This week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast is a flashback to last year's lead-up to the Hawaii Ironman World Championship in Kona. We decided to rewind to episode 234 and its wealth of information about the legendary event. Whether you've qualified for this year's IRONMAN World Championship, are a male athlete preparing for the 2024 Hawaii Ironman, or have aspirations to compete in Kona in the future, the insights shared by Matt in this episode are extremely valuable. Whether you're plannin...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 286
Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series on the off-season, in which we frame the approach to building a foundation of performance, developing skills, and improving technique. This week’s episode centers on you and the questions you have about Q4 and beyond. Matt shares the questions you’ve sent in over the past few weeks on how to connect the information from our previous episodes on the off-season to your own performance journey. During our three-part conversation about the of...
Sep 27, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 285
We continue our three-part series on the off-season, in which we frame the approach to building a foundation of performance, developing skills, and improving technique. In part 2 of our series, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon discusses his reimagined approach to the off-season and lays out a blueprint for leveraging the months between Q4 and Q1 in a smart and balanced way. Matt shares key principles and approaches you can leverage this off-season to improve your swim stroke, terrain management o...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 284
After a long season of training, most athletes are ready for a well-deserved break, yet they also recognize that training during the off-season is imperative for success in the coming season. So how do you strike the right balance so you get the rest and recovery you need without losing progress and risk stalling your performance next season? As part of our three-part series on everything off-season, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon answers all your questions on how to approach the off-season to ...
Sep 13, 2023•49 min•Season 5Ep. 283
Making sure you're primed and ready for your big race is essential, but planning correctly to avoid the negative impacts of travel on your performance is just as crucial. In this week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon provides a toolkit with a strategic approach to travel that offers guidance on pre-race preparation and best practices for a healthy and prosperous race day. If you're planning a trip that involves time zone changes, whether it's a short shift o...
Sep 06, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 282
This week on the Purple Patch Podcast, we conclude our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series. In this series, we delve into the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. In the past few weeks, we have examined some motivating and informative examples of athlete achievement. However, today we will focus on stories that serve as warnings. In this episode, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon shares three cautionary tales of athletes at various levels of perfor...
Aug 30, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 281
This week on the Purple Patch Podcast, we continue our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series. In this series, we delve into real-life examples and the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. In this episode, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon looks beyond athletics and sports and outlines a path to sustained high performance in work and life. Through the case study of Purple Patch athlete Vijay, Matt highlights the results of adopting an athletic mindset...
Aug 23, 2023•56 min•Season 5Ep. 280
Welcome to this week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast! Today, we're continuing our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series, where we delve into real-life examples and the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. Joining IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon on the show is Purple Patch Tri-Squad member Chris Hughes, whose story is one of remarkable athletic evolution. Chris has been on an impressive streak of individual race results lately, but in 2019, he...
Aug 16, 2023•49 min•Season 5Ep. 279
On this week's episode of the Purple Patch podcast, we present the second part of our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series, where we share practical insights about performance by analyzing real-life examples. Matt welcomes Purple Patch athlete David Farsai to the show. David is a busy executive seeking performance in sport, work, and life. He recently qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice after a remarkable performance at the IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Aside from his ...
Aug 09, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 278
This month on the Purple Patch Podcast, we're highlighting Purple Patch Performance Case Studies. We wanted to share practical insights about performance, so we're analyzing real-life examples rather than just theories. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon begins our case study series by examining the performance journeys of two prominent members of the Purple Patch Pro Squad, Matt Lieto and Meredith Kessler. Matt and Meredith played a crucial role in the ...
Aug 02, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 277
On this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon reflects on the long history of the Purple Patch Pro Squad and the lessons you can apply to your own performance journey. Whether you're an athlete, the leader of an organization or team, a coach, or just someone striving to live a better and longer life, the stories we'll discuss today can greatly influence your mindset and approach toward achieving success. Matt explores three essential lessons that contributed to the...
Jul 26, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 276
For those who are new to running, the training requirements for a marathon or other running events may seem intimidating or overwhelming. Alternatively, even experienced runners may face challenges with injuries related to race preparation. No matter where you are in your performance journey, there is an effective way to approach training for an endurance running event without overloading on hours and intensity, and risking your health and performance. In today’s episode of the Purple Patch Podc...
Jul 12, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 275
Although endurance athletes typically focus on strength training during the off-season, it's important to recognize that strength and conditioning can benefit performance all year round. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon explains the value and significance of strength as a performance enhancer. He provides a framework for integrating strength into your training program and easy-to-use techniques for executing your workouts almost anywhere. Whether you'r...
Jul 05, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 274
It’s been 15 years since the start of the Purple Patch journey. While many elements of the Purple Patch program have evolved, and we continually seek to grow, improve and enhance our coaching, our central belief and approach to coaching have remained unchanged. We believe athletes of all levels can achieve optimal endurance performance by following a balanced training approach. Our methodology, based on four pillars of performance, is designed to provide a simple framework that helps athletes un...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 273
At the beginning of the year, we took some time to reflect, plan for the future and set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). Now, we have reached the halfway point of the year. Most of you hit the ground running with ambitions and lofty goals, but how did they pan out? Are you nailing your goals? Are you thriving in your performance journey? Is it fulfilling? Where can you improve or shift your approach? It is essential to come up for air midway through the season and execute some big-picture thin...
