Unstoppable With Shangrila Rendon

I used to kick a lot but I was just getting exhausted.

Then I was told: “Don’t kick. Save your legs.”

So I stopped kicking… and my legs still sank.

I also heard:

- “Kick like you're kicking a soccer ball”
- “Save your legs for the bike & run”
- “Kick from your glutes” (but no one told me how)

I followed it all. Still slow and my legs continued to sink like a rock.

Next came the gear:

- “Just use a pull buoy.”
- “Get buoyant pants.”
- “You’ll wear a wetsuit on race day anyway.”

So I did. For a while, I survived & finished swims, covered the distance.

But eventually… finishing wasn’t enough.

I wanted to get faster. Stronger and be confident in the water.

And I plateaued.

That’s when I realized that my kick was holding me back.

It’s insane. A never-ending loop so many triathletes get stuck in.

If you’ve heard the same advice and still feel stuck, this episode is for you.

Wondering if it’s possible to train for a Half Ironman (70.3) with a busy schedule, minimal experience, and limited time?

In this episode, we break down how Tito, a busy dad and business owner in his 40s, went from completing a few sprint triathlons to finishing Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico in under 6 hours in just 13 weeks.

He had:
- A full-time job + ran a business
- Zero experience beyond sprint triathlons
- Piriformis pain and low swim/bike confidence
- Travel obligations including his daughter's wedding
- The flu just days before race day

Yet he crossed the finish line strong, injury-free and smiling. This episode walks you through exactly how he did it, using a smart, structured method designed for real-life schedules and real athletes like you.

Whether you're training for your first 70.3, feeling overwhelmed by time constraints, or stuck thinking "I'll just try to finish"... this is for YOU.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 
- Training for a 70.3 with limited time
- What to prioritize when juggling work, life, and training
- Going from Sprint to Half Ironman safely
- Avoiding injury and burnout as a busy triathlete
- Training smarter and gaining race-day confidence
- Real-life tips on pacing, nutrition, and transitions

Listen if you’re a beginner or age-group triathlete who wants a faster 70.3 race time while avoiding common beginner mistakes.

Don’t wing your race. Follow what works.

Ambitious athletes rarely back off training, stop chasing big goals or hard things because life gets busy. 

If anything, that’s usually the hardest thing for them to do. It’s simply not in their DNA.

The problem is this: 
Many keep pushing long after the body has started waving red flags. 

Their mind still believes & ambition is still there.
But the body starts saying “no.”

- “I used to be a strong runner. Even an ultra runner.”
- “Now I can’t even run consistently.”
- “I love swimming but my shoulder hurts.”
- “My hamstring keeps tightening up.”
- “I’m exhausted all the time.”

This is where many go-getter parents get stuck.

Trying to fit triathlon into an already overloaded life by stacking more intensity onto an already stressed body.

More mileage & workouts.  More "catch-up" training. And honestly, getting the work done isn’t the problem. 

The real challenge is learning how to keep progressing without constantly breaking the body down in the process.

Because the goal isn’t to train less. The goal is to train intentionally.
- To recover & move better. 
- To swim faster.
- Run stronger
- Bike w/ confidence. 
- And make training fit real life without ending up constantly injured or exhausted.

Inside this episode, we’ll break down:
- How busy parents train for a sub-3 Olympic triathlon without constantly getting injured
- Why many adults plateau in swimming, running, and endurance despite training hard
- How to maximize limited training time without burning out
- The biggest mistakes ambitious athletes make balancing work, family, and triathlon

Using Christine's story as an example:
Christine is a mom of 2 from Australia, who wanted to break 3 hours in her FIRST Olympic triathlon while juggling being a mom of 2, work, a body that kept flaring up, camping, Japan travel, soccer ... all in less than 3 months.

Back in January, running was painful.

Heel pain.
Hamstring tightness.
Knee pain.
Fatigue.

The kind of stop-start training block that makes athletes question everything.

Christine even said:
“My brain can't keep up with everything that's going on, I'm juggling too many balls right now.”

Instead of forcing harder training, we simplified and became more strategic.
- CSS swim pace: 2:03 → 1:43/100yd
- Open-water endurance: 1000m → 2550m nonstop 
- Running rebuilt gradually instead of constantly breaking down

Then race day came.
- 2:53:37
- Sub-3 in a FIRST Olympic triathlon

And she achieved this while balancing motherhood, work, travel, soccer, camping, and still learning triathlon - all within 3 months through remote coaching.

This episode isn’t just about Christine. 
It’s about learning how to pursue big goals without destroying the body in the process.

Let’s be honest, you're disciplined and you're showing up.
But your knee still hurts.

You’ve done strength training, maybe even physical therapy.
Yet the pain keeps coming back.

And you’re starting to wonder...
“Is this just how it is for athletes in their 40s, 50s, 60s?”
- It’s not your age.
- It’s not just overuse.
- It’s not just your genetics.
- It’s not just that you have a "bad knee"

Let’s stop using those as reasons. Because when we do that, we give up control. And when you give up control, you stop looking for the fix.

But the fix exists. And it starts with finally understanding the real cause and shifting from reactive to proactive training.

It’s a system problem. 

Inside this epsiode, you’ll learn:
- The 10-part whole system that finally helped me and my athletes run and ride pain-free
- The real root causes behind stubborn knee pain (it’s not where you think)
- The 3 most common mistakes triathletes make when trying to “fix” knee pain
- And what to do today to start feeling better even if you’ve worn a brace for years

Get clarity, strategy, and simple wins you can use right away.

If you want free access to the Knee Fix Scorecard, type #KneeFixScorecard in the comments

“I can run. I can bike. But I can’t swim.”
If that sounds like you, you’re not alone, especially if you’re in your 40s or 50s and dreaming of your first triathlon.

In this episode, you’ll see how runners and cyclists in their 40s and 50s learned to swim in just one month, even after years of fear, delay, or past drowning experiences and finally swam in open water with confidence.

Many athletes say:
💬 "I want to be a triathlete but I can't swim."
💬 “I’ll start swimming when I have more time."
💬 "I had drowning experience in the past. I'm not sure."
💬 “I’m too old to learn now.”
💬 “I don’t want to embarrass myself in the pool.”
💬 “I’m already busy with work, kids, and running. I can’t add more.”

This episode shows why those beliefs don’t have to stop you.

You’ll hear real stories from athletes like:

- Ofel, who went from barely swimming 10 yards to swimming 1,000+ yards nonstop and completing her first open water swim

- Badette, who had a past drowning experience and now swims confidently in open water and actually enjoys it

They didn’t quit running.
They didn’t need in-person coaching.
They didn’t wait until life slowed down.

What they had:
✔️ Clear guidance
✔️ Personalized technique corrections
✔️ Ongoing support that fit busy lives

Whether you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, you can learn to swim.
You don’t need to be ready. You just need to be willing.

As Badette said:
“Try not because you’re ready, but because you’re willing.”

And from Ofel:
“Five weeks ago, I couldn’t swim more than 10 yards. Now I just swam 1,000.”

Sometimes your 50s become less about slowing down and more about finally chasing the goals you kept putting off.

More adventure and challenge. New experiences. More desire to find out what you can still do.

But life also gets busier.

Work expands, kids grow up. The body starts talking more.

You still want the goal. You just don’t want to break yourself getting there.

A lot athletes in this period of life can already be swimming, cycling and running. But they still wonder:
- How do I actually train for triathlon?
- How do I improve without getting hurt?
- How do I fit this around work and life?
- How do I know if I’m doing enough… or too much?

Matt is a business owner in his late 50s and had been thinking about Ironman for decades. When he started, he faced challenges many athletes know well:
- Couldn’t really swim properly
- Didn’t know how to train for triathlon
- Shoulder, back, and foot issues
-Questions about whether his body could keep up

His words:
“I’ve let all the excuses keep me from doing it. Time to Take Action!”

What helped wasn’t simply doing more training. It’s learning how to train in a way your body can recover, adapt, and keep improving.

In this episode we’ll talk about:
- What actually helped Matt finish his 2nd 70.3 strong despite setbacks
- How busy athletes train for a 70.3 without training taking over life
- Why pacing, recovery, and execution matter more than doing more

Using Matt’s story as an example:
- Went from putting Ironman off for decades to finally starting
- From random training to structured training with purpose
- From recurring setbacks to finishing his 2nd 70.3 in 5:31 and running strong off the bike

This isn’t just about Matt. It’s for the athlete wondering:
- “What’s next for me?”
- “Can I still do something big?”
- “How do I do it without breaking myself?”

If you’ve been running for years, this thought may sound familiar:

“I feel like there’s something more in me… I just haven’t really tried to find it yet."

