Unstoppable With Shangrila Rendon

Most runners and triathletes think pain means “stop” or “just rest.”

But what if that’s not the real fix?

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ronnie, who juggled two jobs and struggled with chronic knee pain, made an incredible comeback. Just 3 months after feeling stuck, he finished 2 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and a 28-mile birthday run… pain-free.

This is for runners, triathletes, be...

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.

Nex...

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 an...

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...

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...

“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 sa...

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 swimmi...

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 righ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

3 Key Strategies from a Busy Single Mom Who Trained for Her 1st Olympic & Full Marathon, in Just 7 Weeks

Most athletes know the feeling. Balancing training with real life, wondering if the big goal is just too far out of reach.

Kristen, a single mom with two kids and a full-time job, had her eye on finishing her first full marathon this year and was already planning to race a 70.3 next year.

When she told me her 70.3 goal, I sa...

Why You're Not Getting Faster Even with More Pool Time | Swim Technique Mistakes

“Why am I not getting faster even though I’m swimming more?”

If you’ve been showing up, putting in the laps, but your swim pace hasn’t improved—this episode is for you.

Coach Shangrila breaks down the 3 most common technique mistakes adult swimmers make that keep them slow no matter how much they train.

✅ Learn how t...

Finish Your 1st IM 70.3 from Zero in 5 Months with your Spouse, and Stay Injury Free.

Ever wondered if it’s really possible to train for a Half Ironman while parenting, working full-time, and starting from zero?

Christine couldn’t swim 50 meters without shoulder pain. Dre, her husband also had no triathlon background and had to travel a lot for his job.

Neither had finished a single triathlon before. Not even a sprint.

...

“My knee kept swelling even after resting it for weeks.”

Hil is in his late 50s. After 3 years of limited activity from a spinal injury, he was excited to start running again.

But every time he ramped up, his knee swelled. Rest didn’t help. Starting slow didn’t work either.

Most runners in his shoes would’ve walked away for good but Hil didn’t.

Instead, he used the Smart Training Method, a system...

“For 38 years this goal haunted Teddi.”

Not the bike. Not the run. The SWIM. 😟

She wanted to complete a triathlon for decades, but one lap left her exhausted. During our first conversation, she admitted: 

🗨 “I’ve been too afraid to swim and honestly didn’t think I could do this.”

That’s where many adult athletes get stuck. They’re disciplined, active, and mentally tough in ever...

Are Your Drills Helping or Hurting Your Freestyle?

Ever do a swim drill and think, “That felt worse”?

You’re doing the work but your swim pace isn’t improving.

It’s not because you’re not trying hard enough. You’re just not fixing your stroke the right way.

What if the drill that’s supposed to help is actually locking in bad habits? What if you’ve been working hard on the wrong ...

You’re confident on the bike. Crushing the run. You may even have already climbed the world’s highest peaks. Your lungs are strong. Your endurance is solid...

😣 BUT you can’t swim 50 yards without stopping.

Legs sink. Confidence drops. Panic sets in and race day keeps getting closer.

That was Aamar just 6 weeks before Ironman Lake Placid.

Despite being a Boston Marathoner and mountaineer, he said: “In the p...

"When should I actually start training for my 70.3?"

If that question’s been circling in your head, it’s because you know winging it won’t cut it.

Right now, a lot of athletes are:

-- Trying to get momentum after the holidays -- Managing training on top of an already packed calendar -- Debating whether to wait for better weather... or freak out because it’s January. And they know time moves fast

Here’s...