Episode 141: Top Gunz Tri Team Camp De-Brief
Colin and Danny Discuss the trials and tribulations of TopGunz Camp and all the fun that was had!

Colin and Danny Discuss the trials and tribulations of TopGunz Camp and all the fun that was had!
Episode 140 featuring Dan Royce, father of co-host Danny, discussing his experiences as a triathlon "Sherpa" and cancer survivor. Key Takeaways -Dan Royce provides unique insight as an elite "Sherpa" supporting his son Danny's triathlon career -The triathlon community is characterized by humility, mutual support, and high-quality individuals -Dan's cancer journey and recovery showcases the power of a positive attitude and athletic mindset -Being a triathlon supporter requires engagement, creativ...
Tim Surface from Final Surge met with Colin and Danny to discuss Final Surge - a platform for coaches and athletes to track their training. Tim shared his background, and how he came to create Final Surge, and the three of them compared Final Surge to its main competitor, Training Peaks.
Episode Overview: Discuss Colin's recent hernia surgery recovery and explore mental aspects of injury/recovery for triathletes. Key Takeaways: -Colin had dual-sided hernia surgery 8 weeks ago, still with lifting restrictions -Recovery taking longer than initially expected; doctors gave conflicting timelines -Mental challenges of injury include self-doubt, identity issues, and managing expectations -Gratitude and perspective shifts help cope with setbacks and appreciate the sport Topics: -Colin's...
Please enjoy our long form interview with Nate Thomas, newly minted member of Top Gunz Tri team. Nate is a Triathlon coach, small business owner, and teacher. In this episode, Nate discusses his training methods, his triathlon related business (Uniq Endurance), and what motivates him in the triathlon space. Thanks for listening and please enjoy. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe! Key Takeaways Nate qualified for Kona in 2019 after multiple attempts, highlighting perseverance in triathl...
This week, we were joined by Mike Beeman, an experienced runner who has completed 110 marathons, including 47 consecutive Boston Marathons. The group discussed Mike’s extensive running career, touching upon topics of how training, race shoes, and marathon culture has changed over the years. With a lifetime best of 2:35:42 in 1982, Mike’s achievements speak for themselves. Above all, Mike brings an extremely refreshing mindset to running - cherishing every race, training run, and friends he’s mad...
We are stoked to welcome Anthony McCauley on this week’s pod! Before he became a successful Health and Wellness Coach, Anthony transitioned from a professional culinary career to triathlon, completing 4 Ironman races in 5 years. Recently, Anthony has incorporated peptides (BPC-157 and TB-500) into his training, primarily for recovery, reporting improved performance and faster healing. The group then delves into a rich and topical discussion about the pro and cons of injectable peptides, concerns...
This week, Colin and Danny are joined by Jeremy Woodward, heart failure survivor and creator of “Run Empowered”. Jeremy Woodward introduces himself as a heart failure survivor who has undergone two major open heart surgeries. He was born with a bicuspid aortic heart valve and developed endocarditis at age 22, requiring his first surgery. He later went into heart failure at age 29, requiring a second emergency surgery where he was nearly put on a heart transplant list. The night before his second...
In this week’s episode, Colin interview Endure IQ Coach, Aaron Geiser. They discuss Aaron’s athletic background and journey into triathlon coaching. They also chat about the differences between age group and professional training. Aaron coached Colin throughout his highly successful 2024 season and they reflect back on his year. They both express gratitude for their productive working relationship and look forward to working with each other in the future. Thanks for joining the podcast, Aaron! -...
In this Age Grouper for Life episode, Colin interviews the great, Raymond Botelho. Raymond recounts how he got into triathlon in 1994 after a friend dared him to do a race near his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island. He had no prior experience but was eager to try it, and was mentored by an experienced triathlete named Jim Merchant who helped him train for his first Ironman race in 1996. Since, he started racing professionally in 1999. They discuss the importance of swimming, coaching philosophie...
In this Age Grouper for Life podcast, Colin introduces Norman Kim, a long-time triathlete and coach who has been in the sport for over 35 years. Norman shares details about his family, work as a toxicologist, and early athletic background in running and rowing in college. He also discusses his success in both long- and short-course racing, the mental and physical benefits of triathlon, involvement with Northeast Multisport and the Top Gunz teams, and future aspirations in the sport. Thanks for j...
In this Age Grouper for Life episode, Colin interview Leslie Battle. Leslie shares how she got into triathlon in 2009 after being inspired by a friend's Ironman race. She started with a sprint triathlon and was hooked, going on to complete over 350 triathlons, including winning numerous national championships as an Athena athlete. Leslie discusses how triathlon helped her lose 100 pounds and find a sense of community and belonging that was missing in her life. She also discusses her training app...
In this episode, Colin recaps his incredible 2025 season. He first discusses his recent sports hernia surgery which he has been dealing with for several months. Colin reflects on his training approach this season, which consisted of a lot more run and bike volume compared to previous seasons. Some of his race highlights of the year include the overall win at the White Mountains Half Ironman, setting a course record at the Boston Triathlon, going sub nine hours at Ironman Lake Placid. Colin also ...
In this Age Grouper for Life Podcast, Colin interviews Clay Emge from the Every Man Jack triathlon team. Clay is a 40-year old triathlete from Tyler, Texas who works as a financial advisor and has four young kids. He and Colin discuss their similar backgrounds in swimming and running, as well as their experience with triathlon over the past 16+ years. It’s been quite the journey for Clay and looking forward to following his future endeavors, including a trip to Nice for the Ironman World Champio...
In this Age Grouper for Life episode, Scott Tindal at Fuelin joins us again to discuss updates to the Fuelin nutrition app, explore off-season nutrition strategies for triathletes, and other beneficial nutrition advice. Enjoy the latest podcast and thanks for joining again, Scott! --- Show Notes: • Fuelin launching revamped app with improved UI, food logging, and expanded features • Off-season nutrition should balance recovery, injury rehab, and gradual body composition changes • Consistent nutr...
In this episode, Colin interviews the amazing Donald Brooks. Donald won his age group at the World Championship in Kona by over 20 minutes, with an impressive time of 8:58:51. His training emphasizes consistency, balancing family life, and adapting workouts around commitments. Enjoy the latest podcast as they discuss Donald’s athletic background, keys to his successes, training approach, nutrition strategies, and upcoming races. Thanks for joining the Age Grouper for Life Podcast, Donald! --- Sh...
In this episode, Colin interviews Marcel van Duinen the founder Tri-Excellence, which focuses on developing technology and sensors to help endurance athletes optimize their health and performance. He discusses his background in healthcare and how that led him to start Tri-Excellence about a year ago. Colin had the privilege of experiencing their core cooling product in Kona this year. Enjoy the latest podcast as they discuss this product in depth, offer many insights, and talk about future plans...
In this episode, Colin interviews guest Matthew Schuster, an age group triathlete and co-founder of a sports nutrition startup called Addra Labs. Matthew shares his background, including transitioning from a corporate career to becoming an endurance athlete and entrepreneur. Enjoy the listen as we dive into Matthew’s triathlon journey. Thanks for joining the Age Grouper for Life podcast, Matthew! --- Show Notes: Matthew's journey into triathlon @ 4:11 Matthew describes how he got into triathlon ...
In this episode, Colin recaps trip #7 to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii! He has had a phenomenal year of racing and Kona was no exception, setting a personal best time by over 17 minutes and just missed breaking three hours. Also discussed are the events and experiences pre- and post-race. It was a very busy, but fun week on the Big Island to say the least. Congrats Colin on a great season of racing and an amazing performance on Ironman triathlon’s biggest stage.
In this episode Colin recaps his recent win at Jones Beach 70.3! He overcame challenging wind conditions and a 6-minute deficit on the run. Colin also discusses his Kona prep and a core/abdominal issue he’s been dealing with leading up to the big day – less than 10 days away! Good luck and have a great race in Hawaii, Colin! --- Show Notes: - Colin won the Jones Beach 70.3 with a time of 4:00:39, overcoming challenging wind conditions - Currently dealing with a core/lower abdominal issue 10 days...