You want to see what you’re capable of but at the same time, you’re cautious.

Because now, every push comes with a question mark.
- Will this flare up my knee?
- Why do my hamstrings tighten late in the run?
- Am I actually training right… or just doing the workout?

This episode is not only about PRs or podiums. Most experienced athletes want that, of course. But what we’re focusing on here is something more important:
How experienced runners and triathletes in their 50s can improve their running without getting hurt.

We’ll break down how to:
- stop “just working out” and start training with intention
- use strength, technique, recovery, and structure as tools, not add-ons or burden 
- build confidence in pushing again, without guessing or fear

We’ll use Elayne's true experience to teach the principles and strategy breakdown.

If you’re fit, experienced, and know there’s still more in you but you want to stay healthy, strong, and progressing for years to come 

Learn how to run stronger for where you are now, not where you were years ago.

A friend once told me, “You’re lifting your head, sinking your legs, and yikes… you’re zigzagging in open water.

With your speed right now, you’re going to be in trouble meeting the cutoff time.”

Then he added, “Just do drills.”

That stuck with me. So I did.

When I eventually decided to get a coach, more drills showed up in my plan. Side kicking, catch drills, breathing drills.. and more.

I couldn’t really avoid the drills, so I did them.

Determined. I’ll do whatever it takes to become a better swimmer.

The truth is, at that time I had no idea why those drills were there, what problem they were supposed to solve, or even if I was doing them correctly. I just followed the plan because I was committed and willing to work hard.

But despite all that effort, my pace didn’t really change. Swimming still felt hard. I was still slow. And I definitely didn’t feel confident in the water, especially on race day. 

Fast forward, after coaching thousand of swimmers and triathletes remotely and in-person, I realized how common that experience is.

I hear the same thing over and over again:
Athletes doing the drills. Putting in the time. But feeling like nothing is really changing.

They’re still stuck. And eventually they ask the same question I once asked:

“Are these drills even helping me… or are they making me more stuck?”

Not because they aren’t working hard. But because something important is missing from how most athletes approach drills.

And when that piece is missing, it can feel like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do in the pool… yet progress stays frustratingly slow.

In today's episode, I’m breaking down:
☑️  why drills sometimes stop working
☑️  why triathletes repeat the same problems for months
☑️  how to recognize when it’s time to change focus

If you’ve ever felt like you’re putting in the effort but still not seeing the progress you expected in the water, this will make a lot of things click.

70.3 Reality Check: Are You Really Ready for Race Day?

Doing a 70.3 this year? Don’t get blindsided like I did.

Finishing the distances ≠ being race-day ready.

In this episode I'm walking you through the 70.3 Readiness Reality Check so you don’t make the same mistakes I did:

- Why even fit athletes STILL fall apart on race day
- What most training plans and coaches don’t teach you
- How to score yourself with OUR 70.3 Readiness Reality Check and find your real gaps

📝 70.3 Readiness Scorecard link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-CEslWUgRWUkaBU9HOPHfzOmgvR1vTfohFV34-8kdAs/edit?tab=t.0 

From Runner To Triathlete: Why Swimming Feels So Hard & How To Fix It

If swimming feels harder than running, it’s not you. It’s how you’re training.

Most runners bring this into the water:

• push harder
• go longer / do more
• fight through it

And that’s exactly why they end up here:
“After 150 or 200 meters I feel like the CO₂ is building up…”

They're out of breath, gasping and have no control.

Even if they can swim 1000 meters or more in the pool… on race day, everything falls apart. And they're left wondering:

“I thought I was ready. Where did all that training go?”

What most athletes don’t realize is this:

📍 Swimming doesn’t reward effort or just show up the way running does.
It backfires.

Together with Coach Vineta and Valerie, in this epsiode, I’ll break down:

• Why swimming feels so hard, especially coming from a running background
• Why doing more yards isn’t fixing it
• What’s causing that “out of breath” feeling and how to fix it so you can finally feel in control in the water

Using Valerie’s story as an example:
After a year of swimming and being able to do ~1000 meters nonstop… she still felt like she was “gasping” after 150–200 meters. As soon as she took action and dialed in the way she trains, she was able to swim non-stop 1500 meters continuously feeling “relaxed and strong.” Her confidence went up. Swimming started to feel easier and she got faster.

But this episode is not just about Valerie. It’s about understanding why you can do the distance but still feel out of control.

If that’s you, this episode is for you.