Erin Byrge has found the formula to successful racing

Erin's 11 year racing career began with running with her son. She was already a swimmer and cycler so adding on running and competing in a triathlon seemed like a no brainer. Since then, she has been addicted to the sport, enjoying the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie it offers.

Over the years, she’s competed in various races including Kona and the World Championships.

The Importance of Nutrition

Erin continues to learn and improve every year, and nutrition has been a major focus for her in recent times. Previously, she didn't prioritise nutrition as part of her training and everyday life, but being in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy changed her perspective. Erin now understands how all the puzzle pieces fit together, enabling her to train stronger, sustain performance, and recover better, even with frequent races.

Prior to her nutrition transformation, she neglected recovery meals, thinking...

Many long course triathletes use races as an opportunity to manage their body composition (then go completely off the Richter after it’s done!). 

Prioritising performance over overall health and nutrition can have negative consequences. There’s a better and easier way! Let’s discuss the importance of balance and my four tips to help triathletes find balance after a big event.

1. Your Health is Wealth

Our body, our health is one of the most important things in life.

It's easy to get caught up in the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities, but taking care of your body should be a TOP priority.

Remember that your body is your temple, and what you put into it matters. Nourish it with high-quality foods, stay hydrated, and prioritise adequate rest and recovery.

2. Embrace Balance

Finding balance is essential for long-term success as a triathlete. Balance is boring but these small consistent habits have the...

As a triathlete, it often feels like there's never enough time in the day to juggle training, work, family, and social life.

It's easy to get overwhelmed and neglect other aspects of life, such as your nutrition. It’s often the first ball that gets dropped when we’re busy and stressed.

To help you, here are 6 simple nutrition hacks that can help you reclaim your time without compromising on your nutrition. Pick one and implement it RIGHT AWAY to save at least 2 hours each week.

1. Set Aside Dedicated Meal Planning Time

One of the most effective ways to save time during your busy week is by setting aside dedicated meal planning time. Make it a priority to carve out a specific time each week, put it in your calendar or diary, and treat it as a non-negotiable appointment that you must stick to.

Meal planning helps you stay organised and eliminates the need to think about what to cook on the fly.

If you're unsure where to start, you can download our free meal...

Do you feel tired and fatigued constantly as a triathlete?

Of course you do - you’re training for three sports! But you shouldn't be completely wiped out all the time.

Let’s explore the common reasons of constant tiredness and fatigue experienced by many triathletes. Specifically, we'll discuss why you're feeling tired all the time and, more importantly, how to find that much-needed energy boost to power through your training sessions. 

Understanding Normal Tiredness

While feeling tired due to triathlon training is expected due to the physical demands of three sports, it is important to recognise when exhaustion goes beyond normal limits. 

Pushing yourself to the point of complete exhaustion is not sustainable or healthy. You should not be completely wiped out all the time, even during full distance or Ironman training. 

By evaluating your current state of tiredness, you can realise that feeling constantly drained is not normal or necessary for triathlon...

Having a smooth and efficient transition is crucial in a triathlon to save time and maintain momentum. 

Practice and preparation are key to a faster transition. By implementing these tips and refining your routine, you can improve your efficiency and save valuable time during a triathlon transition.

1. Organise your gear

Lay out your equipment in a logical order so that everything is easily accessible. Arrange your items in a sequence that matches the order in which you will need them during the transition.

• It’s bike then run, so don’t have your shoes sitting in your helmet. 
• Put your helmet on your bike, top down, straps out, ready to chuck on your head.
• Where is it best to put your sunnies?  Inside your helmet to put on first or tucked into the outside to put on while you’re riding?
• When to put your race number on? When is it needed?  Do you clip it on your race belt for when you start to run? Or under your wetsuit (if needed for the...

Liz Blatchford is one of the world's most successful triathletes of all time.

Blatchford’s 18 year racing career began in the ITU circuit in 2000 and transitioned to long course racing in 2012, winning her first Ironman at Cairns in 2013. Her career boasts victories in various 70.3 races, Ironman Cairns, and the Ironman World Championships in Kona. To top off an epic career, she was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2022. 

