AGFL Triathlon Episode 126: Elite Amateur Triathlete, Donald Brooks

In this episode, Colin interviews the amazing Donald Brooks. Donald won his age group at the World Championship in Kona by over 20 minutes, with an impressive time of 8:58:51. His training emphasizes consistency, balancing family life, and adapting workouts around commitments. Enjoy the latest podcast as they discuss Donald’s athletic background, keys to his successes, training approach, nutrition strategies, and upcoming races. Thanks for joining the Age Grouper for Life Podcast, Donald! --- Show notes: Donald's Athletic Background • Started triathlon in 2014 after background in underwater hockey and masters swimming Underwater hockey provided strong cardiovascular base and hypoxic training benefits Transitioned to triathlon, quickly entering an Ironman-distance race (too soon, in retrospect) Recent Race Successes • Won 4 world championships in 4 weeks in 2023: o 70.3 Worlds in Finland (age group win) o Ironman Worlds in Nice (age group win by 17 seconds) o World Triathlon Championships in Spain (super sprint and standard distance wins) o Kona 2023: Age group win with 8:58:51 (52min swim, 4:36 bike, 3:00 run) • Key to success: proper fueling (94g carbs/hour at Kona), heat acclimatization, and strategic race execution Training Approach • Swim: 4x/week (3 morning sessions, 1 evening speed work) o Heavy use of paddles to build upper body strength • Bike: 6 days/week, mix of outdoor rides and indoor trainer o Tuesday night "chain gang" group ride for high intensity o Long rides on TT bike closer to race • Run: 3x/week, mostly steady-state (5:00/km pace) o Parkrun on Saturdays for speed work • Minimal strength training, some single-leg squats for stability Race Nutrition Strategy • Focused on increasing carb intake: 94g/hour at Kona vs. 43g/hour at Nice o Proper hydration crucial for absorbing nutrition during the race • Heat Acclimation o Used heat chamber at local university for 10 days before Nice o Improved sweat rate and ability to maintain effort in heat Balancing Training and Life • Works as director of an electrical company • Married with two children (ages 12 and 9) • Adapts training schedule around family commitments Next Steps • Focus on 2024 race season: • 70.3 World Championships in Taupō, New Zealand (declined) • Ironman World Championship in Nice, France • 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain