Tri-Hard Dads — AI-Assisted Triathlon Training for Busy Fathers

Tri-Hard Dads was an early experiment (2024) in using generative AI to deliver practical, personalised triathlon guidance for middle-aged fathers balancing training with work, family, and recovery.

Rather than generic plans or influencer-driven advice, the goal was to create a simple, adaptive training partner — one that understood context, constraints, and real-world trade-offs.

The concept

Tri-Hard Dads used a lightweight Q&A flow to capture key inputs such as fitness level, experience, available training time, and personal goals. From there, a custom GPT generated structured training recommendations covering endurance, strength, recovery, and nutrition — tailored to the realities of life in your 30s and 40s.

The emphasis wasn’t peak performance at all costs, but sustainable progress.

What it offered

• Personalised training guidance based on individual constraints and goals

• Practical nutrition and recovery advice, focused on consistency rather than extremes

• Adaptive plans that could flex around limited time, fatigue, or missed sessions

• A clear, conversational interface designed to feel supportive, not prescriptive

Why it mattered

Most triathlon content is written for either elite athletes or complete beginners. Tri-Hard Dads deliberately targeted the gap in between: motivated, time-constrained athletes who want structure without rigidity.

From a product perspective, the project explored:

• How AI can act as a training companion, not just an information source

• How to design prompts and flows that produce repeatable, trustworthy outputs

• Where human judgement and lived experience still matter alongside automation