Sarah Piampiano-Lord (@spiampiano) is one of the top triathletes in the world, finishing first or second in 7 of the eleven 70.3 and Ironman races she entered in 2019. Ten years ago, she was a 30-year-old, cigarette-smoking investment banker who worked 100+ hour weeks and barely exercised. 

A gifted, multi-sport athlete as a kid, Sarah found her love for competition as an eight year-old at Cross Country Nationals and was a Division 1 ski racer and runner in college in Maine.

But Sarah does not credit her rise in triathlon to her athletic gifts. The common thread is hard work, grit and mental strength. She believes in the “curse of the super talented athlete” – the idea that the people who find greatness are the ones who never give up, who feel like they’re at a deficit coming in.

2020 was on-tap to have some fun twists for Sarah. She was scheduled to run the Boston Marathon in April and ride an epic 144-mile gravel bike race, the Belgian Waffle Ride, a few weeks later in May. With all races postponed, she finds joy and motivation in the little things and is taking it one day at a time, chasing Strava QOM’s and suffering through Zwift races in her living room.Listen to our podcast with Sarah on The Common Threads: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify. You can read the full interview below for a deep-dive on her learnings and insights on everything from fueling and recovery to sleep and mindset.

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From chasing her older brothers to banking and the bet that led to triathlon

David Swain, Prokit (@swain): What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Sarah Piampiano-Lord: I had a smoothie with Greek yogurt, banana, flaxseed, hemp seed, orange juice, and two hard boiled eggs. I try to mix it up. I don’t like to have the same thing every day.

How does your breakfast change based on your training or recovery plan for the day?

Usually, if I have a pretty long day on tap, I will go with a more carb-focused breakfast. I’ll have a big bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, nuts, seeds, and berries, and usually some eggs. I might have a bowl of Cheerios, as well. If I have a day like today, a lighter recovery day, I try to focus less on the carbohydrates and more on protein and fats.

One of Sarah Piampiano’s go-to breakfasts

Talk about your journey from a kid in Maine chasing cross country titles to a collegiate athlete to banking and then back to sports.

I grew up in Maine and was quite an athletic little kid. I was skiing by the age of two, water skiing and riding my bike by three. I just loved being outside, running free,