26 - Brock Gibbs

Everyday Ironman Podcast

In this episode, I speak to triathlete and author Brock Gibbs. Brock is a 2 time Top 10 Finisher, in his Age Group, at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Recently, Brock released My Coworkers Think I’m a Pro which provides a witty and entertaining account of how Brock got started in the sport of triathlon.

During the day Brock is a Physical Educator teacher in Montreal, Canada. He was introduced to triathlon in his 40s. Growing up in Canada, Brock played hockey through school as well as football and baseball. He started running in college, even participating on his school’s Cross Country team.

I spend a few minutes complementing Brock on his book, specifically on his ability to paint a vivid picture with his words. Brock shares the story of how he met Lionel Sanders at an Ironman 70.3 early in both of their careers and he explains the metaphor that he uses for the times in your life when “bad stuff happens and you gotta to let it go.”

While being very close in age and physical appearance, we talk about some similarities that we share and some of our differences. Brock gives some context into the cover photo for his book. After acknowledging that he has always been a “fast runner,” Brock talks about his 1st marathon; one in which he would qualify for the Boston Marathon.

We talk about how Brock has always trained by feel as opposed to a structured pace and he shares how he has modified that over the years. He acknowledges that he no longer runs everyday and breaks down his approach to his two sessions per day training regimen.

I ask him about his thoughts on triathlon being the only sport where an amateur can complete on the same course at the same time as the pros. We discuss our thoughts on why triathletes, even professional triathletes, are more approachable than in other sports. Brock even points out that you can pick up a good amount of race strategy while standing in line at the porta potty, pre-race.

I get the opportunity to share some of my favorite quotes from Brock’s book and there are a bunch in there. And Brock explains what prompted him to write the book and talks us through some of the process it took from initial though to publication.

We spend a few minutes talking about some of the childhood stories that Brock included in the book. Growing up in a small town in the 1980s allowed he and his friends plenty of opportunity to do fun stuff. We agree that most of the time fun stuff means the same as dangerous stuff. That conversation transitions nicely into Brock sharing about his most recent mishap.

During this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Brock was involved in a single bike accident that would leave in with a compound fracture of his collar bone and broken pelvis. Rob acknowledges that this incident placed him in a situation where he was forced to accept help from others, something that he is not normally comfortable doing.

After getting Brock to acknowledge is a fast runner, I ask him to rate his swim and bike performance. Brock recommends that seeking out specialized coaching if you’re struggling with one particular discipline. And of course, we talk bikes. Brock shares he has future plans to ride a traditional road bike versus a TT bike due to certain advantages.

If you haven’t already, be sure to get your copy of Brock’s book My Coworkers Think I’m A Pro. You can order online by using following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1777147301/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_BTAYB794TZ87MDS2W8WT