Jun 21, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 272
With race season in full swing, we’ve received a flood of requests asking us to tackle the topic of race-day fueling and hydration. So this week on the Purple Patch Podcast we are doing a special Episode Rewind. We are bringing back a timely conversation with renowned Sports Scientist and CEO of Precision Fuel and Hydration, Andy Blow. We pulled an episode out of the archives to help you fine-tune your fueling and hydration strategy. EP. 162 - Your Guide to Race Day Fueling and Hydration with An...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 271
Are you showing up to your event in the best mental space possible? You may have checked all the boxes in your training program and set yourself up to arrive at your event ready to allow trained potential to translate to race-day performance, but setting up the right mindset is one part of the performance readiness equation that is often ignored or misunderstood by athletes and coaches. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon shares his secret to superchargin...
Jun 07, 2023•41 min•Season 5Ep. 270
In this week’s episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon takes a closer look at youth sports and the development of young athletes. With his experience as a parent, as well as a coach to world-class professional endurance athletes, executives, and amateurs alike for over 15 years, and using his own background in competitive swimming and triathlons, Matt examines the importance of sports for social and physical development in kids and examines the role parents and coach...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 269
Imagine you are in the midst of a tough race in the middle of hot and humid conditions and suddenly your body begins sending you signals of surrender. Anyone who has exerted any type of energy in the sweltering heat can attest to the difficulties posed by the conditions. Nothing sucks the speed out of the legs more than high heat and humidity. So, how do you go about setting yourself up for success when the sun is beating down on you and the humidity becomes claustrophobic? In this week’s episod...
May 24, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 268
In this week’s episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, we focus on athletes like you. Ironman Master coach Matt Dixon puts a spotlight on four case studies anchored in performance. Matt breaks down the lessons we can learn from those who have excelled in their performance journey as well as those who were less fortunate and serve as cautionary tales about the pitfalls on the way to improved performance. All of the case studies are real athletes that either Purple Patch or Matt has trained. We look ...
May 17, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 267
Whether it's the boost of our morning espresso or the common drowsiness that sets in after lunch, we all experience bumps and slumps in our daily energy levels. Our vitality over the course of the day can sometimes be a rollercoaster. For some of us, that erratic ride has become a daily routine and an obstacle that limits our potential for performance. However, there are ways to rewire that routine to unlock predictable and stable energy sources that keep you active and present throughout the da...
May 10, 2023•34 min•Season 5Ep. 266
The path to improvement is one that includes hard work and commitment, but too often we travel that path alone. We seek our personal goals in a very personal way. It can often be a solitary endeavor. Not only does it not have to be, but it also shouldn’t be. "You cannot expect to optimize your performance or results if you always take the journey alone." In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon highlights the benefits and impact of chasing your individual impr...
May 03, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 265
Welcome to another "Ask Matt Anything" edition of the Purple Patch Podcast. Today IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon tackles your voicemails and emails. You asked and today Matt answers your questions on training and racing through a coach’s lens. In this installment of "Ask Matt Anything", Matt answers your questions related to: Management of training Expectations around improvement Race preparation strategy And much more Episode Timestamps 0:00 - 03:28 - Welcome and Episode Introduction 3:43 - 07...
Apr 26, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 264
Today on the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon welcomes former U.S. Pro Cyclist Robbie Ventura to the show. Robbie is the founder of Vision Quest Coaching and Velocity, an online indoor cycling training platform. Robbie shares experience and knowledge from his 12-year career as a pro cyclist, and more than 20 years providing expert training programs to endurance athletes of all levels, to dial in what he believes are the critical skills every cyclist should develop. Using Rob...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 263
As we begin to emerge into Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, many athletes are setting their sights on their B.H.A.G.s (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). The season is ahead of us and many of us are starting to move outside for more of our training. While it is a breath of fresh air for many athletes trapped indoors during the winter months, it is also the time when athletes start to make serious performance mistakes. So many athletes come off the rails by way of one or more common pitfalls as they a...
Apr 12, 2023•37 min•Season 5Ep. 262
Coaches and athletes love to discuss the importance of specificity in regard to training. While specificity is important to an extent, race-specific training is not always one-size-fits-all. Unfortunately, many athletes follow a specific plan that ends up not being the optimal plan for their needs and situation. For time-starved athletes, with competing demands in life and work, integrating a set amount of training hours designed around specific race distance means cramming training into a life ...
Apr 05, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 261
As a companion to last week’s Purple patch Podcast episode on training plans for time-starved endurance athletes, today’s episode broadens the perspective by focusing on performance in health, work, and life. ironman master coach Matt Dixon outlines a list of ten principles you need to put into action to build a platform of health and sustainable high performance. You don’t need to be a pro athlete or even an experienced fitness enthusiast to apply these principles and maximize your results at h...
Mar 27, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 260
Today on the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon takes a fresh look at how to structure training for a time-starved athlete. Whether you’re training for an endurance event, either competitively or simply for personal enjoyment, Matt provides a ground-up framework of how to maximize your training approach to be successful. Matt shares 5 principles to help build your time-starved training plan. Establishing a mindset that can optimize your training impact. Life is not a spreadshe...
Mar 22, 2023•39 min•Season 5Ep. 259
Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Take your pick. Once you have a name, ask yourself why? Beyond their physical abilities and talent, what sets them apart from the pack? What makes a great athlete? It’s a question that IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon had the privilege of asking the committed group of young athletes with the BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM. The team is made up of student-athletes, with lofty aspirations of their own, and includes some of the top talent in American Mountain Biking. W...
Mar 15, 2023•44 min•Season 5Ep. 258
With record rain and snowfall across most of the United States, there seems to be no better time to fix our lens on the strategic application of indoor training in your performance journey. “Indoor training isn't about just replicating your outdoor sessions into a less favorable environment. It's specifically thinking about what is the appropriate training to do while you're in this environment, and also connecting that training to what you are going to be doing outdoors.” (26:54) In this episod...
Mar 08, 2023•56 min•Season 5Ep. 257
