Beyond The Finish Line

Endurance sport is a cruel mistress — you can do everything perfectly and still get nothing back. The athletes who make it are the ones who show up anyway. Episode 81: how to actually debrief a race — good or bad. Sit with the emotion for a week, write it down as it fades, then compare the memory against the data. What the peaks and troughs tell you, when to dig into elevation, and how the little stuff quietly stacks. Plus what to do when the wall hits at 30k, when your gut betrays you, and when a perfect block still didn't deliver. Big announcement coming next week. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

40,000 runners is the edge — Sydney Marathon is flirting with breaking its own event, and we need to talk about it. Episode 80: the Sydney Marathon 2026 recap. 70+ at the shakeout run, 36 TPP athletes with 33 PBs (27 of them by 15+ minutes), and an honest coach's take on the bottlenecks, wave timings, and slower runners baking in the heat. Plus Georgia's first big event with Millie, business updates, and listener Q&A on gels, stress fractures, race-day underperformance, and knowing when a good workout means you should push your goal. 📢 Next week is a full Sydney Marathon Q&A — DM us your questions. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Sydney Marathon is four days away and you've got nothing left to gain. Only nervous energy to lose. Emergency episode. Matt and Georgia work through every race-week fear runners actually have: heavy shakeout-run legs, a bad night's sleep, carb loading, and whether you'll make it to 42. Matt's worst-case exercise for killing head noise, the sleep study that proves one rough night won't cost you, and carb loading without the maths. Plus listener Q&A on triathlon vs marathon fitness and whether Pilates counts as strength work. Matt also explains the 17 stitches that just put his sub-10 Ironman at 50/50. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Your Sydney Marathon Q&A, plus a full catch-up on life. Georgia is back from having Millie. Matt recaps a 24-hour team backyard ultra. Where his Iron Man WA prep is landing 15 weeks out, Then ten rapid-fire Sydney Marathon listener questions covering pacing on the hills, arrival timing, aid stations, carb load meals, GPS vs elapsed time, and the seven days leading in. 🎧 Listener Q&A: – Should I power up the hills to hold pace? – How long before the gun should I arrive? – Any hill advice if I've only trained on flat? – Should I stop at every aid station on my first marathon? – Favourite carb load meal if you could only pick one forever? – Best post-race recovery routine? – Sub-4 pacing strategy when the GPS gets shaky? – Bad calf pain race week — push through or shut it down? – What should the seven days leading in actually look like? 🎁 TPP shakeout run Saturday morning in the Sydney CBD — details on @beyondthefinishline_pod. Come say hi. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.c ... 📸 Follow BTFL: / beyondthefinishline_pod 📸 Follow Coach Matt: / mattb_performance 📸 Follow Georgia: / georgiahillis 📸 Follow The Performance Project: / the_performance_project_

Is a 70.3 an Ironman? Episode 77: everything you need to know about triathlon as a runner. Every distance from super sprint to full Iron Man, actual mandatory gear vs the nice-to-haves, a realistic weekly training structure for a first-timer, and the beginner mistakes that end most sprint races. Plus Georgia's final episode before becoming a mum, and listener Q&A on long-run recovery and running by effort on the trails. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_

Cross training isn't the easy option it's how you keep the volume up, take the impact out, and stop breaking yourself when running twice a day isn't the answer. Episode 76: everything runners need to know about cross training. What it actually is, why bike and swim are the goats, when to sub a run and when to keep it, matching stimulus (easy, threshold, VO2), and the one-for-one rule for most athletes. Plus a full "would you rather" round covering DNFs, PRs, race photos, beat-up shoes, and retirement scenarios. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Anyone can do a marathon — but should you? And how long should you actually wait before you sign up? Episode 75: the marathon isn't the default goal for every runner, and it might not be yours. Why the best endurance athletes on the planet spend a decade at short course first, why waiting 3-5 years for your first marathon is a legitimate strategy, and the hidden costs no one talks about. Plus listener Q&A on post-marathon speed work, one big race vs shorter PBs, and whether social media invented the modern marathon boom. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

What goes up must come down the post-race blues aren't a bug, they're built into the sport. Episode 74: what to do when the race is over and you don't know what to do next. The 18-24 month goal reframe, how to actually define recovery, the "directionally correct" trick for finding your next thing, and why the post-race window is the best time to do everything your training block wouldn't let you. Plus Matt nearly dies, Gold Coast Marathon with 26 TPP athletes, and listener Q&A on cadence, mechanics, and trail vs road carb loading. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

