Fast Talk’s first live recording took place at USAT’s 2024 Endurance Exchange, where we spoke with two top coaches who are helping to build Team USA’s Olympic hopefuls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the secrets to a successful transition from junior to pro racing, with insights from professional MTB racer, Savilia Blunk.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our second Basics episode, we talk about how oxygen travels from the air around us to our working muscles, covering everything from the lungs, blood, and heart, to how our working muscles grab that oxygen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey talks about the hard science behind belief and how our “soft-wired” brain can be an advantage to endurance athletes and coaches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the intricacies of cycling excellence as former Cycling Canada Endurance Track Coach Jenny Trew and Mattamy National Cycling Center Director Chris Reid divulge insights on effective training groups, developmental ecosystems, and fostering a culture of excellence.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s potluck, we discuss our favorite ways to approach training in January, practical weight management tips after the holidays, and what to consider when trying a new endurance sport.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strength and Conditioning Expert, Jeff Hoobler, talks with us about the need for neuromuscular and functional work to keep our backs happy on the bike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Betsy Welch joins us to discuss the evolution and future of gravel racing, shedding light on the obstacles the community must overcome to get there.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 300th episode, our hosts – both old and new – are interviewed by Dr. Stephen Seiler to discuss where we’ve been and where we’re going.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the very early days of Fast Talk, our hosts summarized – in only 20 minutes – how to map out your training week. In today’s episode we revisit that summary to see just how good a job we did back then.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erin Carson is a strength coach who has worked with some of the world's best cyclists, triathletes, and runners. In our latest show, she talks about how female athletes can get the most from their time in the gym. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are constantly inhaling particulate matter—not just from pollution, but from smoke, candles, and even cleaning chemicals. How does it impact our health?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early days of interval training research, it was hard not to come across the name of Dr. Véronique Billat who shaped much of our current understanding of interval training.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Trent Stellingwerff reviews the research and gives practical tips on how to optimize altitude training in preparation for events both at altitude or at sea level.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Block Periodization is one of the most sophisticated periodization models that’s producing big results for pros. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. Is it right for you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National Team Coach and Nutritionist Kristen Arnold helps us explore maximizing your nutrition as an athlete, gives advice for how junior women can reach the next level, and shares her experience managing national projects.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

World-renowned sports scientist Dr. Peter Hespel explains the potential benefits of ketone supplementation for athletes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s go back to a 2018 interview with this year’s Vuelta a España winner, Sepp Kuss, and hear about his jump to World Tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s potluck we discuss a host of questions, from getting sick during a target race, training in cold weather, and approaching the off season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports scientist Dr. Allen Lim details the direct correlation between gut health and athletic performance.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gear up for a new Fast Talk Podcast series. First up: what are muscle fibers, what do we mean by slow-twitch and fast-twitch, and what are type IIa fibers? Our hosts cover everything you need to know about these all-important fibers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI training software is here to stay. We talk with Dr. Paul Laursen about where it may go and how it may impact training and coaching in both good and potentially bad ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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We dive into blood flow restriction, anti-aging supplements, post-activation potentiation, and the potential fringe training benefits you may never have even heard of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The modern coach often assumes their job is fundamentally self-sacrificing – the athlete always comes first. We talk about why changing that belief can make for a better coach.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pro cyclist Ashleigh Moolman and former pro cyclist Adam Hansen discuss safety in professional and world tour bicycle racing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with one of the world’s top hydration experts about the evolution of hydration science and how it has changed our sports drinks over the decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our hosts address the challenges they have been thinking about as the season comes to an end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talked with Sonya Looney about how the positive psychology concepts of flow states, flourishing, and grit are essential for athletes to both perform their best and enjoy their sport.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are inundated with training data, opinions, and information. But that overwhelm makes it hard to get at what is actually true. Our hosts share their thoughts on cutting through the noise.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rising U.S. mountain biking star Gwendalyn Gibson explains what it takes mentally and physically to succeed at the UCI World Cup level.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with one of the top researchers in the world on ketone supplementation, Dr. Brendan Egan. We get into the types of supplements, their impact on our health, and possibly the least interesting question – do they help performance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with master mechanic Lennard Zinn about how to address the challenges of maintaining your bike with the many innovations of the past 10 years.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Dr. Seiler helps us understand the power of rest from a physiological perspective. Rest can help us become more disciplined and improve fitness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss Van Der Poel’s crashes, if one-hour normalized power is always a good estimate of FTP, and criticisms of the Worlds course in Scotland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk with Dr. Andy Pruitt and Larry Meyer about how to make yourself as comfortable as possible on the bike and why that helps, not hurts, performance.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom shares insights from his experience in developing and managing women’s professional endurance sports teams, talks about the ROI for sponsors, and provides advice for aspiring female cyclists.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dive into the extensive work of Dr. George Brooks, one of the preeminent exercise physiologists of our time. His work revolutionized our understanding of lactate and health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A naturopathic doctor and former executive editor, Griffin McMath brings her experience to the podcast and shares what she brings to Fast Talk Labs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jamie Whitfield discusses the body's remarkable ability to regulate blood sugar, and the practical applications of continuous glucose monitors in high-performance disciplines.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss an eclectic group of odd, challenging, and humorous training topics in this week’s Potluck.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we unravel the captivating parallels between road racing and poker. Discover how a strong Peloton adds complexity to cycling, where strength alone won't ensure victory. Gravel riders Alex Howes and Kiel Reijnen, seasoned "poker players," share insights from competing in Grand Tours. Learn to master the game, play strong and weak hands, bluff effectively, and read opponents without looking at their faces. Joined by experts like Dr. Iñigo San Millán and Coach Janis Musins, we delve into tactical nuances for success. For pros and local riders alike, this episode holds the key to becoming faster and smarter cyclists! For more information and show notes visit: www.FastTalkLabs.com/how-to-play-your-hand-in-a-bike-race-with-kiel-reijnen-and-alex-howes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to sports to avoid burnout and injury from someone who conquered it themselves, pro cyclist Shayna Powless.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn from dermatologist Dr. Lela Lankerani and experts in the field as we explore the importance of skincare for endurance athletes. Discover tips to safeguard against sun damage and tackle skin issues like saddle sores, blisters, and road rash. Join us as we prioritize your body's largest organ and unlock your potential for speed and endurance. For show notes and additional information visit: www.FastTalkLabs.com/skincare-for-endurance-athletes---protecting-your-performance-and-your-health Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we explore the power vs. aerodynamics debate. Specialized's Todd Carver and Retul's Jason Williams reveal the secrets to finding your speed. We consider comfort, speed, and event specifics across multiple cycling disciplines. The sacrifices may surprise you! Featuring expert guests Lennard Zinn, Jeff Winkler, Ryan Bolton, Robin Carpenter, influencer Ben Delaney. For show notes visit: www.FastTalkLabs.com/how-to-be-aerodynamic-without-sacrificing-power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how pro cyclist Ashleigh Moolman Pasio manages to successfully balance being an entrepreneur and business owner while maintaining her cycling career.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join host Rob Pickels and Coach Connor as they dive into the world of endurance performance on Fast Talk. In this episode, we venture into the exciting realm of bikepack racing, a rising trend in the cycling world. Our special guest, Chris Case, former Fast Talk host and owner of Alter Explorations, takes us on an exhilarating journey through his first bikepacking race—the Trans-Atlantic Way. Discover the challenges he faced, from self-sufficiency to sleep deprivation, and the profound impact this unique experience had on his life. Prepare yourself for a captivating exploration of determination, resilience, and the pursuit of adventure. For Show notes visit: https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/exploring-the-grit-and-determination-of-bikepack-racing-with-chris-case/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grant Holicky, Robin Carpenter, and Starla Teddergreen join Trevor and Rob to discuss social-connection's role for athletes. For Show Notes and Transcripts, visit, www.fasttalklabs.com/the-personal-side-of-coaching---with-grant-holicky For Grant Holicky's Newsletter, visit, https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/the-personal-side-of-coaching-with-grant-holicky/ To Join Fast Talk Labs visit www.FastTalkLabs.com/Join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find out if you should be resistance training in correlation with your menstrual cycle.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Stephen Seiler joins us for this special potluck episode to discuss a variety of topics including a question he’s been asking himself about how to tailor high intensity work to each athlete. For Transcript and Show Notes see: www.FastTalkLabs.com/dr-stephen-seiler-on-aha-moments-tailoring-high-intensity-training-and-how-much-food-to-carry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss the questions of whether a low-carbohydrate diet truly hurts performance and if it is better for our health.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn about Zwift's return on investment into women's cycling through the Zwift Academy and work with the UCI and ASO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dive into the work of Dr. John Hawley – he has produced many seminal studies and papers in exercise science since the 1990s. Today, we wilk look at a few of his key papers on carbohydrates and how we adapt.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob, Grant, and Trevor are back with another Potluck Episode.  We discuss a host of odd, interesting, and humorous training topics in this week’s show. For Show Notes and Transcripts Visit: www.FastTalkLabs.com/potluck-discussion-structured-training-plans-building-a-base-for-attacks-and-contradicting-the-science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to maximize your endurance sport for a lifetime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All athletes fear the injury that takes years to recover from or permanently changes their lives. We talk with several experts, including Taylor Phinney, on how to manage serious injury and find yourself again.  For show notes and transcripts visit: https://www.fasttalklabs.com/getting-through-serious-injury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear from Fast Talk all-star guests like Lachlan Morton and Stephen Hyde about their favorite race season HIIT work.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to get the most from your training and fueling—and avoid the pitfalls of overtraining—with advice from a leading academic.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interval workouts are often tough and many athletes finish them wondering if they were effective. We discuss how to get the most from your interval workouts with Dr. Stephen Seiler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been an explosion in new metrics on wearable devices including oxygen saturation, sleep analysis, and glucose monitoring, but how much should we rely on them and do they really help us?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens between your ears is every bit as important as what happens in your muscles. We talk goals, mindset, body image, and more with sport psychologist Dr. Julie Emmerman.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Training zones have served an important role for decades, but with the sophistication of training software and portable devices, do they still have a place? Show Notes and more info: www.FastTalkLabs.com/are-training-zones-dead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Coach Holicky could boil sports psychology down to one concept, it’s being present in everything we do. We explore this concept and how it ties together mental toughness, motivation, and even pain tolerance.   For more information and show notes visit: www.FastTalkLabs.com/the-importance-of-staying-present-in-training-and-racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We chat with USAC's CEO about the road ahead for women's cycling.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We cover some of the seminal research from Dr. Laursen on high-intensity interval training and dehydration.  For more information - Show Notes - Links - Summary: https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/nerd-lab-geeking-out-on-dr-paul-laursens-hiit-research/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Fast Talk podcast, we discuss the impact digital media can have on the physical, mental, and emotional health of athletes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our latest Fast Talk Femmes episode, we talk with top strength coach Erin Carson on how female athletes can get the most from their time in the gym.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is pain—and how can we learn to tolerate it in training and racing? We find out on our latest Fast Talk podcast where we're joined by neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, our hosts talk about the best work to do leading into the race season, getting meditative during intervals, and preparing for an epic event.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's an abundance of myths about training while pregnant and returning to activity postpartum. Our guest on this show is an expert in the field who helps separate fact from fiction with the latest research and knowledge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know we need carbs for training and racing, but what impact do they have on our health?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former XTERRA world champion and coach Melanie McQuaid talks with us about the pros and cons of top athletes becoming coaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you attract, nurture, and retain talented young riders? We find out in the latest Fast Talk Femmes podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At age 18, Spanish cyclist Juan Ayuso signed with World Tour team UAE Team Emirates. In this podcast, Dr. San Millán discusses Ayuso's successful move to the pro peloton and the obstacles facing American junior cyclists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s show, we talk about how we deal with the stress of competition, whether threshold intervals are so yesterday, and the mental side of dealing with health setbacks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Fast Talk Femmes, we learn more about RED-S, its effects on female endurance athletes, and ways to prevent it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael Crawley and Andy Kirkland join us to talk about what they’ve learned working and training with top Ethiopian runners.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this summary episode, Coach Connor shares a metaphor he developed to explain to all of his athletes how our bodies adapt to training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of our female-specific podcast, we chat with the director sportif of one of the most successful women's WorldTour teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We do a deep-dive with listener-favorite Dr. Iñigo San Millán about the goals of training in the base months and how to best execute that training.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special Nerd Lab episode, we focus on three recent studies published by Dr. Bent Ronnestad that are all focused on improving time at VO2max Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We chat with high-performance sports dietitian and researcher Dr. Dana Lis about how female athletes can get the most from their nutrition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time at VO2max is driving the recent research on what makes the most effective intervals, but is it a good metric to use? We find out on this week's Fast Talk podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all need goals to help us stay on track, but what's the secret to effective goal setting? Top Coaches Joe Friel and Neal Henderson share their secrets from working with both Top Pros and Amateurs alike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this first episode of our new female-specific podcast, we chat with dietitian and author Jennifer Sygo about all aspects of sports nutrition as it relates to the female endurance athlete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about what female endurance athletes need to thrive with our new podcast, hosted by two former pro cyclists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding your sources of motivation can be key to achieving your athletic potential, yet it's a topic that can also be surprisingly complex. We talk with mental performance expert Sonya Looney on how to find your motivation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our hosts pick their favorite podcasting moments from 2022 with a variety of fun and informative guests.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Dede Griesbauer who just won the Ultraman world championships at the age of 52. She talks with us about what it takes to win one of the world’s most grueling events.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s show, we talk about training over the holidays, why discomfort is important to our development, and our goals for 2023.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all understand the purpose of high-intensity intervals and long endurance rides, but is there a value to kitting up and doing a workout that’s both short and easy?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Espen Aareskjold, coach of Uno-X Pro Cycling, talks with Dr. Seiler about how they develop some of the best cyclists in the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore what happens to our bodies when we stop training for a period of time and address how to successfully navigate the effects of detraining. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The former pro triathlete and managing editor of Triathlete joins the podcast and talks with us about what brought her to Fast Talk Labs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We live in an era of data overload, so knowing how to interpret that data is key. Alan Couzens talks with us about how neural networks may be that answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Lauren Vallee talks with us about how cyclists and runners can incorporate the other sport into their training, not only to improve health, but to increase their performance.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USA Cycling’s head of coach development joins us to answer questions about training, coaching, why young riders are winning Grand Tours, and plenty more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s show, we talk about whether gravel racing can save North American racing, if adding a Zwift race to your interval work is still good training, and techniques our hosts use to keep in balance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking to us from the Big Island of Hawaii, we chat with Coach Ryan Bolton on all things Kona and get his expert analysis on some epic record-breaking racing.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second part of a limited series recorded by Dr. Stephen Seiler, he gives the history of exercise physiology research and answers many questions about why research is the way it is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re a roadie, a mountain biker or a triathlete, the unique demands of cyclocross mean it can make you better at your preferred discipline. On this week’s show we chat with cyclocross experts Grant Holicky and Stephen Hyde about the many benefits of ‘cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Physiologist Rob Pickels nerds out with Trevor Connor on four recent studies that span a wide range of topics, from the benefits of percussive massagers for strength work to the impact of pregnancy on elite runners. Tune in to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neuroscience isn’t an exciting term, but it can be one of the most important factors in how well our muscles perform. We talk about this fascinating connection between mind and body with Dr. Scott Frey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s show, we talk about whether there is a benefit to angling our hoods, long thresholds vs. short thresholds, and what extreme measures we have gone to for racing or training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Women are not small men" is a phrase synonymous with Stacy Sims—and in this show, we find out exactly what that means. Tune in to learn just how important it is for coaches and female athletes to adapt training so that women’s physiology can be used to harness their strengths—not hinder them—throughout their athletic lives.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our first episode of a limited series recorded with Dr. Stephen Seiler. In this episode, Seiler explains his history, then talks about something near and dear to him and all of us: the heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you reach the podium in not one sport, but three—and all in the same season? We chat with McBride and their coach, Mateo Mercur, to find out more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s show, we talk about marginal gains in the Tour, how best to approach training races, and what to do if you encounter an emergency mid-ride.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Threshold and VO2 Max intervals are two of the most common workouts for endurance athletes. However, what is the difference between the two, and how do you best execute each one? We dissect these questions with coach Hunter Allen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the past, present, and future of coach education with Joe Friel and Jon Tarkington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not everything that happens to us at altitude is positive, nor do we all respond the same way. We discuss the ins and outs of altitude camps, and how to make sure you benefit from them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Road racing has been on a decline, while virtual racing has been accelerating as a legitimate type of racing. We discuss what this means for both sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our hosts continue their potluck discussion and talk about what’s the ideal mental state for performance, whether we should be consistent with our intervals or not, and why failure is so important for an athlete to experience.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss the difference between nutrition and fueling, and why focusing on performance versus health can lead to different dietary choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss sweat rates, sodium & other electrolyte losses, general guidelines, and how everyone's sweat rates vary with Dr. Robert Kenefick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and renowned expert on injury and fit, Dr Andy Pruitt, answers questions about back pain, knee issues with increased training, numbness and pain where we sit, and how much we can still adapt as we age.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn the “ins and outs” of gravel racing as we discuss everything you need to know with pro-cyclists (now turned gravel racers), Alex Howes and Kiel Reijnen. From gear to weather to developing a good start and finish strategy, we cover it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our hosts have a “potluck discussion” about athletes' different needs for carbohydrates, how 2-minute intervals compare to Tabata’s, and why current athletes can come back much quicker from time off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heart rate, power, and now breathing: they all have their own languages and tools that are critical to endurance sports, but you might not have known that breathing is also trainable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fast Talk all-star guests including Dr. Iñigo San Millán, Kendra Wenzel, Joe Friel, Lennard Zinn, and Brent Bookwalter reveal their favorite workouts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bike tech guru Lennard Zinn talks with us about the biggest innovations in bicycle technology that have improved performance, ease of use, and perhaps most importantly, comfort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore how our bodies adapt to training and why that doesn’t mean maximally stressing the body, but stressing it the right amount at the right times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your training is done. It’s only a few days to your big event. This is when many athletes unravel months of training with a few bad choices. Top coach Neal Henderson discusses with us how to avoid the pitfalls and get the most out of those final days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medical Doctor and elite Zwift team manager Jennifer Real talks with us about indoor training and racing, and how to get effective recovery including monitoring sleep and taking Vitamin D.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Dr Bent R. Rønnestad to dive into questions about concurrent strength and endurance training including whether they interfere with one another, and if endurance athletes should strength train.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exercise physiologists and resident nerds Rob Pickels and Coach Trevor Connor continue their discussion of new scientific research in sport science. Though the discussions we have of these studies may not always directly apply to your weekly training plan, understanding the questions that have been asked by physiology researchers can give you context about what is known and knowable by science as it relates to human performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore how important it is to have race experience, a scientific background and a coaching background to fully guide athletes with coach, physiologist, and past pro Julie Young.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Houshang Amiri, a UCI Elite Coach and Trevor Connor’s coach at the Canadian National Center, to address questions about both building endurance and top end work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The author of The Athlete’s Gut talks with us about digestive issues like bloating, cramps, pain and inflammation - all of which can derail the best event preparation plans.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We got so much great information from Dr Stephen Seiler when we interviewed him for episode 200, we wanted to make sure we shared it all with our listeners. In this episode, Dr. Seiler tells about breathing, beer and heart rate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Case is leaving Fast Talk! For his final episode, we gather some of his close cycling friends to discuss Chris and his epic rides, his parting wisdom, and what has made him a special part of Fast Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked for your questions on our 200th anniversary episode and we got so many of them that we decided to dedicate another episode to answer them. Here are your questions answered!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When looking at the history of endurance sports coaching, there's no better guide than coach Joe Friel. Quite simply, Joe Friel is the most trusted endurance sports coach in the world. He has trained endurance athletes since 1980 in triathlon, duathlon, road cycling, and mountain biking. Joe has trained national champions, world championship contenders, and Olympic athletes. And he has coached scores of amateur athletes of all ability levels.  Friel’s philosophy and methodology for training athletes was developed over more than 40 years. They are based on his strong interest in sport science research and his experience training hundreds of athletes with a wide range of abilities.  Friel is cofounder of TrainingPeaks and the best-selling author of many books. These include The Triathlete’s Training Bible, The Cyclist’s Training Bible, Fast After 50, Going Long, Your Best Triathlon, The Power Meter Handbook, and Your First Triathlon. His cycling and triathlon coaching platform, Joe Friel Training, is among the most successful and respected in endurance sports.  We are privileged to have him on the show today to discuss the craft of coaching. And by that I mean both his personal views on what it takes to become an effective coach, as well as his new body of work entitled The Craft of Coaching, which is a multimedia guide to becoming a better, more successful, and happier coach. Drawing from his 40-year career, Joe shares the lessons he learned about athlete performance, the athlete-coach relationship, mastering the business side—and how to make coaching more rewarding.  Joining Joe on today’s episode are a group of coaches who have also had their impact on coaching as we now know it. This includes Dr. Andy Pruitt, the creator of the BG Fit system; Frank Overton, owner of FasCat Coaching; Chris Carmichael, the founder of Carmichael Training Systems; and Kristin Legan, who has been both a coach and a professional cyclist.   Let's dive into the history of coaching! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multiple-time Polka Dot Jersey Holder, Toms Skujins, discusses lactate testing, CGMs, ketone strips, and taking his own blood on the side of the road. If you’re a listener of this show, you understand that nothing can replace hard work if you want to be at your strongest. But that doesn’t stop many of us from keeping an eye on the newest gadgets and tools with the hopes that one or two of them will give us that little bit more; that slight edge that pushes us over the top.    What might surprise you is that is something that we share with even the highest-level professionals. And while many of us imagine a battery of physiologist and coaches precisely tuning there every decision, that’s often not the case. Many pros get their information from the same places as us and just like us, they’re often found stopped on the side of the road struggling with their newest gadget. That has been the case with today’s guest, a jersey leader at the Tour de France. Toms Skujins is a Latvian rider on the World Tour team Trek-Segafredo. He has worn the Polka Dot Jersey at the Tour de France and won multiple National Championships and one-day races.   Today Toms talks with us about the many tools he’s experimented with over the years including continuous glucose monitors, ketone strips, the CORE Body Temperature Monitor, Oura rings, the Leomo accelerometer, and even conducting lactate tests on himself. Some have given him that extra edge, while others have left him bleeding on the side of the road – literally. So, let’s dive into a few of these training aids and let’s make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

200! For our milestone 200the episode, we address one big question: What does the future hold? And we attempt to answer that question by looking at several aspects of what’s to come: from the future of sports medicine to the future of bike racing to the future of exercise physiology research. We first address the future of sports medicine. After 40 years of watching and, more importantly, influencing where endurance sports have gone, there could be no better guest than Dr. Andy Pruitt to help us predict where we will go next. What does the future of sports medicine hold? Will the development of products make us all better, healthier endurance athletes? How will bike fit change? Kristen Legan is, in many ways, representative of modern cycling: she doesn’t just race, she doesn’t just coach. She doesn’t just do road or gravel or bikepacking events. In fact, she started as a triathlete, then evolved into a ‘cross racer, and now she does a bit of everything, from ultra-events to MTB marathon races. And more and more cyclists are doing this same thing. Kristen helps us answer the question: What does the future of bike racing hold? Never at a loss for a well-reasoned remark about anything to do with training or cycling or physiology, Rob Pickels helps us put a point on our discussion of the future of endurance training. What is the future of things that didn’t exist five years ago—things like wearables (Whoop, Super Sapiens, etc.), virtual racing, and training? Finally, we couldn’t call it a special episode without Dr. Stephen Seiler. He first appeared nearly 150 episodes ago and he’s been with us, if not on podcasts, then in spirit ever since. The Jay Z of physiology, the godfather of polarized training, Mr. 4x8 himself, Dr. Stephen Seiler addresses the question: What does the future of endurance physiology research look like? From the very beginning, this show has been driven by the audience—we aim to serve you by exploring the topics you want to know more about, and by answering your thoughtful questions. This episode continues that legacy: We gathered your best questions, and chose a few to answer on some of the most popular themes we’ve discussed in the past: polarized vs. sweet spot training; muscle soreness; weight; and nutrition. Believe it or not, we also include some bloopers in this special 200th episode. You wouldn’t believe the dirt that various cameras and microphones have collected on us over the years. Don’t judge! Finally, Trevor and Chris offer their take-home on the last 200 episodes—the most important thing each has learned from the journey that is Fast Talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of our listeners, in fact, most of the staff here at Fast Talk Labs, could be considered “time-crunched athletes”—people with only 6-8 hours to train each week. We’re athletes who, because of commitments like parenting and work, must try and find ways to fit training in around life, rather than the other way around. And if you’ve heard that term before—the time-crunched athlete—it’s because of our guest today, who literally wrote the book on it. But before you jump to the conclusion that the prescription in the book is high-intensity intervals all the time, think again. That isn’t the case, and today we explore the specifics of the method, as well as the science that informs this training approach. We also discuss its limitations, and whether, as we are so often asked, if it can play nicely with the polarized approach. Our featured guest today is, of course, Chris Carmichael, author, coach, and the founder and CEO of Carmichael Training Systems, or CTS, which now boasts 50 professional endurance coaches who have worked with more than 25,000 amateur and professional athletes since 2000. Chris was a member of the 1984 Olympic Team and the iconic 7-Eleven Pro Cycling Team, and is a bestselling author of more than 10 books on training and nutrition. He was also coach to the U.S. Olympic Cycling team in 1992 and 1996. We're also joined by a host of other experienced coaches, including Menachem Brodie, Jared Berg, Julie Young, and Neal Henderson. It’s time to explore training with limited time. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We ask every guest of Fast Talk—coach, athlete, or scientist—to describe their favorite workout—the what, why, how, and when.  In this episode, we share the favorite workouts of legendary physiologist Dr. Ed Coyle, coach Jeff Winkler, pro off-road racer and coach Hannah Finchamp (who has since married and become Hannah Otto), coach Julie Young, physiologist Iñigo San Millán, TrainingPeaks cofounder Dirk Friel, and cycling journalist Ben Delaney. As each guest describes the specific details of their chosen workout, notice that it reveals a bit about their training philosophy and the “style” they bring to the execution and prescription.  For more workouts of Fast Talk All-Stars, check out part 1 and part 2 of this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On several previous episodes of Fast Talk, we have discussed the structural and biochemical changes that take place through the process of adaptation—through training. Today we’re going to address one of the most important and interesting structural changes, something called exercise-induced cardiac remodeling. As you train, your heart changes: This remodeling includes things like increases in chamber volume and muscle wall hypertrophy. Of course, these changes don’t happen after one set of intervals, so today we’ll discuss how long they take, and how quickly they are lost if you detrain or stop training because of injury. We’ll also explore both the performance changes and health consequences of this remodeling. We’re excited to be joined today by two leading experts in this area of research and clinical practice, Dr. Bradley Petek and Dr. Timothy Churchill. Dr. Petek is a cardiology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital and one of the authors of the journal article entitled “Cardiac effects of detraining in athletes: a narrative review” that you’ll hear us refer to in the show. And Dr. Churchill is a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of that hospital’s Cardiovascular Performance Program, where he studies cardiovascular adaptations to exercise as they apply to health, disease, and human performance. We’ll also hear from coach Julie Young to get her sense of how this remodeling effects physiology testing. We’ll also hear from coaches Julie Young and Jared Berg to get their understanding of how cardiac remodeling effects athletes of all abilities. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're joined by long-time contributor Julie Young who helps us field unique listener questions on how to build an annual training plan, coping with race stress, and overcoming body image issues. Building annual training plans The first question comes from our forum, from Devin Knickerbocker. He writes: “I just read the Houshang Amiri article “How to Develop a Yearly Training Plan” and I notice that he uses a spreadsheet. I have also been using a spreadsheet, but what resources and formats do you guys use to design and manage an ATP? Are there any apps or programs that facilitate this better than Microsoft Excel? I have tried to use TrainingPeaks, but I have found that it is difficult to get the right level of view. For example, their ATP builder is a combination of too high-level (e.g., you can’t look at planned progression of weight lifting, core, flexibility, skills and training all next to each other) and also, somehow, too granular (e.g. you have to pick the amount of TSS that you plan to be doing seven months in the future, which feels absurd). TrainingPeaks is great for planning a week and/or designing individual workouts but for the ATP functionality, i just don’t feel that it fills the bill. Any other ideas?” Coping with racing stress This question comes from John Ingram of Dublin, Ireland. He writes: “I’m new to road racing. I love it. But my love of racing is matched only by my hatred of pre-race nerves. The stress, the anxiety—sometimes to the point of nausea—takes away from the experience. What do I do to make it go away so I can enjoy this sport even more?” Body image This question comes from Amanda Newell in Providence, Rhode Island. She writes: “As a sprinter, it helps to put on muscle weight. Commitment to this discipline often means I’m surrendering to the fact that buying jeans will be more challenging than not. How can I better accept the beauty in strength and performance versus one that is defined more by the traditional image of beauty and femininity as skinny and less muscular?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we go through our favorite moments of 2021 including talks with Dr. Asker Jeukendrup, Kristin Armstrong, Jim Miller, Jeff Winkler, Neal Henderson, Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Q&A on Nordic Skiing, Recovery, and Mixing Training Modalities, with Adam St. Pierre Adam St. Pierre, the head coach of the Nordic ski team at Montana St. University, and a former physiologist and jack-of-all-trades at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, joins Fast Talk to discuss nordic skiing and how it fits into endurance training, oxygen debt versus deficit, muscle recovery, and mixing running and cycling training modalities effectively. Nordic ski training This first question comes from Ashley Masen in California: “Since cross country skiing is full-body and pushes higher stroke volume than cycling can, could there be a really beneficial way to do VO2max training in the early season, then focus on extending threshold and adding specificity on the bike as you get closer to your race?” Oxygen debt versus deficit This question comes from Rodney Simpson in North Carolina. He writes: “What is your explanation of oxygen debt and oxygen deficit? Is the latency heart rate at the beginning of applying power for a zone 3 interval due to O2 debt or O2 deficit? Also, the duration to return to pre zone 3 interval heart rate due to fitness or fatigue?” Muscle recovery This question comes from Kjeld Bontenbal in the Netherlands. He writes: “Where resting HR and HRV seem to be proper guidelines for cardiovascular recovery, how about muscle recovery? As a speed skater I often find my rest HR and HRV ‘at rest’, while my legs still feel sore. The soreness translates itself into lower power output in both the aerobic and anaerobic area. It makes me wonder: What is a good measure to determine the recovery state of the muscles? When the legs feel sore, should I give them more rest for optimal super-compensation?” References Chazaud, B. (2016). Inflammation during skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodeling: application to exercise‐induced muscle damage management. Immunology and Cell Biology, 94(2), 140–145. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/icb.2015.97 Demarle, A. P., Slawinski, J. J., Laffite, L. P., Bocquet, V. G., Koralsztein, J. P., & Billat, V. L. (2001). Decrease of O2 deficit is a potential factor in increased time to exhaustion after specific endurance training. Journal of Applied Physiology, 90(3), 947–953. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.90.3.947 Howatson, G., & Someren, K. A. van. (2008). The Prevention and Treatment of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Sports Medicine, 38(6), 483–503. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200838060-00004 Minett, G. M., & Duffield, R. (2014). Is recovery driven by central or peripheral factors? A role for the brain in recovery following intermittent-sprint exercise. Frontiers in Physiology, 5, 24. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2014.00024 Mizumura, K., & Taguchi, T. (2016). Delayed onset muscle soreness: Involvement of neurotrophic factors. The Journal of Physiological Sciences, 66(1), 43–52. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-015-0397-0 Peake, J. M., Neubauer, O., Gatta, P. A. D., & Nosaka, K. (2017). Muscle damage and inflammation during recovery from exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(3), 559–570. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00971.2016 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking speed, but not necessarily the kind that comes from hard work, although we touch on things like coaches and training plans as the first and most important step to “buying” speed. This episode is about what makes you faster by focusing on aerodynamics and reducing drag or that CdA coefficient that is so important. This is an episode about the things that directly bring speed.    We’re joined by our friend and colleague Ben Delaney who has spent decades riding and reviewing countless bikes and pieces of gear for VeloNews and BikeRadar, as well as time in the industry with Specialized. He takes us through his tiered hierarchy of options when it comes to spending your way to a faster you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While we’ve talked about supplements on Fast Talk before, we’ve never sat down with one of the world’s preeminent nutrition researchers to dive into the history and overall value of supplements. But that’s just what we do today. Dr. Louise Burke is a sports dietitian with 40 years of experience in the education and counseling of elite athletes. She worked at the Australian Institute of Sport for 30 years, first as Head of Sports Nutrition and then as Chief of Nutrition Strategy. She was the team dietitian for the Australian Olympic Teams for the 1996 through 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Her publications include over 350 papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and the authorship or editorship of several textbooks on sports nutrition. And her list of accomplishments and accolades goes on. She is now a Professorial Fellow at Australian Catholic University. With the limited time we had with Dr. Burke, we discuss the rise and fall of many supplement fads, the evolving classification of supplements, and the role she played in the creation of an evidence-based categorization system. Then we take a closer look at some of the most popular and effective supplements, discussing the history, development, and efficacy of each. Today we also hear from a host of other athletes and coaches to get their opinions on supplements. These include Amos Brumble, Houshang Amiri, Dr. Andy Pruitt, Colby Pearce, and Rebecca Rusch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This first question we’ve saved for this special occasion. Brenda Castile from Essex, Connecticut, writes: “Thanksgiving! I love it. I love the food, I love the drinks, I love the desserts. I love being around family. All of which means I’m exposed to calories and germs, a cyclist’s worst nightmare. And, as usual, it comes just a couple of weeks before I want to be at my best for the finale of ‘cross season. So, how can I have my cake and eat it too? How does someone who takes the sport seriously, as I do, but who also has the perspective on ‘normal’ life to know that I shouldn’t boycott a special gathering that I love for a chance at a dinky medal at ‘cross nationals this year. Am I just playing mind games with myself? Can I splurge for a day, do my best to limit my exposure to germs and other creepy crawlies, and then get straight back on the wagon the next day, no worse for wear? How do I keep the mind games from making me feel guilty and exposed right when I want to be buckling down for a chance at amateur glory?” Binge before or after? This next question comes from Sid Merriman in Dover, Delaware. He writes: “Simple question: before or after? Thanksgiving is a time for feasting and turkey trots, but do I feast first and then trot, or trot then feast? My wife and I debate the topic of timing every year. I want to get my turkey trot in first, then binge like there’s no tomorrow—which means she’s pushing back the Thanksgiving meal until late afternoon to accommodate my schedule. She wants me to eat first, so that I get to the turkey trot later in the day to work off that ginormous plate of pecan pie—which means I'm pushing her to have the Thanksgiving meal at or before noon so I have time to digest 8,000 calories before running my brains out. Who’s right, me or my wife?” Avoiding the Jan Ullrich effect This question comes from Casey Hickock in Bend, Oregon. He writes: “When I was first getting into cycling in the late 1990s, I remember watching the Tour de France on TV when Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich were battling. When it came to Jan, a topic of conversation that always seemed to pop up was about his weight, and how much he would put on in the off-season and how hard it would be for him to lose it the following season. Well, I know how the man must have felt. Leaving everything else from that era aside, can you help me avoid the seemingly inevitable weight gain of winter—I slow down, the food and beer seem to get richer and more plentiful, and the weight gain speeds up. Every year it gets harder to shed the weight come spring. Surely, you’ve heard this before or even dealt with it yourself. I imagine discipline is key here… but besides that, what can I do to avoid this up and down cycle year after year?” Food as medicine This question comes from Brad With. He writes: “I recently read an article by Trevor where he discusses health issues, inflammation, and sickness during his cycling training. I've raced bikes for about 18 years in Colorado. I have been plagued with frequent colds (8-10 a year), digestive issues, and Celiac disease. I have also had a bout of viral postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS) syndrome. I also had a rare and serious pneumonia that almost took my life in 2012. I always felt that there was possibly a major factor contributing to these problems. I am seriously considering whether it's the food I'm eating. I'm trying to find some evidence that a drastic change in diet could contribute to improving my health. Paleo is one of the avenues I would like to try. I would like to find other (anecdotal) evidence that Paleo has improved the health of others.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many ways to measure intensity. This is an episode about the one that is often forgotten: RPE. Perceived exertion is a standardized way to classify a subjective feeling. We've touched upon RPE in many episodes, often referring to the fact that top pros all know "the feel." Today, we argue that the metric of feeling—perceived exertion, RPE, sensations, whatever you call it—is in many ways the most important metric. Yes, we're arguing that it is even more important than power and heart rate. We set the stage by defining RPE. Next, we lay out our argument for why RPE may be the most important metric—whether in the training or racing context. Then we turn our attention to ways to learn how to understand or interpret feelings to determine RPE. It's not an easy task, but there are certain steps you can take to hone your sense of, well, sense. Finally, we discuss the best ways to use RPE, from the ability to assess where you're at to knowing what efforts of a given length "feel like" so that you can then use that to pace in races; from adjusting power and HR in training to how the sRPE scale can be used to integrate off-the-bike workouts into overall training load. Since this is a summary episode, we pulled from previous episodes to hear from a host of the most prominent coaches, athletes, and researchers, including: Jeff Winkler, Joe Friel, Kristen Legan, Amos Brumble, Dirk Friel, Kristin Armstrong, Ned Overend, Dr. Stephen Seiler, Kate Courtney, Svein Tuft, and Julie Young. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the beginning, a bike fit would include a guy at a bike shop with a plumb line and a theory. Now, bike fit is a full-fledged science with video cameras, 3D models, and a greater understanding of human anatomy and physiology as it pertains to cycling. In part 2 of our bike fit discussion, we’ll explore the practical implications of bike fit, from the debate over aerodynamics versus power to our guest’s feelings about technology versus experience and intuition, and many other subjects, generally in the realm of "methodology." Once again we're joined by three of the great minds in bike fit. Dr. Andy Pruitt is the director of sports medicine here at Fast Talk, and one of the pioneers of the study of cycling biomechanics. Our next guest has appeared on Fast Talk many times before, and he also continues to host his own podcast, “Cycling in Alignment.” Of course, I speak of Colby Pearce. Finally, making his Fast Talk debut is Todd Carver, co-founder of Retül and the head of human performance at Specialized, which now owns the Retül fit technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exercise physiologist Rob Pickels returns to Fast Talk to out-nerd Coach Trevor Connor as they discuss new scientific research in sport science. Though the findings of these studies may not always directly apply to your weekly training plan, understanding the questions that have been asked by physiology researchers can give you context about what is known and knowable by science as it relates to human performance. In case you missed our last Nerd Lab episode, check out Fast Talk episode 172: Sprinting, Overtraining Your Cells, Durability: Rob Pickels & Trevor Connor Nerd Out on Recent Research. FTP20 Test Review The first review, "What is known about the FTP 20 test related to cycling? A scoping review," revealed there are only a few studies that have looked at the 20-minute test of FTP. The protocols of the different studies varied a lot, so it is difficult to find significant trends. Overall, this is a thorough analysis of the 20-minute FTP test and how well it predicts/correlates with other measures. For example, it has decent correlation with MLSS and LT2, but shouldn’t replace them. Interval Protocols and Time Near VO2max In the next study, "Time Spent Near VO2max During Different Cycling Self-Paced Interval Training Protocols," the researchers compared 4-minute and 8-minute self-paced intervals with 4:1 and 2:1 recovery ratios. The findings suggest the 2:1 ratios tended to result in more time near VO2max. But it raises a question: Is time near VO2max the goal? The assumption is that time at VO2max is better for adaptations. Does this assumption drive bad training practices? Finally, this study also raises interesting questions about self-paced vs. set intensity intervals. Inclusion of Sprints in Transition Period The final study, entitled "The Inclusion of Sprints in Low-Intensity Sessions During the Transition Period of Elite Cyclists Improves Endurance Performance 6 Weeks Into the Subsequent Preparatory Period," looked at whether having some intensity in the transition period will help a subsequent preparation period. The findings suggest that including sprints improved 20 minute all-out TT, but there is still a question of whether there is a physiological benefit. The test procedure was huge; there were differences between the groups. All that improved was their ability to ride at a higher percent of VO2max. Is it a simple improvement in an athlete's ability to suffer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bike fit was once purely a quote-unquote “philosophy.” In the old days, you may have experienced getting a so-called fit by a guy at a bike shop with a plumb line and a theory. Now, bike fit is a full-fledged science—there are video cameras everywhere, 3D modeling, and so on. That being said, it’s a science that is still influenced by philosophy—what each fitter brings to the exam and analysis that impacts his or her perspective. Today, we’ve gathered three of the great minds in bike fit to discuss this complex and extremely important aspect of cycling. When we sat down to discuss the topic, to no one’s surprise, they spoke for hours, so we’ve decided to split this conversation into two parts. Today, we start with a discussion about the philosophy of fit, and how science fits into that philosophy. In part 2, we’ll discuss the practical implications of bike fit, from the debate over aerodynamics versus power, to our guest’s feelings about technology versus experience and intuition. Our guests’ immense experience and influence on the world of bike fit cannot possibly be captured in a single sentence, but that’s what I’ll try to do. Dr. Andy Pruitt is the director of sports medicine here at Fast Talk, and one of the pioneers of the study of cycling biomechanics. Our next guest has appeared on Fast Talk many times before, and he also continues to host his own podcast, “Cycling in Alignment.” Of course, I speak of Colby Pearce. Finally, making his Fast Talk debut is Todd Carver, co-founder of Retül and the head of human performance at Specialized, which now owns the Retül fit technology. What do each of our guests have to say about his fit philosophy? What’s involved in a fit? What's the goal of a fit? Stay tuned. Let's get you fit… and make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest coach for this episode is Rab Wardell, owner of Wardell Cycle Coaching, who competed at the mountain bike marathon world championships for Team GB in 2021 and, in 2020, set the fastest known time (FKT) for the West Highland Way in the Highlands of Scotland. (Check out the film here, which was selected for the prestigious Banff Film Festival in 2021.) Rab helps us answer questions on whether adding some intensity to your long, slow distance rides are detrimental to training adaptations, how to find a new coach when you feel you've reached your limit with previous coaches, and how much a coach should teach his or her athletes the scientific purpose of training and individual workouts. Mixing intervals into long rides This question comes from Stuart Hardy of Addlethorpe, UK. He writes: "Are there any detrimental effects to dropping Seiler Z3 efforts into the long slow rides (which are two to three hours for me)? Essentially, this would mean riding easy on the flat and hitting the short punchy hills (1-5 minute) we have around me hard. Basically, I would be either easy or all-out in the same ride. I suppose the question is: Does going into VO2/Anaerobic during a long aerobic ride cause the body to change its mode of operation and shift energy systems, thus negating the benefits we’re striving for by riding for longer (i.e. FatMax/aerobic capacity)? Does it shift the body towards glycolysis and it doesn’t revert back between the efforts?” Finding your level of coachThis next question comes from Beth Frankel of Hilo, Hawaii. She writes: “When I started cycling seriously five years ago at the age of 22, I found a coach that I liked working with and who was also relatively new to the coaching field. We seemed to click and he has been a great partner in my progress. But now I feel like I’ve reached his limit, and therefore, mine. I’m a Cat. 3 getting decent results, but I want to take it up a level. As I look for my next coach, what are the things I should be looking for? What are the questions I should be asking myself, in terms of what I need? And what are the questions I should be asking the potential coach to understand if he or she can meet those needs?” Psychology of coachingThis question comes from Dana Parker in Bristol, Tennessee. She writes: “My coach and I have had some differences as of late as to how she should deliver certain messages and plans to me. For example, while she wants to ‘teach’ me how and why to do certain things, I just want to be told what to do. I have a lot going on in life, and the last thing I want to do as I prepare to head out the door to do intervals is to read an email about some scientific principle or physiological mechanism. Just tell me how hard to go, how long to go, and when I can call it a day. Is there something I can do to help her understand that the ‘why’ isn’t always important to me? Or can you convince me that the ‘why’ is more important than I think it is? Or do I just need to find a new coach?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Fast Talk podcast was originally geared toward cycling, many of the concepts we discuss can be applied across all endurance sports. After all, human physiology remains the same whether we’re talking cycling, running, rowing, or cross-country skiing.   Today we’re joined by someone who has a broad understanding of endurance sports, not only because he’s studied human physiology in the lab for decades, but he’s also worked with athletes across a broad range of athletic pursuits and participated in many of the sports he studies, from rowing to cycling.  With the help of Dr. Stephen Seiler, today we compare and contrast endurance sports as a whole, exploring everything from cardiovascular hemodynamics to muscle loading. We also discuss training impacts and implications across sports—how similar are they, how different are they, and does the polarized approach work for all of them—and in the same way?  While we had him, we also asked Dr. Seiler a few questions we often get asked by listeners about the polarized approach, including what intensity should 4x8-minute intervals be done at and should we ever do sweet spot work. And just to be clear, when Dr. Seiler discusses “threshold” sessions, he uses the research definition, which is actually sweet spot training—cyclists think of threshold sessions differently. We clarify all of this and more on the show.  Adding to our conversation today are Adam St. Pierre, the head coach of the Nordic ski team at Montana St. University, Joe Gambles, a longtime professional triathlete and coach, and Glenn Swan, a former master’s national cycling champion and Coach Connor’s mentor.  To all the runners, rowers, skiers, AND cyclists out there, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Gambles has been racing triathlon professionally for nearly 25 years and has been coaching for the last seven years. We've gathered many of our triathlon-specific questions for the right athlete and coach—and Joe fits that bill. Training distribution This question comes from Frank Bastion in Bellingham, Washington. He writes: “I’m new to triathlon, but have a decent background in other endurance sports including running, which I did for five-plus years competitively. I haven’t yet hired a coach to work with me for triathlon training. What’s the best way (or ways) for me to determine how my training time should be distributed between the three sports? For further background, I have the least experience on the bike. I used to swim in high school and was decently competitive. Running is what I’m most comfortable with. Running outside after running inside all winter This question comes from Hampton Pryor in Sheffield, UK. He writes: “Last year I did a ton of my riding on Zwift during the winter. While I was doing that, I noticed increasing numbers of people using Zwift for running. So this winter I’m seriously considering moving almost all of my training indoors, and doing my runs on the treadmill on Zwift over the winter. But eventually I have to get outside, right? How can I make the transition to the road easier once the snow melts?” Prioritizing events This question comes from Stefanie Weidenhammer from Munich, Germany. She writes: “In the past several seasons, my training and racing has been very disrupted. It has been three summers since I have been able to do a full Ironman distance event. As I rebuild toward a goal of completing one in the summer of 2022, would you recommend I use sprint, Olympic, or half Ironman events—or a combination of several of these—to prepare for a full Ironman event? How much time would you leave between each of them? How should I approach the shorter events when using them as practice for a full distance event?” GI distress on the run This question comes from Zdenek Novak from Prague. He writes: “Tell me when you have heard this one before: I often will feel good on the bike, but once I start the run I will frequently get pains in the stomach or other symptoms of discomfort [GI distress]. What is the answer? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? I have tried using all manner of nutrition on the bike, from all liquid to all solid, and everything in between.” Knee warmers! This question comes from Joe Melton of Utica, New York. He writes: “I live in the northern U.S. and it’s starting to get cold here when I train. I’ve heard your podcast about covering your legs, but I think I can tolerate the cold better than most. I frequently wear arm warmers, but my legs are fine. Do I really need knee warmers?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young athletes have a host of concerns outside of sport that make their development a unique, challenging undertaking. While they can often be sponges for new information, skills, and techniques, they are also dealing with complex stressors and pressures—in many ways they are more vulnerable than their adult counterparts.  Today we discuss ways to develop young athletes with Alec Pasqualina, USA Cycling’s Director of the Olympic Development Academy, or ODA.  While he willingly admits he doesn’t have all the answers, the 25-year-old Pasqualina is attempting to take this fledgling program within the national governing body and bring opportunity and access to more young cyclists than ever before.   We hit him with all manner of questions about the general principles that guide youth athletic development, as well as specific questions on the ODA, how it compares to the Long Term Athlete Development model, as well as the thornier subject of how parents should and should not be involved in their children’s development.  We also hear from several other coaches with decades of experience in youth development, including Houshang Amiri, director of the Pacific Cycling Center; Coach Ryan Kohler, Coach Rebecca Gross, and former collegiate cyclist Adam Wisseman.   If you have kids, listen up. If you coach kids, pay attention.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Rebecca Gross, owner of 3six0 Performance, we field questions on polarized training, how to effectively close out a season, whether you can ruin workouts with indulgences or poor sleep, and how to get the most out of spin class. Before Rebecca began coaching, she was an accomplished cyclocross and mountain bike racer. She was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky and has twice won the collegiate mountain bike short track national championship. She continues to race professionally. Rebecca is also a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a masters degree in sport and performance psychology from the University of Denver. Polarized training progressionThis question comes from Eoin Cremen, from Bath in the UK. He writes: “This question comes from a long-running debate between my twin brother and I about the optimal progression of bike intervals in a training program, moving from early / base season, into an 'A' race / short racing season. We both subscribe to a polarized model, predominantly using sessions as the distribution, rather than durations in zone. The question has revolved around the balance between the final training block reflecting re-enforcing race pace at distances nearing race duration, or pushing to develop the higher end qualities (both centrally, VO2Max, and peripherally, fiber and cellular physiology). We have both played with "Seiler-esque" intervals (4x2, progressing to 8x2) as the HIIT component of a training block, complemented with regular easy, Z2 sessions. Then for the final block, we’d elongate the duration and reduce the intensity of these efforts and often include them into longer rides to allow for more time at higher intensities. We also have considered swapping the emphasis of those training blocks, essentially training long to short, race pace to VO2max intensity. Thoughts?” Ramping down a seasonThis question comes from Sara Larsen of Brattleboro, Vermont. She writes: “As the seasons start to change here in the Northeast, it’s about time I hang up the road bike. The thing is, I still feel like my fitness is high, and my mind is fresh. What should I do in this situation? Bottle that energy and motivation and save it for next year? I’m not really one to race cyclocross. Are there other outlets I should pursue?" Burned out on structureIn a related question from Britt Gunnarson of Kolding, Denmark, she asks: “I have reached a point in my season where I have decent form, but I don’t have the mental energy to do more structured intervals. With one more race to go this season, I don’t know if I should continue to push the mental side of things, scrap the season, or if there is an alternative to these.” Ruining a workout?This question comes from Scott Dickey from San Diego, California. He writes: “I’m prone to indulging in an occasional beer or three after a hard workout. It helps me relax. Sometimes I also stay up late or my sleep is disrupted after a hard workout or long ride. I seem to be buzzing for hours and sleep poorly. I’ve often wondered where’s the breaking point… If I get the work in, but then indulge too much or don’t rest well, did I gain anything? Or did I just lose the chance to gain something from the work I put in?” Can spin classes replace Zwift?Finally, a question from Joe Uknalis. He writes: “For the sake of motivation this winter, I’m considering spinning classes, rather than another year of Zwift. I just would rather be around people. How do they fit into a training schedule when it's cold and dark outside? How do I use them effectively for motivation, without overdoing it? Is that possible in that setting? Where does that leave you when you can finally get outside again?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking cyclocross, a discipline that is as demanding as it is rewarding and educational. Because there are so many variables in ’cross, athletes are constantly being challenged and consistently faced with new opportunities to learn and progress. Whether that’s the engine or the skills. Whether that’s strength, power, finesse, or off-the-bike prowess. In cyclocross, you’re always on the edge, and that’s the focus of today’s episode.     The short-duration, high-intensity nature of cyclocross sharpens the pointy end of fitness. Cyclocross also offers countless opportunities to improve many technical aspects of cycling. Want to exponentially improve your handling skills? Cyclocross is the answer. Always wanted to feel more “at-one” with your bike? Yup, cyclocross wins again.    Today we’ll hear from one of the greats of American cyclocross, three-time national champion Stephen Hyde, a longtime member of the iconic Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com squad who now races for the Steve Tilford Foundation Racing team. We talk about all aspects of the sport, from dealing with the weather to skills acquisition to tactics and race-day prep.     We also hear from Alec Donahue, who once coached Hyde and who specializes in cyclocross coaching, as well as Dr. William Adams, who speaks to preparing for cold weather. All that and more, today on Fast Talk.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, four of us on the Fast Talk Labs staff—our producer Jana, Head Coach Ryan, Trevor, and me—chose an N1 Challenge. You’ve hopefully heard us speak about it previously on the show. It was meant to be an experiment of one—each of us—offering lessons for all, particularly you, the listeners.     Today, we explore that last bit, those “lessons for all” that each of us gained from our respective events. The most common term used to describe our events was “transformative...” That’s a big word. Yet, in each case, the adjective is appropriate. In the case of Jana, for example, it’s so appropriate that she up and moved to Spain and is traveling indefinitely, with her bike in tow wherever she goes.    Personal challenges, races, events of all kinds are meant to teach us not just how to train better or more effectively, to progress as athletes and hopefully people, but also to gain a greater understanding of what’s possible, what it means to be alive and healthy and able to do the things we love. That’s transformative. And that’s what we’ll discuss today.    One final note: Sadly, Trevor has had to call an audible several times on his N1 Challenge, after health issues and race cancellations disrupted his plans. Still, he learned lessons along the way that everyone can benefit from, and he shares those today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve listened to Fast Talk for any length of time, you’ve likely heard the name Glenn Swan. That’s because Glenn was Coach Connor’s first and, arguably, most influential mentor in the sport of cycling. Trevor has gone so far as to say that without Glenn’s influence, he probably would not have become the cyclist he became. Thus, Trevor often refers to lessons he learned from Glenn on the show.    We’re excited to have Glenn on this episode to discuss many facets of mentoring, including his definition of that seemingly simple term, as well as the benefits of having a mentor, and the differences between mentors and coaches, plus much more. Glenn’s influence wasn’t focused solely on Trevor, of course. He served as a mentor to many in the Ithaca, New York cycling community where he lived and trained. He helped shape the careers of many great cyclists, and we’re very pleased to have him share his wisdom today.    We’re also joined by a collection of several wise athletes and coaches today, including pro roadie Erica Clevenger, former elite cyclist Adam Wisseman, endurance coach Daniel Matheny, legendary coach Joe Friel, and author and coach Jim Rutberg.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CTL. Chronic Training Load has rapidly gained in popularity among endurance athletes, but how well understood is this complex metric? Today we discuss the benefits of CTL, as well as the issues that can arise if too much stock is placed in this one number.     CTL can tell you the general level you’re at, and more importantly, it can indicate trends in your training and help direct your training plan. But is this little acronym quickly replacing FTP as the metric of reference? Indeed, many people seem to think of it as an indication of how strong they are. But should they? Are there any dangers to doing so? As always, we start by taking a step back and defining how it is calculated and what assumptions and estimates it is based on.    Today, Trevor and I discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of CTL. Ultimately, we want to try and answer as many of the questions we’ve received about this metric as possible, and help illustrate why a focus on training principles, rather than any single number, is much more effective for creating adaptations and seeing gains.    As we always do on our summary episodes, we hear from a world-class group of coaches, scientists, and athletes, including Tim Cusick, Larry Warbasse, Joe Friel, Dr. Stephen Seiler, Dr. Iñigo San Millan, Kendra Wenzel and others.     Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June, Trevor went to Moab for what he thought would be a nice vacation filled with mountain biking with friends. It turned into a stressful, harrowing experience when one friend was evacuated to the hospital by helicopter, and Trevor was left wondering if he’d live. No, it wasn’t from a crash. It was all about the heat that day. Trevor’s friend had suffered heat stroke. Or was it heat stress? Ultimately, the trip made Trevor wonder what he could have done differently. Thus, we found experts to help us better understand heat stress, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and similar conditions elicited by heat. In this episode we try to answer several questions: What are the true definitions of these conditions? What are the causes? What are the physiological ramifications? What can you look for, in yourself or others, to know if serious issues are on the horizon? And what can you do to prevent those early symptoms from turning into a catastrophe? We’re joined today by Adam Wisseman, a collegiate national championship podium finisher and Trevor’s friend who lived through this ordeal in the heat of Moab. We also hear from Emile Abraham, a former pro and Pan Am Games medalist turned elite coach. Finally we’re joined by Dr. William Adams, the associate director of sports medicine research at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, whose work focuses on investigating the prevention, management, and care of heat-related illness, among other things. He's the perfect expert for our episode today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Alec Donahue, the senior coach at Cycle-Smart who has worked with some of the best American cyclocross racers, including Jeremy Powers, Stephen Hyde, and Ellen Noble, we dive into questions on training zones and whether we're being duped by them; beer and bike culture and its effect on recovery and performance; effective methods for transitioning to cyclocross season; 'cross skills; and weekly planning for time-crunched athletes. Duped by zones? This question comes from Brian Adkins. He writes: “Given that there are three primary energy systems— 1) ATP-PC, for very short efforts; 2) anaerobic glycolysis; and 3) aerobic—and that we now know that all three are typically being utilized, just in varying proportions, I'm wondering if we (cyclists) have been underserved with this seven-zone Coggan model of: Active Recovery Endurance Tempo Lactate Threshold VO2max Anaerobic Capacity Neuromuscular The polarized training idea resonates well with me, and I enjoy that type of training. So I'm trying to think through the ramifications of various interval durations for power that are above threshold. The distinction between zones 5 & 6 seems a little silly—aren't both emphasizing anaerobic glycolysis quite a bit, with more emphasis from higher wattage? Are the actual adaptations resulting from a 4x8-min @ 108% FTP really that different from a 3x4x1.5-min @ 125% FTP? It seems reasonable that central adaptations may relate to durations of a certain heart rate (e.g. 8-minute intervals averaging 90% HRmax seem important from Seiler), but what about the muscular adaptations, and how they vary in these higher zones?” Beers and bikes This question comes from Eric in Somerville, Mass. He writes: “Given the ‘beer and bike’ culture, I would be very interested in knowing if there are any performance or recovery effects of alcohol use.” Transition to cyclocross This question comes from Colin in Colorado. He writes: “I have been racing marathon MTB and 100-mile gravel races this year with large volume and significant work around Lactate Balance Point or Sweet Spot Training to create high CTL numbers—for me that’s around 95. What strategies should I employ to transition summer fitness to cyclocross specificity? Should I continue high volume in a polarized fashion while the weather is nice while focusing on VO2max and anaerobic capacity work during intervals? Is there value in still hitting SST or FTP in my lead up?” Cyclocross skills training This question comes from Megan in Westport, Ireland. She writes: “I have heard Katie Compton discuss how she trains certain ‘cross skills by repeating the same skill over and over again, at a faster and faster pace, until she is ultimately going faster than race pace. Is this a sound approach for amateurs? What other pro tips do you have for mastering ‘cross skills, particularly ones that involve quickness at race speeds?” Mapping out a week This question comes from Robert. He writes: “I typically have 10 hours/week to train. I try to spend 1-2 of those hours doing some strength routine work for maintenance. I tend towards a ‘polarized’ model. I’ve been riding regularly for eight years so there’s not a lot of ‘unknowns’ in my overall capabilities. Like a lot of people, I am time crunched, especially when it comes to getting in a ride/workout of longer than 1.5 hours. That said, I can probably get 2-3 hours of training in a day a couple of times a week if I workout before and after work. What’s the best way to plan this for maximal adaptive response? And how do two-a-days affect adaptive response with different kinds of stimuli?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you watch the Olympics, do you think about the dedication, sacrifice, and risk that it takes to focus on such a big event, one that takes four years to prepare for? The pressure is immense. Is it worth it? When we invited Olympians Svein Tuft and Errine Zarsadias (you may remember her as Erinne Willock from her racing days) to join us on Fast Talk, we intended to discuss whether it was wise to focus on a single big race—for example, that Olympic Games or world championship race, or, for the amateurs among us, the state championships or that one big race you always wanted to win. What are the benefits of such focus? What are the dangers? While we did broach that subject, we ultimately ended up discussing so much more, from goal setting to purposeful training. Svein, an 11-time Canadian national time trial champion and two-time road champion, and Errine, a Pan Am Games silver medalist, each share their personal experiences with the Olympics and worlds, the things they would change and the things they’d do the same, in hindsight. They discuss the dangers of putting all their eggs in one basket—the dangers of placing too much emphasis on a single day or course. They also discuss how having a purpose and other goals based on enjoyment are perhaps the most rewarding and, ultimately, most performance-benefitting mindsets you can take. In addition to Svein and Errine, we hear from prominent sports psychologist Julie Emmerman and elite coach Kendra Wenzel who each share their perspective on the best way to target races. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Kendra Wenzel, co-founder and head coach at Wenzel Coaching, we field questions on how to manage training when you have a busy travel schedule, when to get intensity during the week before a race, incorporating big gear work into your LSD rides, and knowing when to push through or when to pull the plug on a workout. Travel and trainingThis first question comes from Steve Herman in Dayton, Ohio. He writes: “I recently took a new job that requires a significant travel schedule. Typically, about once or twice per month, I’ll have a two- to three-day trip, but sometimes more. I can control when I travel to some extent, but not completely. So far, I’ve been planning my workouts around my trips and vice versa, i.e., digging an ATL “hole” and using the time off the bike while away from home to recover. This can’t be optimal. Now that I’m in the off-season, I’ve been thinking about incorporating running to eventually build up my ability to do high-intensity and/or long-duration workouts while traveling. What are your thoughts on that idea? Is there some way to translate work done while running to work done on the bike? Is there a better way to deal with this?” Training camp before a big raceOur next question on travel comes from Susan Squam in Buffalo, New York. She writes: “I have my target race coming up towards the end of August. It’s a three-day stage race. I want to do a big training camp before the race, but I was wondering how much rest I need between the end of the camp and the race? The race starts on a Friday and I’m flying there on the Wednesday night. Does finishing my camp on the Sunday before give me enough time?” HIT work in final race prepThis question comes from Lasse in Lillehammer, Norway. He writes: “I am planning to run a 14-mile [running] race on Saturday. How many days before the race should I refrain from doing a HIT workout? Can I do one Thursday and then have Friday to recover or is two days out too close? If two days is too close, can I focus the HIT workout on upper body on Thursday? Will that leave my legs fresh for the race on Saturday?” When to push through or pull the plugThis question comes from David Sutter in Carbondale, Colorado. He writes: “Should I suspend training if I am feeling exhausted or push through with a shorter zone 2 workout? Am I negating gains that could be realized by not allowing for adequate recovery? When I see CTL drop on TrainingPeaks, it makes me think I'm losing fitness, but I think that is a maybe a flaw with CTL?” Effective use of training racesThis question comes from Amos Kirkpatrick in Burbank, California. He writes: “I’m not a big interval guy. I love to get my intensity through training races. Most weeks, I’ll do the group ride on the weekend, a training race on Tuesdays, and another training race on Thursdays when work allows. Is this an effective approach to keep me strong throughout the season and to prepare for my target event?” Big gear work on your LSD rides?Our final question comes from Scott in Greensboro, North Carolina. He writes: “Is there any benefit to doing the long, slow rides at a slow grinding cadence? I do mine indoors on rollers. My thought process would be that the low cadence (60 rpm or lower) would fatigue the slow-twitch muscles quicker, thus, recruiting the fast-twitch muscles to work sooner.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a long time, weight loss and weight management strategies have focused on counting calories. The question we ask in today’s episode is: Does that work? That is, if you count accurately, will it predict your weight loss or gain?    To answer these questions, we pit two theories against each other. On one side, there is the argument that you can’t break the laws of thermodynamics, and therefore a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, and you just need to know what goes in your body and how it gets used to understand which direction your weight will go.    On the other side, there is the carbohydrate-insulin model, based on the fact that insulin promotes energy storage and, as a result, the belief is that low energy availability then promotes intake.    We’ll discuss the evidence for and against the viability of each of these theories, then turn our attention to what is arguably a more important question: Do we over-equate weight loss with improved health? And what are the most healthy ways to lose weight?    We’re excited to be joined today by a leading voice in the world of exercise physiology, Dr. Timothy Noakes, whose work has had a significant impact on nutrition as well as many other aspects of sport science.    Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Pickels is the Advanced Development Project Manager at PEARL iZUMi, but more importantly, he can out-nerd Trevor as you'll hear in today's deep-dive into some new scientific research in sports physiology. Even though the findings of one of these studies may not appear to directly apply to your weekly training plan, understanding the questions that have been asked by scientists can hopefully give you context into what is known and knowable by science as it relates to human performance. Trevor gives a brief overview of each study and then he and Rob point out key components of each study and translate the scientific jargon. In case you missed it and enjoy this depth of conversation about research, we did a "Nerd-Lab" episode a while back, Fast Talk 155: Recent Research on Interval Types, Timing Effects on Performance, Health Benefits of Endurance, and Pacing Strategies. Aerobic vs Anaerobic Contribution in Sprints First up is "The Aerobic and Anaerobic Contribution During Repeated 30-s Sprints in Elite Cyclists" by researchers Nicki Winfield Almquist, Øyvind Sandbakk, Bent R. Rønnestad, and Dionne Noordhof. Sometimes, because of the way a study is conducted, the findings are not very well applied to real-world training. Trevor points out some of these methods used which a training athlete would never use in their own workouts. It could be argued that science sometimes needs to ask and answer questions for itself that simply show the bounds of human potential. Mitochondrial Impairment Next, we try to understand more about mitochondrial impairment in a study titled "Excessive exercise training causes mitochondrial functional impairment and decreases glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers." Durability in Endurance Athletes The final review of the day leaves Rob asking for more from scientists and friends of the podcast, Stephen Seiler and Ed Maunder in their Review article, "The Importance of ‘Durability’ in the Physiological Profiling of Endurance Athletes." Rob asks the questions he wants answers to and looks for more valuable information. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

sources, it’s time to ask the question: Should we modify how, where, and when we train based on our potential exposure to pollutants? Furthermore, are certain pollutants worse than others? Finally, can we, and if so, should we try to “adapt” to certain pollutants?    We’re joined by a leading expert in the field of environmental pollution and its effects on exercise performance and health, Dr. Michael Koehle, from the University of British Columbia. With his help, we’ll address the different risks associated with pollution exposure, and how those effects change based on the concentration and duration of our exposure, as well as how we breathe.    Finally, Dr. Koehle, as well as environmental physiologist Dr. Stephen Cheung and pro cyclist Shayna Powless, share their recommendations for training in a polluted world. Ultimately, exercise is good, pollution is bad, and there are things we can do to lessen the impact based on the conditions that day.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start today’s Q&A with a discussion on returning from injury. Why? Well, Renee Eastman, our guest coach on this episode, just suffered a nasty crash. She's also come back from many injuries and bone breaks: “I've broken just about every bone in my body, including back (L1-3 fusion), elbow (with reconstructive surgery), clavicle (2x), hand, foot, kneecap, and now ribs.” So, we start with some big questions: What are the best practices when returning from injury? How do you prepare your body to reduce the risk of injury from what can be an injury-prone sport? How do you deal with the long-term side effects or manage pain from past injuries? The importance of consistency The next question comes from Amanda Johnson in Middlebury, Vermont. She writes: “As a working mother of two kids, I struggle to find the time to train at the level I want—I'm not trying to be a pro, I just love being active and racing at a decent level. Given my work and life schedule, I seem to ride a rollercoaster when it comes to training, which leads to big swings in my motivation, nutrition, and even sleep. Do you have any tips on how I can bring more consistency to my training? Also, what should I expect of myself if I can find that consistency? Big gains or simply less of a rollercoaster ride?” Weight versus performance The next question comes from Dom Porzak in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He writes: “As someone who is naturally built more like a linebacker than a cyclist, I know that I’m at a disadvantage when it comes to power-to-weight ratios. I don’t lift, I’m just muscular. I eat well—lots of fruits and vegetables and no grains—but I’m not lean. So, my question is, is there anything I can do to better manage my weight so that my performance on the bike naturally increases?” Fast-twitch muscle fibers This series of questions, all about fast-twitch muscle fibers, comes from Velibor Dokic in Norway. He writes: “There is so much talk about slow- and fast-twitch muscles, and how it's genetically pre-decided how many fast-twitch fibers we have and how little we can do to change that. How are fast-twitch muscle fibers distributed? And where do we have most of our fast-twitch muscles? (Not taking into account our upper body.) Are fast-twitch fibers more collected in a group of fibers or randomly placed? Or since one fiber can be as long as 40mm, are both types of fibers in one length? If I do a fasted ride and go totally empty of glycogen, will the fast-twitch muscles burn fat the rest of the ride?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Chris Froome first came to prominence on the WorldTour and started dominating grand tours, all the talk was about how he was constantly looking at his stem. Was he staring at his power meter to gauge his effort? Entire websites were devoted to catching Froome in the act of looking at his head unit while racing his bike. https://chrisfroomelookingatstems.tumblr.com/     While Froome now claims he isn’t staring at his power and it has to do with breathing, the point deserves attention given the metronomic nature of some pro racing. If you did look at your numbers the whole time, would you be faster?    Today, we’re sitting down with TrainingPeaks co-founder Dirk Friel to discuss what numbers, if any, you should use to gauge your racing efforts. Of course, any discussion of how to race a bike naturally evolves into a broader conversation about strategy, tactics, psychology, and even equipment. So, today you’ll gain plenty of insights into general race craft.    Most of the discussion will be about the numbers: which numbers can help you, and in which race setting they’re most appropriate, and just as importantly which numbers can hurt your racing or at least your mindset. We’ll also discuss how you can use numbers to prepare for specific races, and even to plan out your race.    In addition to Dirk Friel, today we’ll also hear from sports psychologist Simon Marshall, former WorldTour rider Svein Tuft, pro racer Shayna Powless, and athlete and coach Jen Sharp.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Endurance athletes crave intensity. It's the closest thing we have to instant gratification: chose an interval, grab the bike (or running shoes, etc.), and head out the door or into the Zwift session. An hour later, the work is done and the feeling of satisfaction washes over you. What’s problematic, however, is that there are few subjects in endurance sports that are more steeped in mystique or misconceptions. There are as many articles suggesting that you’re not doing enough intensity as there are suggesting you’re doing it the wrong way. So, in this summary episode of Fast Talk, we dive into the science of HIT and dispel some of those myths, correct some of those misconceptions, and give you a more complete understanding of the benefits and limits of high-intensity training. We'll start by discussing energetics and energy systems, as a means to explain why we need HIT to adapt. Then we'll explore its limitations. Finally, we'll finish with a discussion of the most effective ways to execute HIT, how precise you need to be in that execution, why consistency matters, and the importance of rest periods. As with our other summary episodes, we've pulled in many poignant thoughts and opinions from other coaches, athletes, and researchers. Today, you'll hear from pro mountain biker Hannah Finchamp, Dr. Stephen Seiler, Dr. Iñigo San Millán, Jim Miller, Sebastian Weber, and Grant Holicky.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Trevor Connor and Chris Case, as well as Coach Ryan Kohler and Fast Talk producer Jana Martin, all chose an N1 Challenge in the fall of 2020. Now, part way through the training and preparation for their big events, they discuss what they've learned and the adjustments they've made to keep themselves on track. The premise of the N1 Challenge is that each of the four riders is an experiment of one (n = 1); however, each rider's training experience can offer lessons for everyone. For Jana, who is new to cycling and is preparing for a gravel race in the Colorado mountains, that has meant incorporating more structured riding into her program and being mindful of the intensity at which she rides. For Ryan, a time-crunched husband and father of two who is preparing for Breck Epic, a six-stage mountain bike race, he has found new ways to be creative when planning his weeks. Trevor, who at the age of 50 is hoping to remain competitive in the pro field at the Joe Martin Stage Race, has been reminded just how hard he needs to train to find that last 10 percent of his form. Finally, Chris reveals his struggles to determine just how much recovery he needs after big training blocks and camps as he prepares for his first ultra-cycling, bikepacking race. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever been a runner, swimmer, or rower, you might be familiar with the concept of two-a-days—individual workouts separated by hours within a single day, most typically one in the morning and another in the afternoon.    In cycling, two-a-days have not had as much traction. However, that’s starting to change. The science is new, but many coaches, including our guest Neal Henderson, director of sport science at Wahoo Fitness, have been putting two-a-days into practice for years, with a lot of success.    It brings up two big questions: Are two-a-days as effective as one single long ride at generating adaptations? That is, can they serve as a substitute? The other, in some ways more interesting question, is whether two-a-days have benefits that you can’t get any other way—for example, through glycogen depletion.    Again, the science is rapidly evolving, and today we’ll refer to new research that opens the door to a new line of thinking. And we’ll also talk extensively with Henderson and a host of others about the practical ramifications of two-a-days.    Our other guests include WorldTour rider Petr Vakoc, racer and coach Jen Sharp, gravel racer Ted King, physiologist Jared Berg, and pro mountain biker Payson McElveen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The race season is upon us! Hopefully, that’s true where you live... even if it isn’t, we hope this episode helps you understand how to train in the race season. Of course, any discussion about racing must be preceded by a discussion of the base season, which sets that foundation for success. So today we start with a bit of a review.  Once we set our focus on race physiology, we address which assets should be developed, how, and when. How much “top end” do you need? Which assets take longer to develop and which can be honed in a few sessions?  Once the stage is set, we dive deeper into how you go about planning and refining the assets you’ve identified, whether that’s through threshold work, anaerobic capacity workouts, or something else.  Our featured guest today is a Fast Talk veteran. Dr. Iñigo San Millán, director of training at UAE-Team Emirates, has appeared on the show numerous times before, and now we’re proud to welcome him back after successfully coaching Tadej Pogacar to the 2020 Tour de France title. With Iñigo’s help, we get a glimpse of how this incredibly talented prodigy trains, and how those lessons can be applied to any amateur cyclist.  In this star-studded episode, we also hear from elite coach Neal Henderson, who heads performance at Wahoo Fitness; former Olympian and longtime Fast Talk contributor Colby Pearce; and WorldTour pros Brent Bookwalter of Team BikeExchange and recent Giro stage winner Joe Dombrowski of UAE-Team Emirates.  Wherever you are, we sincerely hope that racing is on your horizon. Let's make you fast!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melanie McQuaid, a three-time XTERRA world champion and owner of MelRad Coaching, joins us to discuss how to judge fatigue, the effects of overtraining, and the so-called "crossover effect" between running and cycling. Our first question comes from Matthew Eastwood. He writes: “After years of road racing, where I would struggle with prolonged periods of fatigue in between periods of good form, I now compete in cyclocross and sprint triathlon events as a master’s racer. I’m 43 years old with a more relaxed attitude to competition and training, and just enjoy exercise and riding my bike in general. My main focus is enjoying myself and feeling like I have given my all; my actual result is secondary to this. My ‘training’ is based around how I feel on any given day: If I’m tired I exercise easy, or not at all. If I feel good I train hard; my definition of ‘hard’ is dependent on time available and weather. If I have all day on a sunny day and I feel like it, I might do three to five hours of hard riding in the hills. If it’s a rainy evening I might do some sweet spot or other intervals on the rollers, or do a 5k running race. My question is: How good a guide is feel (achy muscles, enthusiasm, mood, tiredness) and fatigue (mild or intense), in terms of avoiding overtraining, burnout, and illness?” Our next question comes from Sophie, a 27-year-old age-group triathlete dealing with, as she puts it, “some form of non-functional overreaching.” *Find this question in the full description of this episode at fasttalklabs.com.  Our final question comes from Mackenzie O’Donnell from Edmonton, Alberta. He writes: “I’m a runner and a cyclist, but I’m not a triathlete. I tend to run more in the winter months and gradually transition more to cycling as the weather gets nicer. But I never stop running. So, my questions are, is the running helping or hurting my cycling, and vice versa? And, also, if it helps, how do I most effectively incorporate the two sports into one training plan?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quick, name two things that hit their peak in the 1980s. Yes, mullets were one. But think cycling and physiology. What about training principles? How much has changed since the days of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond? Today, with the help of longtime coach Jeff Winkler, who, yes, once raced as a pro in the ‘80s with a mullet, we discuss what has and has not changed since the 1980s, focusing on the principles of physiology. Are they fundamentally sound and equally effective as the principles by which cyclists train today? Jeff is what you might call an "old-school" coach; he believes, in large part, that since the 1980s when he was training with Eddy B. and the U.S. National Team, training hasn't really changed much—it's just that we can now measure things more than ever before. So we’ll take a close look at the science and research, the equipment, the tools and software used for analysis, then and now. Which decade wins? Stay tuned. As a bonus, we may also discuss our favorite euphemisms for the mullet… what did you call yours? Maybe it was “The Achy Breaky Big Mistakey” or “The Ape Drape”? How about “The Beaver Paddle” or “The El Camino Headrest”? Perhaps you’ve always been a fan of our friends up north, calling yours “The Canadian Passport”? In any case, pull out those old photos of you with your hockey hair, it’s time to go way back to the ‘80s… let’s make you fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Janis Musins, owner of Train2Win Endurance Coaching in Latvia, joins us to discuss how to pace time trial efforts, how to optimize your TT position, interpreting INSCYD data, and the coach-athlete relationship. Our first question comes from Ernie Blankenship in Independence, Missouri. He writes: “I have a hard time pacing in time trials. Some people recommend that I have a steady pace throughout the effort. Others are adamant that I need to vary my pace given the terrain and technicality of the course—for example, surging over hills and accelerating out of corners to get back up to top speed as quickly as possible. What is your advice? And does it depend on the level of the rider?” Our next question comes from Marcus Clifton in Cork, Ireland. He writes: “Being a bit of an experimenter and a physics geek, I like to work on my own time trial position. I’ve read many things from many people on the balance between aerodynamics and power output. I always like to ask experienced coaches that simple question: When you’re working with an athlete on his or her TT position, how do you address the balance that must be struck between these two characteristics? And will you modify based on the type and length of the course, or do you prefer to find the “best” position and stick with it?” Our next question comes from Maria Hopkins in California. She writes: “I am preparing for my first cycling race at the end of the summer. I’ve taken the INSCYD test and it tells me that I have a VO2max of 47.5, a VLamax of 0.55, and a threshold of 2.9 watt/kg. How should these numbers inform my training plan? If I understand correctly, it would be helpful to lower my VLamax given the type of riding I'll be doing in this race. So, how can one bring down their VLamax without jeopardizing other strengths they may have?” Our next question comes from Klara Steiner in Stuttgart, Germany. She writes: “My coach is a stickler for the details. If he schedules a three-hour ride for me and I do a four-hour ride, he is not happy. If I do less than I should, he is not happy. If I do something that I’m satisfied with, he will often ask why I’m satisfied and then find something that makes me realize what I’ve done is not as good as I think. Maybe that sounds harsh, but I personally find it very motivating. However, it took a long time to get to this point where this ‘tough love’ approach felt beneficial. My question is, how do I know that this type of coaching dynamic is the best for me? Is it possible that I would thrive or see even bigger improvements with someone who wasn’t such a stickler?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning to the bike after an injury, whether a traumatic crash or a non-traumatic ailment—something like an overuse injury—can be a lengthy process. Not only is there a physical cost, the mental aspect of both dealing with the injury and the slow progress you might face can be challenging for endurance athletes. With the help of our director of sports medicine, Dr. Andy Pruitt, someone with a 40-year career built upon helping athletes get the most from their sport, we discuss the different types of injuries one can face and the various paths one can take to return to the bike. We also dive into the critical mental aspects of returning to cycling, regaining confidence, finding your way in the pack, and much more. We’ll also hear from Dr. Kevin Sprouse, head of medicine for the EF Education-Nippo WorldTour team, who runs Podium Sports Medicine in Knoxville, Tennessee. We hear from Petr Vakoc of Alpecin-Fenix, who suffered a catastrophic back injury when he was hit by a vehicle in training in 2018. Petr talks about his long road to recovery, and the long-lasting impact this has had on his professional career. Finally, we hear from Bruce Bird, an elite amateur cyclist who also suffered devastating injuries and has made his way back to the elite ranks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whenever we speak with a guest of Fast Talk—coach, athlete, or scientist—we always ask them their favorite workout. In this episode, we share the favorite workouts of coach and athlete Jen Sharp, Ted King, Sage Rountree, Lindsay Golich, Kristin Armstrong, Daniel Matheny, and Sondre Skarli. Each guest discusses the specifics of their chosen workout, and in so doing reveals a sense of their philosophy and the “style” that they bring to the execution and prescription.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been an endurance athlete for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly performed some type of test to gauge your form, be it a 20-minute on-the-road test or a VO2max test in a physiology lab. There are many forms of testing, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Today’s episode is all about comparing and contrasting the different test methods based on the three key aspects of any test: 1) the protocol, 2) the data the test provides, and 3) most importantly, the analysis you can perform with that data. It turns out there are vast differences between the various methods, and before you choose the one you want to perform, it helps to know how much time and energy you need to invest to get the data you’re looking for, and then how to use that to inform your training and racing. We’ll analyze each protocol based on its simplicity, the challenge of the workout, and its effectiveness. Then we’ll discuss each method’s outcome, the value of the metric, and its accuracy. Finally, we’ll focus on the analysis of each test, why it is the most important thing to consider, and how you can use the data you generate from any given test. Our guest today is Sebastian Weber, lead physiologist for INSCYD. You’ve heard him on Fast Talk several times before, and we’re happy to have him back this time as we forge our partnership with INSCYD. It’s test time. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever been nervous before a big race? Of course you have. Ever talked yourself into thinking you might fail? Have you ever felt that unwanted negative thoughts and emotions influenced how you performed in a race? There’s a good chance that’s happened, since it will occasionally happen even to the best athletes in the world.  But it doesn’t have to. This episode is entirely about helping you to control unwanted thoughts, with two experts who have literally written the book on it. Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Patterson, owners of Braveheart Coaching and authors of “The Brave Athlete: Calm the F***k Down and Rise to the Occasion,” have written and lectured extensively about mental preparation in athletes.  Their philosophy of practice stems largely from the concept of stoicism, and their goal is to help athletes overcome destructive emotions and act only on what can be acted upon.   Marshall brings his years of clinical and neuroscience practice to bear on the discussion, while former Xterra world champion Patterson brings the athlete perspective. Together, they offer what they see as a fundamentally educational, humanistic, and holistic approach to training the brain.   Today, we’ll discuss the underlying principles of an athlete's psychological welfare, and why our thoughts and feelings are simply emergent properties of brain and nervous system physiology. On the practical side, we’ll discuss how controlling those thoughts and feelings requires that you manage your autonomic nervous system the best you can.   Besides Simon and Lesley, we also hear from sports psychologist Julie Emmerman, who works with athletes across many disciplines and at various ability levels, and Ted King, who now races long, painful, and emotionally challenging gravel and bikepacking races. They both provide helpful tips on handling unwanted thoughts.  Now, whatever you do, don’t think about a pink elephant... don’t worry, this will make sense soon. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Longtime Fast Talk Labs contributor and coach, Grant Holicky, joins us for another Q&A episode of Fast Talk. With Grant's help, in this episode of Fast Talk we tackle questions on race tactics (including the infamous “shake and break”), if and how you can train grit in races, how to safely override the central governor and a greater discussion around the ethics of pushing past this fatigue threshold, training for a five-day gran fondo stage race, and the dirty tricks of road racing. Our first question comes from David Sommers, of Madison, Wisconsin. He writes: “My brother and I often train together. We like to go on long rides at sunset through farm country, hoping to inspire cowboys on horseback to race us. I tend to practice wheelies, while my brother is more concerned with perfecting his ‘shake and break’ technique and shifting into the big ring for some tomfoolery with guys on horses. My question is, which of us is doing it right? Who is cooler?” The next question comes from Gabriela in Buenos Aires, Argentina: “It has taken me a long time to realize that I don’t know how to suffer in a race. In training, I seem to be able to really hurt myself. But when it comes down to the crux moment in a race, I tend to give up early. Why? Why does this happen only in races? How can I become as determined in a race setting as I am when training alone?” This question comes from Berto in Perugia, Italy. He writes: “I have read much about the science of the central governor theory of fatigue. Now I want to safely employ psychological methods to gain more from my performances. How do I do this? I’ve heard that limiting feedback can be a good thing. Is that true? I’ve heard that deception can help me, to a point. Is that true? If these things are true, how do I implement some effective strategies for pushing safely past that point where I initially feel ‘fatigue’ in my training and racing?” This question comes from Dave Stohler in Bloomington, Indiana. He writes: “Back when I was really into racing bikes, I was obsessed with being Italian. I learned Italian, I idolized Italian things, ate Italian food, rode Italian bikes. But then I was in a breakaway with some Italians and they played a mean trick on me, shifting my downtube shifter into a huge gear when I wasn’t looking. Is this fair? Are all Italian racers meanies?” This question comes from Justin in the UK: “I've never done a stage race of the 2021 Haute Route Pyrenees before, which is a five-day stage race. With the race being in early July, how and when should I be trying to replicate the demands of five hard mountain days in my training program? The demands of each individual day will be quite different to other road races I have done, given their overall length and each timed climb section is likely to be 40 minutes plus, with two or three each day. How should I structure my training to get the best adaptations? Also, given most of the riding will be sub-threshold, should I be incorporating lots of low carb and fasted endurance rides in my training to encourage my body to burn fat as a fuel?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you consider yourself an athlete—and presumably you do since you’re visiting this site and listening to this podcast—then your definition of what that means has likely evolved through the years. Think about your lifestyle, your mental health, your training routine—even your friends and community. To what extent are feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment connected to your definition? Think about the arc of your involvement in sports, the positive and negative aspects of what that has meant for you as a person, and the place athletics has, and hopefully continues to hold, in the greater context of your life. Are you aware of the fortune it brings, or do you take it for granted? Lachlan Morton, who currently rides for the Education First-Nippo WorldTour team, has been fortunate throughout his career to have something most of us don’t have: immense talent. Yet, that talent hasn’t always been enough to make him happy or fulfilled by his career. It hasn’t always gone smoothly, or been comfortable. Lachlan has gone through a very public and well-documented evolution as an athlete: He started long ago as a young kid with huge potential, then quickly became depressed and disillusioned at the pro level, ultimately turning into a bit of a rogue vagabond. Next, he rode across the Australian Outback and was able to rekindle the fire, returning to the sport at an entirely different level, but one that afforded him the chance to do things he couldn’t do before, and therefore express things he needed to express. His career has only gone up from there, and now he balances WorldTour racing with other feats of endurance, like ultra-endurance racing and FKT attempts. In essence, he has gone through significant, you might even say, massive changes in the 15 years since he started racing a bike. And while it may not be entirely explicit in this conversation, his evolution as an athlete holds valuable lessons, because it contains a universal truth: Ultimately, being an athlete is about loving what you do, and doing what you love. Hopefully, this episode will help you find even more love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often mention scientific research articles within our podcast episodes. That said, Coach Trevor Connor laments how little time he is able to spend reviewing the data, in the context of the greater discussion. Therein lies the basis for a new type of Fast Talk episode, which we have affectionately dubbed "Nerd Lab." In this episode, we take our time to review four recent studies from the scientific literature. We address the hypotheses, methods, and conclusions of each study to give you a greater sense of the latest findings in endurance sports. We're joined by longtime Fast Talk Labs contributor and Brock University professor Dr. Stephen Cheung, who literally reads articles as part of his day job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m not going to pretend to know much about time trials. I’ve done one. I also did an Hour Record on the track. That was fun, ahem.  On the other hand, our main guests today are arguably the greatest athlete-coach duo in the history of time trials. Kristin Armstrong won three Olympic gold medals and two world championship titles in her gilded career, and Jim Miller was her coach the entire time.   The pair have a fascinating story about the way they dissected the discipline and dominated their competition. It wasn’t necessarily the most traditional method, as you’ll hear, but it was undoubtedly effective. Throughout our conversation, there are a host of fascinating and fruitful messages about how they looked at and broke down the race of truth.  On a more practical note, we also hear from one of the greats on the men’s side, Svein Tuft, as well as Sebastian Weber, who coached four-time world champion Tony Martin during his illustrious career. Finally, we get some sage advice from tech guru Nick Legan about how to bring speed to time trials even if you have a small budget.  All that and much more as we explore both the art and science of time trials, today on Fast Talk.  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We receive a lot of questions about very specific topics—fasted training, supplements and recovery products, breathing techniques, and so forth. (By the way, we love them, so please keep them coming.) In this episode, however, we step back and discuss what we feel is most important, and frankly what is going to give you the biggest return for your investment of time, sweat, and energy. If those specific things are the 5 percent, today is all about making an argument for focusing on the 95 percent. We are in an age of marginal gains, where many athletes have firmly latched onto the idea that seemingly insignificant changes have the potential to incrementally add up to substantial gains. The trend started within the ranks of the pro peloton. The thing is, pro riders are so developed physiologically to win that they have to find these little things to make the difference. In fact, they've likely spent 10 years developing the 95 percent and have it dialed. More importantly, the secret truth is that pros don’t focus on the 5 percent as much as you'd think, and we give several examples of this, from Kristin Armstrong (who you'll hear from in episode 154), Brent Bookwalter, and others. So what should you focus on? What comprises that 95 percent? It's simple: Training Recovery Functioning gear We'll go into much more detail in the episode about what we mean, specifically, about these topics, and the fundamental principles underlying all of it. Finally, we close with a cautionary tale: The 5 percent can take up 90 percent of your time and distract you from what's truly valuable. Because they're trendy, there is nearly an unlimited number of things that fall into that "5 percent bucket" to explore. They are all debated and based on partial science—forcing you to spend energy asking what works and what doesn't. All of this adds up to a whole lot of mental energy and fatigue. Thus, instead of helping you improve, too much focus on the 5 percent can actual hinder you in many ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say age is just a number. That’s exactly it: Age is nothing more than digits, and certainly shouldn’t be seen as a barrier or a dirty word. We can age successfully, but it requires changes to how we train and perhaps to the types of races we target.   Of course, there are some physiological changes—you might call them declines—that come with age. Yet, there are also things that improve as athletes get older. Sometimes they are truly physiological and psychological adaptations, and at other times they are a matter of perspective, mentality, or choice.  We begin the episode with a deep dive by Trevor into some recent research on the effects of age and performance. Then we jump into a great conversation with the timeless Rebecca Rusch, a seven-time world champion, mountain bike Hall of Famer, and ever-evolving, age-defying cyclist and adventurer. As we speak, the 52-year-old Rusch is taking on her third Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska.  In that conversation, we touch upon everything from training changes to nutrition tips, from off-the-bike work to the work it takes inside the mind to stay motivated, energized, and ready to push.  We also hear from Dr. Andy Pruitt, the world-renowned sports medicine consultant, and Colby Pearce, coach, athlete, bike fitter, and host of the Cycling in Alignment podcast.  All that and much more, today on Fast Talk. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Lindsay Golich is a sports physiologist who has worked with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center for the past five years. She works closely with USA Cycling and USA Triathlon in areas of environmental physiology, including altitude, heat and humidity, as well as data analytics for performance modeling.    With Lindsay’s help, today we tackle several questions related to her areas of expertise, including heat acclimatization, sweat rates, altitude effects, regulating temperature, FTP testing, and fasted training.    All that and much more, today on Fast Talk. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It wasn't long ago that most athletes, in the grand scheme of training, neglected the importance of nutrition, prioritizing time spent on the bike.   Now, nutritional periodization and other methods of manipulation are rapidly rising in popularity. Many people strongly believe that significant performance gains are being left on the table if they neglect nutritional manipulation.   Today, we sit down with one of the top sports nutrition experts to discuss the potential performance gains from modifying the amount of carbohydrate made available at a given time relative to training load.  What are the benefits of low and high carbohydrate consumption and manipulation? What are the potential dangers? We’ll explain four distinct approaches:   First, we’ll talk about the fasted workout—easily done by skipping breakfast.   Second, we’ll discuss two-a-day workouts to reduce muscle glycogen.  Third, we’ll consider low-carbohydrate diets.  And, finally, we’ll dissect so-called “train-high, sleep-low" approaches in which an athlete will intentionally skip the recovery meal after a hard workout in order to ride the next morning under low carbohydrate conditions.  The leading expert I mentioned earlier, who returns to Fast Talk, is Dr. Asker Jeukendrup, known for his work with many elite athletes, in particular the cyclists of the Jumbo-Visma WorldTour team, and the Dutch Olympic Federation.  We’ll also hear from a host of other great coaches and researchers, including Dr. Brian Carson, Joe Friel, Jim Rutberg, and Sondre Skarli.  Put that bag of popcorn down! Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we first take on the complex subject of coaching junior athletes, including everything from building aerobic base in a healthy manner to dealing with overbearing parents.  We tackle a very interesting question on the base/intensity relationship from Danielle in Monument, Colorado: “Does aerobic output after intensity still have the same effect? Or does it have an even bigger effect due to substrate depletion and muscle fiber recruitment change? How does this change how I plan my training rides?” We also discuss how long aerobic rides need to be, based on a question from Ashley in Sherbrooke, Quebec: “How long do aerobic rides need to be to get benefits? And does this change throughout the season, or as I improve as a cyclist from season to season?” Then we turn our attention to this question from Jeff P. on heart arrhythmias: "Do you know if Whoop can ignore or tolerate or take into account premature ventricular contractions? PVCs are pretty common in the population and I started getting them about two years ago. I do get more PVCs when I have more stress but it doesn't seem to have a great correlation with exercise—more so with life stress and caffeine intake." Finally, we address the potential for cumulative effects of supplements, a question from Dan S.: "My question is regarding the nutritional effects of the flavonoids in dark chocolates and the nitrates (?) in beetroot. Are the effects of these type of “supplements” cumulative? In other words, if you do them together do you get a greater buffering effect than taking more of either of them in isolation?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unfortunately, concussions and traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are far too common in cycling. Whether training on open roads, racing at high speeds, or facing off with rush-hour traffic on your bike commute, cyclists often place themselves in vulnerable situations. Head injuries are becoming increasingly diagnosed among the two-wheeled crowd.    What’s more, there’s a good deal of misunderstanding about what exactly the terms concussion and TBI mean. Are they the same or very different? How should you manage each condition? What are the potential long-term repercussions of concussions, if any? We’ll tackle all of these questions, and many more, in this episode.    We turn to Dr. Steven Broglio, the director of the University of Michigan Concussion Center and the director of the NeuroTrauma Research Laboratory, for guidance on this complex subject. Dr. Broglio has spent much of his adult life studying the causes of concussion, the effects of concussion on the brain, the short- and long-term concerns, the best course of management, and the use of helmets, of course. His experience and knowledge on the matter make for a compelling discussion.    Add to that the conversations I had with Timmy Duggan and Hannah Finchamp, two athletes who have each suffered head injuries. Timmy’s story is well-known: While racing at the Tour of Georgia, he was involved in a horrific crash which led to a severe traumatic brain injury. He shares his experience, from the injury to the acute aftermath and rehabilitation, to the long-term and psychological impact the injury had on his life. You’ll hear from him throughout the episode.    And Hannah walks us through how being hit by a car led to her concussion, and how that impacted training and life.    All that and much more on today’s episode of Fast Talk.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We can learn a lot by looking back. And one of the best parts of being an athlete is planning ahead, setting goals, and choosing your next adventure. [For more on this, check out episode 140: How to Set Training and Performance Goals.] In this episode, the Fast Talk team, plus frequent guests, share the lessons they learned from a challenging 2020, and then declare their big, scary goals, races, and rides for 2021. First, looking back. We ask ourselves this question: Despite 2020 being an "off" year in terms of most racing and riding plans, were you still able to set goals and hit personal achievements in 2020 that you can look back on with satisfaction? What did you learn from these experiments? Then, looking back. Chris Case aims for the TransAtlantic Way bikepacking race. Trevor Connor aims for the Joe Martin stage race. Our Head Coach Ryan Kohler heads for the hills of the Breck Epic. Producer Jana Martin is gunning for Crooked Gravel. We also hear declarations of adventure from Dr. Stephen Seiler, Hannah Rae Finchamp, Julie Young, Dr. Stephen Cheung, Jen Sharp, Grant Holicky, and Colby Pearce. What did you learn in 2020? How did you make the most of a challenging year? And what are your adventure or race plans/goals in 2021? Join the conversation in the forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve listened to Fast Talk for a while, you’ve likely heard us mention “cardiac drift” or “decoupling” in several episodes. It's a favorite topic of Coach Connor's. The terms refer to cardiovascular drift, which is a "drifting" in heart rate and stroke volume over time. On the bike, we measure it by looking at a rise in heart rate relative to power. Many causes have been theorized including dehydration, muscle damage, cutaneous blood flow, and mitochondrial efficiency.     We’re very excited to have as our featured guest today Dr. Ed Coyle, the University of Texas exercise physiology researcher who published the definitive articles on cardiovascular drift in the 1990s. In that research, Coyle, who is also the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the university, and his colleagues demonstrated that even when hydration is maintained, CV drift can be experienced. This increase in heart rate reduces the time the heart has to fill with blood, and this is the main reason for a drop in stroke volume, or the amount of blood pushed out by the heart with each beat.    The drop in stroke volume is a hallmark of CV drift, and historically it has been attributed to blood pooling in the skin and less blood returning to the heart. Coyle and his team found no evidence that blood flow to skin is increased or that venous return is compromised.    In a practical sense, when a person becomes dehydrated during prolonged exercise, they also get hotter and experience a greater increase in heart rate and a lower cardiac output and circulation of blood: CV drift. The exercise becomes very hard when it should not be hard at all. Competitive cyclists interpret this to mean they are getting a “better workout” because it’s more stressful. It certainly is more stressful, but that type of cardiovascular drift is a negative stress. It does more harm than good.    We’ll dive into all of this and much more today on Fast Talk, as we hear from Dr. Coyle and a host of other incredible guests who share their thoughts on cardiovascular drift.  Now, let's make you fast!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to 2021. And what better way to kick off the new year than to answer some questions from our devoted listeners.   Today we take on a series of questions that deal with a dilemma many athletes face: deciding which rides or workouts to sacrifice when you’re short on time.   We tackle a question about zone 1 rides and whether you get them on the mountain bike.   We also discuss how to change the type of rider you are, and if it can be done, based on a question from a listener who wants to become a punchy rider.  Finally, we field a question about the differences between structured and unstructured intervals. Are there any downsides to getting your intensity in so-called unstructured ways?  Our guest coach today is Hannah Finchamp. You may know her as a member of the Orange Seal Off-Road Team, but she is also a board-certified athletic trainer and a certified USA Cycling coach. She has degrees in both athletic training, focused on injury prevention, and in exercise science.   Let’s dive into the discussion. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the best of 2020.  What a year it’s been. In so many ways, 2020 was a challenge—sometimes big, sometimes small, but always a bit more challenging. The same goes even for this humble podcast. But we stay connected, virtually, across time zones, across international borders, and despite waves of pandemic disruptions to bring you what we think are some incredible conversations with exceptional minds in the worlds of physiology, medicine, nutrition, sports psychology, and, of course, cycling.  Who, specifically, will you hear from today? I’ll drop some names: First, there’s world-famous physiologist Dr. Iñigo San Millan, who also happens to be the head of the training staff of UAE-Team Emirates, the team of Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar.    We’ll hear from the coach of America’s most talented cyclists, Jim Miller.   A “best of” episode wouldn’t be complete without the incomparable Dr. Stephen Seiler.   We’ll also hear from outspoken, sometimes sassy Sebastian Webber of INSCYD.  We’ll get words of wisdom from the legend, Joe Friel. We’ll hear from Fast Talk Labs contributor Julie Young, and we’ll catch up with incredible athletes, including climbing sensation Sepp Kuss and national champ Ruth Winder.  All those guests and many more, today on Fast Talk.  There are several themes that come out in this episode, a function of the fact that we kept revisiting these topics throughout the year. One thing Fast Talk has taught us, and we hope you as well, is that by discussing these topics with intelligent guests, we develop a better understanding of where training science and practice converge, and where it’s headed.   Some of the themes we’ll touch upon include leaving complexity out of your intervals, the execution of workouts and using feeling versus data, and ranges versus specific numbers. And much more.  The Fast Talk team has enjoyed every minute of creating this show for you—likewise, we’ve loved sifting through our collection of episodes from the past year to gather the best of 2020.   Thank you for your continued support. We couldn’t do it without you. So here’s to 2021 and... a return to bike racing?!?  Let's make you fast!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is yoga just fancy stretching? Nope. Today we’re going to go into the specifics of why cyclists should consider yoga, from the physical literacy it can provide, to the strength and conditioning element it offers, from the potential for an improved inflammatory profile to better recovery and relaxation.   It turns out yoga is far more than fancy stretching or breathing techniques, it can be a powerful tool to aid health and performance.   No episode about yoga would be complete without an overview of the many varieties of the practice. It often comes down to a simple question: How do you like your peppers: mild, medium, or hot!?  We walk through the six major types of yoga and when each is the most appropriate, given the time of year, your ability, and your training load.   Finally, we’ll discuss the risks of doing yoga. There are some, but thankfully they’re minor and can be easily avoided.  Our featured guest today is Sage Rountree, an internationally recognized authority in yoga for athletes and an endurance sports coach with certifications from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the Road Runners’ Club of America. She is the author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga among serval other books on yoga.  We’ll also hear from eSports racer Jen Real, racer, Paralympian and coach Jen Sharp, and our very own Colby Pearce for more thoughts on the benefits of yoga for athletes.  Now, select your pepper...  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time to bust some myths about nutrition. Head coach Ryan Kohler and Coach Trevor Connor both have degrees in nutrition and decades of experience working with athletes on all manner of sports nutrition topics.   Together, they discuss some of the major misconceptions that regularly enter any conversation on what to eat when training and racing.  Are macronutrients all that matter?  Do carbs make you fat?  Do you need fancy race food?  How do you know if you have a food allergy?  What really causes cramping?  Is a pasta party the best pre-race dinner?  Can you “train” how your body hydrates?    We answer all these questions and many others as we explore some of the most common misconceptions in sports nutrition.    Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What a strange and chaotic year it’s been. Despite the disruption to our lives, times like these afford us an opportunity to look farther ahead. It just may be that, from a training and racing point of view, this is just what some of us have needed.   That’s because, sometimes, you can see greater gains by looking not just at next year, but by gazing two or three years up the road. Whether you’re just starting in endurance sports, or unsure of what 2021 holds, looking through a telescope rather than a microscope can help you develop in new and powerful ways.  There are certain physiological gains that take mere weeks to develop. We’ve touched upon those elsewhere. On the other hand, some very important changes will only take place over the course of years: your aerobic engine or stamina, for example, which involves structural changes.  So if you have the opportunity to look farther ahead than ever before, how do you create the right training plan? Must you give up racing? How do you measure progress on this timescale? How big a role does trust in the plan play in proper execution? How much volume can you safely add over the course of two or three seasons? Those questions and so much more on today’s episode.  Today’s guests are the renowned Dr. Stephen Seiler and one of his Norwegian colleagues, Sondre Skarli. You’ve heard Dr. Seiler on the program many times before, but Sondre will be new to this audience. Formerly an elite speed skater, Sondre is now a sports scientist consultant at the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Federation of Sports—basically he’s a great coach on the Norwegian national team, working with a diverse set of endurance athletes. Of note, he became the head coach of the Norwegian speed skating team at the age of 28.   This episode is very conversational; we’ll take our tangents. But there are a great number of important points throughout the show. And with that, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The off-season can be one of the most productive times of the year: It offers the opportunity to reflect on last season—to assess what went well and what could be improved—and then to look forward, and strategize about how to progress, both in your training and racing.  Today we’ll focus on the art and science of how to set goals and incorporate them into your training. Coach Connor starts us off with a discussion of how to determine your goals, first by performing a season assessment, which feeds his gap analysis, which in turn yields a goal-setting strategy.   Coach Ryan Kohler joins us for the second half of the show to describe his SMART analysis—that’s S for Specific, M for Measurable, A for Achievable, R for Realistic, and T for Time-bound—before explaining his method for incorporating that information into macrocycles and then into mesocycles.  The offseason isn’t just about sitting back and relaxing, although you should do a bit of that too. This time of year is perfect for putting in some homework, being honest with yourself about where you’ve been and where you want to go, so that the coming season can be as successful as possible.  And with that, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We believe modern coaching doesn’t optimally fulfill the needs of the modern athlete. That’s why we’re introducing our community, education, and coaching membership, Fast Talk Laboratories.   So often athletes are given templated training plans. But what if he or she gets sick? Or work gets stressful? That athlete will likely do more harm than good simply pushing through and sticking to the plan. In response to that methodology, we’ve created a virtual performance center, a place for the insightful athlete to be guided to their best self.   We have collected the many tools available to modern athletes in one place, offering curated and validated knowledge—through articles, videos, workshops, webinars, forums, and the list goes on—from some of the finest minds in sport science: Dr. Stephen Seiler, Dr. Stephen Cheung, Julie Young, Colby Pearce, Grant Holicky, Jess Elliott, to name a few. We’ll be adding new contributors all the time, and you can be sure they’ll also bring clarity and sophistication to their contributions.  Let’s detail our Listener, Library, Live, and Laboratory member levels.  Listener: We are now producing transcripts of every new Fast Talk podcast episode—plus our catalog of over 135 existing episodes and 27 Cycling in Alignment episodes. What does that mean for Listeners? Searchable podcast episodes, references, and resources. And, of course, you can read along or scan ahead, if you happen to be a faster reader than listener.   Listeners will also begin to receive our weekly newsletter, which will keep them up to date on new episodes, special guests, and opportunities to send in questions for new Q&A episodes. We also have plans to periodically release a few of our most popular training science videos and articles—but only for members.   Our next membership level unlocks a whole library of content, which is why we’re calling it our Library Membership. For our Library Members, we have created training science articles, a whole library of video content, and a moderated forum. This is content like the fundamentals of sports nutrition from Head Coach Ryan Kohler and a workshop on why cold temperatures affect performance from Dr. Stephen Cheung. The Forum is a place to discuss recent episodes, ask questions, and get answers from Trevor, Ryan, and our very smart members.   Live membership is really the heart and soul of what we’re offering. This level includes all the features we’ve already introduced, plus a whole suite of Live Events including social group rides, structured live workouts, live Q&A sessions, and live webinars. Trevor’s and Ryan’s experience in training centers and the group-style approach will shine. This level also includes group coaching and a monthly question answered.  Our Laboratory Membership will open in January. This is our premier coaching level, and of course it includes all the benefits of the lower levels. We believe it’s a vast improvement over existing coaching programs. Our athletes and listeners are not typical. They are intelligent, motivated, and they don’t need email nannying, which is what we often see in endurance coaching. They also don’t really need templated training plans, which we believe are counterproductive for higher-level athletes.   Instead, our Laboratory Membership is a new concept that we call Endurance Mentorship. What does that mean? Well, it’s based on the idea that you already know the basics—but wouldn’t it be great to have an elite coach to answer your questions? Plus, with periodic testing and guidance, you’ll experience the best of what Fast Talk Laboratories has to offer as a virtual performance center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amos Brumble is a New England legend. Is it because of his racing palmarès? His charm? His collection of guinea pigs? Or all of those things? We find out, and then we dive into some listener questions. David H. of Seattle, Washington asks: “Suppose a 55-year old athlete is training with a heart rate monitor and perceived effort and recovery scales and is able to train between 10-16 hours/week. No power measurements. The athlete's goal is to maximize performance on gravel races—about 100 miles and about 10,000 feet of climbing—which, with the exception of the first 20 miles or so, basically means a long time trial effort. Given that goal and training context, how would you recommend that a training plan be structured? I ask this question because so much of the discussion on your podcast references power. I understand why, but I don't have a power meter in part, for cost, and in part because heart rate is enough 'quantification.' I'm interested in the meaning and aesthetics of riding hard.” The next series of questions on low-cadence work comes from Ray Farris: “My impression from your podcast is that the low cadence sessions talked about in the session were fairly short efforts at high power. However, Steve Neal of the Cycling Gym, whom you have had on Fast Talk a couple of times, seems to like to give his athletes sessions of several intervals of 20-40 min at low cadence at tempo power, generally 83% of FTP, subject to an 83% of max heart rate limit on power. And I just watched a Lionel Sanders YouTube video in which his coach had him do multiple sessions of 40 minutes at 50-60rpm at what I roughly estimate is about 80% of FTP. What’s the thinking about these types of interval workouts? 1) Do these build FTP? 2) Are these “hard” workouts in the Seiler polarized model? Do they have a place in a polarized model and if so what is it and when is it in terms of periodization blocks? 3) Do these raise the athlete toward his theoretical VO2 max, but at the cost of lowering VLa max? Does this trade-off even matter for anyone other than pro level sprinters?” Our next question comes from Russ Sanka, in Bristol, Tennessee. And it’s a good one for anyone who has a desk job. He asks: “What can I do at a desk job to aid in training/recovery? I have been using a stand up desk and a desk cycle I would like to hear your opinions and the research on the subject.” This next question comes from Ivan S. from Milan, Italy. He asks: “I love to ride my fixie in the ‘off-season’ to train on. I feel like it helps me with training and strength that I can’t get on a geared bike. Is this true? If so, what am I gaining and how does that help me when I go back to the geared bike?” Our final question comes from Peter Burghardt. He asks: “Can you address 'lunch ride syndrome'—the tendency to go out the door and immediately hammer down because you've only got 45 minutes. Do you have suggestions for lunch ride workouts of an hour or less?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you ready to go long? Today we want to introduce you to the fascinating world of ultra-distance cycling.   While there isn’t a true definition of what “ultra” means, and some of our guests like to say it is a state of mind more than anything else, for the sake of this discussion we’re talking about multi-day bikepacking events; randonneuring events which range from 200 kilometers up to 1200 kilometers, as in the case of the granddaddy of them all, Paris-Brest-Paris; and ultra-cycling races like RAAM, the 12- and 24-hour Time Trial World Championships, cross-state records, and the list goes on.   What are these events? How do you prepare, physically and psychologically, for these feats? What’s it like to ride when sleep-deprived? What should you eat out there on the lonely road? That, and so much more on today’s show.  Our featured guest is Matt Roy, someone who has been competing at ultra events of all kinds for over a decade. Some of his accomplishments: Matt holds both the Maine north to south and west to east cross-state records, he holds the Saratoga 12-hour course record, he won the Trans-Atlantic Way pairs division in 2018, finished the Paris-Brest-Paris in 2019 and has completed more than 27,000 kilometers of brevets since 2007. His list of accomplishments goes on.   I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that also holds his Ph.D. in immunology from Harvard and now works in CRISPR and gene editing technology... a conversation for another episode.  Joining Matt on the show today is his friend and colleague Nick Legan, the road brand manager for Shimano, who is also an accomplished ultra-distance cyclist, having completed Tour Divide and the 12-hour Time Trial World Championships, among other races. He’s also a tech and gear guru, having formerly served as the tech editor of VeloNews magazine as well as a professional mechanic for WorldTour teams.   We also hear from Jose Bermudez, another accomplished ultra-distance cyclist. As he says, his modest claim to fame is that he’s the first, and still the only, person to have completed RAAM, the Tour Divide, and the TransAm, a self-supported bikepacking race across the U.S. He’s also raced the 350- and 1000-mile Iditarod events in winter. Not only does he race, he also coaches: Jose is a USA Cycling Level 2 coach. Irrelevant though still interesting is the fact that he is a professor of philosophy at Texas A&M University.  I’ll ask it again: Are you ready to go long? Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we bring back a former frequent guest, Colby Pearce, who has since graduated to his own show, Cycling in Alignment. We start with a discussion on crank length, determining what you need, and how consistent you should be across your, presumably, fleet of bikes. That leads to a discussion on power imbalances, what constitutes an issue when it comes to imbalances, and what you can do to correct them if they arise. Next we turn our attention to CBD, and address its claimed anti-inflammatory effects. Is this something we want, or something we want to avoid, so the body’s natual inflammatory process can take place. We discuss. Finally, we’ll take on the topic of returning from injury, both the psychological and physical ramifications of that long process. All that and much more today on Fast Talk. Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, sleep. I love it. Do you love it? If only I could get more of it, and get better at it, and wake up each day well rested. Somes days it works, many times it doesn’t.  Sleep can be hard, but does it have to be? Sleep is critical, so are you getting enough? And are you getting the right kind? We all know we need sleep, but knowledge is not enough. The focus of this episode is not to convince you why sleep is important, but how to monitor and change your sleep, to get the most out of every night.   In particular, for athletes who stress their bodies, sleep is critical. How do we make sure we get what we need, and avoid some of the disruptions and issues that can lead to sleep impairments? We’ll dive in.  When it comes to monitoring sleep, there are a host of new gadgets that tell us both about our sleep volume, and the stages we’ve hit. Do they work? We’ll discuss the latest findings on sleep monitoring—what works, what doesn’t, and what to do with that data.  Finally, we discuss how to take all that information and change our behavior—easier said than done. But hopefully today’s guest will help us all sleep more soundly tonight.   Dr. Shona Halson is an associate professor in the School of Behavioural and Health Sciences at Australian Catholic University. Prior to her current research on sleep, she was a senior physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport for 15 years. She has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of sleep, recovery, fatigue, and travel. Dr. Halson has served as the director of the Australian Olympic Committee Recovery Centre for three Olympic Games. She has helped countless athletes better understand the importance of sleep, and we’re excited to bring her knowledge to you today.  In this episode, we’ll also hear from Dr. James Hull, a respiratory physician, who touches upon the importance of sleep when it comes to fighting infection; and Cameron Cogburn and Erica Clevenger both detail their sleep hygiene and routines to improve sleep quality.  Time to put on your PJs. Let's make you fast!      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whenever we speak with a guest of Fast Talk—coach, athlete, or scientist—we always ask them their favorite workout. In this episode, we share the favorite workouts of Cameron Cogburn, Joe Friel, Jim Rutberg, Neal Henderson, Payson McElveen, Amos Brumble, and Petr Vakoc.  You’ll hear each guest discuss the specifics of the workout itself. You’ll also gain a sense of the guest’s philosophy—based on how he or she describes the workout—and the “style” that they bring to the execution and prescription.   As a bonus, Trevor, Coach Ryan Kohler, and I also share our favorite workouts.    Get ready to take notes. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It wasn’t long ago that riding inside was something most of us did only when the weather was bad, or the days too dark, or we were pressed for time.   Flash forward to today and indoor cycling is quickly becoming a discipline many people focus on for its own sake. It’s no longer a second-rate alternative. And that’s why, today, we’ll focus entirely on indoor cycling and its many nuances.  The author of the famous “The Cyclist’s Training Bible,” Joe Friel has now co-written a new book with Jim Rutberg. “Ride Inside: The essential guide to get the most out of indoor cycling, smart trainers, classes, and apps” is the basis for our discussion today. Friel, with decades of experience coaching athletes, indoors and out, and Rutberg, who has long worked with coaches on disseminating their training philosophies, share their thoughts on the future of the sport and why we’re seeing more indoor cycling. They also discuss the specifics of indoor workouts, and why what works outside isn’t always the best practice inside—and vice versa. That and much more from Joe and Jim.  We also hear from three riders from Team Saris-The Pro’s Closet. Jennifer Real, Holden Comeau, and Matt Gardiner, all members of this eSports cycling team, have been racing for years almost exclusively on Zwift, and they help us understand the intricacies of this gaming-like platform: How to use the draft; why knowing the courses makes such a difference; how to set up your trainer, and much more. We also touch upon the all-important training aspects of indoor cycling.  Time to ride inside. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we catch up with our friends at The Pro’s Closet, Spencer Powlison and Bruce Lin, to discuss their recent four-week Strava PR Challenge. In the lead up to their attempts, we helped them with training advice and “race-day” strategy tips.  No doubt, this has been an unusual year for cycling. Many of our favorite races were postponed or canceled. And while bikes aren't the most important thing in the world, and public health and safety should always be our priority, as cyclists we thrive on the motivation that comes from training for a big race or event, or setting our sights on a particular challenge. Thus, The Pro’s Closet Strava PR Challenge was born.  To reinvigorate their competitive juices and get a dose of competition, Bruce and Spencer turned their attention to local Strava segments in Boulder, Colorado. Trevor gave them some training tips on how to prepare most effectively given their timeline (a mere six weeks), and we also coached them on “race-day” strategy.   Today we recap all the tips, tricks, and training advice, and talk about how their attempts went. Let’s make you fast!  Check out the series of videos produced by The Pro’s Closet: https://www.theproscloset.com/blogs/news/the-four-week-strava-pr-challenge-pt-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you, as an athlete, combine your understanding of sport science and your training and racing experience to most effectively map out your training? That question is the basis for today’s episode, one in which we drift between the philosophical and the practical.   Essentially, we’ll dissect the different ways science and experience can influence how we train. Where does the science shine? Where does experience come into play? How do we best balance the two? And how can we use so-called scientific thinking to improve how we digest and analyze each and every experience we have in our training and races to become a better athlete? Remember that even when we’re talking about your experience as a rider, you are essentiallyJame experimenting on yourself – it's just an N of 1. We’ll talk about all that and much more, on today’s episode.  Our primary guest today is former pro racer turned Ph.D. student Cameron Cogburn. After years of racing for teams including Smart Stop and Jelly Belly, Cameron took an academic turn. He’s now a Ph.D. candidate in theoretical physics at Boston University.   We also hear from physician Dr. James Hull, who appeared in our last episode on breathing; pro racer Erica Clevenger; and our friends from The Pro’s Closet, Spencer Powlison and Bruce Lin.   Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, Colby Pearce, a Steve Hogg Certified bike fitter, sits down with Chris Case, host of Fast Talk, to dissect the minutiae of how to pedal a bike. Saddle position, ankling, dead legged drills, plantar and dorsal flexion of the foot, all of this and much more is unpacked in today’s episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’re breathing, I’m breathing. But neither of us is probably thinking about our breathing right now. Do you ever think about your breathing during your workouts or races? Do you ever wonder if you should be "training" the act of breathing as a skill? Or whether you should do something differently during rest and recovery, or between intervals, or even on long endurance rides?   In some ways, breathing is a much-discussed topic—often, however, that’s in the context of meditation or in the practice of yoga or other such disciplines. Breathing for performance, in the context of training and racing, however, is not something that gets a whole lot of attention. And that’s the focus of today’s episode.  While Trevor was sitting in Toronto and I was in Boulder, we caught up with a leading expert on the science of breathing, Dr. James Hull, who joined us from London.  Dr. Hull ‘s experience is vast and varied, and all of it focuses on breathing. He is a respiratory physician at Royal Brompton Hospital in London and the clinical lead looking at unexplained breathlessness during exertion. He also works at the Institute of Sports, Exercise, and Health at University College London. He also works with elite athletes, both as part of the English Institute of Sport working with British Olympic athletes, and as a contributor to the International Olympic Committee’s respiratory guidance committee.  Dr. Hull takes us through the science of respiration, from the state of the system—is it overbuilt or underbuilt?—to pathological concerns for athletes. Think you have asthma? There’s a good chance that’s a misdiagnosis. Finally, we discuss the things you can do to improve performance through breathing.  Not to be forgotten, also on today’s episode, we talk with several guests about the meditative side of breathing, as well as the practice of breathing. We hear from coach Colby Pearce—catch him on his own podcast, “Cycling in Alignment” if you haven’t already. We catch up with Erica Clevenger, a member of the Tibco-Silcon Valley Bank women’s pro team, and someone who suffers from asthma. And we also hear from two elite coaches: Julie Young and Neal Henderson.  Inhale, exhale. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we formally introduce our new head coach, Ryan Kohler, and put him in the spotlight for a classic Q&A. (Don't worry, Trevor is not going anywhere! He’s merely stuck in isolation amid the tundra of northern Ontario at the moment.)  Ryan brings a wealth of experience as both coach and nutritionist after years of working at Carmichael Training Systems, as manager of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center, and while coaching several MTB development teams, as well as working with individual athletes. We have exciting new offerings in the works that Ryan will be spearheading, so sign up for our newsletter for the latest developments. Today, however, we’ll stick to your questions. First, we tackle a complex series of questions from Ryan Bates in Ann Arbor, Michigan: “I have read that cutting more than 500 calories per day from the total needed to maintain your current weight will actually slow down your metabolism, and make weight loss harder overall. Is this true? If so, does it matter, for the purposes of potential slowing of your metabolism, if the deficit is produced by exercise versus calorie restriction? If true, how many days of 500+ calorie deficit (approximately) are needed to trigger metabolism slowdown?” Next we take on a mountain bike question, specifically about descending, heart rate, and ways to improve recovery during descents. Finally, we follow up on our discussion on recovery periods between intervals by answering a question on the different ways of executing 5x5-minutes intervals.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we’ve assembled a fantastic group of coaches to discuss the differences, similarities, nuances, and challenges of coaching beginner athletes versus veteran amateurs.  This episode is filled with myriad topics, all related to the coach-athlete relationship. And it starts by defining some terms. What constitutes a beginner, and a veteran? Can you be a beginner if you’ve ridden for 10 years but don’t know much about how to train? We’ll discuss.  What should beginners focus on most? What should veterans focus on most? How does a good coach most effectively work to identify each athlete’s needs?  How can an athlete get the most out of working with a coach, and how does that differ if you’re a beginner or a veteran? These questions and so many more, today on Fast Talk.  Our guest coaches today include Grant Holicky, someone you’ve heard many times before on Fast Talk; former pro triathlete and XTERRA world champion turned coach, Melanie McQuaid, who appeared in episode 99; and Ryan Kohler.   Ryan is the former manager of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center and—exciting news here—the new Head Coach here at Fast Labs. With Ryan on board, we have exciting things coming, so don’t miss it – get our email newsletter by signing up at fastlabs.com. You’ll be first to know what Coach Kohler is up to.  Now, get ready to roundtable, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, our favorite physiologist Dr. Stephen Seiler is back on the program to talk about something that many of us get wrong: the distinction between overtraining, overreaching, and burnout. Often these terms are used synonymously, but there are many nuanced differences between these conditions, and that’s what we’ll explore in today’s episode.   We’ll dispel any myths about these terms, point out the scenarios that lead to each, and talk through how to avoid the worst outcomes.  While research on overtraining syndrome is still in its nascent phase, we now know more about the complex hormonal and physiological complications that can lead to this debilitating condition.  On the other hand, while the term hasn’t long been defined in the science literature, overreaching is a training method with a long history. We’ll differentiate between functional and non-functional overreaching, and how to differentiate between the two.  Then there’s burnout, that lack of motivation or mental fatigue that most likely all of us have experienced at some point. Is burnout an inevitable part of being a bike racer? We’ll discuss.  In addition to Dr. Seiler, we’ll hear from a host of great names in the endurance sports world, including Seabastian Weber from INSCYD, Jim Miller at USA Cycling, pro mountain biker Payson McElveen, and coach Neal Henderson from Wahoo.  One final note before we dive in. In this episode you’ll hear Coach Connor describe his bout of overtraining syndrome. When we were recording the show, Trevor thought back through the haze of 25 years to try and remember the training volume that led to his Issues. You’ll hear him say it was only 10 hours. On later reflection, he feels it was more like 15 hours per week. And that’s a massive difference, given how he was training at that time. Stay tuned for that discussion.   And with that, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have another fantastic Q&A episode for you today, with a diverse range of questions.  Our guest coach this week is Julie Young, who has appeared before on Fast Talk—episode 91, to be exact. Julie is a former professional cyclist turned coach. Her road racing career stretched over a decade with teams including Saturn and Timex. She continues to race today at a very high level across multiple disciplines, and is currently part of the talented team behind the Kaiser Permanente Sports Medicine Endurance Lab in California.  On to the questions:   Erik Olsen from Aarhus, Denmark asks about time to exhaustion and the true definition of fatigue.  Luis Arrondo in San Jose, California, wonders if there is a “currency exchange” between adaptation and recuperation.  Reuben Kouidri, in Bristol, in the UK, has some goals far in the future, so he wants to know when the goal is a long way away and he doesn't need to peak until 3 years from now, is there a more optimal way to train for maximizing fitness than, for example, that 80:20 polarized ratio?  Klemens Plasser in Vienna, Austria asks about glycogen use during exercise, the different exogenous and endogenous sources, and how each is utilized.  Dan Draper in Salt Lake City, Utah ponders whether he’d be faster if he cut back or eliminated grains from his diet.  James McKay in Yorkshire, England wants to know if a greater fat intake will help him improve performance and health.  And finally, Tom Maher in Horwich, the UK, has questions about changes to heart rate in relation to power as he makes his way back from injury.  All that and much more today on Fast Talk.  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard us talk about so-called “big gear” training on the program before. Many of you probably incorporate it into your riding, and for a variety of reasons.   What’s surprising is how little research has been done on this low-cadence, high-torque riding. Even the definition of what constitutes “low-cadence” remains hazy. And there are as many ways of incorporating this into your workouts as there are coaches. Threshold, sub-threshold, five minutes, or 20 minutes. There are many possibilities, and as many philosophies.  Today we take a closer look at big gear work. What does the research literature say about performance gains and adaptations? What have elite coaches discovered through practice? Are coaches employing something their gut tells them works, and the research has simply yet to catch up?  Our guest today is Neal Henderson, head of sport science at Wahoo, and, in his spare time, an elite coach to several WorldTour riders. Neal is one of those coaches who routinely uses big gear work with most of his athletes—from track riders to time trialists, including world champion Rohan Dennis.   We also hear from Sebastian Weber of INSCYD and Jim Miller at USA Cycling, two other highly experienced coaches who utilize big gear workouts with their athletes to great success. Finally, we hear how pro Petr Vakoc incorporates big gear work into his training.  Alright, put it in the 53x11. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to Fast Talk, your source for the science of cycling performance! I'm your host Chris Case. Today, we’re digging into the archive for some season-planning knowledge. Why now when our seasons have been demolished? Because it’s never too early to start soaking in the wisdom of seasoned veterans on how to best map out any season, particularly next year’s.  Trevor did several great interviews with four top pros—Toms Skujins, Kiel Reijnen, Joey Rosskopf, and Larry Warbasse—for an article he was writing several years ago, and now we want to share their full wisdom. There’s no other agenda, they just had a lot of good things to say, from starting your season right to picking your moments in that season to peak; from fending off fatigue and overtraining to ending your season right. All that and much more on today’s episode.  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever woken up early in the morning to go for a ride, skipped breakfast, and thought, “I wonder if that was bad for my training? Or maybe it was good?!” In today’s episode, we try to decipher if there are any advantages or disadvantages to occasionally riding, or exercising in general, in a fasted state. What does “fasted” actually mean, in this context? How’s that help, or hurt, my training? How conclusive is the evidence? And how often should I do it? Those are just some of the questions we’ll try to answer today.   Fasting is one of those subjects that many of you have likely heard mentioned in passing, but whether or not it can lead to true performance gains is another matter. To fast or not to fast, that is the question. Today, we go particularly deep into the details of fasting, from the different types of fasting you can use for both health and performance benefits, to the genetic and cellular mechanisms which could play a role in adaptations.   In essence, there are two overriding questions: Does fasting have health benefits? And does it help in training and performance? The science is pointing towards clear health benefits, but performance and training are less clear. We’ll explore all of that and much more today on Fast Talk.  Our primary guest is someone who has spent his research career looking into these very questions. Dr. Brian Carson, of the University of Limerick, in Ireland, is a leading expert on the effects of exercising in a fasted state, as will become patently clear when we dive into the science.   We’ll also hear today from longtime USA Cycling coach Jim Miller, pro roadie Petr Vakoc and pro mountain biker Payson McElveen, leading physiologist Dr. Iñigo San Millan, and neurologist Dr. Dale Bredesen.  Put down that cookie. Let’s make you fast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Coach Connor and I discuss something that comes up nearly every time we receive an email from one of our devoted listeners, from you. (By the way, please keep sending us questions and voice memos—we love them.)    So, what is it that is nearly universally included in every piece of correspondence we receive? Well, it’s some indication of a listener’s “threshold.” Often that figure is stated as if it is an absolute or as if it’s 100-percent accurate. And that’s what we want to address today: How accurate are these numbers, really? It turns out, not very. And as an extension of that, we also discuss just how difficult it is to get an accurate figure, for myriad reasons. We’ll discuss several of the most common ways to determine your threshold, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.     Coincidentally, we were already planning to record this episode when Trevor received an unpublished review by a team out of Auckland, New Zealand, led by researcher Ed Maunder at the Sports Performance Research Institute of the Auckland University of Technology. The review is a fantastic summary of this very concept, but since it isn’t yet published, we can’t discuss the findings just yet. That said, the group had a lot of great points that helped shape this episode, thus we do need to give them full credit for those ideas in this show.  Once the review is published, we’ll do a second episode in which we’ll interview the researchers and discuss their review. One of the fascinating concepts we look forward to discussing with them is how “durability” factors into threshold measurements. Stay tuned.     Now, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to Fast Talk, your source for the science of cycling performance! I'm your host Chris Case.    I’ll set the stage for today’s episode with an analogy. And apologies to those of you who don’t enjoy our car engine analogies; alas, we’re sticking with it on this episode. We ask the simple question: Which has the greatest chance of consistently producing the best performances: a powerful, finely-tuned, race-inspired engine—take your pick from Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and especially if you’re an F1 fan, Mercedes—or a heavily modified Honda Civic that you hope can compete at that goal race you’ve been preparing for?   Bringing it back to cycling terms, is it more beneficial to build a robust, complete physiological engine and then apply it to, or activate it for, different race situations, or is it better to work on specific attributes of your engine given the specific demands of a particular race? The answer, it turns out, has as much to do with training philosophy as it does to physiological principles. In today’s episode, we analyze which is more appropriate for you, and which leads to the best performances, and the best athletes. It’ll likely become pretty clear where Coach Connor and our main guest, Jim Miller, stand on the matter.    Jim, as Chief of Sports Performance, leads USA Cycling’s Athlete Development programs. In his previous role with USA Cycling, after a two-year hiatus took him to TrainingPeaks, Miller helped the United States earn 14 Olympic medals and numerous world championship titles since 2001. The list of athletes Jim has coached over the years is too long to read here, but notably includes Tejay van Garderen, Kate Courtney, Kristin Armstrong, and Lawson Craddock, to name a few.  His coaching experience isn’t solely focused on the elite of the elite, however. Jim also works with athletes whose backgrounds or goals are unique, and they’re often from the amateur or master’s ranks. Not surprisingly, Jim has found the most success with the amateurs he coaches by applying the same principles he does to world champions. We’ll hear about those successes today. We’ll also take a compelling tangent into the importance of psychology and mental capacity to success.  On today’s episode, we’ll also hear from American pro Kiel Reijnen, data analyst and coach Tim Cusick, and WorldTour physiologist Inigo San Millan. All that and much more, today on Fast Talk.  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to Fast Talk, your source for the science of cycling performance! I'm your host Chris Case, and today Coach Connor and I are joined by Coach Steve Neal of The Cycling Gym, which now resides exclusively in the virtual world: https://online.thecyclinggym.com/.  Let’s get into the questions.  Our first question comes from Dan S., as a follow-up to episode 113 on recovery period lengths: “What do you make of the FTP test protocols that call for a 5-minute maximal effort followed by a 5-minute recovery followed by a 20-minute FTP measurement effort? Is the 20 minutes representative of what an athlete could do for a 60-minute FTP test and, thus, what their FTP training power zones should be?”   A second question from Dan S. on body fat and hypothermia: “First, are athletes with lower body fat composition more susceptible to hypothermia? Second, is there a notable difference in chilling effect when either wetness or wind are added?”  James K. wants to know how to structure a rest week: “How should I structure the rest week to get the most from it? Should I have multiple days completely off? Any opener intervals?”  Our next question comes from Ellis P. of Rugby, England. He, like many this year, has had to pivot after his target event was cancelled. He wants to know how to adjust his training: “Can you ‘build’ forever?” he asks. “I need both a very good aerobic and anaerobic system to be at the sharp end of the field. Initially my events were far enough apart that I could peak for U23 Nationals, take a break and then base/build/peak for the National Hill Climb Championships. With my original goal not taking place, can I base/build/base/build until September when I will start racing Hill Climb TTs in prep, or should I still take a break and reset? I don’t and won’t need a mental break, it’s only a physical break I’m concerned with. Given I haven’t ‘peaked’ yet this year do I need to take time off? Essentially, what I’m asking is do you need to change your training regularly/can your body get tired of one type of training even if you’re progressing that type of training (e.g. longer intervals)?”  Israeli coach Dror H. asks about rest between VO2max efforts: “During your recent episode on rest periods between intervals with Sebastian Weber (FT113), you raised a point about the impact of recovery time between intervals on lactate removal and performance in the next intervals. Specifically, you mentioned Dr. Seiler’s article which showed no difference between 2 minutes and 4 minutes rest period. According to Dr. Weber, the reason why there was no difference is that in both cases the ATP-Phosphocreatine system recovered to the same level and the lactate levels were pretty much the same. So, from a physiological perspective 2 minutes and 4 minutes rest are almost the same. Now comes the question: In the case of 8-minute VO2max efforts, should we recover much longer to be able to generate similar power each time?”  Finally, Devin K. wants to know: “What is happening when you ‘blow up’ on a ride?”   Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which cycling shoes should I buy? This may seem like a straightforward question. But the better thing to ask is: Which shoes are right for my feet? If you’ve been a professional cyclist with extensive experience as a bike fitter, like show host Colby Pearce, the answer to that more complex question becomes an hour-long podcast, filled with the nuances of human anatomy. There are several questions about your physiology and biomechanics that need to be answered before you can select the ideal shoe for you, and for the purpose of your rides. Dial that Boa in—but not too tight. There’s much to be learned in today’s episode of Cycling in Alignment. REFERENCES Lake 403s – https://lakecycling.com/products/cx-403?variant=30307106029662 Device that expands toe-box – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4SKS82?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1 Cycling Tips Podcast about Bont shoes: https://cyclingtips.com/2015/05/bont-vaypor-s-shoe-review/ Bont Helix – https://www.bontcycling.com/products/road/helix/index.html Bontrager XXX – https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bike-clothing/cycling-shoes/road-bike-shoes/bontrager-xxx-road-cycling-shoe/p/25000/ Lintamen – https://www.lintaman.com/ Hanseeno – https://hanseeno.com/collections/performance/products/u100g-shoes www.feetfreex.com/ Treadlabs orthotics – https://treadlabs.com/ Superfeet orthotics – https://www.superfeet.com/en-us Icebug orthotics – https://icebug.com/insoles G8 orthotics – https://www.g8performance.com/ Colby’s Site – http://www.colbypearce.com/ Email – cyclinginalignment@fastlabs.com Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cyclinginalignment/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/CyclinginAlign_ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cyclinginalignment-110271017351743 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re taking a good long look at training metrics. We’ve released previous episodes on how to use different numbers, what many of them mean, and how they’re calculated. Today, we tie it together into one package, with a master of data analytics, Tim Cusick, who is not only the product leader for TrainingPeaks’ WKO platform, but also an elite cycling coach of athletes including Amber Neben and Rebecca Rusch.  As Tim likes to say, if each ride you do is a single note, to get the most out of your training, you want to string those rides together in the most elegant way. That is, you want to make music. I love that analogy for the art of training and coaching.  To set the stage for our conversation, it’s helpful to understand that even a data aficionado like Tim fully understands that metrics are not the be-all-end-all—the power of numbers is in their ability to effectively inform the decision-making process. Athletes and coaches should use data to learn more about how best to train, but the data cannot be the solution unto itself.   It’s also helpful to define some terminology. Most of you will have heard of stress, or external load; then there’s strain, the internal load applied to a system; and finally TSS, or training stress score, which we will define and dissect. Likewise, you’re likely familiar with the PMC in TrainingPeaks. The performance management chart shows trends in your season. Finally, Tim often mentions the “content” of the work used to generate these different metrics. What he means by that is the composition of the training rides, whether they’re intense or easy, long or hard, and so forth.   To tie it all together, today’s episode is about utilizing a training philosophy to design the right type of workouts—the content—then using the metrics as a guide to inform how much, how often, and how difficult those rides should be. Voila, you’ve got some Mozart, hopefully. Maybe if you’re Trevor is more like Celine Dion or Shania Twain. (They’re Canadian)  On the program today, we also hear from a host of other prominent figures about how they use, or don’t use, all the metrics we have available today. Guests include physiologist Jared Berg, pro mountain biker Payson McElveen, the legend himself Ned Overend, WorldTour veteran Brent Bookwalter, and Xert creator Armando Mastracci.  Time to crunch some numbers, and fill out the all-important comments field. Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Q&A episode we invited coach and co-owner of Forever Endurance, Grant Holicky, to join us for a lengthy discussion on a myriad of topics.   First, we converse about sweat rates. Ernest Boskovic references our discussion in episode 111 with Dr. Cheung, and asks several intriguing questions. (It makes us believe we’ll soon invite Dr. Cheung back to the program for a full episode on the subject.) Here are a few of Ernest’s questions: What is the relationship of sweat rate to intensity? What is the relationship of sweat rate to intensity? Is it a linear relationship? What is the relationship of sweat rate to core temperature? What is the relationship of sweat rate to dehydration?   We then discuss how to use polarized training for cyclocross. Can it be done? Should you stop polarizing at some point and bring in more specificity? Or should you become even more polarized as the season approaches?  Next, we discuss ROS and the differences between pros and amateurs.   Then we jump into VLAmax. Devin Knickerbocker asks why it is that having a higher VlaMax means your endurance performance suffers?  We then chat about big gear work on the flats: there is value in high-torque intervals, so how does one execute such intervals properly, particularly in flat areas of the world or on the trainer?  Finally, we converse about recovery tools—when and how to use them most effectively.   All that and much more in today’s episode. Let’s make you fast!    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long-time friends, training partners, and competitors, Jonathan Vaughters and Colby Pearce have a deep racing history and relationship. With decades of experience in pro cycling, they have gained many insights about training, coaching, and the trajectory of the sport.  Colby and JV first discuss their early training techniques, taught to them by their first cycling coach, Adrie Van Diemen, a Dutch exercise physiologist now with UAE Team Emirates. Many of the techniques are now considered to be standard practice. The pair reminisce about how they were ahead of their time, in many ways, even though they didn’t realize it. Vaughters, who has coached many pro cyclists over the years, then gives examples of experiments gone right—and wrong—and how certain training regimens should be applied to certain types of athletes. He also openly discusses the conflict of interest in coaching athletes while also serving as their team manager.  The discussion then turns to the finer details of cycling technique, including a detailed explanation of how crank length affects a rider’s ability to climb, sprint, and win. JV even describes the time he swapped cranks behind the back of his former team manager, Johan Bruyneel.  Next, the conversation turns to Rigoberto Urán, who finished second in the 2017 Tour de France. The Colombian’s diet at that year’s race included bananas and… bananas. Vaughters uses that example to illustrate how the natural and simple solution oftentimes bests all of the “advanced” nutrition expertise in the world—and how athletes often discover what works best for them and “solve their own equation.” That, and much more, in today’s episode of “Cycling in Alignment.” REFERENCES Book: “One-Way Ticket: Nine Lives on Two Wheels” https://www.amazon.com/One-Way-Ticket-Nine-Lives-Wheels/dp/0143134140 Coach Adrie Van Diemen http://www.webtrainer.com/nl/ Colby’s Site: http://www.colbypearce.com/ Email: CyclingInAlignment@FastLabs.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclinginalignment/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CyclinginAlign_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclinginalignment-110271017351743 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’ll hit the subjects of cornering and descending from many sides. Our main guest is Emile Abraham, who has racked up numerous wins because of his cornering and descending prowess, having grown up riding the twisty, steep roads of Trinidad and Tobago. Also in today’s episode, we hear from our friend and podcast colleague Colby Pearce, Petr Vakoc of the Alpecin-Fenix pro team, professional mountain biker Payson McElveen, and Kristen Legan, a coach and former cycling tech editor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we’ve invited Rambleur Rising coach and elite gravel racer Kristen Legan to help answer your many insightful questions. To give you a broader range of coaching opinions, Kristen joins Trevor and me to talk about the art of listening to your body, ketogenic diets, glucose transport, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all about off-road today! Our all-star MTB lineup includes: - Payson McElveen, 2x cross-country marathon Ntl. champ & host of The Adventure Stache podcast - Geoff Kabush, 3x Olympian, 9x World Cup podium finisher & 9x Canadian cross-country Ntl. Champ - Joe Lawwill, raced MTB as a pro for 10 years & is now Shimano’s North American MTB marketing manager as well as an MTB skills coach - Steve Neal, former Canadian Ntl. MTB coach & co-owner of The Cycling Gym (online.thecyclinggym.com/)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Q&A episode, we cover a broad spectrum of topics including sugar consumption and its health effects, safe rates to increase volume, the pros and cons of group rides, the efficacy of topical bicarbonate products, and much more. Reminder, you can record a question for us on a voice memo app on your phone and then email it to us at fasttalk@fastlabs.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll start today’s show with a simple question, one that few athletes ask themselves: why do we have rest periods at all? Then Trevor and I will discuss the metabolic milieu that is “perturbed” during intervals. Our main guest is Sebastian Weber of INSCYD, and we’ll also hear from national champion Ruth Winder, Dr. Stephen Cheung, and Jared Berg. Sebastian is creating a webinar that will complement this episode as well, so please visit fastlabs.com/fasttalk113 for that once it's available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colby Pearce interviewing Dr. Allen Lim, founder of Skratch Labs, is today’s esteemed philosopher. REFERENCES: LUX camp is June 15th to July 15th. Dr. Allen Lim https://www.doctorallenlim.com Skratch Labs https://www.skratchlabs.com/ Dr. Stacy Sims https://www.drstacysims.com/ Chek https://chekinstitute.com/product/holistic-health-and-performance-for-women-e-learning/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclinginalignment/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyclinginalignment-110271017351743 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’ll address several questions that we received from listeners via email, voicemail, and Twitter. The first question Coach Connor addresses is about interval work and HIIT exercises, which we use as a springboard to talk about the difference between HIIT and HIT workouts. Please take a moment to take our survey. As we consider the potential for new subscription offerings, we want to hear from our devoted listeners. Visit https://fastlabs.com/subscriptionsurvey! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m your host, Colby Pearce. My goal is to help people express their highest potential by illuminating a path that enables alignment with truth. Ultimately, through this podcast, I aspire to provide a platform for useful insight and discussion around cycling and holistic health. Resources: www.industrytap.com/knowledge-doubling-every-12-months-soon-to-be-every-12-hours/3950 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Dr. Stephen Cheung, a professor in the kinesiology department of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. He is one of the world’s preeminent environmental physiologists, and studies how humans perform in extreme conditions. We’ll also hear from Nick Legan, Shimano’s road brand manager, and Whitney Garcia, former pro triathlete. In this time of online symposiums, Dr. Cheung is organizing a “Virtual Environmental Ergonomics” series. For more info, visit www.icee2021.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Fast Talk listeners. We're proud to introduce the latest addition to Fast Labs. The Cycling in Alignment podcast is the brainchild of Colby Pearce, U.S. Olympic track cyclist and Hour Record holder. Colby has been a Steve Hogg Certified bike fitter for the past decade, working with elite athletes and teams. The minutiae of cycling and riding technique are just part of the story he shares. Alignment with nature and treating the sport as a practice are a couple of the philosophies that will be discussed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Getting off our bikes is the last thing most cyclists want to do. That, however, is just what we’re recommending in today’s episode of Fast Talk. We'll hear from former pro and longtime endurance coach Julie Young; RedBull athlete, MTB marathon national champ, and host of The Adventure Stache podcast, Payson McElveen; Petr Vakoc of the Alepcin-Fenix team; and Steve Neal, endurance coach and the co-owner of the Cycling Gym. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have a classic, complex, Coach Connor special. We ask a question not many other physiologists are asking: Is an amateur’s zone 2 ride (in a five-zone model) as physiologically taxing as a pro’s zone 2 ride? We’ll discuss what that means in much more detail with today’s main guest Dr. Iñigo San Millan, lead physiologist for the UAE-Emirates WorldTour team. We’ll also hear from physiologists Dr. Stephen Seiler and Jared Berg; Xert creator Armando Mastracci, and Mitchelton-Scott's Brent Boo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have received so many great questions about TSS, or Training Stress Score, that we wanted to look at this popular metric from several angles. Most of today’s episode is devoted to those questions, and stay tuned for a future episode where we’ll take an even closer look at TSS. There isn’t a single answer as to the best use of TSS, or how effective it is for your overall planning. Some people might rely heavily on it, while others see it as a single tool, in a much larger toolbox, to be used spari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we take a step away from the science, and talk tactics. When we’ll race again no one really knows. So we thought it would a great time to help our listeners at least daydream about racing with this episode. Specifically, we’re discussing how to be aggressive, when to be aggressive, in races. And we’re doing it with none other than the current national road champion, Ruth Winder, who we caught up with many months ago. Despite the halted season, we decided now was the time to release this episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As promised, today in episode 106, we bring in Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the world’s preeminent exercise physiologists, to discuss how to adjust your training now that the world is in a chronic state of disruption. We dive into our recommendations for reframing goals given your new focus. We’ll touch upon planning the rest of your season based upon those new goals. Finally, we’ll address the immunological repercussions of training, which are particularly important in the present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, we address how to effectively and constructively deal with these emotions: the lessons will, of course, help both with dealing with the uncertainty of a pandemic and with addressing the emotional rollercoaster that is bike racing. Next week, with the help of Dr. Stephen Seiler, exercise physiologist extraordinaire, we’ll discuss ways to properly adjust your training. https://www.calm.com/ https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, in episode 104, we wanted to give you something you’ve come to love about Fast Talk: a discussion on the science of training, and specifically answering your training questions. We take on 3 questions and cover details about respiratory exchange rates in relation to VO2max testing; we also discuss how to most effectively use your bike commute for training purposes; and finally, we address the always important, always challenging question of how to balance life with training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

These are special times, challenging times, and this is a special edition of Fast Talk. This is the last episode of Fast Talk to be co-released on the VeloNews channel. As a way to say goodbye to our good friends at VeloNews, we invited editor-in-chief Fred Dreier to join us on the show to interview both Trevor and me, about Fast Talk—where we’ve been, where we’re going, and to discuss some of the highlights from our long history together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the world is fixated on the spread of COVID-19, many of us are feeling various amounts of stress & anxiety. These are challenging times. By coincidence, we recorded & planned to release today an episode on performance psychology with Julie Emmerman, specifically on the principles of confidence, resilience, the power of reframing, self-talk, etc. There are immense lessons to be learned in this episode that are applicable both to riding your bike faster, and living your life in a more healthy, mindful way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Training Zones are Ranges for a reason. Today we hear from a vast array of former guests, including:  - Colby Pearce, time trialist, coach & bike fitting expert - Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the world’s leading sports physiologists - Sepp Kuss, pro cyclist with Jumbo-Visma - Toms Skujins, pro cyclist with Trek-Segafredo - Dr. Andy Coggan & Dr. Stephen McGregor, leading exercise physiologists - Hunter Allen, leading cycling coach - Sebastian Webber, lead scientist at INSCYD & el Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today in episode 100, we get nearly two hours of Dr. Seiler. Our conversation is very natural, casual even, but there are so many moments of enlightenment and clarity. We learn about the inception of the polarized method, from the creator himself. We discuss Dr. Seiler’s current research on the all-important aerobic threshold. And we jaw about the future of sport science. Get ready for the wisdom to drop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Swim, bike, run. For our guests today putting these disciplines together represents a good day's work. Our primary guest is Melanie McQuaid, the first person to win the XTERRA world championship 3 times. She is now a triathlon coach in Canada, and she joins us to get specific and scientific about training 3 disciplines. We’re also joined by former pro triathlete Whitney Garcia. Because of her path to the sport, Whitney offers clear insight into the training dos and don’ts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, my guest is Meredith Miller. She may say she's "retired" from racing, but she absolutely has not retired from the sport. She is now the Rapha Cycling Club Chapter Coordinator in Boulder. She also works with USA Cycling as a coach and mentor in cyclocross. As a competitive athlete, she was the U.S. national road champion as well as co-owner and rider for the Noosa cyclocross team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First, Peter B., thanks for asking us about intervals. We hope our dissection of the dreaded 4x8s is helpful! Enjoy Trevor’s graphs & analysis. Next, David S. brought up a really good point: How do you adequately train for Dirty Kanza, when you live in an area that doesn’t offer the rugged terrain you’ll be faced with on race-day? Finally, Jeremiah B., you know we love to talk about when to train in Zone 1, Zone 2 & so on, in the polarized model. Thanks for your question about cardiac drift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Case is the former managing editor of VeloNews & co-author of “The Haywire Heart." He spent a good part of his early career as a neuroscientist, from dissecting monkey brains to working with patients with schizophrenia. Whether you're in the throes of training for a multi-stage bike race, or you’re riding a trail with your kids, it’s important to keep cycling fun. We laugh about the charades of youth, & share insights into how we integrate our love of sport into a balanced and fulfilled life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today our guest is Menachem Brodie. Menachem is the owner of Human Vortex Training & has over a decade of strength training and coaching experience. As you’ll hear in this episode, Menachem has graciously gifted a chapter of his new book, “The Vortex Method,” to Fast Talk listeners. Visit FastLabs.com/fasttalk97 to get your free download. Also coming on the podcast today is Red Bull athlete, and fellow podcaster, Payson McElveen. Check out his pod “The Adventure Stache." Visit Fa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're pulling from the Fast Labs vault to hear from one of our favorite guests, Colby Pearce. When we asked him about pedal stroke technique, Colby gave us this monologue of gold. We are very happy to say that Colby is the newest member of the Fast Labs family. Look for his new show in the coming weeks. We also caught up with reigning U.S. national road race champion, Ruth Winder, of Trek-Segafredo for more on how to train the pedal stroke, on and off the bike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, with the help of two very talented technical gurus, Lennard Zinn and Nick Legan, we explain the complexities of the tire, tire pressure, and how those things lead to changes in comfort, grip, rolling resistance and much more. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @RealFastLabs. As always, we love your feedback. Email us at fasttalk@fastlabs.com or call 719-800-2112 and leave us a voicemail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guess which one of our all-knowing hosts is an expert on Baby Yoda, and who hadn’t even heard of him until this recording? Or, more importantly, what is a palindrome? Welcome to our 2nd bonus episode of Fast Talk where Chris and Coach Connor are once again tackling your important questions! First is a question about training while fasting, then some goal-setting analysis, and finally some more discussion on the polarized approach. Submit your question: call 719-800-2112 or email fasttalk@fastlabs.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re joined by Brent Bookwalter of the Mitchelton-Scott WorldTour team, a man of both wisdom and humility, for a full conversation on balancing life and sport. We don’t all deal with the issues related to pro cyclists’ in our own lives, there are common themes about self-care, and working to keep your passions alive that we can all relate to. Today we also spoke to coach Katie Compton, and two of our favorite coaches and soon-to-be Fast Labs podcast hosts, Grant Holicky & Colby Pearce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to this bonus episode of Fast Talk. These new episodes, which we’ll publish every other week, will run shorter than our regular episodes, and they’ll be geared toward answering your questions. All in all, they’ll contain the same great content you’ve come to expect from Fast Labs. If you have a question, give us a call at 719-800-2112 and a voicemail. If we can hear you loud and clear, we may include the recording in the show. As always, email us at fasttalk@fastlabs.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we're here to remind you that successful training is not determined by data and statics 100% of the time. Our main guest is former professional cyclist turned coach Julie Young, whose road racing career stretched over a decade with teams including Saturn and Timex. She continues to race and is currently part of the talented team behind the Kaiser Permanente Sports Medicine Endurance Lab in California. We’re also joined by Coach Steve Neal, as well as Trek-Segaf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Base training has traditionally been all about long, slow rides, but we've found some innovative approaches to improving training this time of year. Today, we’re discussing how best to deal with Base Season training challenges including poor weather and limited daylight. Our primary guests today are Andrew Randell and Steve Neal, the owners of Toronto's The Cycling Gym, joined by one of their athletes, Jeremiah Groen. We’ll also hear from pro roadie Erica Clevenger, as well as Lennard Zinn & Bruce Bir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s show is about physiological testing. The result of a good test is a robust set of data specific to you, which can help you understand things like your true training zones & how well you can get up tough mountain climbs. Our guest is Jared Berg, exercise physiologist at the University of Colorado Sports Medicine & Performance Center. 2020 will be the year when Fast Labs expands beyond Fast Talk! Expect more from Colby Pearce & Grant Holicky soon. Check out www.FastLabs.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we're racing only three or four times a year, do we still need to periodize our season? Can we be on form all year round? Today we'll dive into planning a season with limited racing, asking the questions: What can we learn from the pros? What can we not take from pros? Then we'll look at several scenarios, including having four or five races in a short time frame, four or five races that are spread out, a single focus event, and the non-racer who just likes to smash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fast Talk, we’re going to discuss four of the most common overuse and imbalance injuries in cyclists and how to address them with off-the-bike work and proper bike fit. Patellar tendinitis, pelvic obliquity, back pain, and thoracic kyphosis, are fancy terms that our today's guest, Jess Elliott, the owner of Tag Performance and University of Denver faculty member in Human Performance and Sports, will help you understand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve received so many intriguing questions from our listeners, it was time to devote an entire episode to answering them. We appreciate the feedback, and generate many future podcast topics from your questions, so please keep them coming. You can always email us at fasttalk@fastlabs.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fast Talk, we're going to cover: • Basic structure of a research study • Concepts needed to understand scientific research • Understanding scientific methods • Preferences among researchers • A study’s endpoints • The concept of the false null hypothesis Our primary guests are Dr. Jim Peterman, a professor of exercise physiology at Ball State University & Nate Wilson, a former elite U23 racer & head coach at Catalyst Coaching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sit down with George Bennett of the Jumbo-Visma WorldTour team to get a better understanding of how pros at the highest level of the sport train, and what amateurs can learn from those methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Fast talk we’re diving into nutritional training: 1. Scientific approach to figuring out carb needs 2. G.I. distress 3. Race nutrition 4. Why most people can only absorb 60g of carbs/hour 5. Best mix of carbs to improve absorption 6. Dedicating time every week to training your gut 7. Potential health concerns, microbiome, and l-glutamine We're joined by Dr. Asker Jeukendrup, as well as Katie Compton, Colby Pearce & Ryan Kohler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a critical distinction between adaptation and recovery. In fact, sometimes what helps one, hurts the other. Recovery is about doing what you can so the legs are ready for your next workout. Adaptation is about the body repairing the damage caused by training—if the training provides enough stress, it will repair the system to come back stronger. But what’s good for that repair process may have you feeling less than perfect on the bike the next day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a long time coming, but Fast Talk is finally taking on cyclocross! Today on the pod: - Why cyclocross is so unique to the cycling world - What assets you need to be a good ‘cross rider - The short race season in cyclocross - Unique training side of cyclocross - ‘cross races - strategy, course inspection, & selecting gear Our primary guests today are Grant Holicky, one of his athletes Maxx Chance, Ellen Noble, and Katie Compton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Complex training prescriptions are becoming increasingly popular. In this episode, we ask the question: Does it really need to be that complex? What do you gain from this complexity? With the help of seven different experts — coaches, scientists, and athletes — we’re going to try to make three key points: 1) human physiology is very complex; 2) properly executing intervals is very difficult; 3) but, the prescription should be simple. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we discuss how to use energy most effectively. We’ll define energy and discuss the pros and cons of trying to measure it. We’ll dive into all the ways you can unnecessarily waste energy including responding to every move, riding in the washing machine, poor positioning, and riding on the front for no reason. After we talk about all the ways you can waste energy, we’ll flip it around and talk about ways to save energy! Our guests today are Colby Pearce, Sepp Kuss, and Bruce Bird. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For three weeks every July we watch the best bike racers in the world tear themselves apart for four-plus hours per day at the Tour de France. Could we ever do something like that? What exactly does it take to race the Tour — physiologically, mentally, spiritually? Each day these phenomenal athletes race an event that would shatter most of us in just one day. It’s a feat that’s hard to comprehend, so today we’ll try to give a sense of what it takes to race the Tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all make mistakes. No one trains and races perfectly, which can be frustrating when so often those mistakes are made out of honest effort and a desire to perform at our best. In episode 77, we’re going to talk about some of the most common mistakes that we see in athletes — even pros. And we’re going to hear from a variety of athletes, coaches, and experts who have been around the block a few times. They know all the mistakes, but more importantly they know what to do about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Effective training is a balance between stressing our systems and recovery. While training does damage, it’s in recovery that we repair and get stronger. We dive into the recovery side of the training-recovery concept and talk about, first, the fundamental principle of training called super-compensation. Then, how to know when the balance between training and recovery goes too far. Then we’ll discuss ways of measuring recovery, including resting heart rate and heart rate variability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 75, we’re joined by Dr. Stephen Seiler, one of the top exercise physiologists working today. Dr. Seiler has talked with us previously about the polarized, or 80/20, model of endurance training. He’s shared his thoughts on zone models, and he’s helped us understand how slow your “slow” should be. You’ve sent us more questions about those two episodes than any other episodes we’ve done, but the most common question has been “when’s part 3?” Well, this is that episode on the othe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 74, we speak with Dr. Stacy Sims about the numerous and complex differences between male and female physiology, and the significant impact that has on women's training and performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 73, we talk about the important balance between our aerobic and glycolytic energy systems and why they may require a little give and take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 72, we discuss one of the most ubiquitous terms in cycling: training zones. We dive into their strengths and weaknesses, standards, and limitations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 71, we discuss the training, experience, and challenge of one-day and multi-day gran fondos — everything you need to know to crush or simply complete your next event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The days when training software simply showed a power & heart rate curve are a distant memory. Whether you use TrainingPeaks, Golden Cheetah, or some other software, you’ll know that nowadays basic data is mined to reveal a wealth of information about your physiology, strengths, and training. All software packages have moved beyond FTP as the sole parameter used to define an athlete, which we get into today. Our primary guest is Armando Mastracci, joined by Colby Pearce, Brent Bookwalter & Paulo Saldanha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is functional training? And why this buzz phrase is often misunderstood, and why cycling seems to be way behind the curve. We get into the two main benefits of functional work: improving your neuromuscular performance on the bike and preventing injury. Next, we discuss how to evaluate functional fitness and why you should consider having the help of an expert. Our primary guest today is Menachem Brodie, joined later by Jess Elliot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we're playing the humble role of science communicators, to make sure we get the message right. We’ve also sifted through hours of Fast Talk recordings with our many distinguished guests to bring context to what we hope is a simplified, unified message about the fundamental principles of these previous shows: there are just three types of rides. We’ll hear several times from experts Dr. Stephen Seiler, Dr. John Hawley, Grant Holicky, and finally Joe Friel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we take a close look at physiological testing and we address ways it can have a significant impact on how you train, and how quickly you progress. First, we define FTP, and why it may not be the be-all-end-all of training. If you have an FTP of 350 watts, you should be proud. We talk also about VO2max testing and most importantly, how to apply all of these tests to improve your ride. Our primary guest today is physiologist Sebastian Weber, Armando Mastracci, Neal Henderson, and Rebecca Rusch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Periodization is, in many ways, the pinnacle of advanced training. Taking the steps to periodize graduates you to a professional approach, one with purpose, long-term vision &organized planning Today we’ll discuss: - What exactly is periodization? - The history of periodization. - Reverse periodization. - Non-linear forms of periodization - Tips on how to pick a periodization strategy that’s right for you Our guest is coach Joe Friel, author of "The Cyclists Training Bible." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 65, we discuss our concerns with supplements, then focus on some foods with proven benefits. Our primary guest is Ryan Kohler, manager of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine & Performance Center. We also talk with coach Joe Friel, author of "The Cyclists Training Bible." Finally, we hear from endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch and Apex Coaching owner Neal Henderson. They’ll each give us their thoughts on supplements and a few things they’ve found that work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 64, bronze medalist Mike Woods and his teammate Rob Britton share their successes at the Innsbruck world championships. We also got to catch up with Mike's coach Paulo Saldahna. Despite his remarkable coaching success, Paulo points out that coaching is only one of the many hats he wears. He is also the owner of the successful indoor training company PowerWatts and is an endurance sport physiologist by trade in Montreal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holidays and if you’re like us, right about now, you’re scrambling for gift ideas. Today we’ll talk about: - The Whoop recovery strap. - The Normatec recovery system. - Power meters. - The Leomo Type-R. Our guests today are coach Colby Pearce along with FasCat owner and coach Frank Overton. In addition, we’ll talk with professional cyclist Rebecca Rusch and Apex Coaching owner Neal Henderson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been getting a ton of questions from listeners, and many of them have had similar themes. (We appreciate the feedback, look forward to your questions, and generate many future podcast topics from them, so please keep them coming.) While you’re waiting for future episodes with deeper answers, we’d like to give you some short answers now to tide you over. Today we’ll answer questions about diet, the value of short easy rides, sub-threshold work in a polarized training model, and inflammation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you need a coach? Today we’ll talk about the relationship athletes have with their coaches — what makes a good relationship and what makes a bad one. After we’ve defined that relationship, we’ll ask our panel what to look for in a good coach. And, conversely, how to identify a bad coach. Finally, we’ll talk briefly about how much coaching is worth & whether an athlete should stick with the same coach or change occasionally. Our panelists include coach Neal Henderson & endurance athlete Rebecca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 60 we’re discussing trainers… we’ll tell you why you shouldn’t completely ignore them. For those who love them, we’re going to tell you why riding outside every once in a while is a really good thing. For those in between, today’s episode will offer a wealth of knowledge on how to get the very most out of trainer time. Our guests today are Ciaran O’Grady, Tim Johnson. Trevor also caught up with Jacob Fraser from Zwift and Kevin Poulton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this day and age, most of the common overuse injuries in cycling can be addressed and prevented. It just requires the proper precautions — such as getting regular bike fits and doing off-the-bike strength work. Our primary guest today is Dr. Andy Pruitt. He is a bike fit guru who invented the Body Geometry fit system and continues to design ergonomic products for Specialized. He is the author of “Andy Pruitt’s Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists.” We also speak with Evan Huffman & Colby Pearce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 58, we talked with Colby Pearce about what it takes to make an attempt at the hour record on the track. Not long after, Pearce set the master’s 45-49 world record with a scorching 50.245 kilometer effort. For this special episode, we caught up with him to discuss his successful attempt, the training he did, the difficulties of selecting gears and training on a track that was different from the one where he set the record, and how he managed the pain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today legend of the cycling industry, Lennard Zinn, shares a variety of factors in frame design including: - The concepts of fork rake, head-tube angle & trail - How these factors act together to make the bike more or less stable - The effects of wheel flop and how it impacts your ability to corner - How understanding rake, trail, and flop can have a significant impact on your performance - The evolution of bike design and how it has been influenced by both fashion & performance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE HOUR. Those two words represent many things to many people. Some believe it to be the ultimate test of man and machine: out there on the track, with nowhere to hide, an athlete must come to terms with what he or she is truly capable of. In this episode, we sat down with Colby Pearce to dive deep into the Hour. It’s something Case knows all too well, since he too made an attempt in 2015. It’s Hour Record week at Fast Talk. Let’s make you fast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mindset in cycling is an important and frequently neglected side of our training and racing. In reality, mindset is often all that separates the best from second best and can be the difference between reaching the podium or finishing a race. Our primary guest today is a professor of sports psychology and is a senior teaching professor at Colorado State University, Dr. Brian Butki. We also spoke with Dean Golich, a head coach at Carmichael Training Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our featured guest is, of course, Dr. Stephen Seiler, a professor of sports science in Norway, where he has lived for over 20 years. He sits on the executive board of the well-respected European University College for Sports Science. It was his groundbreaking research that helped define the polarized model. We also hear from Dr. John Hawley, another prominent name in the exercise science world from Australia. He talks with us about one of the important, but lesser-known, gains of long rides. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LAST FALL TREVOR AND I CONDUCTED a not-so-controlled study on climbing, and we had the help of a young, talented Colorado rider. His name? Sepp Kuss. At the time of our little experiment, Kuss was about to head to Europe for a training camp with his new WorldTour team, Lotto-NL Jumbo. We’ll also hear from Joe Dombrowski, a leader of the EF Education First-Drapac WorldTour team. Dombrowski was one of Kuss’s chief rivals at the Tour of Utah this year and won the race himself back in 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we’re sitting down with two guests from our sponsor NormaTec to discuss recovery in depth. NormaTec is a medical devices company that also crafts inflatable compression wear for athletes. Are they Space legs? Moon boots? Our primary guests today are two members of the NormaTec team: John Aquadro, NormaTec’s VP of Technology and Operations and Matt Curbeau. Additionally, we’ll hear from Frank Overton, Dr. Andrew Peterson, and Toms Skujins of the Trek-Segafredo WorldTour team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our featured guest is Dr. Stephen Seiler, a professor of sports science in Norway, where he has lived for 22 years. But no, that’s not a Norwegian accent. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. Dr. Seiler is now on the executive board of the well-respected European University College for Sports Science. We're also joined by Grant Holicky, Andrew Randall, Steve Neal, and Larry Warbasse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This spring Joe Friel released his 5th edition of the "Cyclist's Training Bible." Trevor and I had a chance to talk with Joe about the newest edition. We came to the interview with a list of questions that we felt only touched on the key parts of the book and by the hour mark we were barely a quarter of the way through our list. In addition to Joe Friel, our guests include: Frank Overton, the owner of FastCat coaching here in Boulder, CO; as well as LottoNL-Jumbo rider Sepp Kuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’ll first touch upon the history of Dirty Kanza. Editor in chief Fred Dreier and Chris had a conversation in a recent VeloNews podcast about the phenomenon that is DK — why it’s become so popular, how it has grown so rapidly, and so forth, so check out that episode if you want more. Here, we’ll scratch the surface to give you a taste of the atmosphere at this race. Chris will also describe his history with the event. Hint: It ain’t pretty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IN EPISODE 48 WE DELVE into the second part of our series on strategy and training for particular races. This episode is all about hilly road races and winning the GC at a stage race. We caught up with two members of Rally Pro Cycling. Kiel Reijnen shares thoughts on how the region you come from helps determine what style of racing you may like and Toms Skujins discusses how grand tour GC riders and classics riders have to train differently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today knows all about peaking — both as a coach and as an athlete. He’s an hour record holder, an Olympian, a thinker, a tinkerer, and someone with massive amounts of experience as an athlete. Colby Pearce’s many many qualifications are too long to list here so we’ll let Colby detail them himself in a minute. Also sharing his thoughts we have Robert Pickels and the head physiologist at Pearl Izumi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll discuss the difference between a ketogenic diet and a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet, and why the latter may be the more important one to discuss. Our primary guest is a researcher who has become one of the most well-known faces of the high-fat movement — Dr. Timothy Noakes. Dr. Noakes has been at the center of endurance science and sports nutrition research for decades. He wrote, among other books, the very popular “Lore of Running” in the 1980s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IT’S OFTEN OVERLOOKED. Sometimes forgotten. But it never should be. Recovery is just as important to strong performances as your daily workouts and weekly riding volume. Our guests today are Dr. Paul Gastin, Brent Bookwalter, Mac Cassin, and Frank Overton. We’ll also hear from Armando Mastracci, the founder of Xert training software, about the potential to use training software to give us clues about our recovery state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about data. Our guest is the lead engineer for TrainingPeaks and their coach-focused software package WKO4, Tim Cusick. We’ll also hear from Armando Mastracci, developer of Xert Training software; Dean Golich, a head coach at Carmichael Training Systems; and finally, we’ll touch base with Joe Dombrowski, of the EF Education First-Drapac WorldTour team, to get his take on how pros are reacting to the data revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we take a deep dive into race strategy and tactics, and the necessary skills and training you need to excel at bike racing. In this two-part series, we’ll first touch upon flat races where the sprinter tends to win. Today we’re joined by two veterans of both European and American racing from Rally Pro Cycling - team manager Pat McCarty and one of Team Rally’s leaders, Evan Huffman. We also speak with Kiel Reijnen, of Trek-Segafrado. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is all about power. We are lucky to have Hunter Allen, a veteran coach who, as our main guest; along with Dr. Andrew Coggan, wrote the original book on training with power in 2006: “Training and Racing with a Power Meter.” In this episode, we’ll also hear from Dean Golich, a head coach at Carmichael Training Systems who has worked for years with world champion and WorldTour-caliber cyclists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is our first edition of “Ask Fast Talk.” Because we receive so many compelling questions from Fast Talk listeners, we will begin devoting frequent episodes to answering your questions. On today’s episode, we discuss the following: the importance of aerobic threshold training and the physiological adaptations that take place from doing so; should FTP be based on one’s very best race effort or on a test; dealing with muscle soreness after weight training; training in extreme cold; and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we take a deep dive into a subject that Case knows well, and that our guest, Lennard Zinn, has lived for the last five years: Heart arrhythmias in endurance athletes. Chris and Lennard, along with Dr. John Mandrola, wrote a book entitled “The Haywire Heart” that details how and why long-term endurance exercise could cause a variety of heart arrhythmias. We’ll also hear from Jeremy Powers, who dealt with his own heart arrhythmia this past cyclocross season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’ll look at the changes that have taken place in cycling legend Ned Overend, and how he’s been able to remain strong through the years, with an emphasis on recovery and staying healthy. In addition, we’ll hear from Dr. Jason Glowney, head of medicine at the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center. We’ll also hear from Fast Talk regular Frank Overton, owner of FasCat coaching; and finally, we’ll hear from Glenn Swan, a three-time masters national champion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fast Talk, we’ll attempt to unlock the mysteries of fatigue. Is it just lactic acid pooling in your legs, as your high school coach probably told you? The answer is actually a lot more complex than you’d think.Our guests include Dr. Stephen Cheung, an exercise physiologist and professor in the kinesiology department at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. We’ll also hear from talented climber Sepp Kuss, a neo-pro with LottoNL-Jumbo, who will talk about his limits when ra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re taking on the always-controversial subject of nutrition. Why is it so controversial? First, it’s very personal: Many people, trained or untrained, have strong opinions on the subject, and a lot of heated debate revolves around what is healthy and what is best for performance. We’ve had a few prominent guests on Fast Talk previously, and they’ve given their opinions on the subject. But thus far we have strayed away from revealing our thoughts — until now. In this podcast, we’ll discuss what we think is healthy and what isn’t. We’ll talk about what foods to eat, we’ll take on the question of wheat, nutrient density, and sugar. Unlike other episodes, in this show Coach Trevor Connor will not only be the co-host, he’ll also be the guest of honor. His research in graduate school focused on many of these topics, and what he’ll share are his educated opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To start, we turned ourselves into mad scientists and convinced WorldTour pro Sepp Kuss (LottoNL-Jumbo) to join us. We rode several time trials up a few Boulder climbs in our quest for answers. Joining us for the podcast is Ryan Kohler of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center, who helped with the experiments on the road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast covers the physiological effects of training in the cold, from muscle damage to the increased caloric demands. We also discuss tips and tricks to set up your bike, stay warm, and even keep your bottles from freezing. And if it’s just too darn cold, we explain the best way to balance time indoors on the trainer with outdoor rides. We speak with Dr. Stephen Cheung, Dr. Iñigo San Millan, Trek-Segafredo pro rider Kiel Reijnen, and former cyclocross champion Tim Johnson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fast Talk, we tackle the always-popular topic of climbing. A listener in Iowa asked if he could become a better climber. We’re joined by a collection of talented riders and coaches: Sepp Kuss, newly signed with the LottoNL-Jumbo WorldTour squad; Dr. Iñigo San Millan, director of the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center; as well as fantastic climbers Joe Dombrowski and Ned Overend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recently, a big debate kicked up on the Internet. Some cycling experts stated that Functional Threshold Power (FTP) was dead. Many of the big names in training got involved in the debate of the value of FTP, as well as what is and isn’t current when it comes to creating a rider’s power profile and determining their training zones. We didn’t get involved in the debate–we consider everyone in the debate to be friends at Fast Talk–but we also couldn’t resist a good scientific question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We cyclists can get a little lost in the weight room. We are joined by Jess Elliott, who is the sports performance coach and biomechanist at the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center. She helps us understand the fundamentals of strength workouts in the weight room: what to do, how to do it, and how many times to lift those big hunks of iron. Plus, we speak with pro rider Brent Bookwalter (BMC) about how he fits weight lifting into his busy travel schedule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Illness can be a big setback for cyclists at all levels. What causes us to get sick, and how do we avoid it? If we train too hard, will it ruin our immune system, or can we power through it and ride with the sniffles? We are joined by Dr. Jason Glowney of CU Sports Medicine to answer these questions and better understand the science of illness and how it can make us better, healthier cyclists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz examine the chemistry that occurs in our muscles while riding and racing. They talk to Dr. Iñigo San Millán, who is the director of Colorado University’s exercise physiology lab. Best of all, they give you practical advice for your own training to help make that burn go away — or at least make you faster even if it hurts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews columnist Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz discuss a range of topics, including training, physiology, technology, and more. What will bikes look like in five years? What will they ride like? We and joined by VN tech crew Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan to dig into the future of bikes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Taking time off can feel strange, but it’s absolutely necessary. Why do you need an off-season? We sit down with Dr. Andy Pruitt to discuss the physiological and psychological needs of athletes, and how an off-season is crucial to meeting those needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who should you trust? How can you verify? There’s a lot of training advice out there, often contradictory, so what’s the best way for an athlete figure out what to do? We are joined by pro cyclist Sepp Kuss and the founder of FasCat coaching, Frank Overton, to dig into dealing with contradictory advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades (almost a century, in fact), we’ve been told that cramping is caused by electrolyte imbalance or bad hydration. But new science suggests that this probably isn’t why you cramp during exercise. So why do you cramp? It all comes down to something called altered neuromuscular control. And how do you stop it? Well, that’s where things get even trickier. We called up the world’s leading athletic cramping expert to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The difference between a fast tire and a slow tire can be ten or more watts. So how should you optimize your tire selection and tire pressure? The science behind fast tires has evolved rapidly in recent years, so Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz called in tech writer Kristen Legan to dig into the latest research. This episode of Fast Talk is presented by Quarq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to stay fit and fast all year round? We talk to former pro and team director Mike Creed about the toll that cycling takes on a body. He also discusses the mentality required to endure bad days on a bike, which happen far more often than good days. Plus, we speak with Cannondale-Drapac pro Toms Skujins and Trek-Segafredo pro Kiel Reijnen about how they plan their seasons, schedule training and avoid the dreaded burn-out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget what you thought you knew about sports nutrition. We speak with Dr. John Hawley, one of the top experts in the world about the cutting edge trends in sports nutrition. Hawley also debunks myths about Ketogenic diets and explains the difference between race and training nutrition. Plus, we talk to Cannondale-Drapac’s Toms Skujins and national champion Joey Rosskopf about how they use nutrition in the real world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever turned on a Tour de France stage and found yourself wondering what the heck is going on? Why are these riders off the front? Shouldn’t that team be chasing? In this special Fast Talk episode, we are joined by Cannondale-Drapac pro rider Toms Skujins to discuss the intricacies of racing strategy. Plus, we’ll give you a few ways you can translate Tour de France tactics into your local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the heat of summer getting you down? Fast Talk is here to help. Coach Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz are joined once again by Rob Pickels, a physiologist who is currently studying ways to make clothing work better in hot weather. The panel discusses the mechanisms that cause your performance to drop when your body gets too hot, how to trick these mechanisms, and why you don’t want to. Finally, Fast Talk digs into the best ways to stay cool and safe when the mercury rises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You need to sprint faster. Everyone does, except maybe Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish. Though sprinting ability is largely a function of genetics, there are still tons of ways to get more out of your finishing kick, from positioning to neuromuscular training to simply showing up at the finish line fresher. We discuss the ins and outs of sprint technique and training, and are joined by two-time national criterium champion Eric Young for some pro tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What numbers do you use to describe your rides? Some cyclists keep it simple with mileage and time. Others delve into TSS, FTP, or kJ to quantify a day of training. We talk to Dirk Friel of TrainingPeaks to explain how cyclists can use the data to make your workouts more effective and productive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your body is ready to race, but is your bike ready? We are joined by VeloNews’s tech team of Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan to dig into the tech side of proper race preparation. What should you do to your bike to make it race-ready? Where can you find the biggest gains for the least cash? What do you need to have in your race bag? The panel tackles these questions and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The breakaway. It is perhaps the noblest form of victory, and the most difficult. Joining and then winning from breakaways is as much art as science, as much tactical awareness as strength. In this episode, we are joined by Cannondale-Drapac’s escape ace Toms Skuijns, winner of two breakaway stages of the Amgen Tour of California, as well as VeloNews managing editor Chris Case, to discuss the tips, tricks, and tactics needed to make a breakaway move stick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has a warm-up routine, which is sometimes simple, and sometimes very complex. But what are we actually achieving with a pre-race routine? Is it helping us or actually hurting our potential to perform? We go in-depth on the science behind warm-ups and provide tips on how to get the most out of your next race by tailoring your routine to the event and your own needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you eat gummy bears like Peter Sagan? Maybe. In this episode, we are joined by Dan Cavallari and Stacy Sims, founder of Osmo who now works with Nuun, to discuss the difference between food and fuel — what you should be eating on the bike, and off. We cover everything from the basics of sugars to osmotic gut pressure to the benefits (or lack thereof) of red algae. Some of the conclusions just might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which is better, sweet spot training or polarized training? To find out, we invited in proponents of each type of training — FasCat’s Frank Overton on the sweet spot side, and Boulder Center for Sports Medicine’s Ryan Kohler to advocate for a polarized model — and let them have at it. Don’t know what Sweet Spot or polarized training are? Don’t worry, that’s covered first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no training tool more powerful than a power meter, when it’s used properly. But which one you should buy? What part of your bike should it be on? Is a one-sided power meter good enough? We are joined by our tech crew, Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan, to answer these questions and many more. Plus, pro power insight from Cannondale-Drapac’s master of the breakaway, Toms Skuijns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s say you’re on an amateur team. A bunch of Cat. 3s with varying strengths and weaknesses. How do you use each rider effectively? How should a sprinter approach each race? Or a climber? Or a big domestique? Those are the questions we focus on. We are joined by VN managing editor Chris Case, plus pro guests Ted King and Eric Young. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is all about busting two commonly held and closely related training myths. First, should you always do precisely what’s written on your training plan, even if your body is tired? And second, should your intervals always be ridden to failure, as hard as you can go? We are joined by Brent Bookwalter, Lucas Euser, Inigo San Milan, and Grant Holicky to help you determine when you should and shouldn’t push through bad legs, and when you should and shouldn’t do intervals at full gas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the healthy way to get to race weight? We are joined by Dr. Philip Goglia, a nutritionist to the stars (and Phil Gaimon) to discuss safe and effective ways to drop weight, how to best fuel your training, and why paying close attention to your food matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are top pro teams training differently from the rest of us? Can you replace lab testing with a power meter and field testing? What should you look for in a coach? We are joined by Andy Pruitt, an internationally-known fit guru and sports physician, and Robert Pickels, a coach and researcher working at the leading edge of endurance training at the CU Center for Sports Medicine, for a wide-ranging discussion that answers these questions and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want some free watts? Your legs are fighting themselves, and we want them to stop. Episode 8 is all about neuromuscular training, decreasing what is called coactivation, which is when your muscles actually work against each other. Neuromuscular training can provide big gains without requiring any increase in fitness. We are joined by neuromuscular training expert Grant Holicky of Apex Coaching for insight into how this type of training works and how exactly to implement it in your own training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do you need to cover your legs when it’s cold? It’s not about comfort, it’s about getting the most out of your training. We dig into the physiology behind pedaling in cold weather and offer up a few tips and tricks for dressing properly. Internationally renowned trainer Andy Pruitt and former pro Ted King add their own insights on the subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it enough to just ride your bike for training? In this episode of Fast Talk, we explain why serious cyclists should be spending time in the gym, incorporating weight lifting into their weekly programs. We speak to pro cyclist Svein Tuft, as well as Dr. Andy Pruitt to learn more about the benefits of strength training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you buy speed? Yes, if you spend wisely. Fretz and Connor are joined by tech experts Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan, and they try to answer a simple hypothetical: If you have $2,000 to spend and want to ride faster, where should those dollars go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You thought you could ditch that heart rate strap since you bought a power meter? Think again. In episode 4, coach Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz are joined by one of the world’s leading cycling physiologists, Inigo San Milan, to bust the myth that power is all that matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 3 is all about execution of solid training program with limited time. The theme remains the same as episode 2, but the discussion moves from theory to practice. Precisely how should you structure a week, a month, or a year of training to fit in between all the time-snagging realities of life? Listen to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews columnist Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz discuss a range of topics, including training, physiology, technology, and more. Have limited time to train? Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz discuss the best way to get the most out of your ride time, and whether it’s possible to substitute long, slow base miles with high intensity training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews columnist Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz discuss a range of topics, including training, physiology, technology, and more. In this first episode, Connor and Fretz tackle a question you’ve surely asked yourself: Why aren’t you a pro? What makes them different? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices