Simply Triathlon with Dina & Chris
Welcome to the Simply Triathlon Podcast and thanks so much for listening!
We're Dina & Chris, a couple of age group triathletes, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts. Our goal is to share our knowledge and experience in triathlon, nutrition, epic races, lessons learned, fun stuff, hard stuff, bizarre stuff, and more!
Dina Grimaldi is a triathlon coach, nutrition coach, and personal trainer who followed her dad's footsteps in picking up triathlon. She quickly found out that it's not all that cool to be the first person out of the water, because it just means everybody and their mother is going to pass you on the bike.
Chris Kopcha is a triathlon coach, nutrition coach, personal trainer, and yoga teacher who kind of stumbled into the world of fitness after deciding to change careers after spending 10 years as a teacher. Coming into the sport of triathlon as a runner, she found it's been a great lesson in patience at the pool so as not to have to make up so much time on the bike and run.
Enjoy!!
**We do drop the occasional expletive; be aware if sensitive or listening around kids!**
Episodes
69 episodes
Ironman 70.3 Jones Beach Race-Specific Advice, and How to Efficiently Tackle Hills on the Bike
In this episode, we chat about the upcoming Ironman 70.3 Jones Beach including some race- and course-specific tips for any athletes who might be racing (including Chris!)We also touch on the Ironman World Champs in Nice for the men that ...
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Episode 69
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39:49
Myths for New or Aspiring Runners - Debunked!
In this episode, we bust some myths for new or aspiring runners that may be preventing folks from trying the sport.Myths include:-Needing to run a certain pace, or run without walking-Needing to have a goal to run a maratho...
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Episode 68
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51:40
Guest Lydia Walter Recaps Her Amazing Performance at Ultraman Canada!
Today, Lydia Walter (@lyd_adventures) joins us on the podcast!This past July, Lydia raced Ultraman Canada - a three-day event consisting of a 6.2-mile swim and a 90-mile bike on day 1, a 171.4-mile bike on day 2, and a 52.4-mile run on d...
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Episode 67
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46:35
Spectating the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race at 10,000 Feet!
Dina spent the weekend in Leadville, Colorado, crewing for her friend Cristin who was running the Leadville 100 Trail Race!Dina recaps the race, Cristin's amazing efforts despite not making the time cutoff around mile 70, what it feels l...
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Episode 66
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51:05
Controlling Our Controllables, Training for Over a Year Without a Race in Sight, and Consistency for Success
USA Triathlon Sprint Nationals was cancelled the morning of the race - another casualty this year due to weather. We chat again about controlling our controllables, moving forward, and how the finish line of a race isn't necessarily...
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Episode 65
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46:13
Ironman Lake Placid 2025 Recap!
In this episode, we recap Chris's Ironman Lake Placid experience! (Spoiler alert - it was wet.)It was ALMOST a non-wetsuit swim, the weather was fantastic every day EXCEPT race day, but Chris had a solid race! Plus, there was even some d...
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Episode 64
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52:29
Tips for Running in the Heat, Big Ironman Qualification Changes, and More!
In this episode, we catch up a bit after Dina has been on vacation!-Cedar Lake and Lake T tris have been happening-Summer is in full swing, and we give some tips on how to run safely in the heat-Chris prepares for Ironman L...
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Episode 63
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52:54
Could You Be *UNintentionally* Underfueling for Your Training?
In this episode, we chat about a few different things based on recent news we’ve heard in the athetic world.First, we talk about the new Boston Marathon rules regarding adjusted qualifying times for net downhill races - meaning, athletes...
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Episode 62
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42:19
Race Recap: Ironman "69.1" Western Massachusetts
In this episode, Chris gives a recap of her recent 70.3, which - guess what - had a cancelled swim. She also gives a quick recap of her training camp in Lake Placid with the Women On Wheels group.We also chat about the Escape from Alcatr...
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Episode 61
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43:34
What Do We Do When Weather Messes up Our Race? Is It Okay to Cut Workouts Short?
Weather happens!We talk about the very real possibility (and recent common occurrence) of races being altered due to weather, such as the swim being cancelled. What kinds of mental tools can we use to navigate this, even though it's obvi...
