In this episode of Average Age Groupers, Holly, Maggie and Laura open with winter fat-tire biking gear talk (ski helmet/goggles, bar mitts, socks/boots, flat pedals, and the “N+1” bike problem) before debriefing Ironman Wisconsin weekend. They recap Saturday’s Madison 70.3 (cool and windy, choppy swim, a reported athlete death believed to be a cardiac event, a faster new bike course with less technical climbing, and a modified run), plus concerns about blatant drafting and frustration with the 70.3 Worlds performance pool system after a teammate’s 5:43 debut placed seventh in her Age group yet dropped to 72nd overall when adjusted. Sunday’s full Ironman spectating focused on teammate Paul, tracking him across multiple bike and run viewing spots; they note Emily received a three-minute drafting penalty while passing. They praise the improved athlete experience under Ironman’s new CEO (start buildup, upgraded finish line, first-timer bell) and share how Wisconsin reignited motivation to race again while they stress about Oregon 70.3 selling out and begin sketching expensive, shifting 2027 plans including potential Worlds qualification, Steamboat, California, and community/podcast growth.

00:00 Cold Weather Bike Gear

01:04 N Plus One Bike Talk

02:53 Podcast Intro and Ironman Plans

03:11 Oregon Registration Panic

04:34 Ironman Wisconsin Setup

06:05 70.3 Saturday Recap

06:36 Swim Tragedy Discussion

08:14 New 70.3 Course and Drafting

13:22 Performance Pool Confusion

15:57 Ironman Sunday Spectator Plan

17:45 Chasing Paul on the Bike

22:12 Old Sauk and Timber Loop

25:55 Cheering on the Climbs

27:35 Downtown Run Course Changes

30:22 Dead Shifting Battery

31:25 State Street Noise

33:00 Chasing the Finish

34:06 Spectating Reflections

35:23 New Ironman Experience

39:06 Madison Magic Returns

43:55 Planning 2027 Season

44:43 Local Winners Shoutout

46:05 Next Year Race Puzzle

50:12 Budgeting and Sponsors

53:35 Upcoming Races Updates

56:02 Cyclocross Tomorrow

57:40 Guests and Support

58:53 Wrap Up and Follow

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On Average Age Groupers, hosts Holly, Maggie, and Laura welcome Waterfall Racing teammate Hector to share his endurance story, from always having bikes as a kid in Mexico City to moving to Michigan at age nine and later riding and commuting by bike in Chicago. He describes how his mom’s breast cancer shaped his early exposure to charity endurance events, then progressing from 5Ks to the Chicago Marathon, where personal loss and an empty finish-line experience contributed to stepping away from running for years. After moving to Florida, Hector returns to sport through triathlon, teaching himself swimming via observation and YouTube, and completing a challenging first 70.3 at Clash Daytona while learning fueling and pacing through trial and error. He then enters the gravel scene, completes Unbound 50 on a modified cruiser, upgrades to a gravel bike, prepares for Unbound 200, later supports teammates at Unbound, and discusses future goals including returning to Unbound and possibly tackling Georgia’s Six Gap.

00:00 Last Minute Guest Intro

02:05 Meet Hector via Waterfall

03:07 Early Bikes and Family Roots

06:30 Moving to Michigan

09:14 College Crash and First 50

11:48 City Riding and Close Calls

14:11 Cancer and Charity Endurance

17:20 Chicago Marathon Heartbreak

19:37 Disney Marathon and Hiatus

22:25 Florida Reset and First Tri

26:52 Self Coached Training Approach

28:45 Clash Daytona Chaos

31:47 Cramp To Finish Line

33:08 Joining Waterfall Racing

33:49 Unbound Signup And DIY Bike

36:18 Racing The Unbound 50

38:57 Pikes Peak Climb Lessons

41:36 Training For Unbound 200

43:38 Crash And Concussion

47:30 Haines City 70.3 Recap

50:16 Six Gap Mountain Challenge

53:37 Future Plans And Wrap Up

Follow Hector: https://www.instagram.com/hector.hmx23?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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Laura, Maggie, and Holly reunite in person on Average Age Groupers, first joking about Maggie’s nonstop travel and their strong opinions on socks, then shifting to open-water swimming tips ahead of Ironman Wisconsin. They discuss why wetsuits can feel safer, how a wetsuit should fit (tight, worked up around shoulders), sleeved vs sleeveless options, buoyancy shorts, caring for gear, and using Body Glide or TriSlide to prevent chafing and help with donning. They share sighting strategies like “crocodile eyes,” handling chop, drafting, avoiding traffic when stopping, staying wide for space, and using swim buoys for visibility and flotation. They briefly cover Ironman Wisconsin’s two-loop swim and strong water support, note current-assisted swims like Oregon 70.3, and update that Aaron is out of Ironman Wisconsin after re-breaking his collarbone and seeking a deferral.

00:00 Reunited In Person

00:12 Maggie Travel Chaos

01:31 The Great Sock Debate

03:34 Podcast Intro Updates

04:49 Open Water Swim Basics

07:47 Wetsuit Safety And Fit

10:57 Sleeves Brands And Care

14:51 Buoyancy Shorts Option

15:38 Sighting Like A Crocodile

19:50 Race Navigation And Drafting

24:24 Swim Buoys And Visibility

25:32 Chafing Lube And Comfort

29:28 Fear Creatures And Confidence

32:04 Swim Fears and Motivation

33:16 Ironman Wisconsin Swim Breakdown

36:57 Ocean and Choppy Swim Tips

40:22 Current Assisted Swim Hype

42:20 Oregon 70.3 Beginner Friendly

44:39 Aaron Injury Wisconsin Update

47:06 Spectating Plans and Games

50:16 Chequamegon MTB Prep Talk

54:03 Guests Team Updates and Wrap

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/

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