Shownotes

Craig's background

02:14 -

• I'm a former professional triathlete from Sydney, Australia. I began the sport at 20, turned pro at 21, and competed for 25 years until retiring at 46. During my career, I was fortunate to win three Ironman World Championships and two 70.3 World titles — but above all, I truly enjoyed the journey, made lasting friendships, and had a lot of fun.
• After years of training and racing abroad, I'm now based full-time in Sydney. I still stay connected to the sport through ambassador roles at events and by running my coaching business, Sansego. We organize three to five training camps annually, including recent ones in Kona, Hawaii.
• Beyond triathlon, I'm involved in several business ventures and enjoy life as a father of three.

Craig's training in the early parts of his career

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• My training was very structured, consistent, and well thought out — perhaps even a bit repetitive or boring from the outside. But that repetition, combined with frequency and progression, was key to my development.
• These days, people like to label training styles, and I’d describe mine as polarized. I came from a speed-oriented background, having played football (soccer) for 15 years, which built a strong aerobic base but emphasized explosive running.
• When I transitioned into triathlon, I already felt like a capable runner, even if the style was different. I did a lot of Zone 2 work but often felt behind athletes who had been training in endurance sports since childhood — they had years of consistent technique and smarter training.
• Although I didn’t use tools like lactate testing, my training involved high volume and was carefully planned. I was studying physiotherapy when I started triathlon, and that academic background shaped how I trained — emphasizing movement efficiency, strength, and endurance principles from the start.

Zone 2 training

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• I avoided that grey middle zone — when I trained easy, it was truly easy. I relied heavily on RPE and became very attuned to it.
• Thanks to my background in speed and explosive sports, I developed a high threshold early on. But I lacked deep aerobic endurance — the kind of adaptations like mitochondrial density, improved fat oxidation, and vascular changes that Zone 2 training builds. Even though I didn’t race Ironman until later, those foundations are crucial, even for Olympic distance.
• My training weeks included a lot of steady and easy sessions, with a smaller amount of threshold and slightly above-threshold work. The focus was always on building a strong aerobic base while gradually raising my ceiling — because in any race, you’re operating as a percentage of your threshold.

The main differences between how Craig trained and what contemporary pros are doing now

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• I’m not fully up to date with everything today’s top athletes are doing, but from what I see on social media and YouTube, the core principles haven’t changed much. People talk about the “Norwegian method,” but what impresses me most about Gustav and Kristian is the sheer volume — 35 to 40 hours a week is incredible. That kind of training almost has to be polarized: really easy or really hard.
• We were hitting similar volumes back in the day, but the big difference now is the level of precision. Modern athletes have access to advanced tools, field testing, and real-time data.
• Where we had to go into a lab, they can measure everything out on the road. The theory behind training hasn’t changed much — it’s just been refined and applied with more polish and accuracy.
• Social media changed the landscape too. Some athletes became secretive, while others shared selectively or even posted misleading info.
• But I trained with some of the best, and overall, most of us followed similar principles. We were organized, consistent, and focused on the same key elements: long rides and runs, running off the bike, aerobic endurance through a lot of Zone 2 work, and surprisingly high intensity for short-course racing.
• Where I always felt a bit behind was in technique — especially swimming. Athletes who started young in endurance sports had a head start with better form, consistent habits, and early access to great coaching. That foundation really matters.
  • One thing that stands out to me now is the value of external feedback. Even when you know what to do, it’s easy to lose perspective when you’re deep in training. Having an experienced eye to guide and correct you is a huge asset.

Training volume

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• My training volume varied depending on the event I was targeting. Later in my career, especially when I transitioned to Ironman around age 33 or 34, I leaned heavily into high-volume training. I always felt I had to catch up to athletes who had been in endurance sports since a young age, and that mindset shaped how I approached my preparation.
• During my short-course years — sprint, Olympic, and the Formula 1 series in Australia — I typically swam 25–30 km per week, biked 350–400 km, and ran 80–90 km, along with regular gym sessions. When I started racing 70.3s, I slightly increased the volume, but the structure remained similar.
• For Olympic-distance non-drafting races in the U.S., like the Lifetime Fitness Series, my training mirrored my 70.3 prep. I might’ve extended my long ride or run, but the base remained the same — and I could race both distances competitively off that foundation.
• On average, I trained around 28 hours a week, not including the 30 minutes of daily core and stability work. Factoring that in, some weeks reached the low 30s in total training time.

Swim training

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• One of the great advantages of swimming in Australia is the access to high-quality coaching and strong swim squads. I often trained with coaches who also worked with elite pool and surf swimmers — the surf lifesaving community here produces excellent open-water swimmers.
• Our swim training was very strength-focused. Most sessions included paddles and pull buoys, sometimes for the entire workout. We emphasized steady efforts just below threshold, with short rest — sets like 200s, 400s, or 800s at high aerobic intensity. This helped build durability and repeatability.
• Once or twice a week, we added quality speed work — VO2 max sets like 8×100 with full recovery, or dive 50s to simulate race starts. That front-end speed was crucial for chaotic mass starts: you had to surge over threshold, then settle into pace and recover while still working hard.
• A typical threshold-oriented set might include 10–12×200, starting with two hard reps, followed by aerobic efforts, and finishing with another push. The idea was to train surging, settling, and finishing strong. Work-to-rest ratios were often tight — sometimes as little as 2:1 or less.
• I remember long aerobic sets like 30×100 on 1:30 in a long course pool, rotating leads with four or five swimmers per lane. If someone struggled, they could jump in with paddles mid-set to stay with the group. Early in the week, we’d stack aerobic volume — Monday through Wednesday might look like 30×100, then 6×100, then 15×100. Thursday was open water, and Friday combined dive 50s, an aerobic main set, and more dive 50s to finish.
• I left the planning to my coach. My job was to show up, swim with faster people, and focus on technique — especially during easy reps. Warm-ups, recovery, and snorkel work were all opportunities to refine form, using slow swimming and three-quarter catch-up to reset the stroke before ramping up.

Key aspects about the technique

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• I didn’t grow up with formal swim training. I played water polo in high school but never had stroke analysis or a swim coach until I started triathlon. In the beginning, I’d just swim solo a couple of times a week — 30 minutes straight, no structure.
• That changed when a coach saw me at the pool and asked what I was training for. At the time, I was doing weekend aquathlons in Australia. He invited me to join his squad — my first experience with structured swim training.
• Sessions now had clear phases: warm-up, activation sets, a focused main set (strength, speed, or endurance), technique drills, and cooldown. I was studying physiotherapy at university and learning the theory, but this was the first time I applied it to my own training.
• Starting swimming later meant I lacked the movement qualities that lifelong swimmers develop — ankle flexibility, shoulder mobility, and efficient patterns that come from early neuroplastic development.
• Years of soccer left my ankles stiff — I even used to tape them for matches — which limited my ability to point my toes and kick efficiently. Elite swimmers have flexible ankles that create propulsion; mine didn’t.
• One of my early coaches reassured me: “Your stroke’s not bad — we’ve got something to work with.” He focused on body rotation (I was swimming flat), extending my stroke, and adapting my kick for open water.
• I learned to use a 2- or 4-beat kick to stay balanced and conserve energy, switching to a 6-beat kick for short efforts.
• He also taught me a key principle: triathlon is strength-based swimming. In the pool, everything’s controlled — flat water, your own lane, predictable rhythm. But in open water, rhythm constantly breaks: currents, chop, crowded starts, buoy turns.
• You need the strength to adapt, recover rhythm, and stay efficient. We used paddles, pull buoys, and lots of steady efforts to build that resilience.
• Even though I wasn’t the fastest in the pool, I could hold my own in open water. I had enough strength to stay in the pack, hold feet, and exit the water with faster swimmers.
• For anyone starting swimming later in life, I’d say: focus first on efficient technique, build strong habits, then layer in strength work to thrive in unpredictable race conditions. That approach worked for me.

Open Water swims examples

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• Many of our open water swims were done in groups, which made them both challenging and fun. One of our regular sessions was a beautiful 3-mile (5K) swim around a peninsula — a long, steady aerobic effort. Another was a 3.2 km out-and-back swim along the beaches: 1600 meters out at an easy pace, then a hard, negative-split return. It was a great simulation of race dynamics — drafting, close proximity, rotating leads, and navigating together.
• We also did “ins and outs,” which mimicked surf lifesaving efforts. You’d sprint up the beach, loop around a marker, dive back into the water, swim 150 meters around a buoy, and return. Then you’d immediately go again — hard effort on land and in the water, non-stop for 10 minutes. After a short break, we’d repeat the set two or three times.
• These sessions varied, but we rotated through them often — mixing long aerobic swims, race simulations, and short, high-intensity efforts. It helped build open water skills, physical readiness, and the confidence to handle unpredictable race conditions.

Cycling training

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• When it comes to cycling, I always believed that good running fitness gave you a head start — but cycling demands strength in different muscle groups. That’s why getting your bike fit right is so important.
• Unlike running or swimming, you’re locked into a position, and if your setup is off — saddle height, fore-aft position, reach — the impact gets magnified.
• I came into cycling later, but I didn’t see that as a disadvantage. My physio background helped, and I learned a lot by surrounding myself with experienced athletes, reading, and paying attention to what others were doing. My training focused on key elements: aerobic endurance, strength, speed, and technique.
• A typical week of bike training included:
• One long ride
  • A couple of aerobic Zone 2 rides, often in the hills
  • Strength-focused efforts like hill repeats or low cadence work
  • Higher-intensity sessions — group rides, threshold work, or motor pacing
  • And technique work, especially during the off-season
• I did a lot of low-cadence strength work — high resistance, smooth pedaling, focusing on eliminating dead spots. My go-to session was 5×5 minutes at 50–70 rpm, progressing the load or duration over time.
• These felt like gym sessions on the bike — the goal was to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible and build force per contraction. Done right, you’d finish with that deep muscle fatigue, especially in the quads, without stressing the joints.
• I also used high-cadence work in the preseason — efforts over 120 rpm, focusing on core stability and fluid pedaling. That helped make my race cadence (usually around 90 rpm) feel smoother and more efficient.
• During Ironman prep, I’d extend strength work to 3×20 minutes on a steady 4% hill, in the aero position, grinding in my biggest gear. Always keeping a 2:1 work-to-rest ratio — enough time under tension to get strong, but not so much that I’d risk injury.
• The key was targeting muscular load more than cardiovascular stress — building resilience and power that translated directly to racing.

Run training

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• My run training followed a structure similar to the rest of my program. I always included one long run each week — I believe it's one of the most important sessions, regardless of whether you're training for an Olympic distance or an Ironman. For high-level athletes, even an Olympic-distance long run might stretch to two hours or more.
• Alongside that, I’d typically have one or two speed or threshold sessions each week, supported by plenty of Zone 2 running to build aerobic capacity. Zone 2 is a great fallback — when in doubt, I’d always lean on more aerobic work. Those slow-paced runs provide the physiologic adaptations that ultimately make you faster.
• Early in the season or after time off, I’d keep things easy. But as I built fitness, I began layering in efforts. For example, during Ironman prep, I’d often run 75 minutes at a conversational pace, then flip and run home at around 3:30/km — turning a long aerobic run into a progressive effort.
• One of my key sessions — especially at altitude — was a hybrid progression run:
  • 5 min easy jog
  • 30 min at Ironman pace (3:30–3:45/km)
  • 5 min easy
  • 20 min at 70.3 pace (~3:20/km)
  • 5 min easy
  • 10 min at Olympic distance pace (~3:00/km)
• Then I’d reverse the sequence:
  • 10 min Olympic pace
  • 20 min at 70.3 pace
  • 30 min at Ironman pace
• And finally, a 5-minute max effort down a slight downhill — often sub-3:00/km pace.
• It was a 2.5-hour session packed with intensity — and it took years to build toward. But it taught me to run fast on tired legs, which is exactly what racing demands.
• I also used more structured progressions during long runs, like 3×6 km blocks at half marathon or marathon pace. These sessions were not only great for specificity but also served as honest diagnostics. If a pace I could usually hold easily felt tough late in a long run, it showed me exactly where I needed to improve my endurance.
• Those long, varied runs gave me some of the most valuable insights into my fitness — sometimes revealing gaps I didn’t know I had.

Threshold runs

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• I kept things pretty simple — you could say I was a bit boring with my go-to sessions. My staples were 5×5 minutes with 2 minutes rest, or 8×3 minutes with 1 minute rest. That gave me 20 to 30 minutes of quality work.
• I’d run those at the best pace I could sustain — typically just above threshold. If threshold is what you can hold for 60 minutes when fresh, then you can push slightly harder for shorter intervals. I aimed to ride that fine line: 1–5% over threshold.
• When done right, the first few reps feel manageable, but by the fourth or fifth, the lactate starts to build. You’re not falling apart completely, but you’re right on the edge — and that’s where the real training happens. You’re teaching yourself to stay controlled while under pressure.

Run strength training

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• My speed and threshold sessions were typically once or twice a week, supported by plenty of Zone 2 running. Whenever I wanted to increase volume, I’d simply “fatten out” the program with more aerobic work.
• Zone 2 was my default — if I was ever unsure, I’d add more of it. It delivers critical adaptations like mitochondrial density, fat oxidation, and capillarization — all essential for sustaining high outputs over long durations — even though the pace itself is low.
• I also backed up my endurance training with consistent strength work in the gym, which I believe had a big impact across all three triathlon disciplines.
• For running specifically, I found lunges especially effective — they helped with posture, opened up hip extension, and made it easier to run off the bike with fluidity and power.
• The movement hits all the key areas: quads, hamstrings, glutes, ankle mobility, and hip flexors under stretch — exactly what you need to transition from a tight, closed position on the bike to a strong running stride.
• Throughout my career, I worked with strength and conditioning coaches who specialized in endurance athletes. A good coach will assess your strengths, identify weaknesses, and build a plan that’s functional and tailored. For triathletes, weak glutes, poor activation, and lack of deep core stability are common — all of which affect pelvic control and can lead to injuries further down the chain.
• My core strength routine included:
  • Front squats
  • Inclined leg press
  • Hamstring curls
  • Lunges
  • Step-ups and single-leg step-ups
  • Band work — especially sumo-style lateral walks (crab walks) with the band around knees or ankles
• These exercises formed the foundation of my strength work, with slight variations depending on the phase of the season. The key was keeping the movements consistent, functional, and aligned with the demands of endurance racing.

Kona training

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• I spent a lot of time in Kona, not just racing but really learning how my body responded to the conditions. Back then, we didn’t race Ironman as often as athletes do now. If you won Kona or made the podium, you automatically qualified for the next year. So most of us only did one, maybe two Ironmans a season.
• One of the key things I focused on was heat adaptation — understanding how the body changes with training in the heat: plasma volume expansion, sweat rate, sweat composition. Acclimating properly was critical to performing well there.
• We didn’t have the gear athletes have today. Our bikes weren’t as aero, and I remember racing on 21mm tires. Now most are on 28s or 30s with 3D-printed armrests and dialed positions. Back then, some of my elbow pads were the size of postage stamps, and I’d get back pain just trying to hold myself up.
• But regardless of equipment, what mattered most was managing effort. I always had a pacing plan. From about 120K on the bike, I knew I had to back off. It’s tempting to stay with the group, but I couldn’t afford to burn too many matches if I wanted to run a 2:40 marathon.
• Kona is deceptive. The morning starts beautifully — calm, around 22–23°C. The first stretch on the bike is fast and smooth, but by the time you’re climbing to Hawi, the wind picks up, the heat builds, and the conditions shift. From about 100K to 130K is where things get tricky — you’re trying to stay cool, stay hydrated, and still ride well. Then comes the climb back to the Queen K, through what we called the “dead zone” — brutally hot, no wind, and mentally draining.
• That last hour of the ride, from 130K to 180K, was where discipline really mattered. I’d intentionally back off to preserve my run legs. If I pushed too hard, I’d fade on the marathon. But if I rode within myself, I could run strong — that’s where I made up time.
• Once on the run, it became all about execution. I broke the marathon into manageable parts. The first 10K was about settling in — relaxing my shoulders, breathing, checking my form. I didn’t obsess over splits; I went by feel. I asked myself: Am I running tall? How’s my cadence? How’s my foot strike?
• Mental preparation was just as important as physical. By the time you hit the marathon, you’ve been racing for over six hours — you’re hot, depleted, maybe dehydrated — and still facing the toughest part of the day. Especially coming off the bike, when your hips are tight and locked up, shifting into a full run stride is a challenge.
• But the last 10K in Kona is where races are won or lost. I visualized that stretch countless times — coming back down the Queen K, the crowds growing, the finish in sight. It’s emotional. You’re exhausted, but the energy lifts you.
• That’s when the process matters most: keep fueling, keep drinking, keep the cadence high. My mindset was always: “Get to the Energy Lab. Get through it. Then bring it home.”
• And in my best races, that patience paid off. I’d let others go early, stay within myself, and then start picking people off in the final hour. That discipline — knowing when to hold back and when to push — was the difference.

Title fight mindset

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• Staying disciplined in a World Championship isn’t easy. In the heat of the moment — especially when others start riding away — it’s tempting to chase. But I kept reminding myself: what they’re doing is out of my control; what I’m doing is in my control. That mindset gave me comfort.
• In Kona, that’s especially helpful. Even if someone pulls ahead, the course is so open and straight, you can still see them for a long time. I’d look ahead and tell myself, “That’s only a minute. I’ve got a marathon to run.”
• I’d seen too many races — even in the final 5 or 10 kilometers — where athletes lost five minutes or more. If the best in the world can blow up in that heat, anyone can. The key was to stay within myself and trust the process.
• After I stopped racing in Hawaii, I did a sweat test out of curiosity. The guy running it said, “I expected really low sweat rate and low sodium loss from you.” But the results were average — middle of the pack. That surprised me. I’d always assumed my performance in the heat came from superior physiology.
• But it turned out it wasn’t physiology — it was discipline.
• I had confidence in my training and belief in my ability to execute an entire 8-hour day well. That came down to pacing, hydration, and sticking to the plan — even when it wasn’t easy.

Heat acclimatization

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• I experimented with different approaches to Kona prep over the years. One year, I went out early just to train. Another time, I raced the 70.3 in May and stayed for a week afterward. But what I learned was that to truly benefit from heat acclimation, it needs to happen right before the race — that’s when the adaptations are most effective.
• In the early years, I went to Kona four weeks ahead of the Ironman. At the time, people thought I was crazy — hardly anyone was out there that early. Some warned me about overdoing it, and they were right. One year, I pushed too hard and ended up with mild heat stroke about three weeks out.
• That experience taught me a valuable lesson: going early only works if you’re extremely disciplined or have a coach to manage your training load. Later in my career, I refined my approach — I’d arrive about 14 days before the race. That gave me a week and a half of quality training while avoiding the risk of overexposure.
• But the real prep started weeks earlier, back home in Boulder. I’d begin a heat training protocol about four weeks before Kona, so by the time I landed on the island, the acclimation process was already well underway.

Common mistakes Craig did

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• As I got older, I think I simply enjoyed training so much that I ended up overdoing it. People would tell me I was training too much, but I loved the process — and in hindsight, that was definitely a mistake.
• There’s no question that as we age, we can’t handle the same workloads — especially when it comes to speed and strength. But the upside is, we don’t need to. If you’ve built a strong foundation through years of consistent training, you can afford to be smarter with your approach. The key is doing less, but doing it better — and allowing more time for recovery.
• That’s where I got it wrong sometimes. I wasn’t afraid to experiment — adding strength sessions, speed work, or trying new stimuli. The body responds well to change for 4–6 weeks, but it’s easy to plateau or overreach if you're not careful.
• I always kept training diaries and was diligent about tracking what worked and what didn’t. I don’t think I repeated many mistakes. I’d review everything — training, racing, all the variables — and with my team, we’d make informed adjustments. That reflection helped me continue evolving as an athlete.

