Laura, Holly, and Maggie introduce Average Age Groupers as a human-side endurance sports podcast and discuss how “average” can still mean doing triathlons without being fast, sharing 5K times and zone-setting tests. The main topic is how goals evolve: starting endurance sports to stay active, shifting away from time goals after injury, and wrestling with fantasies like qualifying for Kona or 70.3 Worlds versus the life alignment and compliance required. They emphasize race-day mindset, controlling what you can (nutrition, execution, enjoyment), and how varying courses and conditions complicate time-based goals. They talk about savoring the experience, returning from injury, headwind stories, and prioritizing durability through strength work despite limited time. Laura decides not to race Ironman Wisconsin due to the short gap before Ironman California, while Holly considers flexibility, local races, and longer running challenges. They invite listeners to share goals, questions, and guest ideas, and close with a call to like, subscribe, and follow on major platforms.

00:00 Cold Open Banter

01:01 Human Side Triathlon

02:12 Average Runner Reality

04:05 5K Tests And Zones

07:11 Goals That Evolve

10:59 Worlds Dreams And Tradeoffs

12:48 Race Day Mindset

18:07 Process Goals Over Time

19:51 Enjoy The Suffering

22:50 Headwinds And Comebacks

27:21 What If We Were Normal

29:50 Why Endurance Matters

30:38 Zone Two Gains

32:07 Bike Zone Two Setup

33:18 Dropping Wisconsin Plan

35:48 Durable Athlete Goal

37:18 Fitting Training In

40:03 Race Prep Logistics

41:33 Goggles And Gear Hoarding

43:34 Fear After DNF

45:11 Flexible Goals And Ultras

48:57 Avoiding Burnout Long Term

51:45 Traveling For Races

52:59 Wrap Up And Listener Call

Listen to the Pod here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://www.pandora.com/podcast/average-age-groupers/PC:1001121141

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAw

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

https://averageagegroupers.substack.com/

IRONMAN’s New Women’s Community… and Our Real Kona Podium Picks

Laura, Holly, and Maggie introduce their podcast Average Age Groupers and react to IRONMAN’s new women-focused community, “Woven,” describing its Strava/Instagram presence, member events, race meetups, and perks while questioning what concrete support it will provide beyond connection. They discuss how women-only racing (like IRONGIRL/Wisconsin Women’s Tri and separate-day 70.3 Worlds) can feel more positive and could boost women’s participation, and note Kona will be back to men and women racing the same day. The conversation shifts to favorite endurance athletes and why they’re fun to follow, including Heather Jackson, Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom, Kat Matthews, Jenna & Logan, Justin R., India Lee, Jason West, Gustav Iden, Lionel Sanders, Nick Chase, Matthew Marquardt, Cam Wurf, and others across gravel, road cycling, and ultrarunning, plus playful, “emotional” Kona podium picks and a brief tangent on frequent collarbone breaks.

00:00 Ironman Woven Email

01:55 Skepticism and Real Support

03:35 Meet the Hosts

04:29 Women Only Racing Vibes

07:44 What Woven Should Do

10:37 Kona Format Changes

13:59 Pros We Love Following

14:17 Heather Jackson Spotlight

17:29 Triathlon Life and Kat

22:59 More Favorites and Norwegians

28:49 Lionel Sanders and RTS

30:27 Pro Favorites Rundown

31:47 Sam Long Spotlight

32:27 Racing With The Pros

34:17 Collarbone Season Talk

35:18 Cam Wurf Fan Moment

37:13 Dream Kona Podiums

40:37 Gravel Riders To Follow

44:26 Road Worlds And Cycling Crushes

46:54 Ultra Legends And Mindset

51:41 More Tri Names And Injury Wave

55:00 Wrap Up And Next Episodes

Listen to the Pod here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://www.pandora.com/podcast/average-age-groupers/PC:1001121141

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAw

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

https://averageagegroupers.substack.com/

Laura, Holly, and Maggie welcome returning guest Tarah to discuss her upcoming Moab 240 ultramarathon in Moab, Utah, including how she’s training, fueling, and planning logistics with her crew. After a light intro about keeping too many browser tabs and saving Instagram posts, Tarahh shares that her Leadville Silver Rush 50 was canceled due to fires and low ferritin, but she’s stayed healthy by stacking 2–3 long run days on weekends, relying on her strength-training base, and listening to her body. She details race fueling goals (up to 90g carbs/hour), homemade gels, aid-station foods, and her UltrAspire 14L pack for mandatory gear and up to 3–5L water. They cover mandatory kit, pacing plans (90/100/112+ hours), sleep strategy, fears (feet, gut, darkness), excitement about the community, travel timeline, live tracking, and plans to recap post-race.

00:00 Tabs and Screenshots Chaos

02:00 Saved Reels and Organization

02:52 Meet the Guest Tarah

04:17 Moab 240 Mindset

05:21 Training After Cancellations

08:25 Staying Healthy and Strong

11:00 Fueling Big Mileage

12:56 Race Nutrition Strategy

16:14 Gear and Water Carrying

22:05 Crew Rules and Pacer Plan

24:48 Altitude Fears and Unknowns

28:09 Sleep Strategy and Minivan Crew

33:24 Pacing Calculator and Cutoffs

36:01 Foot Care and Aid Station Routine

36:52 Mouth Care And Hygiene

38:14 Coke Pickles And Fuel

38:39 Dust Throat And Bandanas

39:49 What Excites Her Most

41:47 Will She Be Alone

43:38 Music Or Silence At Night

47:02 Midnight Calls And Games

50:18 Braids For Moab

53:48 Travel Plan And Race Timeline

55:42 Live Tracker And Updates

56:56 Wrap Up Wishes And Next Races

01:03:02 Final Sign Off

Connect with Tarah: https://www.instagram.com/tarahinturquoise?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Listen to the Pod here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAw

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

https://averageagegroupers.substack.com/