In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Luke Creger! Luke grew up playing baseball in Southern California but eventually burned out and transitioned to running and cycling as a way to lose weight. This led him to try his first triathlon in 2021, which sparked his passion for the port. Luke discusses joining Team Every Man Jack, a triathlon team, and how that has helped him connect with a supportive community of athletes. Colin and Elliot first met at a team camp in 2023, where Luke...
In this episode, we discuss our approaches to coaching triathletes across different experience levels and demographics. All triathletes can benefit greatly from having coach in a variety of ways. These include learning proper techniques, keeping yourself accountable, ensuring the correct equipment is purchased, and to avoid overtraining. Consistency, coachability, and the athlete’s desire to improve are hallmarks of successful triathletes seeking constant growth. Enjoy the latest episode as we g...
In this episode, Colin, Becca, and Elliot Tom Gordon, a 27-year-old age group triathlete from Boulder, Colorado. Tom shares his background as a former college swimmer who transitioned to triathlon a few years after graduating. He discusses his training volume, strengths in swimming and cycling, and the supportive triathlon community in Boulder. We also recap both of their stellar Ironman Lake Placid races. Colin took the overall age group podium while Tom finished just behind crossing the line a...
In this episode, we recap Colin’s recent overall win at the White Mountain half Ironman. We also discuss the importance of communication between athletes and coaches, and provide insights on the comments we leave for our own coaches during our everyday training. Enjoy the listen and congrats again on your win Colin! Ironman Lake Placid is coming up quickly and he looks primed and ready for a great day. --- Show Notes: Key Takeaways- • Importance of leaving insightful comments on workouts to prov...
In this episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing Sloan Tilley. Sloane is a member of the Top Gunz Triathlon team and the founder of DIA, a biotech company developing a real-time, non-invasive cortisol sensor. She got into triathlon through an intro class in college and has been competing for 8 years. Sloane suffered a major bike accident early in her triathlon career, resulting in multiple injuries and surgeries that took four years to fully recover from. Her company DIA aims to provide cor...
In this episode, Colin, Becca, and Elliot discuss race day expectations, managing pre-race nerves, and knowing when to push or back off training intensities. As always, thanks for listening and please let us know if you have any topic requests for future episodes. Hope everyone’s season is off to a great start! --- Show Notes: Key Takeaways • Don't obsess over weather forecasts too far in advance - focus on being prepared for any conditions • Have a race day nutrition/fueling strategy, but test ...
In this episode, Elliot recaps his 70.3 in St. George last month. He placed 5th in his age group to kick off his triathlon season! Colin and Elliot also discuss the importance of riding outdoors, aero bottle benefits, pre-race preparation, and other tips. Enjoy and thanks for listening! --- Show Notes: Recap of Elliot's 70.3 St. George race and discussion of triathlon training tips Key Takeaways Elliot finished 5th in his age group at 70.3 St. George despite bike mechanical issues and lack of ...
In this latest episode, we have the privilege of interviewing TopGunz athlete, Danny Royce… Call Sign: Daddy Donuts! Danny and his wonderful wife Brittany have two daughters, Sloane and Chandler plus a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bear. He got into triathlon because it filled a void left by the end of his college swimming career. Turns out he loved the suffering, couldn't get enough, and now enjoys the challenge of squeezing all of his training in without compromising his roles as the bes...
In this episode, we interview Richard McAinsh, co-founder, technical director, and designer of Ku Cycle. His mission was to design bikes and performance solutions to change cycle sport forever -- rethinking bike design from the ground up while offering the perfect fit for the rider. The Ku Cycle is a super aero bike with a custom fit for riders of all shapes and sizes. We discuss Richard’s background, designing of the TF1 Ku Cycle, bike fitting and customization, comparisons to other top-end bik...
In this episode, we have the privilege of interviewing Top Gunz Tri Team athlete, Matt Nussbaum. Matt is a mechanical engineer who began triathlon in 2015, currently in the M30-34 age group. Enjoy the latest podcast as we discuss how he became a standout triathlon swimmer (with no competitive swim background), upcoming races, key training philosophies, and much more! Thanks for joining us Matt and have a great season of racing! --- Show Notes: Matt's swimming background and technique @ 0:00 Matt...