddles/pull sets, and straighter open-water sighting
🚴 Bike: cadence control, durable race execution, aero positioning, handling skills, and why fit + equipment choices matter
🏃 Run: cadence efficiency, negative splitting, brick-specific durability, and smarter risk management so you stay healthy and fast
We also dig into a hugely overlooked performance lever: blood testing—what to track, how often to test, and how athlete-specific trends can reveal issues (iron, hormones, recovery markers) before they derail a build.
Finally, we set our 2026 targets, share what we’re doubling down on, and leave you with a Free Speed Checklist you can use to start getting faster—before your training even ramps.
If you’re planning 2026, this is the episode to replay with a notebook.
Follow @GiddyUpCoaching and visit giddyupcoaching.com for coaching, camps, and tools.
If you want to reach out to Michellie Jones you can find her at https://giddyupmultisports.com/ for coaching, camps, and tools.
Evan Gruda can be found on instagram @GrudaGoesGlobal
Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
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