Welcome to the Purple Patch podcast! In this week's episode, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon shares valuable insights on maximizing the benefits of indoor bike trainers to improve outdoor performance. While many of us use an indoor trainer to save time, escape weather conditions during the winter months, and develop fitness through interval training, Matt goes a step further by providing practical tips and tools to upgrade your speed, enhance your outdoor riding experience, and unleash your...

Welcome to the Purple Patch podcast. This week's episode is all about performance. As you already know, we discuss the topic of performance every week on this podcast. However, in this particular episode, we will mainly focus on ways to enhance your ability to perform better, both in your work and in other areas of life. No matter what aspect of life you are looking to excel in, establishing a robust physical ready-state is crucial to achieving sustained high performance. Whether you're an...

On this week's Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon welcomes Scott Tindal back to the show. Scott Tindal, the co-founder of FuelIn, Purple Patch's nutrition partner, joins the show and shares his expertise as a Nutrition Coach to discuss building a foundation of health during the off-season with a focus on body composition. In their conversation, Matt and Scott cover essential nutritional practices and habits that all athletes and performance-driven individuals should adopt...

This week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast is a flashback to last year's lead-up to the Hawaii Ironman World Championship in Kona. We decided to rewind to episode 234 and its wealth of information about the legendary event. Whether you've qualified for this year's IRONMAN World Championship, are a male athlete preparing for the 2024 Hawaii Ironman, or have aspirations to compete in Kona in the future, the insights shared by Matt in this episode are extremely valuable. Whether you're...

Welcome to the final installment of our three-part series on the off-season, in which we frame the approach to building a foundation of performance, developing skills, and improving technique. This week’s episode centers on you and the questions you have about Q4 and beyond. Matt shares the questions you’ve sent in over the past few weeks on how to connect the information from our previous episodes on the off-season to your own performance journey. During our three-part conversation about...

We continue our three-part series on the off-season, in which we frame the approach to building a foundation of performance, developing skills, and improving technique. In part 2 of our series, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon discusses his reimagined approach to the off-season and lays out a blueprint for leveraging the months between Q4 and Q1 in a smart and balanced way. Matt shares key principles and approaches you can leverage this off-season to improve your swim stroke, terrain...

After a long season of training, most athletes are ready for a well-deserved break, yet they also recognize that training during the off-season is imperative for success in the coming season. So how do you strike the right balance so you get the rest and recovery you need without losing progress and risk stalling your performance next season? As part of our three-part series on everything off-season, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon answers all your questions on how to approach the...

Making sure you're primed and ready for your big race is essential, but planning correctly to avoid the negative impacts of travel on your performance is just as crucial. In this week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon provides a toolkit with a strategic approach to travel that offers guidance on pre-race preparation and best practices for a healthy and prosperous race day. If you're planning a trip that involves time zone changes, whether it's a short...

This week on the Purple Patch Podcast, we conclude our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series. In this series, we delve into the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. In the past few weeks, we have examined some motivating and informative examples of athlete achievement. However, today we will focus on stories that serve as warnings. In this episode, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon shares three cautionary tales of athletes at various levels of...

This week on the Purple Patch Podcast, we continue our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series. In this series, we delve into real-life examples and the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. In this episode, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon looks beyond athletics and sports and outlines a path to sustained high performance in work and life. Through the case study of Purple Patch athlete Vijay, Matt highlights the results of adopting an athletic...

Welcome to this week's episode of the Purple Patch Podcast! Today, we're continuing our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series, where we delve into real-life examples and the experiences of real athletes to provide practical insights about performance. Joining IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon on the show is Purple Patch Tri-Squad member Chris Hughes, whose story is one of remarkable athletic evolution. Chris has been on an impressive streak of individual race results lately, but in...

On this week's episode of the Purple Patch podcast, we present the second part of our Purple Patch Performance Case Studies series, where we share practical insights about performance by analyzing real-life examples. Matt welcomes Purple Patch athlete David Farsai to the show. David is a busy executive seeking performance in sport, work, and life. He recently qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice after a remarkable performance at the IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Aside from...

This month on the Purple Patch Podcast, we're highlighting Purple Patch Performance Case Studies.  We wanted to share practical insights about performance, so we're analyzing real-life examples rather than just theories. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon begins our case study series by examining the performance journeys of two prominent members of the Purple Patch Pro Squad, Matt Lieto and Meredith Kessler.  Matt and Meredith played a crucial role...

