do you know your aid station etiquette?
Race season is in full swing, which means our favorite part of the race course is back in business: aid stations. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-timer, Coach Alison’s latest Triathlete.com article, “Aid Station Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts of Navigating Triathlon Aid Stations,” will help you move through the aid stations at your next race safely, quickly, and efficiently.
what to read / watch / listen to:
Coach Shana:
Read: “How Jill Walker Combines Her Love For Dogs With Ironman Triathlons” (from The Tempo newsletter). Her record is petting 67 dogs during a triathlon! “They’re like my aid station” she says, and I get that. Petting a sweet doggo can definitely be a mood booster. I don’t plan to try it myself, but maybe I’ll count the dogs as I run by!?
Watch: “The Benefits of Backward Walking for Hip Health and Running Performance” by the movement specialist Lawrence van Lingen. This is Part 1 of a 4-part series with the goal to change the way you move your body. In this video learn how walking backwards reconnects your shoulders and pelvis and much more.
Other videos in this series:
Part 2: Discover How Flow Rope Can Improve Your Movement
Part 3: Breathing Fundamentals: The Foundation of Movement, Mind, and Nervous System Health
Part 4: Crawling Patterns in Gait
athlete win of the month:
Coach Julie: 💥 Mark Frederickson Brings the Fight to Omaha
If perseverance were a sport, Mark would podium every time—and in Omaha, he literally did.
After battling a brutal stretch of overuse, a bike crash, and nerve pain that left him curled up on the floor in agony, Mark showed up at Multisport Nationals and raced both the Open Water Swim and the AquaBike. He didn’t just race—he was 3rd in his AG in the Open Water Swim!
Let’s be real: this comeback didn’t come easy. Mark’s been navigating pain that made basic movement a challenge. Running is off the table, and even standing up triggered shooting pain through his back and hip. But instead of checking out, Mark leaned in—adjusting, staying smart, and keeping his focus on what he can do.
He’s already tackled Wildflower’s AquaBike this season, and Omaha marks another milestone in a recovery marked by grit, patience, and a fierce love for racing.
We see you, Mark. And we’re proud as hell to be in your corner.
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what makes us better:
Coach Alison: Respecting the Journey
I’ve been coaching for over a decade now, and have been a triathlete for far longer than that. And one thing I can tell you for certain is that your journey through the sport – any athlete’s journey – is never going to unfold exactly how you pictured it.
In John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” he says “”Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” And man, I can tell you that Life has a way of throwing some sh&t at you that you never saw coming. And you don’t have much of a choice in the matter. The only choice you DO have is in how you move forward.
You can choose to fight against fate, but you’re never gonna win. So your best – really only – option is to respect the journey that you’re on, and find a way forward that lets you hold on to as much of yourself as you can. As Robert Frost said in “A Servant to Servants,” “the best way out is always through.”
meet a teammate:
Teammate: Kathi Cover, coached by Coach Julie, resides in Carlsbad with Gertrude the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
- Favorite race: Ironman Lake Placid. I volunteered in 2010 without knowing what to expect. I witnessed the magic and wanted a piece of it. In 2011, I crossed the finish line a few minutes before midnight. There’s nothing like the first time.
- Walk-out song: Once upon a time I would have said YMCA. It was playing as I crossed the finish line at Lake Placid. Sadly, Mango F&ckface has ruined this song. So I’ll dig deep into the archives and pull out an anthem from college, blasted into the quad on Friday afternoons: Pour Some Sugar On Me, by Def Leppard. Rock on.
- 3 Words that family/friends would use to describe you: No clue. Maybe clueless should be one of the three.
- Worst style choice you’ve ever made: Perms, done at home, by my mom’s friend. Big hair don’t care.
- If you could have an unlimited supply of 1 thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? World peace.