inside the big ring: the podcast for endurance athletes by Steven Brandes

Last Updated: June 25, 2026
Podcast by Steven Brandes
208: No Action, No Confidence
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

207: Chattanooga 70.3, Everything You Need to Know (Pro Race, Course, Heat, Pacing)
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Eric and I breakdown Chattanooga 70.3 and what to expect! Its going to be super warm race and knowing how to handle the conditions will determine how good your day goes!

206: Lionel's Coaching Change, T100 Questions & Who's Dominating Tri
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Eric and I talk on alot of topics all related to pro triathlon right now!

205: IRONMAN TEXAS Course and Pro Picks, Breakdowns and UPSETS!
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Eric Engel, one of the most accomlished Age Group Athletes to walk the planet has joined the podcast to breakdown IRONMAN Texas and also the amazing Pro Fields assembled. 

204: Things I've Changed For This IRONMAN TEXAS Build
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My main GOAL for 2025 is to Podium in my Age Group (40-44) at IRONMAN Texas! The purpose of these videos is to show you the journey of training and mindset of my trying to accomplish this goal.

203: The BEST Off Season Workouts for 70.3 and IRONMAN
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In this episode, I break down the most effective off-season workouts for 70.3 and Ironman athletes and why many triathletes waste months doing the wrong kind of training.
202: How to get your FTP above 4.0 w/kg
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This is a big episode!

201: IF YOU'RE NOT TESTING YOU ARE GUESSING! Lactate is back!
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

200: IRONMAN Chattanooga AG Champion, Kelsey Barnholt!!!!
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Kelsey WON the overall Age Group race at IRONMAN Chattanooga and came on the podcast to talk all thing training, race sessions, and GOING PRO!

199: Treadmill Yay or Nay? Why Zone 2 Won't Make You Faster.
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

198: IRONMAN Training, Plyos, Lifting heavy weights
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

197: Extend or Intensify?... KEY TRAINING DISCUSSION!
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

196: IRONMAN Training...I'm tired...But crushing it
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

195: A 70.3 Champion Submitted a Question!! Run Durability. Strength Training. Indoor Winter Bike Focus
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LOTS of questions submitted to the podcast! If you want your questions answered, submit them here!

194: I Didn't Agree w/ What I Heard, lets talk about it.
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

193: IRONMAN Training, Kinda...
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

192: How NOT to train in November and December
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This podcast is all about training in the holiday months and how to set yourself up for success! 

191: IRONMAN Wisconsin and 70.3 Recap. SO MANY PRs, PODIUMS and Training Talk. IMNZ switcheroo
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

190: Burn Out, Strength Training, Structure to a PEAK, MAJOR TAPERING MISTAKES
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

189: Winning Boise 70.3... Kona Training...T100 London and IM Pro Series Talk
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Chatted with the OVERALL Female AG winner Kinley Bollinger who just won Boise 70.3! we chatted about her race, her Kona build and we did a deep dive into all things Pro Triathlon right now!

187: Kona Training and Rapid QnA
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Find out more about Coach Steve HERE

186: Training Behind Podium Performances! Rockford and Des Moines 70.3
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3 Athletes will all different training and approaches!

185: IRONMAN Texas Overall AG Male, Kona Podium, ANDREW HALL
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Want to hear how one of the best age group males train in each sport? Listen in! 

184: FULL Training Talk w/ Kinley Bollinger (St George 70.3 Overall AG Women's Champ)
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Winner of 70.3 AG St George Women's race Kinley Bollinger came on the podcast and we had a great chat about her development in triathlon and climbing through the ranks!

#183: Unbound 200 Race Recap!
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Here it is... My Unbound 200 race recap

#182: Seth Rider, 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist. Training Talk, Key Session, Olympic Experience
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Seth Rider is on the podcast and we had alot to talk about!

#181, Improving Run and HIP DRIVEN Swim Talk and IRONMAN CHATTY Training
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181 is filled with triathlon training but alsoa discussion into swim technique and the best approach to developling a swim stroke!

#180: Training Behind the Podiums at Oceanside
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We do a deep dive into two athlete's training leading into Oceanside and what it took to earn those podiums!

#179: The Correct Way to Use Drills
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This podcast is focused on the correct way to use and fix a swim stroke and run form and some examples of how i've used drills to work with athletes!

#178: Testing, Motivation, Training to Qualify for Kona
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Key Training Session Blog

#177 Early 70.3 Training. Intensify or Extend. Common Mistakes
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This podcast is filled with info on how to train for the 1st 70.3 of the season and how to manage the rest of the season

#176: Knibb Reaction Podcast, Overtraining, Off Season Expectations
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#175: Interview w/ Jackie Hering! IRONMAN & 70.3 CHAMPION, Pro Series Runner Up!
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We have an amazing interview with Jackie Herning!

#174: Building a High Performance Athlete
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In this podcast, Coach Steve talks about 70.3 Worlds and traveling to the race and what to expect on race day

#173: Why and How are Athletes getting so FAST! w/ Coach Liz Waterstraat
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Coach Liz from Multisport Mastery comes on the podcast and talks about her race at IRONMAN Florida where she podiumed and earned her Kona Slot! We talk alot about her findings from training and racing the IRONMAN distance again and we dive into athlete performance!

#172: PRO Debrief....IRONMAN, T100,ITU w/ Eric Engel
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Eric Engel joins the podcast and we talk all things T100 and IRONMAN PRO Series!

#171 Kona Race Recap and Goal Setting and Training
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Kona World Champs happened and it was awesome! Coach Steve recaps the pro race and the dynamics that occured!

#170: What kind of athlete are you?
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Are you looking to break out of a pleatau?

#169: Off Season Blues, Lack of Discipline, Michigan 70.3, USAT Nationals
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Whats the difference between Motivation and Discipline?

#168 Training Talk, IRONMAN AG Win and Kona Qualifier
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In this podcast we talk about 2 athletes, MIchael and Leah and how they trained to earn their big races at IM Lake Placid and IM Wisconsin. 

#167: All Things IRONMAN Wisconsin!
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Today Coach Liz Waterstraat and myself talk all thing IRONMAN Wisconsin!

#166: Overall Wins, Podiums, 70.3 and IM Key Workouts, QnA
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This podcast is actions packed :)

#165. Sports Nutrition w/ Kyla Channell
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#164. High Performance and Mental Health w/ Kristen Radtke
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Learn more about Kristen here!
#163. Building the Engine: St George and Panama City 70.3 Podiums
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In this podcast, we talk about 3 of my athletes and the training they did that went into their podium performances!

#162. Winning IRONMAN California and Creating Experiences w/ Kristen Yax
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The amazing Kristen Yax joins us and talks through alot of wonderful topics!

#161: Quick Hits (Aero Upgrades, Injured Runner, 70.3 sessions, Trail Running)
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In this episode we go through questions in a rapid fire! Thank you for sending in the questions, if you have more please send them to 

#160: Getting Faster as you Age, Running Faster, Zwift Racing!
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Deep dive into coaching topics!

#159 IRONMAN/t100 Series, Gwen and Olympics, Coaching Talk w/ Coach Liz Waterstraat
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This was a fun conversation with legendary guest Coach Liz comes back on the podcast for the 3rd time to talk all things triathlon racing and coaching. 

#158. Bike Focused Off Season, February Training
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In this off season, Coach Steve talks through his big changes he's made to his training this off season and the improvements he's seen so far!

#157: FTP Training and Importance for Triathletes
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In this episode we talk on FTP training and how to direct your training after an FTP Test. 

#156: January Workouts (Tabatas, Hills, Swim Drills)
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What kind of workouts SHOULD/COULD you be doing in Janruary? 

#155: What testing to avoid in the off season!
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#154 Power at Vo2 Max Goal setting, Fat Loss, Swim Analysis
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This is a 3 part podcast where we tackle 3 topics

#153 Wind Tunnel Testing and Base Training Workouts
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LETS GO!