Craig's team

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• My wife was the heart of my team. We started dating the same year I took up triathlon, and over time, she came to know the sport — and me — inside and out. She understood my competitive side and always seemed to know what to say or do to get the best out of me. Early in my career, when I was training hard but not seeing results, she suggested I speak to a sports psychologist. That one suggestion made a huge difference.
• She also encouraged me to revisit my training diary in the week leading up to races. That became a ritual — I’d look back over six months of work, see the consistency, the investment, and it always gave me confidence and perspective heading into a big event.
• In the early years, she managed my career as well. Later on, that role was passed to my manager, Franco Vottorot, who did a great job supporting me through the next phase.
• I also had a small team of trusted performance advisors. Matt Stein from Boulder helped with bike fit and some training elements. Nick White from Arizona coached me early in my Ironman career and also during my short-course days.
• He was the first to introduce me to double threshold days — a concept now popularized by the Norwegians, but something we were doing back in 2007, especially during altitude training blocks.
• Later, I met Frank, who became a close friend and advisor. We met in Kona — he and his wife were staying in the room next to ours. He asked if he could take photos and follow me around.
• Normally, I’d say no, especially during race week, but he had a calm, trustworthy presence. He understood both the sport and people really well, and his advice — both on racing and life — proved incredibly valuable.

Best pieces of advice Craig received

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• A few pieces of advice really stuck with me over the years.
• One was to swim regularly with paddles and a pull buoy — once your shoulders and technique can handle it. That combination helped build strength and reinforce good form. It was simple, but incredibly effective.
• Another was the reminder to stay consistent. It’s not about chasing record-breaking training weeks — it’s about the steady accumulation of work over time. It’s not the flashiest message, but it’s one of the most important. Just show up, again and again.
• And perhaps the most meaningful: believe in yourself, and trust the process. Have confidence in the people around you and the work you've done. In the final weeks before a race — or on race day itself — it’s easy to second-guess everything. But the ability to stay calm, make smart adjustments when needed, and not panic? That’s what gets you through.
• Looking back, I wish I’d listened to that advice a little more — just trusted myself a bit more fully.

Craig's coaching company

1:05:30 -

• We launched Sansego in 2014, though I continued racing seriously until 2019. In the early days, my role focused on attending camps and staying engaged with our online community — something I’ve always enjoyed.
• These days, I coach a small group of six to ten athletes. I’ve been asked to coach pros, but after 25 years as a professional athlete, I didn’t want to be fully immersed in that world again. I wanted to spend more time with my family, explore other ventures, and create space for life beyond full-time triathlon. That said, I have coached a few pros along the way.
• The core idea behind Sansego was to bring together a team of coaches under one umbrella — so when we run camps, multiple coaches are there, and our online athletes have access to a range of experience and support. We’ve built a great team, all of whom raced at a high level and now coach across the full spectrum — from beginners to serious age groupers and professionals.

Age group triathlon success

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• The first thing I always emphasize is time management and organization. Talk to your family and those around you — you’ll need their support, and getting their buy-in makes a big difference.
• Then, be realistic about how many hours per week you can dedicate to training. That’s the key to building consistency in a sustainable way. If you have more time, great — but don’t overreach. I’d much rather see someone train steadily and hit their numbers week after week than swing between being “all in” and burning out.
• Progress doesn’t happen in a few weeks. It takes time — months, even years. The real gains come from showing up consistently over the long haul.

