38 - Scott Sugimoto

Everyday Ironman Podcast

In this episode we get the opportunity to hear from Ironman in Training, Scott Sugimoto. Scott is currently training for his very first full distance race. He will be racing in St. George, UT in May of 2022.

During the get to know you, Scott shares that he has been married for 29 years, has 3 adult children, and was blessed with a granddaughter a year and half ago. Scott grew up in Utah not too far from where he currently lives. Scott shares that he did try the standard North American sports as a child but never felt that there were a good fit.

After establishing that Scott did not grow up with a background in swim, bike, or run; Scott shares how he found himself in the world of triathlon. Scott was introduced to cycling in his 30’s. Starting with mountain biking before transitioning to road cycling. Scott really enjoys riding with the guys and has completed in a yearly road race that spans over 200 miles.

After having a few bad experiences when he was 10 years old, Scott would have to overcome his fear of the water before he could even think about triathlon. In October of 2020, Scott’s wife did something that would allow him to get in the water and start swimming.

Scott shares how he to a more traditional approach to race distances. He started with Sprint, moved to Olympic, and then the half distance picking up a few Age Group wins along the way. Because we are close to the same age, we take a few minutes to compare our performance numbers by discipline.

As we begin to talk about the next step in his journey, Scott comes to realize that once he completes Ironman St. George he will be ranking as the best in the world for his Age Group.

Being 9 weeks out from race weekend, Scott gives us a peak into what his weekly training schedule consists of. We talk about how he integrates training into his daily schedule, and he shares he is turning his basement into a Pain Cave.

We talk about Scott’s nutrition plan both during training and on race day. I hijack the episode to rant about my sub-par performance at the recent Cowtown Marathon and Scott convinces me to try a new product.

We compare our favorite gadgets and discover that we both share a love of the FROM Smart Goggles.

Because Scott has a Trek Speed Concept, I get him to provide a detail description of it. We talk about the 2022 Speed Concept, and I reveal my secret and up to this point unsuccessful attempt on how to get a new bike.