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Episode 60
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31:45
Transition Madness: Ridiculous Things We’ve Seen in the Race Transition Area
In this episode, we chat about some of the funniest and ridiculous things we've seen in the transition portions of triathlons.We also touch on the upcoming attempt by Faith Kipyegon to break the 4-minute mile barrier, and what this is me...
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Episode 59
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32:37
Ironman World Champs Has a New format...again...and It’s a Step Backwards for Women?!
In this episode, we discuss Ironman's recent announcement changing their world championship format yet again, returning to a one-day format in Kona. We give our thoughts and talk about how we both believe this is a step back in terms of progres...
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Episode 58
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43:08
Three Different Coaches for Swim, Bike, and Run?!
In this episode, we talk about how some professional triathletes are hiring different coaches for different disciplines (a separate swim coach, bike coach, and run coach). What do we think about this, especially after chatting the other week ab...
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Episode 57
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46:24
Are Blood Sugar Spikes Bad? Should We Athletes Worry About How Much Sugar We’re Eating? And More!
In this episode, we talk about blood sugar.As athletes (or even just humans), should we be worried about blood sugar? We typically consume a decent amount of sugar before, during, and after training; does that mean we need to be cognizan...
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Episode 56
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45:46
Taper, the Bare Minimum of Training, and Triathlon as One Sport and Not Three
In this episode, we talk about all things taper.What is it? Why do we do it? What are the drawbacks to NOT tapering? What are some to-dos and NOT to-dos during race week?We also talk about a conversation Chris had with an athlete ...
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Episode 55
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52:21
Nutrition Q&A - Perpetual Bloating, How Food Makes Us Feel, and the Art of Moderation
In this episode, we answer a couple nutrition questions.First, we chat about possible reasons why an athlete feels bloated all of the time, and the role of fiber in our meals (and how Dina learned that, whilst an entire pound of Brussels...
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Episode 54
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46:02
Should Athletes Take Ice Baths? What About Creatine? Mastering the Basics vs Extra Tools and Products
In this episode, we have a discussion based on a question regarding tools like ice baths, supplements, and cryotherapy, and if these could help athletes with recovery.We talk about how these tools are "extras," and how, while they COULD ...
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Episode 53
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40:34
Our Favorite Pro Women Athletes to Follow, a Perfect Training Weekend, and New Triathlon Rules
Today, we answer a couple of listener questions:Who are your favorite pro women triathletes/athletes to follow?What does a perfect weekend of training look like?We also chat about some new rules in the triathlon world, and ...
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Episode 52
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53:49
How to Avoid Overtraining and Getting Stuck in a Rut, and Triathlon for the Long Game
In this episode, we address a question about how to avoid overtraining and getting stuck in a rut. We discuss how to recognize possible overtraining, how to address it, and steps to take to prevent it from happening in the future.We also...
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Episode 51
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54:47
How to Increase Your FTP, Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains, and Why Food Doesn’t “Cancel Out” Exercise
**Chris decided to record this episode inside of an echo chamber. We apologize.**In this episode, we discuss all things FTP.What is FTP - Functional Threshold Power - on the bike? How can it be useful for us? How do we increase it...
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Episode 50
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47:31
The Problem With Waiting Until Life Gets Less Busy to Start Training
As coaches, we hear this all the time: "When things calm down a bit, I'll be able to train more." "When life is less crazy, I can focus more on nutrition."The problem with this strategy is that life usually never ...
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Episode 49
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49:24
How to Engage Your Core (And What Does That Even Mean?)
In this episode, we talk about the part of the body commonly known as the core.What is the core? What does it mean when coaches or trainers tell you to "engage your core"? What are some tips to do so? How can we use this specifically to...
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Episode 48
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32:07
Is Your Weekly Training Schedule Set In Stone? Is Fueling With Sugar Bad? How on Earth Do You Kick Without Fins?
In this episode, we talk about whether or not training plans are set in stone. If the weather is awful, can we flip days around, or do we need to keep certain sessions on certain days? How can athletes best modify if a coach isn't immediately a...
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Episode 47
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44:08
New Year Challenges & Accomplishments, and How to Fuel for an Evening Workout
Welcome to 2025 and thank you to everyone who has been with us for the past year and a half!We start this episode by giving a quick recap on goal setting. We then talk about Dina's New Year swim challenge and Chris's recent accomplishme...
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Episode 46
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47:46