Human Endurance

What separates an age-grouper who keeps improving from one who plateaus? It often isn't the next training method or the latest gadget. It's how they think about their training as a whole.

In this episode, we sit down with Mikael Eriksson, founder of Scientific Triathlon and host of That Triathlon Show. With nearly nine years of full-time coaching experience and an engineering background, Mikael takes a systematic, pragmatic approach to triathlon training that has helped athletes go from beginners to professional level.

We talk about how to profile athletes by their physiological strengths, why specificity is overrated for long-course racing, and the three metrics every coach should master: external load, internal load, and RPE.

Mikael also shares his philosophy on hard work in an era obsessed with recovery optimization: "You can become a pretty good athlete with very bad recovery if you're putting in the work. You cannot fully optimize your recovery and become a good athlete if you're not putting in the work."

If you're a competitive age-grouper looking for the right levers to pull, or a coach refining how you work with experienced athletes, this conversation offers a grounded, practical framework rather than a list of hacks.

Connect with Mikael on:
Instagram
Youtube
Linkedin
https://scientifictriathlon.com/

Connect with Bruna & Fabi:
@justbrunathings
@endurance_fabi
https://jornadaendurance.com/
https://www.humanendurancepodcast.com/

What happens when you stop thinking of yourself as "just a runner" or "just a cyclist" and start training like a complete athlete?
Peter Glassford and Molly Hurford from The Consummate Athlete join us to break down why cross-training might be the most underrated tool in endurance sports.
Peter is a Registered Kinesiologist and endurance coach with 20+ years of experience, and Molly is an ultra runner, author, and founder of Strong Girl Publishing.
Together, they've spent a decade helping busy athletes build sustainable performance through their 4 Cs framework: Cross-training, Consistency, Confidence, and Community.
In this episode, we get into practical strategies for fitting training around a busy life, why strength training matters more than most endurance athletes think, the real problem with ERG mode on the trainer, how to start cross-training without risking injury, and Molly's journey from crying in the shower after her first Ironman to setting the course record at her first 100-miler.
Whether you're a coach looking for fresh programming ideas or an athlete stuck in a single-sport rut, this one is packed with actionable takeaways.

Connect with Molly & Peter:
https://consummateathlete.com/
https://stronggirlpublishing.com/
https://www.instagram.com/peterglassford/
https://www.instagram.com/mollyjhurford/

Connect with Bruna & Fabi:
https://www.instagram.com/endurance_fabi
⁠https://www.instagram.com/justbrunathings
https://jornadaendurance.com/
https://augotraining.com/

Join augo's launch event on March 26th in Zurich
https://luma.com/8l4kbup7

What happens when the sport you've dedicated your life to suddenly gets taken away from you?
At 17, Nina Derron was a Swiss Junior Champion in triathlon, duathlon, and the 10km. And then chronic back pain stopped everything...
What followed was nearly 3 years away from competition, a PhD in Clinical Science from ETH Zurich, and one of the most remarkable comeback stories in triathlon.
In this episode, Nina walks us through the injury that derailed her junior career, how she rebuilt her relationship with the sport, and the deliberate decision, at 32, to finally go all-in as a full-time professional triathlete.
We also dive into Brett Sutton's RPE-based training philosophy, why Nina barely looks at her data, what it's like training alongside the Chinese national team, and the importance of bone density screening for young endurance athletes.
A story about patience, resilience, and trusting the process: for athletes and coaches at every level.
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Connect with Nina: @nina_derron
Connect with Bruna: @justbrunathings
Connect with Fabi: @endurance_fabi
Sign-up for augo's launch event: https://luma.com/8l4kbup7

What does it take to start triathlon at 28, coach yourself to a pro license within a year, and then break a cycling world record?

Meet Jonathan Guisolan, whose unconventional path is rewriting the rules of what's possible in endurance sports. Jonathan didn't grow up as a competitive athlete. He started cycling at 22 while studying Exercise Physiology, turned pro in cycling, then transitioned to triathlon at 28.
In 2025 (just his second year as a professional triathlete) he won his first pro race at Challenge Sir Bani Yas and then broke the 6-hour velodrome cycling world record, covering 276.795 km at an average speed of 46.1 km/h.
Whether you're a late starter questioning your potential, a self-coached athlete seeking validation, or simply someone fascinated by the intersection of science, resilience, and performance, Jonathan's journey will inspire you.
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Follow Jonathan: @jonathanguisolan
Follow Fabi: @endurance_fabi
Follow Bruna: @justbrunathings

Swiss pro triathlete Leana Bissig joins the Human Endurance Podcast straight from her season high finishing top 20 in T100. Inspired by Nicola Spirig's Olympic gold, Leana worked her way up from junior swimming to racing on triathlon's biggest stages, all while completing a master's in health sciences at ETH Zurich.
In this episode, she opens up about balancing studies with 20-hour training weeks, the leap from short course to middle distance racing, what it's like competing in the T100 series, and the mental breakthroughs that took her to the next level. Additionally we share insights into her approach to nutrition, why she's never had a major injury, and her one piece of advice for every endurance athlete.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:46 Leana's Journey into Triathlon02:15 Transition to Professional Athlete03:54 Balancing Studies and Training08:35 Training Strategies and Adaptations13:17 Insights on Long-Distance Training20:56 Race Experiences and Successes22:44 Meet the Coach: Balancing Sports and Studies24:23 Choosing Races: From Middle Distance to WTCS26:38 The T100 Experience: Competing at the Highest Level27:46 Team Dynamics: Support and Sponsorship30:19 Nutrition Insights: Fueling for Performance34:45 Strength Training: Staying Injury-Free35:49 Planning the Upcoming Season: Training and Rest39:11 Favorite Training Sessions: Bike, Run, and Swim41:03 Final Thoughts and Where to Find More