Ask A Cycling Coach - Trainerroad Podcast

Welcome to the podcast that’s dedicated to making you a faster cyclist, the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast presented by TrainerRoad. I’m Coach Jonathan Lee and each week on this podcast we answer the questions you submit to make you a faster cyclist. I’m joined by a rotating cast of coaching and pro athlete co-hosts including our Head Coach Chad Timmerman, retired World Tour Pro cyclist Amber Pierce, and many others as we share what we’ve learned while researching your questions throughout the week. If you are just now finding the podcast, you can join us live on YouTube every Thursday at 8:00am Pacific for the latest episode, and for past episodes, I recommend listening to the most recent episode and working your way backward through the catalog. To submit questions to the podcast and get all of the helpful links, go to https://www.TrainerRoad.com/Podcast. If you are interested in discussions with actual researchers performing scientific research in the world of endurance performance, check out our Science of G

Coach Chad is back! This week we dig into how VO2max affects FTP, why heart rate may be lower or higher for different people at different times, and discussions about positioning in aggressive groups, heat, crashing and more inspired by Tulsa Tough. ----------------------------------------------  TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro 0:04 - Jonathan’s Tulsa Tough experience 12:20 - The difference between racing for a win versus a solid finish 20:54 - How to ride in an aggressive group 24:30 - Mental and strategic tips for racing in aggressive fields -28:47 - How to beat a dominant team 46:10 - How does VO2 Max affect FTP? 1:19:58 - Does cadence affect aerodynamics? 1:27:55 - Why does heart rate vary between athletes? 1:34:03 - Live questions and answers 1:56:12 ----------------------------------------------  LEARN MORE ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use it: https://bit.ly/3dIRClW  How Adaptive Training Makes You Faster: htt

Taylor Lideen, the winner of the 357 mile Unbound XL gravel race, joins us to talk about how he trained for such a massive race, his nutrition and equipment choices, how he executed on race day, as well as his tips for endurance athletes and a discussion on the intersection of mental health and endurance sport. Follow Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlideen  ---------------------------------------------- LEARN MORE ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use it: https://bit.ly/3dIRClW  How Adaptive Training Makes You Faster: https://bit.ly/2ZNfWLq  Request priority access for here: https://bit.ly/3oR8Els  ---------------------------------------------- ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING’S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM TrainerRoad makes cyclists faster. Athletes get structured indoor workouts, science-backed training plans, and easy-to-use performance analysis tools to reach their goals. Build Your Custom Plan: https://bit.ly/3

How to reach and maintain peak fitness for as long as possible, how many all-out efforts does a rider have each year, how to use elevation training and heat training to get faster and much more in Episode 311 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! ---------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro 0:03 - How long can you sustain peak fitness? 3:52 - How to prioritize events and why it’s important 6:22 - How to perform well year-round 11:01 - How much of peaking is physical vs. mental? 12:46 - Why chronically maintaining a caloric deficit can be dangerous 30:01 - How to fuel recovery rides? 36:11 - How to balance food choices and getting enough calories 47:02 - What impact do team kits have on race tactics? 1:13:12 - Can heat training replace altitude training? 1:17:31 - How to use elevation training to get faster 1:22:46 - Do you have a finite number of “all-out” efforts? 1:31:05 - Is there a cost to overshooting your power targets when training? 1:38:05 - Live questions and an

Whether it’s elevation, heat, technicality or just an abnormally strong field, going the extra mile to make sure you are ready for your goal event can make a big difference. Tune is as we discuss this, as Amber shared what she is learning about pregnancy and cycling, and as Pete shares tips on mid-ride nutrition in Episode 310 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast. ---------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Pregnancy and cycling - How big rides make you faster - Mid-ride nutrition guidelines from Pete - How to decide between liquids, gels, and solids - MTB vs. Road position - Why seat tube angle is so important for tall riders - Should you wear gloves when training indoors? - How to wear your bibs on the indoor trainer - Individual Leg Drill tips - Outside Workout tire setup for MTB - What to expect at the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon - How to prepare for a goal event with different circumstances than your training ---------------------------------------------- LEARN MORE A

Detraining happens any time we decrease training stimulus, but how quickly does it happen, how can you retain as much fitness as possible, and how should you adjust your race strategy as a result? Join us for a deep dive into this and many other topics in Episode 309 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast. ---------------------------------------------- BLOG ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE TrainNow is Improving https://bit.ly/33D8a8X Introducing Workout Levels https://bit.ly/2RQBypg TrainerRoad Training Plan Updates with Workout Levels https://bit.ly/3eFEr5w Detraining: What Happens When You Lose Fitness? https://bit.ly/2S8X5K6 Detraining: Can You Lose Fitness? (Ask a Cycling Coach 293) https://youtu.be/72TwopB-hEw Pain, Stretching, Strength and more with The Ready State’s Kelly Starrett – Ask a Cycling Coach 222 https://bit.ly/3ovZ5Is ---------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE How quickly do you lose fitness and what kind do you lose first? How to adjust your race tactics if

Get an inside look into why and how we updated all of our training plans with data from Adaptive Training, a question from a pro cyclist on how World Tour racing differs from amateur racing, how to best use Left/Right Balance and more in Episode 308 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! ---------------------------------------------- BLOG ARTICLES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE - TrainNow is Improving https://bit.ly/33D8a8X - Introducing Workout Levels https://bit.ly/2RQBypg - TrainerRoad Training Plan Updates with Workout Levels https://bit.ly/3eFEr5w ---------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro 0:00 - How TrainNow is getting even smarter 2:27 - What are Workout Levels and how to use them 8:50 - A deep dive into creating the updated Training Plans 35:14 - Does race strategy matter when the pace is all-out? 1:01:24 - Rapid Fire Questions 1:17:36 - What is Left/Right Balance and how should you use it? 1:27:22 - How pro racing is different from amateur racing 1:36:30 -

Why are you always hungry during rest weeks and what can you do about it? Does air density affect physiological performance, and can smelling salts make you faster? Tune into Episode 307 of the Ask a Cycling Coach for these topics and much more! ---------------------------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE Welcome back to Amber and Nate! 0:00:11 Takeaways from Jonathan’s first MTB race in over a year 0:17:18 Polarized Training Plans update 0:35:02 Does air density affect performance? 0:38:45 How to maintain a healthy relationship with training 0:46:33 Rapid-fire questions 1:10:44 Training for weight loss 1:27:17 Why you are hungry during rest weeks and what to do about it 1:34:23 Can smelling salts make you faster? 1:46:40 Live questions and answers 1:52:03 ---------------------------------------------------------------- LEARN MORE ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use it: https://bit.ly/3dI

Erica Carney is one of the all-time best American crit racers, but her goal of winning a pro national criterium championship took years of hard work to achieve. Tune in as we answer your questions about tactics, bike handling and more, and discuss what Erica did to improve her tactics and abilities each year to finally win the 2017 Women’s Pro Criterium National Championship.------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE   00:12 - Erica’s cycling achievements 1:24 - Reflecting on working towards a national championship 3:56 - Doubting her ability to win national crit championships 5:50 - The lessons learned through experience  8:30 - How Erica got started racing 9:50 - How track racing helped with crit skills 11:14 - Specific skills and the difference in training from track to road 13:12 - Learning to train more effectively 14:48 - Shifting responsibilities to be an effective teammate and mentor 17:47 - Erica’s favorite courses 19:14 - Team support vs. indivi

Getting used to race intensity can be jarring, so how do you prepare yourself before race day? We’ll cover this, a deep dive on outside interval training, various discussions on what affects recovery and how to manage it, and much more in Episode 305 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! Creating a Custom Garmin Screen for Outside Workouts: https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360028380691-Creating-a-Custom-Garmin-Screen Wahoo Outside Workouts Best Practices: https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032519512-Wahoo-Outside-Workout-Best-Practices 8 Principles of Healthy Nutrition with Amber Pierce: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/8-principles-of-healthy-nutrition-with-amber-pierce/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro and Adaptive Training Update 0:08​ - What Alex Wild learned racing the US Cup Pro XCTs in Fayetteville, AR 4:47​ - How to learn technical courses quickly 6:33​ - Preparing for race intensity 13:26​

Qualifying for the Olympics is an interesting and complicated process that sees pro racers adjust their training and race calendars in unique ways that us amateur cyclists can learn from. This week we talk to Clif Pro Team’s Sofía Gomez Villafañe and Russell Finsterwald about how they have worked through their roles in the olympic qualification process as well how they prepared for an early season race in the heat of Puerto Rico, why and how power data from off road races can be so low, and how to level up technical skill. Sofía's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofithevilla Russell's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/finsty Russell's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7R4JQRjE14X1uIBt9ExRw Clif Pro Team's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clifproteam ------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE 0:00​ Intro 2:20​ The complicated process of how to qualify for the Olympics 7:04​ How Russell adjusted his season to collect Olympic points f

What is the cause behind getting dropped and how do you train to avoid it happening in the future, should cyclists and triathletes maintain a caloric deficit, which supplements have the most impact on performance and much more in Episode 303 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! ------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE Intro 0:00 Adaptive Training update 00:59 How much activity is too much on a recovery day? 14:59 Easing back into racing safely 32:32 How to fuel late-night workouts 59:51 Run-flat tubeless inserts for road bikes 1:13:32 Phone cases that mount on your handlebars 1:18:59 How and when to use both brakes or use them individually 1:20:39 Supplements that make you faster 1:28:49 Calorie balance for cyclists 1:31:40 How to not get dropped 1:56:40 ------------------------------------------------------------------ LEARN MORE ABOUT ADAPTIVE TRAINING Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use i

Eamon Lucas is an American bike racer who has achieved success as a road and crit racer in the USA, racing fixed gear bikes in the Redhook Crit series for the star-studded Specialized Rocket Espresso team, and now in the intense Belgian Kermesse racing scene. Listen in as we discuss the different race tactics and cultural nuances of racing in different regions and formats that have helped Eamon be successful. Eamon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eamon_lucas/ Eamon’s Team - Shifting Gears Kermesse: https://www.instagram.com/shiftinggears_kermesse/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE TrainerRoad mobile app and Adaptive Training Update 00:52 Eamon’s background in cycling 2:02 Does racing fixed gear crits make you a better bike handler? 7:46 Why did Eamon go to Europe to race? 9:25 What are Belgian Kermesse races? 11:41 How does racing in Europe differ from the US? 17:42 How to deal with negative racing 28:52 What are the best race-winning stra

Santa Cruz Bicycle’s Keegan Swenson joins us to discuss how he recaptured the White Rim FKT and to discuss how pro athletes manage expectations over a multi-year development plan, how to maintain motivation and consistency, pedaling technique, bike tech and much more. ---------------------------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE Intro 0:00​ New TrainerRoad Android and iOS apps! 2:43​ TrainerRoad’s new Polarized Training plans! 4:28​ Adaptive Training update and common questions 6:10​ How Keegan Swenson recaptured the White Rim FKT 12:42​ What we can learn from how pro athletes manage expectations 50:11​ How to avoid low-quality foods during high training volume 1:11:37​ The biggest differences between the Santa Cruz Blur and Pivot Mach 4 SL 1:25:09​ How to choose the right length dropper post 1:27:05​ Why don’t cyclists use %FTP instead of power on their head units? 1:33:45​ How to keep your head warm on cold rides 1:34:48​ Should you estimate TSS for weight training? 1:37:

You need fitness, strategy and luck to make the sort of move that wins a race, so how do you increase your chances of winning? We’ll dig into this, adrenaline’s effect on endurance performance, and into whether or not training yourself to perform in a sleep deprived state is worthwhile for endurance athletes. Tune into Episode 300 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast now!------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE   - Is there benefit to training in a sleep-deprived state? 9:55   - Adrenaline’s role in endurance performance 35:44   -Update on TrainerRoad’s polarized training plans 56:02   - Responding in cycling/motorist conflicts 1:00:14   - Is there an ideal Q-Factor per body type? 1:10:42   - Nutrition and tool-carrying pro-tips 1:12:19   - What the hosts are best at in the training process 1:14:28   - What sort of rider-type is the best? 1:18:58   - How does training affect subsequent mental awareness? 1:27:03   - How to train for race-winning moves 1:42

Polarized Training is a hot topic of conversation and has been a central part of recent criticism toward TrainerRoad’s training plans. In this episode, we cover the basics of endurance training, go in-depth into the ten studies that have been used to criticize TrainerRoad, comprehensively review the current Polarized Training research, and take a deeper look at how TrainerRoad’s training plans are structured, then address the most common questions about them.------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro 0:00 - How to Critically Analyze Scientific Research 9:53 - The Basics of Endurance Training and Periodization 15:00 - What is Training Intensity Distribution? 19:30 - What is Polarized Training and How Is It Measured? 25:22 - What Are the Five Main Training Intensity Distribution Models? 29:51 - Can You Compare Sweet Spot vs. Polarized? 33:49 - What Does the Current Research Say About Polarized Training? 37:04 - Adaptive Training and New Trai

Announcing Adaptive Training, the biggest update ever to TrainerRoad. Adaptive Training uses machine learning, science-based coaching principles, and an unprecedented data set to train you as an individual and make you a faster cyclist. Request priority access here: https://bit.ly/3kspxRv    Learn more about Adaptive Training: Adaptive Training Video: https://youtu.be/gE2yPYZ15ew Adaptive Training: What it is, how to use it: https://bit.ly/3dIRClW How Adaptive Training Makes You Faster: https://bit.ly/2ZNfWLq Request priority access here: https://bit.ly/3kspxRv     ------------------------------------------------------------------   ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING’S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM   TrainerRoad makes cyclists faster. Athletes get structured indoor workouts, science-backed training plans, and easy-to-use performance analysis tools to reach their goals.   Build Your Custom Plan: https://bit.ly/3smiBIaTrain Together with Group Workouts: https://bit.ly/3so2Gcf Get Started: https://bit.ly/2NEPfWC    --

Subscribe to the all-new Science of Getting Faster Podcast! - www.TrainerRoad.com/sogf Exogenous ketones are lauded by many for their endurance performance enhancing properties, but their impact on blood acidity is detrimental to performance and can even counteract their otherwise positive effects. Dr. Chiel Poffe and his partners conducted a study to learn if Bicarbonate Unlocks the Ergogenic Action of Ketone Monoester Intake in Endurance Exercise, and what they learned was surprising. Tune into this episode to learn the science behind ketones and bicarbonate, and how to introduce them into your training regimen to get faster. Continue the discussion on the TrainerRoad Forum: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/forum Submit a study, researcher or topic to be covered on the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/SOGF ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING’S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM

Where should you draw the line with aggressive racing, why your sprint power may be lower than you want and how to improve it, why over-unders are so hard and what you can do to improve with them and much more in Episode 297 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast. Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast now!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/science-getting-faster-podcast-presented-by-trainerroad/id1552970725  Find mentioned studies and products from this episode: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/forum ------------------------------------------------------------------ ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING’S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM TrainerRoad makes cyclists faster. Athletes get structured indoor workouts, science-backed training plans, and easy-to-use performance analysis tools to reach their goals. Build Your Custom Plan: https://bit.ly/33cAtM1Train Together with Group Workouts: https://bit.ly/3i7niAdGet Started: https://bit.ly/3mZTetS ------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPI

Santa Cruz Bicycles’ Keegan Swenson joins us to discuss what type of training best raises FTP, what pro athletes eat on and off the bike, the world’s most aspirational Strava segments and much more in Episode 296 of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! Find mentioned studies and products from this episode: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/forum ------------------------------------------------------------------ ABOUT TRAINERROAD — CYCLING’S MOST EFFECTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM TrainerRoad makes cyclists faster. Athletes get structured indoor workouts, science-backed training plans, and easy-to-use performance analysis tools to reach their goals. Build Your Custom Plan: https://bit.ly/33cAtM1Train Together with Group Workouts: https://bit.ly/3i7niAdGet Started: https://bit.ly/3mZTetS ------------------------------------------------------------------ TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE - Intro 0:11 - 3Nate and Keegan’s 370 for 30 challenge 10:22 - Is Sofia getting too fast for Nate at Cape Epic? 17:10 - 4-7Avoiding hand and arm fat