#152: Nicole Heininger. Creating Change. Having Fun. Winning Nationals
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The interview finally happened! Nicole and I sat down for an interview and talked through her 2023 breakthough season. How it started and what all took place. 

#151 6 Podiums, 3 wins at 70.3 Muncie. Learn how!
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6 podiums

#150 Podium at IRONMAN Chattanooga
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Coach Steve got to race at IRONMAN Chatty and he breaks down the training he did, pacing, power, and nutrition strategy used. 

#149: Winning Age Group Nationals Overall
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Huge weekend at AG Nationals. 

#148. No Quit and Swim Faster
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We get into Age Group Nationals, Door County, Swim Consultation, and some training talk!

#147 Which Path to 70.3 Greatness?
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A good question came from one our listeners about which direction of training and racing is best for 70.3 training made this episode possible!

#146: Stop applying the same boring stimulus
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www.insidethebigring.org

#145: Race Confidence, Bike Aerodynamics, Key 70.3 Sessions, Pressure, Race Nutrition
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Athletes Michael Ross and Mark Lund come on the podcast and we talk on alot of topics, hope you enjoy!

#144: Threshold and Aerobic Training
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Here we go! 

#143. Huge Vo2 Max Training Block, FTP Improvement!
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I needed a change, a big new stimulus to the system after years of the same FTP. 

#142 Building Your Race Nutrition/Hydration Plan w/ Dr Alex Harrison
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Dr. Alex Harrison, creator of the amazing day-to-day nutrition app Saturday Morning gives you updated nutrition guidance on your day to day training. 

#141: Getting Aero w/ Mark Lund (Kona Qualifier)
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Mark went to visit one of the best bike fitters and aerodynamicists, Jim Manton or ERO Sports. (https://erohighperformance.com/)

#140: Athlete Review: Don't just make TRAININGPEAKS Green
Published:

Sign up for a coaching consultation or coaching!

#139: New Vo2 Max Intervals, Run Mileage, Training Update
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More info can be found at www.insidethebigring.org

#138 3x World Champs Podium- Michael Ross on ALL THINGS TRAINING
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Michael has been on the podium 3xs at the 70.3 and IM world championships.

#137: The Training to Qualify for Kona World Champs w/ Eric Smithback
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This is a training talk! 

#136 Kona, Norwegian Training for Age Groupers w/ Liz Waterstraat
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Coach Liz from Multisport Mastery (www.multisportmastery.com)(Instagram: @MSMJHCCoaching) came on the podcast and we talked about Norwegian Training and it is applicable to age group athletes

#135: Workouts to do in December
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Are you looking for some training ideas for December? Are you in a plateau and not sure how to get out of it? Give these workouts a try and they may help!

#134 Training Run Speed, Improving Body Comp, ZOOT KITS!!!
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Order your Zoot Kits here!

#133: Kona IRONMAN World Champs Recap
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We recap the 2022 IRONMAN World Champs. 

#132: Building a Champion, High Level Cyclist to Triathlete
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As a coach, I love talking about athlete development and the different ways athletes get to the top. In this podcast, I talk about how a high-level cyclist got into triathlon and how we developed his swimming and running to be a top age-group athlete!

#131 IRONMAN Chattanooga Recap, IMWI, KONA!
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ITS A BIG ONE!

#130 IRONMAN Wisconsin, YOUTUBE, Taper Mistakes, Swim Sighting, Periodization Thought
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Here is the latest Youtube Video

#129: Change in Plans, Aerodynamics, New IRONMAN, Excellence vs Perfection
Published:

www.insidethebigring.org

#128 2nd at Lake Country, PR 70.3 Run, Be Kind to Yourself, USAT AG National
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1) You are who you tell youself. If what you tell yourself is negative, you won't likely improve

#127: Negative Split Rides, How to Progress Intervals, Ohio 70.3 Podiums
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1- Coach Steve talks about mid-season burnout and how he dealt with it

#126 Winning Musselman 70.3 and Door County Half. Key training sessions
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In #126 Coach Steve recaps some recent results and also talks about key training sessions for the summer that some of his athletes are doing. 

#125 w/ Bob Seebohar on Metabolic Efficiency: Learn to Burn More Fat during Endurance Exercise
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#125 was an awesome interview with Bob Seebohar talking about ways to become a better endurance athlete through nutrition. Adding in different nutrition protocols can help you become a healthier individual, become a more metabolically efficient athlete, and likely to improve body composition. 

#124 Training for IRONMAN Wisconsin w/ Coach Steve
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You can take a listen on what Coach Steve has been doing training-wise the off-season to be competitive at IRONMAN WISCONSIN in September. 

#123 Road to IRONMAN World Champs w/ Jess Barrett Part 2
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Here is the second installment with the training and racing with Jess Barrett as she prepares for IRONMAN World Champs in Kona Hawaii. 

#122: Longevity in Triathlon w/ Elizabeth Waterstraat and Marni Sumbal
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#122 may be one of my favorite episodes. The talk is with two fantastic coaches on a very important topic... LONGEVITY in endurance sports. 

#121 Anatomy of a World Champion- Eric Engel
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Follow eric at 

#120. Jon Thornham- FLO Cycling on Aerodynamics, Tire Pressue, Aero Wheels
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In episode #120 we talk with Jon Thornham with FLO Cycling about all things cycling and how to optimize your set up. Tire presure, tire size, tire selection, aerodynamic wheels, how deep of wheels should you run?

#119. Olivia Dietzel on Training for IRONMAN World Championships
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Olivia came on the podcast and we had a great talk on a variety of topics

#118. IM World Champ Pro Preview & 70.3 Key Training Sessions
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IN episode 118, we bring on everyone's favorite coach Jason Lentzke and new to the show Josh Venis to talk about the upcoming IRONMAN World Championships in St George, we break down the course and pick who we think will win the race!

#117. HRV, Blood Glucose Monitoring, Lactate Testing w/ David Tilbury-Davis and Jason Lentzke on
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Here is the second part of our conversation with David and Jason where we talk over 

#116. Key Training Principles w/ David Tilbury-Davis and Jason Lentzke
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Today we talk with coaches David Tilbury-Davis and Jason Lentzke.

#115. Road to Kona w/ Jess Barrett (Training Edition)
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We will be having these check ins talking about what shes doing, what shes racing, the mental ups and downs along the way. 

#114. IMWI 50-54 AG Champion, Mark Lund
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Episode 114 brings Mark Lund where he talks about his heroic day at 2021 IRONMAN Wisconsin where he won his AG and earned himself a Kona Qualification

#113. Kona Bound: Amanda Marek & Jess Barrett
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Two athletes in the studio! Amanda Marek and Jess Barret came in together and we talked about what it took for them to get to Kona. Both athletes qualified at IRONMAN Wisconsin. In 2019 Amanda was the overall female age grouper and in 2021 Jess was the 40-44 Age Group Winner. 

#112. Kona Bound- Bob Taylor
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Bob started his triathlon career with no endurance background and earned himself a Kona Qualification spot. 

#111. Athlete Progression to 70.3 World Champs & INSCYD testing
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In this podcast, Coach Steve talks through the progression with one of his athletes on his way to 70.3 World Championships. We also talk about his weekly/monthly metrics... workout progressions... changes in phases... how we used INSCYD testing to progress FTP over 5%. And its all over in less than 25 minutes!!!

#110. Kona, Collins Cup, Lionel Sanders
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Jason is back and we talk about all things triathlon!

#109. Key IRONMAN & 70.3 Bike Workout
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In this podcast, coach Steve talks through one of his staple bike sessions for IRONMAN and 70.3 bike development

#108. Tokyo Olympic Recap
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In this episode Coach Steve talks through his take on the Olympic Triathlon results!

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