Blatchford attributes her success in triathlon to her nutrition, gut training, and trust in the professionals around her. Her approach challenges the current trend in triathlon of carbohydrate restriction and emphasises the importance of individualised training and nutrition strategies.

Blatchford recalls working with her sports dietitian, Greg Cox, to dial up her carbohydrate intake to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per hour on the bike, a level that Taryn notes is considered "way up there" for most athletes. Blatchford says...

As an endurance athlete, it's important to maintain optimal health and performance levels. One way to check that you’re doing that is to get regular blood tests.

I was asked recently by one of the triathletes in our Dietitian Approved Crew Facebook group my thoughts on the value of blood tests, as there are a lot of companies spruiking these across many platforms at the moment.  While we go into this in depth in the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, I thought it was important enough to share with everyone.

Blood tests can help detect any potential problems early on and allow you to make necessary changes to your diet and training regimen. However, it's important to know which blood tests are necessary and why and, equally as important, how to interpret the results.

First and foremost, the purpose of getting blood tests is prevention. By catching any potential health issues early on, you can avoid serious illnesses or injuries. Additionally, regular blood tests can help...

Are you wondering what kind of challenge or adventure can push your limits? Ultraman Australia is a triathlon in its longest form, that can take you on a crazy and intense adventure. 

ULTRAMAN AUSTRALIA -  Is a 3 day, 515km/ 320 miles, ultra-endurance event

• 10km swim (6.2 miles)
• 421.1km bike (261.4 miles)
• 84.3km run (52.4miles)

In a recent podcast, Taryn interviewed one of the Academy's athletes, Denise Wilson, who has taken up the challenge of Ultraman Australia, a triathlon that involves a 10km swim and a 140 km ride with 1500m of climbing on Day One. Day Two is a 283 km ride with similar climbing and Day Three tops it all off with a double marathon (with hills)!

Denise, who is 59 years old this year, ran her first marathon in 2007 and took up triathlon in 2012. In order to do Ultraman, you need to qualify and do an Ironman in a timeframe of 14 1/2 half hours. So Denise gave up all the running and learned to swim and ride to qualify for the Ultraman...

Australian elite triathlete Emma Jeffcoat shares her journey into triathlon, what it's like being an elite triathlete and her insights into how nutrition played (and still plays) a crucial role in her success.

Emma has achieved amazing feats, including competing in Tokyo 2020, being named the Australian Elite National Champion in 2021, the Australian Elite Super Sprint Champion in 2021, taking gold in the Tizzy World Cup, the Abu Dhabi mixed team relay, the Mooloolaba World Cup, bronze in the Hamburg WTS mixed team relay World Championships in 2019, and winning numerous other races.

She came from a strong swim-focused background, having competed in Surf Life Saving and swimming at the national level. Emma's first triathlon was in Year 12, and she enjoyed it but was fully invested in Surf Life Saving. It wasn't until later, when her coach asked her what she really wanted to do, that she considered triathlon seriously.

Emma shared how COVID-19 affected...

Leigh Yong, a triathlete and clinical physiotherapist based in Victoria, Australia, was recently featured on the Triathlon Nutrition  Academy podcast hosted by Taryn Richardson. 

Leigh shared her triathlon journey, starting from a mini triathlon in Barwon Heads to completing a full Ironman race after three years of training (thanks COVID!). She mentioned that although the Ironman race was a great achievement, she realised that she enjoyed short-course triathlons better, which led her to focus on sprint and Olympic distance events in the 2XU Tri Series. Leigh's endurance base, along with a focus on nutrition, helped her achieve faster times and better results in her age group, with three 5th places and two 3rd place podiums, and a 4th overall ranking in the series.

She shared how, after joining the Triathlon Nutrition Academy, learning how to be nutrition wise and changing her diet to match her training she has improved her performance, training and racing. Apart...