Episode 52: How to Achieve a Breakthrough Performance with Mark McCabe

Mark McCabe wrote triathlon into his social calendar in 2020, stayed stuck at a 5:45 for four years, and then decided to find out what would happen if he actually gave the sport what it was asking for. Two and a half years of consistent work later — including a build block that got replaced by 23,000-step days in Italy, a Zoltar fortune machine in a casino, and instructions from his coach that scared his wife — he finished Ohio 70.3 in 4:11:50, jumped from the 62nd percentile to the top 8% of his age group, and posted a 21-minute PR. This is the conversation about what actually caused that. Chris and Mark go through the volume data, the carb-loading protocol, the race-week preparation, the emotional regulation that kept the run from unraveling, and the mindset shift that made doubles feel like a gift instead of a punishment. Along the way, Chris shares his own breakthrough race — Ironman Canada 2011 in 97-degree heat — and the decade of volume that preceded it. If you have been stuck at the same result for longer than you would like, this is the episode to listen to.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Fuelin app (nutrition planning): fuelin.app

Precision Hydration (sweat sodium testing and carb products): precisionhydration.com

QT2 Systems / Jesse Kropelnicki: qt2systems.com

Empirical Cycling / Kolie Moore (threshold testing): empiricalcycling.com

Mark McCabe on Strava: search Mark McCabe

Mark's videography company: Flip Turn Media Group (Indiana)

Campfire Endurance Bend Camp (limited spots remaining): (link in show notes)

1:1 Coaching with Chris: campfireendurance.com