On this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon reflects on the long history of the Purple Patch Pro Squad and the lessons you can apply to your own performance journey. Whether you're an athlete, the leader of an organization or team, a coach, or just someone striving to live a better and longer life, the stories we'll discuss today can greatly influence your mindset and approach toward achieving success. Matt explores three essential lessons that contributed...

For those who are new to running, the training requirements for a marathon or other running events may seem intimidating or overwhelming. Alternatively, even experienced runners may face challenges with injuries related to race preparation. No matter where you are in your performance journey, there is an effective way to approach training for an endurance running event without overloading on hours and intensity, and risking your health and performance. In today’s episode of the Purple Patch...

Although endurance athletes typically focus on strength training during the off-season, it's important to recognize that strength and conditioning can benefit performance all year round. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon explains the value and significance of strength as a performance enhancer. He provides a framework for integrating strength into your training program and easy-to-use techniques for executing your workouts almost anywhere. Whether...

It’s been 15 years since the start of the Purple Patch journey. While many elements of the Purple Patch program have evolved, and we continually seek to grow, improve and enhance our coaching, our central belief and approach to coaching have remained unchanged.  We believe athletes of all levels can achieve optimal endurance performance by following a balanced training approach. Our methodology, based on four pillars of performance, is designed to provide a simple framework that helps...

At the beginning of the year, we took some time to reflect, plan for the future and set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). Now, we have reached the halfway point of the year. Most of you hit the ground running with ambitions and lofty goals, but how did they pan out? Are you nailing your goals? Are you thriving in your performance journey? Is it fulfilling? Where can you improve or shift your approach? It is essential to come up for air midway through the season and execute some big-picture...

With race season in full swing, we’ve received a flood of requests asking us to tackle the topic of race-day fueling and hydration. So this week on the Purple Patch Podcast we are doing a special Episode Rewind. We are bringing back a timely conversation with renowned Sports Scientist and CEO of Precision Fuel and Hydration, Andy Blow. We pulled an episode out of the archives to help you fine-tune your fueling and hydration strategy. EP. 162 - Your Guide to Race Day Fueling and Hydration...

Are you showing up to your event in the best mental space possible? You may have checked all the boxes in your training program and set yourself up to arrive at your event ready to allow trained potential to translate to race-day performance, but setting up the right mindset is one part of the performance readiness equation that is often ignored or misunderstood by athletes and coaches. In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon shares his secret to...

In this week’s episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Ironman Master Coach Matt Dixon takes a closer look at youth sports and the development of young athletes. With his experience as a parent, as well as a coach to world-class professional endurance athletes, executives, and amateurs alike for over 15 years, and using his own background in competitive swimming and triathlons, Matt examines the importance of sports for social and physical development in kids and examines the role parents and...

Imagine you are in the midst of a tough race in the middle of hot and humid conditions and suddenly your body begins sending you signals of surrender. Anyone who has exerted any type of energy in the sweltering heat can attest to the difficulties posed by the conditions. Nothing sucks the speed out of the legs more than high heat and humidity. So, how do you go about setting yourself up for success when the sun is beating down on you and the humidity becomes claustrophobic? In this week’s...

In this week’s episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, we focus on athletes like you. Ironman Master coach Matt Dixon puts a spotlight on four case studies anchored in performance. Matt breaks down the lessons we can learn from those who have excelled in their performance journey as well as those who were less fortunate and serve as cautionary tales about the pitfalls on the way to improved performance. All of the case studies are real athletes that either Purple Patch or Matt has trained. We...

Whether it's the boost of our morning espresso or the common drowsiness that sets in after lunch, we all experience bumps and slumps in our daily energy levels. Our vitality over the course of the day can sometimes be a rollercoaster. For some of us, that erratic ride has become a daily routine and an obstacle that limits our potential for performance. However, there are ways to rewire that routine to unlock predictable and stable energy sources that keep you active and present throughout...

The path to improvement is one that includes hard work and commitment, but too often we travel that path alone. We seek our personal goals in a very personal way. It can often be a solitary endeavor. Not only does it not have to be, but it also shouldn’t be. "You cannot expect to optimize your performance or results if you always take the journey alone." In this episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon highlights the benefits and impact of chasing your...