Feeding a Young Athlete on the Road
How small nutrition wins can create big performance gains Travel sports are awesome. New fields, new cities, team bonding, big moments. But if you’ve ...
In this episode of the Training Think Tank Podcast, we break down our experiences at the inaugural World Fitness Project (WFP) event. We reflect on everything from programming and athlete preparation to fan engagement and the future of the sport.
This conversation offers valuable insight into what the WFP got right and where it needs to evolve.
1️⃣ WFP’s First Impression Makes a Statement
While it was WFP’s first event, the production level, race execution, and in-person experience was impressive. The layout and visuals of the race lanes created a true spectator experience, but there’s room to build a more immersive spectator experience. The race flow and energy compared to that of the Games, but it had a more “approachable” and “community-first” vibe.
2️⃣ Programming and Testing Bias
We dug into if Tour Stop 1 favored a particular type of athlete. Early tests may have favored stronger athletes, particularly pro women. Compared to the CrossFit Games, the WFP might currently test a narrower set of skills (still to be determined). Time will tell how this event influences annual training strategies, recovery windows, and competitive planning.
3️⃣ Coaching Adjustments for New Formats
With new competition formats come new coaching challenges. With athletes having access to workouts ahead of time, this allowed for better planning and preparation. We shared how we helped athletes navigate mental pressure, event pacing, and physical fatigue—especially with events stacked back-to-back in the season. It will be important to manage volume and burnout as the season progresses, and athletes will need to focus on long-term priorities vs. chasing every event
4️⃣ Building a Better Fan Experience
The WFP live stream received high praise, with strong visuals, well-executed heat tracking, live leaderboard visibility and compelling race design. But there’s still opportunity to elevate fan engagement both in person and online. Possibly adding in more dynamic content between races, a larger vendor village, and better lighting for in-person viewing.
5️⃣ Financial Sustainability & Long-Term Vision
While WFP made a strong impression, it raised questions about how financially sustainable the current model is. The production was extremely high, which may not be feasible without a larger fan base and more sponsors. For WFP to grow, it needs to expand its media storytelling, athlete profiles, and innovative ways for viewers to become raving fans.
6️⃣ Opportunities for Challenger Division Growth
A more transparent structure for moving from the challenger to pro division could help legitimize the system and motivate up-and-coming competitors. Improving the athlete pathway with direct invites to the pro division for top challenger athletes could be way to do just that.
Want to experience more from WFP? Check out the WFP livestream replay and upcoming event schedule.
Join the TTT Community Camp, we’ll have some fun games, do some tough workouts, eat some good food, and most importantly get together and share our love for all things fitness related.
Want to compete at WFP or other big events? Work with a TTT Coach and get expert advice, personalized training plans, and join a team of athletes pushing the limits together.