Considerations about age group training

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• You’ve got to be realistic about where your available training time actually falls within the week. These days, with more people working remotely, there’s often added flexibility — but in a traditional setup, most athletes have more time on the weekends. That’s why long rides typically go on Saturdays, with maybe a longer run or a second ride on Sunday.
• During the week, training tends to be more compact: a few swim sessions, some shorter, sharper intervals, an indoor trainer ride or two, a treadmill run, and some steady Zone 2 work. It’s a basic structure, but it works well as a starting point.
• For experienced athletes — say someone with 25 years in the sport who’s completed dozens of 70.3s and a few Ironmans — and who only has 10 hours a week to train, you might lean toward slightly more intensity. Maybe it’s not an 80/20 or 85/15 distribution, but closer to 70/30. Still, that’s highly dependent on context.
• Are they getting enough sleep? Waking at 4 a.m. to squeeze in sessions? How’s their recovery? Their injury history? Strength and conditioning habits? Biomechanics? You can’t apply a one-size-fits-all model without understanding the full athlete profile.
• That’s why I like using the 80/20 rule as a flexible starting point — you can dial it up or down depending on the athlete’s needs. It also doesn’t have to be measured week to week. You can zoom out and apply it across a mesocycle — say three build weeks followed by a recovery week — to balance training stress and adaptation.
• The ultimate goal is to raise the ceiling — increase threshold — because the higher that is, the faster your Ironman or 70.3 race pace becomes as a percentage of it. But how you get there depends entirely on the athlete’s durability, training age, injury risk, and what they can actually absorb.
• It’s easy to say, “Add more intensity,” but if that leads to being injured three times a year, then it’s not a winning strategy. Progress comes from smart adjustments — knowing when to push and when to hold back.
• That’s why I always encourage people to think long-term — over 6, 12, even 18 months — not just 6 or 12 weeks. Sustainable, consistent training wins over time.

Considerations for older athletes

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• As I got older, I realized I was overtraining — not because I had to, but because I just loved it. People told me I was doing too much, and they were right. That enthusiasm, while positive, definitely led to some mistakes.
• There’s no question that with age, we can’t handle the same training loads — especially when it comes to speed and strength. But the good news is, we don’t need to. If you’ve built a strong foundation and trained well for years or decades, you can afford to be much smarter with your approach. You don’t need as much volume or intensity, but you do need more recovery — and I had to learn to prioritize that.
• I enjoyed experimenting with training — adding some extra speed work here, an extra strength session there. I liked to mix things up, knowing that the body adapts quickly and tends to plateau every 6–8 weeks. So I’d introduce new stimuli to keep progressing.
• Of course, I made mistakes. But I kept detailed training diaries, which helped me learn and avoid repeating them. We were constantly reviewing both training and racing — refining the process. That’s how you stay in the game as you get older: by staying curious, staying reflective, and learning from every misstep along the way.

Common mistakes

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• One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen — and made myself — is doing other people’s training. I love group sessions; I think there absolutely should be a social element to the sport because it keeps it fun and sustainable. But sometimes, your session needs to be your session — especially when it comes to threshold work or even lower Zone 2 efforts.
• What’s Zone 2 for one athlete might be Zone 3 or higher for someone else. I’ve seen people struggling to hang onto the group, thinking they’re getting fitter, but really, they’re just compromising their own training. It’s easy to have your session hijacked without realizing it.
• That said, I still think group training has a lot of value — especially if it’s what keeps you motivated and consistent. You just have to be honest about which sessions are flexible and which ones need to be done at your own pace.
• Another common mistake happens on race day: a lack of discipline. Athletes train one way, but then expect a miracle on race day — they try to hit numbers they’ve never hit in training. I’ve seen it in age groupers and pros alike, especially in hot races.
• In those conditions, your threshold drops. Your heart rate climbs as your body tries to cool itself. But instead of adjusting, people chase a power number or a pace — ignoring what their body is telling them. And it almost always ends badly.
• It’s human nature. You’ve trained hard, tapered, you’re excited — so it’s easy to overreach early. But that’s probably the most common mistake in long-course racing: going out too hard and paying the price later, no matter your experience level.

