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

Listen to the Pod here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/average-age-groupers/id1889949099

https://open.spotify.com/show/2LJ6G7l1oIRZUIa3lo7NFp

https://www.pandora.com/podcast/average-age-groupers/PC:1001121141

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAw

https://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/

https://averageagegroupers.substack.com/