We've got two key things to discuss this week troops - both of which I, and the team, are incredibly excited about - so let’s get cracking.

Beers and Coffee do mix well. 

First, I want to pause to thank all of the participants who hopped on for our ‘no agenda’ beers and coffee slots we hosted this week. The 60+ minute sessions provided so much insight and, to be honest, comfort and direction. I was really proud of the community aspect of Purple Patch coming together, but also of the intelligent and helpful insights of Coach Mike Olzinski, Scott Layton and Sean Garick. It was also super to have Tiger Paton leading, and to include Leslie Sodaro into the mix also.  We all really enjoyed the sessions, and I believe it helped all of us to carve a path out of the squalor of 2020, injury, motivation challenges and more. 

If you weren't able to make it, you can watch a replay of the Beer session HERE.

We will certainly be doing more of these, but here is a carrot for you: In the sessions, I let slip a major announcement we are going to make in the coming days. It is going to be a lot of fun - a large event that we will host in November. You can either sit on your hands and be patient to find out more, or listen to the start of each of the episodes, and you will hear me explain!

Next up: IRONMAN Hawaii.

This is - or rather, should be - the week of Kona. The annual world championships where athletes, coaches and fans from all over the globe descend onto the Big Island and are forced to experience a 6 ft 3 inch British man running like a donkey dipped in cement as he shuffles through his social runs in the molten conditions.  Having, hopefully, erasing that horrible sight that I force many to endure in the days leading up, the inspiration can begin. The best in the world mixed with individual stories of grit, determination and overcoming adversity, there truly is nothing else like it.  

We cannot be there this year - but we can celebrate the week and have a lot of fun.

This week many of you will do the right thing! Join in the fun. You can choose (with your coach if a 1:1 athlete) to complete an IRONMAN.  It is one of:

1. An IRONMAN spread across 7 days (for the sensible)
2. An IRONMAN spread over 3 days (for the committed)
3. An IRONMAN in a day (for the certifiable)

Less a competition, more a celebration, but we encourage all of you to get involved.  We have some of the pros diving in also!

For this event, we will ALL do the Purple Patch KONA Challenge.  All details on how to register and participate can be found HERE which includes a chance to do the thing as a part of a relay. 

IRONMAN VR Option: In addition to the Purple Patch challenge, your efforts can also count toward the official IRONMAN VR option. This is free and a great addition, with a host of additional features, media and more. If you decide to add IRONMAN VR, ensure you register as a Purple Patch club member! We will be doing an inter-club competition for the IRONMAN 70.3, and your registration will carry forward from this registration. Details on participating in the IRONMAN VR challenge are HERE. Note - choosing this add-on doesn’t mean double the work, but your efforts count in both places.

Let’s tribe it up! The reason we want every Purple Patch athlete to go through out internal challenge first is to be able to really share our journey and make the whole week much more fun. Here is how to share:

1. Social Tags:  If you are into social media let’s use  #PurplePatchChallenge and #PPFKonaChallenge to align
2. Ensure you register HERE and record your results HERE
3. Get involved on the Facebook page with support, stories, pictures and anything else you can think of.

Personally, I will be participating in a crazy trail running race this week, but will share my story with all, despite not being able to hit the full IRONMAN. I am really looking forward to being a part of the craziness this week. If you have any questions, challenges of obstacles, we are here to help - drop us a line.

Don’t F it up!

Matt