Podcast 336: How to Cross-Train with Ironman World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay


WHOOP Director of Sports and Talent Marketing Jeremy Powers sits down with Ironman World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay to explore what it takes to train as a hybrid athlete.

From her roots as an elite swimmer to dominating the world of triathlon, Lucy shares how she balances high-volume training across swimming, biking, running, and lifting. Lucy breaks down her training blocks, recovery strategies, and using WHOOP to stay consistent and injury-free. She also opens up about managing celiac disease, experimenting with HYROX, and building an engaged fitness community through her YouTube channel — all while maintaining elite-level performance across multiple disciplines.

Episode Chapters

0:37 - Introduction to Lucy Charles-Barclay 

1:35 - Rapid fire questions

2:41 - Lucy’s journey from pro-swimmer to Ironman World Champion

6:02 - Winning the World Championship

12:38 - Week in the life training for an Ironman

15:13 - Balancing disciplines

18:16 - Monitoring strain while training & mitigating injury

20:26 - Inside Lucy’s recovery habits

21:55 - Lucy’s tech, tools, and coaching 

27:08 - Lucy Charles-Barclay’s favorite WHOOP metrics

30:16 - Optimizing sleep while traveling

33:55 - Training with celiac

36:44 - Building a community while training

41:52 - What’s next for Lucy?