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

Fast Talk

174: Q&A on Travel and Training, CTL, Race Prep, and Big Gear LSD, with Kendra Wenzel

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

173: Is Weight Management as Simple as Calories In, Calories Out? With Dr. Timothy Noakes

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

172 :Sprinting, Overtraining Your Cells, Durability: Rob Pickels & Trevor Connor Nerd Out on Recent Research

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

171: Environmental Pollution, Health, and Performance, with Dr. Michael Koehle

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

170: Q&A on Returning from Injury, Weight Management, and Fast-Twitch Fibers, with Renee Eastman

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

169: Should We Race by Numbers? With Dirk Friel

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

168: How Much High-Intensity Training Do You Need?

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

167: How to Assess and Modify Training Mid-Season

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

166: Effective Two-A-Day Workout Strategies, with Neal Henderson

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

165: The Physiology of Race Season, with Dr. Iñigo San Millán

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

164: Q&A on Judging Fatigue, Overtraining in Triathletes, and the Crossover Effect, with Melanie McQuaid

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

163: Training Principles from the 1980s Are (Still) All You Need, with Jeff Winkler

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

162: Q&A on Time Trial Pacing and Position, INSCYD, and Tough Love, with Janis Musins

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

161: How to Effectively Return to the Bike After Injury, with Dr. Andy Pruitt

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

160: Favorite Workouts of Fast Talk All-Stars, Part 2

Listened the world over, the Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best training advice and most compelling insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Co-hosted by former VeloNews managing editor Chris Case and Fast Labs' resident physiologist and coach, Trevor Connor, each episode takes a deep dive on a range of topics, including sport science, training, physiology, technology, nutrition, and more. The show's list of guests includes some of the most prominent names in cycling and sport science, including Dr. Stephen Seiler, Joe Friel, Katie Compton, Brent Bookwalter, Sebastian Weber, Asker Jeukendrup, and many more.

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Fast Talk

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