Over and underrated things in triathlon

1:16:38 -

• Consistency is underrated. In a world obsessed with shortcuts and hacks, the athletes who’ve been in the sport long enough know that consistency is what really delivers results. It’s not glamorous, and it often gets overlooked — but it’s the foundation of progress.
• I don’t want to say equipment is overrated, because today’s gear is faster. Bikes, running shoes, wetsuits, even apparel — it’s all better, lighter, and more aerodynamic. We used to say, “You can’t buy speed — it’s all about the training,” but the truth is, now you can buy some speed. The gains are real and often tested in wind tunnels.
• But what is overrated is the belief that the equipment alone will carry you. It’s the last 10%. It’s the icing on the cake — but you still have to bake the cake. And that means doing the training, consistently.
• If someone thinks a $15,000 aero bike will make up for riding once every two weeks, that’s flawed thinking. The tech helps, but it doesn’t replace the work.
• The same goes for trying to emulate professional athletes. People see the marginal gains — the gear, the data, the advanced protocols — and try to copy it. But they forget those athletes are training 35–40 hours a week. They’ve earned the right to chase tiny improvements because they’ve already built the engine.
• There’s also a matter of timing. Marginal gains and cutting-edge tech are most useful when you’re already close to your potential. If you're still far from your ceiling, obsessing over details too early comes at the cost of building your base. Simple, consistent training will take you much further than any gadget ever could — at least until the foundation is solid.

Rapid fire questions

1:21:08 -

What’s something you used to think or believe about training, but have changed your mind about?

I don’t think I’ve changed my mind on much over the years — except maybe the idea that more is always better. I still believe more can be better… but with an asterisk. It has to be well thought out. It has to be managed intelligently. More is very often better — until it’s not.

If it leads to injury, illness, or burnout, it’s no longer productive. But when the body is handling the load, and the training is purposeful and aligned with recovery, then yes — more can absolutely move the needle.

Mikael: What is something you're trying to learn more about or focus on at the moment?

Lately, I’ve been getting more involved in technology — both in daily life and in training. Since I’m doing more office work now, I’m trying to catch up on the digital tools I never needed to think about as an athlete. But what’s really exciting me is the role of technology, especially AI, in endurance training.

I’ve always been a bit slow to adopt new tech — whether it was power meters, aero helmets, or superbikes, I was usually one of the last to jump on board. But with this new wave of AI, I want to be ahead of the curve. I don’t want to be the last anymore.

AI isn’t perfect yet, but it has real potential — especially in the area of load management. It could help athletes and coaches clearly identify tipping points in duration and intensity, and map out how the body responds to different types of stress. Things like zone shifts in various environmental conditions, or how fatigue accumulates — these are insights that could transform how we train and recover.

What are the most influential books you’ve read?

I’d say the Harry Potter series had a big impact on me — not just because of the story, but because of what it represented. I read the books with my son, half an hour each night. It became something really meaningful between us.

It took a long time to get through them — I was traveling a lot — but we made a promise not to read them separately. We’d only read them together. So it wasn’t just the content of the books that made them special — it was the shared experience. That time together meant everything.

Craig's next projects and ambitions

We’re actively expanding our training camps through Sansego. We’ve partnered with the Mauna Lani Resort in Kona, where we’ve already hosted two successful camps. We’re also running camps out of a couple of properties in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the East Coast of the U.S., which has been an exciting new chapter. Beyond that, I stay involved with several companies in the endurance space, contributing to both promotional efforts and a bit of R&D work. One passion project I’m especially excited about is working with a group that supports young athletes. It’s an organization that funds its mission by helping transform businesses — and part of that revenue goes directly into backing up-and-coming talent. My role is to help identify promising athletes and build the support structures around them so that financial barriers don’t force them out of the sport. It’s incredibly rewarding work 

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

• Frank Jakobsen – Performance, training and mindset | EP#231 and Coach Frank Jakobsen | EP#373 - Frank is one of the coaches Craig worked with during his career, and shares lots of wisdom in these two interviews.
• Kona preparation – best practices of top coaches | EP#309 - For more advice specifically on preparing for a great race in Kona, this is a great listen.
• David McNamee – training, racing, and insights from 18 years in triathlon | EP#435 - Another interview with detailed insights into the training of an athlete who's had great success in the Ironman World Championships.