The hay is in the barn race week is where most people fuck up what they've already earned. Episode 73: your Race Week Survival Guide. Tapering, maranoia, race morning logistics, carb loading without going full donut bender, controlling nervous energy on the start line, and the first 10k mistake that ends most marathons before they start. Built for Gold Coast Marathon weekend — applies to any race. 🎁 BTFL listener exclusive — TPP shakeout run Friday 9:30am at Bam Bam Bakehouse, Mermaid Beach. Coffees on us. All welcome. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Listener questions, fully loaded from "am I overtraining or just adapting?" to "is sub-4 realistic on three runs a week?" Episode 72 is our favourite episode of the month your questions, answered. Matt and Georgia get through how to tell the difference between overtraining and adaptive fatigue, why motivation is bullshit and discipline is everything, how to taper for Hyrox, why your 5k time matters for the marathon (round two), what it means when your 5k won't budge, the minimum race schedule that gives you real data, and how to build durability for the last 10k without destroying yourself every weekend. 🎁 BTFL listener exclusive — one spot at the TPP Sydney Marathon training camp (July 30 – Aug 1, Hunter Valley). DM @beyondthefinishline_pod or @the_performance_project_ to claim it. 🎧 Listener Q&A: – How do I know if I'm overdoing it or if it's just adaptive fatigue? – Motivation comes and goes — what do you actually do about it? – Do you taper for Hyrox the same way as for a race? – Performance anxiety around 5k time trials — how do you handle it? – Why does the 5k actually matter for my marathon? – What if my 5k time doesn't move after a full block? – Sub-4 on three runs a week and a physio job — realistic or delusional? – What's the minimum race schedule that still gives you the data? – Should I structure my long runs around the post-32k point? Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Listener Questions 11:52 Georgia's Pregnancy Journey and Running 24:11 Matt's Endurance Training and Self-Coaching 35:53 Listener Questions: Training and Motivation 39:01 Assessing Training Effectiveness 43:42 Training Frequency and Goals 47:58 Performance Anxiety and 5K Time Trials 51:56 Racing Strategy and Data Collection 55:23 Building Durability for Marathon Success 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/ — The Performance Project is an endurance coaching company built to help everyday athletes Do Hard Things. Our mission is to build Australia's strongest endurance community — through training, storytelling, and a relentless commitment to chasing what's hard. Do Hard Things.

The cheap stuff that's actually good, the bougie stuff that's actually worth it, and the products we'd never touch. a no-BS gear breakdown for runners. Matt and Georgia run through shorts, sports bras, shoes, hats, sunnies, socks, vests, watches, and headphones with honest takes on what's worth the money and what's a waste. Plus listener questions on social media and running, when to do your strength sessions, and whether to pull the pin on a marathon block you're hating. 🎁 BTFL listener exclusive — one spot at the TPP Sydney Marathon training camp (July 30 – Aug 1). DM @beyondthefinishline_pod or @the_performance_project_ to claim it. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Your 5k time will tell you exactly what marathon you can run most people just don't know how to read it. Episode 70: Matt nerds out on the 5k and why it's the single most important measuring stick in your training. The correlation no one talks about, Jack Daniels' V Dot system, what your 5k tells you about VO2 max, aerobic threshold, and where your race is going to fall apart. Fast-twitch vs slow-twitch, when to retest, and why the 5k makes you a better marathoner (but the marathon won't make you a better 5k runner). 🎁 BTFL listener exclusive — one spot at the TPP Sydney Marathon training camp (July 30 – Aug 1). DM @beyondthefinishline_pod or @the_performance_project_ to claim it. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

You don't get to choose if your race goes sideways — you only get to choose what you do when it does. Episode 69: what to do when your race turns to shit. How to know when plan A is gone, when to switch to plan B, and how to make mid-race decisions that keep you in control. Matt breaks down the A/B/C framework he uses at every distance — pacing, nutrition, gear, crew comms — the warning signs telling you to pivot, and why a plan B doesn't always mean giving up the goal. Plus listener questions on trail running quads, pram running, and the 5k after the marathon. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Trail running is the great equaliser — no one's asking your time, they're just asking if you got it done. Matt's guide to trail running and how to train for your first trail race. The gear you actually need, the difference between fire trails and single track, what changes from 10k to 50k to 100k, and the 10 training priorities Matt pulled out of his UTA 100 debrief — including the one a mate exposed at 98k he's never going to forget. Run the runnable, power hike like you mean it, total recoverable volume, and why ultras are won by horsepower, not bounce. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/apply?utm_source=btfl 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

