Triathlete Hour Podcast: There’s No Secret Sauce to Kat Matthews’ Success

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Welcome to the Triathlete Hour. We’ve got one last championship race in this condensed tri championship season: the 70.3 Worlds this weekend in St. George, Utah.

And so today Laura Siddall joins us first for a quick Worlds preview with our predictions—and why the women’s race is the way more competitive and exciting one this time around. Check out all the coverage on our site:

• Your Guide to the 70.3 World Championship Women Contenders
• Your Guide to the 70.3 World Championship Men Contenders
• The Pros’ Predictions for 70.3 Worlds

And then I chat with British up-and-comer Kat Matthews—who could surprise everyone this weekend in St George. Kat is a British Army captain and picked up triathlon back in 2015 with some colleagues and friends, realized as she says “she was quite good at this,” and slowly got more and more serious. In 2019, when she crossed the line second out of all the women at a big European 70.3 while still an age-grouper who trained part-time after work, she realized she could be really good. Kat moved up to the pro ranks and had a sub-9 hour ironman on debut, set the Ironman Florida course record last year, and then ran a 2:49 for second at Ironman Tulsa back in May.

She tells us how gradually progressing load has been her secret sauce, how there really are no secrets, and how it’s really all just a series of choices. Plus, we have an interesting discussion about how many athletes and commentators have remarked on her ability to run fast despite, in their words, “not being skinny.” What does that say about some weird ideas we all seem to have about body image?