In this episode, we have the privilege of interviewing Top Gunz Tri Team athlete, Matt Nussbaum. Matt is a mechanical engineer who began triathlon in 2015, currently in the M30-34 age group. Enjoy the latest podcast as we discuss how he became a standout triathlon swimmer (with no competitive swim background), upcoming races, key training philosophies, and much more! Thanks for joining us Matt and have a great season of racing!
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Show Notes:
Matt's swimming background and technique @ 0:00
Matt developed an innate comfort in water from childhood play rather than formal lessons, allowing him to rapidly improve technique and surpass peers. Though lacking swim team experience, his natural abilities and dedication to drills enabled setting age group records in his first Ironman.
Matt's racing goals and schedule for 2022 @ 18:02
Matt aims to podium at Patriot Half, better his time at Lake Placid Ironman, and compete at Ironman 70.3 New York. He targets internal goals over age group wins but retains competitive spirit from engineering background.
Comparing Matt and Colin's race performances @ 19:28
Matt and Colin often compete together, with Matt using his swim strength to gain early leads lost to Colin on the run due to running weaknesses. Matt finished his first Ironman in a blazing 9:32 but sees room for marathon improvement with experience.
Matt and Colin's coaching relationship and communication @ 24:02
Open communication of limitations and needs facilitates individualized programming. Matt's consistent feedback seeking and application of marginal gains helped overcome challenges to achieve All-American status under Colin's guidance planning.
Injury prevention strategies in Matt's training @ 30:40
Injury proneness led to lever use, mobility work, and strength training incorporation on Colin's advice. Dynamic drills, stretching, and workload reductions successfully maintained training continuity while preventing overuse issues hampering previous seasons.
Matt's training approach and workouts @ 40:40
Matt thrives on prolonged efforts near threshold in all disciplines, able to steadily produce for extended durations. He favors challenging high-volume swim intervals and uses entertainment to tolerate long indoor bike/run sessions. Testing guides progressive overload through monitoring consistent 107 100m pace.
Matt's strengths in long duration threshold efforts @ 45:11
Physiology favors sustained high workloads, shown in half-full Ironman parity. Two-hour treadmill runs and 6+ hour trainer rides evidence stamina. 200m tests underestimate potential as sprints don't leverage strengths in prolonged efforts where experience advantages emerge in races.