The ultra Matt was never supposed to finish. The full UTA 100 race recap. Matt walks Georgia through every aid station — the perfect first 40k, the toe-punted rock at Nellie's Glen that he was sure had broken his foot, the ruptured ligaments he ran the back half on, and the 50k internal war between a brain screaming "quit" and a body that wouldn't. Plus the why he didn't share until now: chasing the point where mind and body both run out at the same moment. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/BTFLPOD?utm_source=BTFLPOD 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Everything you wanted to ask about marathon training — chafing, carbon plates, race vests, taper colds, and what to do when you're three weeks out and your longest run was 32k. Part 4 of the Marathon Mini Series: the listener Q&A. Matt and Georgia get through your questions on holiday training, knee injury comebacks, time-based vs distance-based long runs, strength training, heat adaptation, race vests, carbon shoes, taper sickness, and post-race recovery. The catch-all episode that closes the series. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/Apply 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

Stop training like a jogger and start racing your marathon. Part 3 of the Marathon Mini Series: how to train for a time goal. Matt and Georgia get into the difference between finishing and racing, how to set a goal that actually fits your athletic makeup, the type A / type B / hybrid framework, and why Ash and Jason ran sub-3 in Boston on three-and-a-half runs a week. Minimal effective dose, long run back-ends, and the race day execution mistakes that blow up PBs. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/Apply 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

You can't bullshit your way through a marathon the way you can a half and that's where most first-timers come undone. Part 2 of the Marathon Mini Series: everything you need to know before your first 42.2. Matt and Georgia get into why 16 weeks is the floor for a first block, why the wall is just a spotlight on every shortcut you took in training, and why nutrition is the fourth discipline. Plus Georgia's red-Powerade meltdown at 28km on the Gold Coast, the case for walking the aid stations, and how to define a successful first marathon. 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/Apply 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

The halfway point in a marathon isn't 21K — it's 32K. Episode one of the BTFL Marathon Mini Series. Matt and Georgia bust 10 marathon myths that are costing runners on race day — from the outdated 32K long run cap to why walking at aid stations is strategy, not failure. Plus listener questions on training with limited time and managing multi-sport load. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to the Marathon Mini Series 13:28 Highs and Lows: Personal Updates 14:17 Debunking Marathon Myths: Long Runs 18:42 Daily Running: Is It Necessary? 21:09 Carb Loading: The Night Before a Race 24:44 Stretching: The Right Approach 26:27 Half vs Full Marathon: The Reality 28:31 The Importance of Preparation and Recovery 30:07 Training in Adverse Weather Conditions 31:38 Race Pace in Long Runs 32:57 Walking During a Marathon: A Strategy, Not a Failure 38:50 Quality Over Quantity in Training 43:21 Pre-Race Routine: The Day Before a Marathon 46:20 Balancing Marathon Training with Life Responsibilities 53:27 Managing Load for Multi-Sport Athletes 💻 Join The Performance Project Coaching: https://performanceproject.typeform.com/Apply 📸 Follow BTFL: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefinishline_pod/ 📸 Follow Coach Matt: https://www.instagram.com/mattb_performance/ 📸 Follow Georgia: https://www.instagram.com/georgiahillis/ 📸 Follow The Performance Project: https://www.instagram.com/the_performance_project_/

It’s Listener Question Month — our favourite episode where we answer your biggest questions around training, performance, mindset, and everything in between. We dive into the realities of endurance training, from bad sessions and confidence dips to how to actually improve your 5K, structure your training, and stop overthinking the small stuff. Plus, Matt breaks down some no-BS coaching insights, and Georgia keeps him honest (as always). Also inside: – Matt’s confidence rebuild after a rough race – The reality of “feeling unfit” mid-block – Why most runners overthink training details – How to actually improve performance (without doing more) 🎧 Listener Q&A: – Is Kipchoge’s new running app actually any good? – Are recovery runs better than full rest days? – How do you combine trail running with marathon prep? – What’s the best breathing technique for running? – When should you invest in a running coach? – How do you improve your 5K time? – Does foot strike actually matter? – Does running surface impact performance? – Why do morning runs feel harder than afternoon runs? – How do you run with a partner at a different level? Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Listener Question Month 00:16 Re-recording the intro & setting the tone 01:12 Why all runners have the same fears and questions 03:09 Matt’s training update & rebuilding confidence 06:13 Mental resilience and pushing through bad sessions 09:18 Enjoyment vs suffering in endurance training 12:13 Georgia’s pregnancy journey & body image 15:09 Listener Questions begin (apps & tech) 17:31 Recovery runs vs full rest days 20:49 Trail running in marathon prep 23:28 Breathing techniques explained 29:27 How to control breathing under fatigue 32:19 When to invest in a running coach 35:05 Finding the right coaching style 38:43 How to improve your 5K 44:14 Foot strike: does it matter? 45:29 Does running surface matter? 47:34 Morning vs afternoon training performance 51:57 Running with a partner at different paces