your finishing kick isn't as great as you think it is
As Coach Julie always says: that big finishing kick everyone loves to post about isn’t automatically the flex it looks like. If you had that much left in the tank, you probably left time out on the course early. Negative splits are as much a fueling outcome as a pacing one — you can’t press in the final third on an empty tank, in training or on race day. Audit your last race honestly, then use that to dial in your pacing for the next one. Read more on Triathlete.com.
lessons from le Tour de France
Coach Julie:
Tadej Pogačar closed out the 2026 Tour de France in dominant fashion, taking five stage wins and the overall title. What stood out wasn’t just the margin — it was how in control he looked over three weeks, distributing his efforts so he still had matches left for a hard-fought final stage into Paris, won by Mathieu van der Poel. Sustainable power over three weeks beats going deep into the red on day one.
The dominance was the headline, but stage 20 stuck with us most. With the overall win essentially locked up, Pogačar rode as a domestique for young teammate Isaac del Toro on the final Alpine climbs, working the Galibier to protect del Toro’s grip on third place. He called it “an honor to ride for Isaac for the last two hours” — a five-time Tour winner burning his own matches for someone else’s career-defining result.
The Tour also showed success has many forms: Mads Pedersen won green through consistency, Richard Carapaz took polka-dot by racing courageously in the mountains, and van der Poel stayed aggressive enough to win in Paris. Not every athlete dominates every terrain or has a perfect race — but there’s always a chance to lean into your strengths and keep competing. Your best result often comes not from following the plan perfectly, but from staying engaged and making the best choice in the moment.
race plans are non-negotiable
Coach Alison:
Since we’re right in the thick of race season, it seems like a good time to remind you that writing your race plan is non-negotiable. If writing a race plan hasn’t been your thing in the past, here’s why you should write one – and how to do it.
WHY TO WRITE A RACE PLAN
Race day (actually, all of race weekend) requires so many decisions – what to eat for breakfast, what time to leave for the race venue, how hard to bike, how fast to run – and it’s hard to make all those decisions when you’ve also got race brain. Thinking through all the decisions, logistics, and details when you’re rational and not pumped full of adrenaline leads to better judgment, and better racing.
Once you have your race plan, you’re done thinking. You can turn your brain off and follow the plan just like a checklist. Plus, a good plan means nothing gets forgotten, everything is fully charged, you’re not rushing around at the last-minute, and your race execution is grounded in what you built during training.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR RACE PLAN
Start your plan several days out: travel details, athlete check-in times, meals (what and where and when), your equipment prep checklist, and especially your packing list. Then add excruciating detail for your race morning timeline: when to set your alarm, when to leave for the race venue, everything you’ll do once you’re there all the way up to when you line up for the swim start.
Finally, for each leg of the race, define your effort level (by feel or using specific metrics) and your fueling plan, plus add in any course notes or specific aspects of the course you want to highlight. Include a few notes to help you move through transitions quickly, and absolutely throw in a few mantras – one for each leg, or a few guiding principles to keep you focused when things get tough.