New IRONMAN CEO Signals a Shift to Lifestyle in a Push for Profits

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Good morning everyone,

I just wanted to say thank you for engaging with our newsletter week in and week out. We’ve had a lot of great feedback recently and I feel like I’ve learned a lot from your individual contributions. It’s a very interesting time in the sport, and I love following all the action with you!

In today’s edition:

• 💸 IRONMAN signals a shift to lifestyle in a push for profits.

• 🚲 Could shorter cranks level up your training and racing?

• 👟 And how to find your perfect pair of shoes!

Thanks for being here.

-Matt Sharpe, newsletter editor

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ONE BIG THING

New IRONMAN CEO Signals a Shift to Lifestyle in a Push for Profits

What is it: In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, new IRONMAN CEO Scott Derue signaled that the endurance behemoth will be looking to develop itself into a lifestyle brand to further growth and supercharge revenue.

A deeper relationship: After ten months of listening and learning, Derue says he now understands just how engaged and passionate the triathlon community truly is. And while his primary goal is to better serve the athletes that compete at his races, he believes the organization’s reach can be much wider.

• He also explained that the corporation will be putting more energy into putting the athlete at the center at everything they do, which means being involved in as many touch points as possible other than just race day and race weekend.

• This has already been on display with enhanced partner activations like the Hoka “shakeout run” and Roka “pre-race swim.”

• And IRONMAN’s development of it’s “My IRONMAN” digital dashboard looks to keep athletes engaged for the duration of their training and racing journey.

Lifestyle positioning: Derue cited the succesful partnership between IRONMAN and luxury Swiss watchmaker Brietling which has helped “elevate the IRONMAN brand to a new level.” And although IRONMAN also has a partnership with watchmaker Timex, the timepieces from Breitling, which retail for $4000, cost about 40x more.

• Breitling aside, Derue also mentioned that although he is happy with the brands that currently work IRONMAN, he is always looking for new opportunities and verticals.

• This may include future investments in fashion, not just performance wear.

Equinox experience: Derue also brought up his previous employer, Equinox, who have done a great job elevating their brand beyond the gym and created a luxury experience with a sense of community and connection reminiscent of IRONMAN.

• This could lead to IRONMAN collaborations with other luxury brands, and even a branded hotel.

Tempo’s take: This article provided a clear view into what the Derue era will look like for IRONMAN, and the future looks a lot more like Whole Foods, and a lot less like Walmart.

Derue looks to be copying the playbook of his former employer, Equinox, by trying to move up the value chain with a focus on hospitality and partnerships with high end brands. He isn’t alone, as many companies are positioning themselves in this way as the post-Covid economy looks to be a tale of two consumers. 

What could this look like in five years? Besides higher entry fees, there will most likely be different streams of race experiences athletes can opt into, including VIP pre-race experiences, extra aid stations for “preferred athletes,” and of course, no line guaranteed porta-potties™️. Similar to the pricey but amenity oriented IRONMAN XC program, but with a slightly lighter touch.

• It will take some time to see how this all shakes out, but there is no doubt IRONMAN is pushing into lifestyle, which could pull even harder on your wallet.

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FAVORITES

🚲 Your new crank? Shorter bicycle cranks are coming into style in the professional world, led by Tour de France-winning cyclist Tadej Pogacar. The benefits of shorter cranks include less risk of injury and a more aerodynamic position. But are they right for you? Find out here. [Dylan Johnson/YouTube]

😴 Take back your sleep: Yes, science shows that screen time before bed can negatively impact our sleep. For example blue light can suppress crucial melatonin production. So should we just give up using screens after 6PM? Definitely not. Find out how to manage night screen time here. [Calm]

👟 Find your perfect shoes: When you find that perfect pair of running shoes it can take your performance, and enjoyment of the sport to new heights. But what does it take to find that perfect pair of shoes? This guide has the answer. [Life Hacker]

⭐ Off-season success: Looking for an innovative off-season triathlon program that will help you recharge, get stronger, and accelerate your performance with game-changing video coaching? Celebrate Black Friday all month long with 50% off your first month of Purple Patch Tri Squad training.*

🤔 Jornet’s journey: Killian Jornet is one of the most accomplished trail runners in history. So after all that success does he have his sights set on becoming a new king of triathlon? Lol, probably not. But this article speculates how he could do - which is actually quite well! [Triathlete]

*Paid partnership

TRAINING THOUGHT

Five Offseason Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Justin Metzler is a professional triathlete with five wins and 20 podium finishes. He has a degree in human physiology, has been coaching for over ten years. If you’re aiming to take your racing and training to the next level schedule a free 30’ consultation with Justin here.

Many of us are ticking off our final races for 2024 and minds are starting to shift into “off-season” mode. Through my 11 years as a PRO, I’ve had years where I’ve done the offseason super right and others where I’ve gotten it all wrong. Here are 5 DONT’S as you head into winter…

1.) Don’t avoid intensity

I mentioned this in last week’s DO’s category about periodization, but don’t get fooled by thinking off season is just about logging miles. I like to do a series of lactate or threshold tests throughout the off season to ensure my athletes are making progress. Usually every 6-8 weeks is a good time to do it if you’ve got many months until the next race.

• If your threshold isn’t improving, then you probably aren’t doing the right training. And in most cases, especially the deeper you get into the off season, the more it will take from an intensity perspective to move the needle.

2.) Don’t stress about your body composition

It’s very natural that after the final race of the season, many athletes will gain a few lbs (especially if you take a few weeks off/ lower training volume). It’s important to not freak out if that does happen to you. It’s very natural and even valuable in my opinion.

• It’s not realistic to be at race weight all year long so having a bit of fluctuation will only be valuable.

• Just like losing fitness is OK, you need a destination to work towards and having a few extra pounds onboard heading into the winter allows for that.

3.) Don’t ramp up your volume too quickly

It’s very easy to get excited after the off season break. You’ve maybe just signed up for your next goal and are chomping at the bit to get into it. Often times this is where an injury can occur or almost worse, you mistime your fitness such that you’re flying in January and burned out by June. To avoid that, progress through your training cycles slowly and progressively- especially in the first few weeks!

4.) Don’t skip your easy/ rest day

Through the off season it can seem like the training is a bit more absorbable. You often have better control of the climate, you don’t have much chronic fatigue and in theory you aren’t doing a ton of race specific secessions or simulations that will leave you exhausted.

Many athletes will want to skip their rest days or recovery days because they feel “too good”. I’d urge you to still incorporate 1-2 rest or recovery days each week. Adaptation happens when we rest, not when we train, so having these lighter days allows you to be consistent over the long term which is the name of the game!

5.) Don’t be too locked in

Use this time to do the stuff you didn’t do in the summer. If that means staying up a little later, going out to dinner, going on that hike, drinking the pumpkin spice latte or f’ing off on training all together for some quality family time - now is the best time to do that!

• One missed session in January does not mean anything but missing a long run or a long ride in the build up to an Ironman can mean a lot, so if you’re going to take a miss, have it be now!

REEL TIME

What do you do if you lose your seat in Formula One for next season? Cry? Nope. If you’re Valterri Bottas, you do a full distance Ironman at home! 🤯👏

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YOU SAID

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