I really miss the old podcasts

I turned off the latest podcast after listening for a while. I understand the product needs explanation but it’s such a dry topic.
I used to love the human aspect of the podcast; the smacktalk, the challenges, discussing possible reasons for listeners issues, disagreeing with each other etc.
It seems nowadays things are presented more as ‘just do what the system tells you’ which will undoubtedly be effective but lacks the playfulness of yesteryear.

41 Likes

All I will say is that I used to be able to binge listen to hours upon hours of the podcast. But I’m finding that even sitting through a full episode in one sitting now is difficult. Whether that’s me being busier in life or just over the beginner “honeymoon phase” with the podcast I don’t know. Things change. I still enjoy it.

22 Likes

I hope I don’t come off wrong here.
Unfortunately nothing will ever be how it used to be,everything changes at some point. I get that way with other podcasts, So I see what you’re saying. I feel I get to a point where I’m just overloaded with too much information or just tired of listening to it. It’s just a phase and lasts a month or so, then I’ll start listening again.Or just need something new to listen to.
I will give TrainerRoad some credit for bringing something to the table that has never been done before. So for me personally I look forward to hearing the new podcasts.

4 Likes

Sadly we can’t go back to the days when Nate would say ‘I’m going to do this’ and Chad would say ‘that’s a bad idea’ and Nate would say ‘well I’m going to do it anyway!’
Used to laugh my socks off sometimes.

35 Likes

Same for me. I like info and deep dives on sports science. Chad seems to have been more absent lately. All the filler talk drives me crazy. They might take a question that could be answered in 3 minutes but they’ll go on and on for 30 minutes with all the personal anecdotes. Maybe I used to enjoy all that when the podcast was new to me?

I know they time stamp the questions in the notes but I listen on Stitcher which makes it harder to constantly seek forward to a new question. I certainly can’t do it on a bike ride.

18 Likes

I have a unique use case in that I use the podcast to fall/stay asleep. Ha. It started years ago when I had a brain injury and couldn’t look at screens and had trouble sleeping. The combo of dulcet voices, lack of ads/intro/outro music and topics made it perfect and I could pick things up by osmosis. :slight_smile:

I did fall asleep to the new one last night, but not the same. By the time I got closer to waking up I found myself really enjoying the one that was playing - which was Chad, Nate, Pete, Jonathan pre-pandemic talking about non-alcoholic beers. It was great!

9 Likes

My wife loves me listening to the podcast on long drives for this same reason. She says that their voices are relaxing and put her right to sleep.

1 Like

Well there is no free lunch. They deliver an ad free podcast, but in return you have to listen to the occasional talk about the product, especially when there’s new features released, which inevitably leads to questions about the features.

Honestly, the majority of the content is pretty low on pushing their product. Same with this forum. The fact that they provide them for free and cover so much non-TR specific stuff is quite nice.

30 Likes

Up until the last couple of months I used to look forward to the podcast, but the two hours of personal anecdotes on how they race is just too much for me. Sadly now I look at the the title of the episode and either FF to certain topics or delete.

11 Likes

Perhaps it’s because people are sitting on Zoom instead of in the same room and there has only begun to be racing again.

I think the friendly banter will return in short order once the podcast room is used again.

With new CDC guidance I think that the TR crew can safety go back to podcasting together in person should they so choose with an easy to point to public health order that backs them up.

17 Likes

Yup, Zoom split and delays are spontaneity killers IMO. It leads to awkward moments more than funny ones with the inevitable overlap and stepping on toes, or people withhold more because they are trying to prevent those odd moments. And the lack of events for over a year lead to some retreading for sure.

So, the pending regrouping in person and actual events to discuss, along with the training and related prep should be returning in the near term.

24 Likes

Couple all that with some big life changes and a huge complicated product release and I’m ok cutting the team some slack.

23 Likes

Will they ever be in the same room again? Doesn’t Amber live on the east coast? And now Chad has moved out of state.

3 Likes

He did? Damn.

2 Likes

Someone just mentioned that he moved to Spokane. Fourth hand knowledge now so I’m not sure if this is permanent.

Having lived in Spokane (and enjoyed it a bit), I think I’d still rather live in Reno.

Ah, interesting, hadn’t heard.

Spokane is a pretty neat place to visit, but I would not want to live there.

2 Likes

Yes, some are now out of Reno (Chad & Amber, along with Ivy as always), so will continue to be remote for some members.

Just to add my two cents, I still look forward to each and every podcast, but there is a certain energy missing. I’m re-listening to the 40K TT episodes as I’m currently training for mine, and there was a special level of excitement. The Cape Epic challenge doesn’t seem to have that same magic.

At the same time, holy shit its been a shitty year for everyone. I think the crew is doing a great job navigating the pandemic and life stress.

19 Likes

I don’t think the OP or most of the posts are framed as complaints as much as observations about what works. Been listening for years and the podcast really has been a fantastic way to build a community and a closeness to a for-profit entity and its leaders. Hearing about the significant life situations brought all of this home. Rooting for TR as a business but also as people, as humans. Change is always hard, even when it is for good reasons with wonderful outcomes, and challenges as we age seem to be inevitable. Will continue to root for everyone.

And to @mcneese.chad - totally agree on your zoom point. Beyond living on them in my day job, this morning, listening to the pre-pandemic episode, I could tell from the timbre and rhythm that they were in the same room, - in fact I think at least Nate and Chad may have shared a beer. Sounds so foreign!

10 Likes

Yep, it wasn’t a dig, just missing that friends in a room, joking about, vibe. I loved it when Amber joined too as she fitted perfectly with the gang.
I was looking forward to the triathlon challenge as everyone would have been out of their depth, literally! Hopefully once covid has subsided and the novelty of AT has worn off, then we can go back to a bunch of people goofing around trying to figure out the best way forward.

8 Likes