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Austin’s Most Unique Race Team: Big Pistachio!

Ever since TDC kicked off, our team has come across some pretty awesome people. We’ve successfully created a community around the event, which resulted in people connecting with others and virtually accomplishing their goals together. It is incredible to see the participant’s stories and what positive effects the Challenge has had on them. We’re all about the team! 

One team, in particular, has an interesting story to tell. That team is Big Pistachio out of Austin, TX. If you live in Austin and are in the cycling community, you very well may have heard of them! Big Pistachio (BP) is a group full of crazy triathletes who are participating in the Texas Distance Challenge this year. They aren’t just any old cycling group, however.. BP is quite unique. Hayden sat down with Erin Truslow (their team captain) to find out more!

HS: Give us a little bit of background about yourself and what got you into the fitness industry?

ET: I’ve been in the fitness industry for a really long time. Think Jane Fonda, and thong leotards… yep that was me.  I got into “aerobics” in my Senior year of High School in 1985 and always secretly wanted to be good enough to be in the front of the room.  Within a year of taking classes, I was a certified instructor and teaching them.  Not long after that I decided to help people with their goals on a one-on-one basis and became a certified personal trainer as well by 1989. I’ve pretty much seen it all…twice. 

HS: How did BP come to life? Where and when did it start?

ET: In 2010 I had wrapped up a previous event production company business that had a “team” of brand ambassadors tied to it.  I just loved the people and how much fun we all had together.  So, wanting to continue that feeling, I started my new business Big Pistachio, LLC; which houses a Coaching division and a Racing Team division. The team aspect is really out of pure love of the community, we are literally a bunch of Nuts!  The team’s motto is “We are Awesome, We do stuff together”.  Of course, now in 2020, it’s much harder to “do stuff together” but we try.  We really enjoy our social gatherings, post-race parties, and celebratory shotgunning of beers as well as volunteering as a group to smaller races that need help.  Once or twice a year, a group will either do a 24-48 hour relay race or travel to another city to do a 70.3.  We really just like to have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously. But don’t let that fool you, there are a few on the team that is very well versed on that top podium spot! 

HS: You mentioned coaching. How did you get into that?

ET: As a personal trainer and group exercise instructor in multiple gyms and health clubs and in multiple countries, you get to meet a lot of people and learn about sports  they are in too.  Around 2000, I became friends with some Triathletes. At the time, I didn’t even know what that was or any history behind it. I became obsessed with the notion of doing 3 sports in one and watched every ITU Olympic distance race and Ironman so I could understand it.  I didn’t think I could ever do that because swimming wasn’t something I did besides grabbing a dip between tanning sessions.  Then my health club shut down the cycling room to remodel, so I tried to figure out this swimming thing and taught myself how to swim.  A few months later,  I was challenged by my first triathlon.  Let’s just say it didn’t go very smoothly, but I was hooked.  I think I hired my first Coach (Dave LaTourette) before I did my second race.  Skip ahead a few years, and dozens of races later, I moved to Austin and inserted myself into the local Tri community here. I quickly fell in love with the local triathlon community and its abundance of races, got my USA Triathlon Coaching Certificate, and never looked back.  I’ve now coached a hundred or more athletes to PR’s and finish lines they never dreamed possible. It’s super rewarding to know you helped someone accomplish a once in a lifetime dream. 

HS: How does one become a member of Big Pistachio?

ET: We have a process.  You need to be recommended to the team by another team member, fill out an application and wait on pins and needles……. JK! We have a secret board of members vote on your application, once approved we put you through an “initiation” party and award you with your official “Nut” name.  It truly is all just for fun and the quirkier you are the better.  We currently have about 35 members but are always game to meet new people!

HS: Wow! The element of a certain exclusivity is super cool. How would one figure out if they want to be a part of Big Pistachio?

ET: The best way to see if you want to be on our team (or really, any team) is to just hang out with us.  Come to our Team Tent at events and say Hi!  Join us at any social parties we have, or any of our open group workouts and hang out with us.  After that, the application process is a cinch.   We do have a no douche bag clause that comes with penalty fees though… so make sure you are a good-hearted, fun-loving soul that doesn’t get too caught up in the seriousness of it all.  I mean, this is a hobby that we pay a lot of money to do, so why not just make it fun.  It shouldn’t be stressful, we aren’t going PRO here. 

HS: Good-hearted and fun-loving are some pretty great characteristics! Is that how you would describe most of the group?

ET: Absolutely, but everyone is different! We have triathletes who are typically very A-Type personalities, Runners and Ultra Runners who can be a little less A-Type, Mountain Bikers and Trail Runners who are super laid back, and even a few Stand-Up Paddle Boarders, so the gambit, but we all have a passion for our sport and that carries over. Everyone is older, meaning not in college but either married with children or very career-driven professionals who have to really carve out time in their schedules or work and getting their kids to school (or Zoom classes), to make training happen.  

HS: Seems like a fun group to hang around with! What are some fun experiences the BP team has done together?

ET: Some of the very best times the team has done together are traveling for races, running the Texas Independence Relays (over 200 miles), or the Hill Country Ragnar Trail Race Relay camping trip.  Some of our team parties have been epic too… the kind of parties that would have impressed your younger college self! But we have this tradition where post-race, we would all gather at the team tent and shotgun a Lone Star beer together, crush the can, then take a photo of our crushed cans and a foot (not sure how that started but…), this tradition grew. Soon other teams would wait for us to start handing out beers, then they would join us till we got to about 50 people doing a shotgun beer all at the same time!  It was epic!  It was a way to include other racers and teams so it’s not just about us, it was about the community at that point.  Man those days were fun.  It wasn’t long after a few of those really large shotgun parties that we got shut down.  Bummer, but I totally understand why it had to happen.  Now, we just do the shotgun celebrations back at our home “after parties”. 

HS: That’s so dang cool. So what’s the financial commitment if one were to join BP?

ET: Our team dues are just $99.00 a year.  I’ve never increased the dues since we started.  Once the dues are paid up for the year, then the member has access to all of the partner deals that we have with some amazing sponsors. 

HS: How do people keep track of what BP is up to?

ET: Many ways! Here are some links 🙂 

Thanks for your time, Erin! Us at TDC love everything that Big Pistachio is all about. Making friends, staying active, and having a blast while you’re at it! 

For those of you who are interested in joining Big Pistachio or hiring Erin as a coach, you can reach out to her directly: 

Erin Truslow

etruslow@me.com 

512.517.8118

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