FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

The new year is right around the corner, and quality events abound in 2023. Chances are, you already have a few events on your calendar. But do you have your training plan or training plans dialed in? In this episode, we explain how you can set up your training now, going through various timing scenarios for target events that are in the spring, the summer, and the fall. We also explore how you can build some flexibility into your training to maximize both good athletic results and a happy family life. Happy holidays and happy new year! 

Improving as an endurance athlete requires two things: training and recovery. The better you recover, the more effective training you can do, and the more improvements you can make. But how to recover better? Here are 9 ways. They're all pretty easy to understand; some are easy to do, and some take a bit of work. But all are very effective, and we know this because we are using HRV (heart rate variability) as the metric. A high HRV means you're primed for good training; a low HRV means you might need some more recovery. Similarly, if you have a wearable device like an Oura or a Whoop, you can track how things like alcohol and poor sleep lower your HRV. And you can track how improving your diet, your sleep habits, and your stress level can raise your HRV. Tune in for 9 ways to up your HRV, up your recovery, and up your endurance athletics game.

Indoor training has its time and place, particularly in the winter, but riding outside is what we love to do, right? On this episode, Coach Isaiah Newkirk and Ben Delaney talk through what you need to get outside and train comfortably and effectively when it's cold. We talk clothing tips (hats and jackets and booties and fabrics we love), we talk nutrition strategies (hello, hot drinks!), and we talk about what's important and what's not. Put on some hot tea and cue this one up! 

On this podcast, FasCat founder and cohost Ben Delaney talk about the new Optimize training platform - what it is, what it does, and really what drove Frank and the team to create it - which was you, the endurance athlete & podcast listener! We also talk about how we are changing our business from selling single plans to selling subscriptions for unlimited training plans in the Optimize app, which tracks how your training is going with a proprietary algorithm that takes into accounts data from your power meter, your heart rate monitor, and your wearable like a Whoop, Oura, or Garmin watch. Optimize has two three parts: Training shows you each day's prescribed workouts and your completed rides in a calendar. The Optimize section shows your Sleep, HRV, OTS and Load numerically, and then your Optimization score numerically and visually in a color-coded graphic. This is the Needle - the summation of how your training and recovery are balancing. And then the Library is where our entire collection of training plans, workouts, meal plans and recipes is stored, all of which are available to subscribers.  Head to the App Store or Google Play store and download Optimize today!

Happy Thanksgiving, FasCats! We made a special edition this week: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we dedicated this episode to the people and things for which we are grateful this year. Each of our coaches and even a few FasCat athletes check in on this episode. At FasCat we are all grateful for you, our cycling community. The Big Cat would like to take this time to remimd you to Work Hard, Ride Fast, Enjoy Thanksgiving, and FTFP.  

Winter is upon many of us, and Coach Jake Rytlewski and Ben Delaney are in indoor cycling mode. Perhaps you are, too. On this episode, Jake and Ben chat about what works well for them and what doesn't work so well, in terms of training, habits, hardware, and other indoor gear. Coach Jake is a Level 50 Zwifter, former professional racer and longtime professional coach. Ben is a level 48 Zwifter who once did a 500km indoor ride for charity. Both are dads who appreciate the time savings, social elements, and fun and challenge of Zwift. Want to get on a training plan or work directly with Coach Jake? Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com and use the code 25PODCAST to save 25% off your first purchase.   

FasCat coaches Ricky Arnopol and Zach Gregg will be racing at the UCI Continental level in 2023 as part of Project Echelon, for which FasCat coach Isaiah Newkirk is the performance director. On this pod, Ricky and Zach talk about how they are training, and how the FasCat athletes they coach are training this winter. A lot of the same principles apply... Zach Gregg also reveals that he is shooting for a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Olympic Games in Team Pursuit. Ready to start training with a plan or a coach like Ricky or Zach? Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com and use the code 25podcast to save 25% off your first plan now.

The joy of training. At this point in the year, the words 'training' and 'joy' may not be sounding like chocolate and peanut butter to many of you out there. Which is exactly why we’re talking about it now. We’re at a funny point in time with endurance sports. We can measure and track the minute of so many things that is can be easily to be overwhelmed by it all.  So here's the solution: go have fun. On this episode, FasCat founder Frank Overton and cohost Ben Delaney dig into the roots of coaching and training, and offer some simple solutions to getting faster through having fun on your rides. 

Which wearable is better, the Whoop or the Oura? Frank and Ben have been wearing both for month and tracking the daily data. On this podcast, they share their insights on each. Plus, they dig into two academic studies that investigated wearables for their accuracy in measuring sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, and more. Don't have time to listen right now? Here's the summary: both Whoop and Oura are excellent for tracking HR, HRV, and total sleep time, but aren't yet accurate for tracking stages of sleep.     

How many people do you know who check one of these three boxes: -has raced UCI World Cup cyclocross this year -has the tattoo from winning the Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships -uses their PhD to help people with cancer Not many, right? Well, FasCat athlete Sunny Gilbert checks all three boxes, and on this episode she chats with her longtime Coach Isaiah Newkirk and host Ben Delaney about how she balances everything. As endurance athletes, only the professionals get to focus exclusively on training and racing — and even they stumble on life's twists and turns. Here, Sunny and Isaiah talk about keeping things in perspective, listening to the body and consulting the numbers, and keeping it fun! Want to get on board with a Coach like Isaiah. Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com to meet our Coaches. You can also use the code "25podcast" to get 25% off your first training plan on FasCatCoaching.com, where we have more than 1,000 five-star reviews.