Alright folks, you’ve asked for it – an AMA thread with the one and only Sam Long. Post questions, he’ll be along shortly to answer.
What races/adventures are on the schedule for the rest of the year?
Just how tall are you?
SAMBO!!!
You mentioned on your instagram post you learned a lot of lessons in this race. What were they?
Tell us more about the Kenny and Talbot bromance.
Did you have to go harder than planned on the bike to try closing the gap to the leading group out of the swim? I think in the video after St. George you said you did something like 7 minutes around 400 watts. With a larger gap out of the water than at St. George, what was the attack plan, and did possibly biking too hard hurt your run?
How do Elite triathletes describe how it feels to be on the limit while racing?
Will you ever race flat out in a half ironman three weeks before an ironman ever again? Looking back, good idea or bad idea?
What happened to your bike traveling to Galveston that caused you so much stress? Figured maybe us mortals could learn something from it when we travel.
Yo Yo Yo!
Thanks ST for having me on. I’m excited to answer everyone’s questions. I just put up a Youtube race recap which will likely answer some of the questions people have. Video link here: https://youtu.be/Mj47tP5-KI8
What adventures and races left for 2021: Race wise my big focus is Collins Cup, 70.3 Worlds (in St. G), and Kona. From here my team and I are reverse engineering to figure out if more racing will benefit me and playing around with a few adventures (ENVE Grodeo, Xterra Beaver Creek, running the 4-pass loop?). I always love a big summer solstice ride as well. This brings me to the question of racing flat out for a half 3 weeks before a full…
There isn’t much choice about doing it again. St. George is 3 weeks before Kona. That will be a even more draining double as the competition will be higher at both and there is more travel required. Plus the temperatures will be hotter at St. G meaning more stress on the body. Throw in Collins Cup before that and the task at hand is monumental with a trip over the Atlantic. I certainly wanted to test how it would go and there are some training things my coach and I will have to change in order to make it work. So the answer is yes, I will race flat out 3 weeks before a full and I will be doing it again this year. Gal setting will be important. Do I focus on St. G as the priority or Kona. One more comment: Doing this made me really respect the people such as Crowie who have been able to win both Kona and 70.3 Worlds in the same year!
The Big Unit is 6’4" but somehow I wear a medium shirt these days. That hurts my ego 
Talbot and Kenny’s Bromance is similar to Lionel and I’s Bromance. We are competitors and want to be the best in the bizz. K–Dog and I are the underdogs taking on the Goliaths. Plus we all share a vision of brining Tri into the limelight of mainstream sports.
How does it feel to be on the limit while racing? It’s hard and it’s painful. But the quote always holds true. The pain doesn’t ever get any less and it doesn’t get any easier, one just goes faster. (Usually the faster one goes, the more pain required).
Keep Em Coming
What did you eat for breakfast before the race and what was your nutrition plan the days leading up?
When racing 70.3 Worlds and Kona so close together, what’s your realistic expectation for each one? Winning both is probably unlikely. Does one have a higher priority for you than the other?
Can you beat Lange if you both have your best day?
Edit: Just watched the video. So you’re saying you got a pin hole leak from a pinch flat?
What (if anything) will you change about your training before your next race, now that you’re finished with IM Tulsa?
When will the video be out about you, Ben Hoffman and Heather Jacksons epic ride into Mexico?
What’s the post race analysis consist of between you and Ryan to try and figure out what went wrong training/race wise?
Also, any chance the irritation from people not taking pulls in your bike group affected your mental ability to push on the run?
Either way, best of luck and I’m enjoying following along.
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions from your fans!
Knowing your own weaknesses and strengths, do you feel you can improve enough in the swim to cut down the deficit to give yourself a fighting chance at Kona, or do you need significant time to fix/improve the swim?
Will you change the periodization plan?
Why would you not plan to pace your best race - by effort — until the run, every time?? (Or is it necessary to require other wheels on the bike at this point)
Enjoy your week off!! Props for your excellent 70.3 race results this year. Ironman distance is a beast of a test…
How important is making gains in the swim relative to the rest of the race?
I mean, I know that any improvement is a good improvement, but how do you measure the benefit of being closer to the front of the pack versus putting training time and race day energy into the bike?
Broader question is - are balancing acts with your energy level even a concern for you/elite athletes in general? I dialed back the bike in the last 30 miles because I felt I needed to “save something” for the run - do you have similar concerns and if so, what is your decision-making process like?
Thanks for doing the AMA. You may be 2-0 against me this year but we haven’t faced off across a table of wings.
If the entire long course pro field had an arm wrestling competition, who do you think would win and where would you place?
On a scale of 1 - 5. How important is the coverage on the front page and the chatter on the triathlon forum of Slowtwitch to you and the brand. (the brand being however you wish to define it).