FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

Join Jackson for a short, 10 minute guided meditation to use while on a ride to cultivate more awareness, mindfulness, and concentration. For more of Jackson’s thoughts on meditation, check out his podcast In The Flow. The post Jackson’s Guided Meditation for Cyclists appeared first on FasCat.

Meditation has become a buzzword in the mainstream, and you’ve probably heard about elite athletes like LeBron James, Kate Courtney, and others espousing its benefits. But what actually is meditation? Why should we consider starting a meditation practice? What are the benefits? Today on the show, we discuss this topic at length and get into why you should consider leaning in to this ancient practice for your mental health, athletic performance, and managing stress in these crazy times. We’ll talk: how meditation works some common misconceptions why athletes could benefit from incorporating meditation practices into their routines and more! Jackson also shares a short, 10 minute guided moving meditation to listen to while on the bike at the end, so stick around! We’ll also release that as a standalone episode. Let us know how you’ve used meditation in your life in the forum at forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 43692More Bang for your Training Buck More info on meditation: Harvard Medical School: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/ Mindfulness Mechanisms in Sports: Mediating Effects of Rumination and Emotion Regulation on Sport-Specific Coping: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605575/ Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Meditation for Cyclists appeared first on FasCat.

They say that the true gains made in sport performance come not from the hard training, but from the rest and recovery from the training – the adaptation. This becomes more and more important as we get older, and in order to continue training hard and enjoying the sport of cycling, we absolutely must prioritize recovery. This week on the show, Coach Frank breaks down the three main principles of master’s recovery: Sleep Nutrition a Well-Designed Masters-Based Training Plan Frank dives into thoughts on meditation, winning in the kitchen, and training less (crazy right?) to maximize recovery and thus get faster on the bike, basically for free! Our Father’s Day sale is in full force this weekend, so pick up those #DadWatts by using code FASTERDAD at checkout to save 50% off your next training plan. Put that recovery to good use! 42594More Bang for your Training Buck We say ‘master’s recovery’ as opposed to most recovery recommendations you hear in the popular media that pertain to younger athletes (who recover faster and better).  Or ‘elite athletes’ in the scientific literature.  This podcast is a continuation of the June 12th, 2018 podcast Jackson and I recorded for our 4th ever episode way back when. Go back and give that podcast a listen but know that here today I will mainly be speaking about recovery as it pertains to adults,  ‘weekend warriors’ as recovery relates to their lifestyles.  These days, successful upwardly mobile people lead stressful busy lives.  So much so, that I think back to my life in my 20’s and 30’s that was so simple and I sleep like a champ, ate well and recovered great. In fact recovery wasn’t even an issue. I just thought that’s how it was. Add in a few kids, a stressful job, a relationship with your spouse, a pandemic, your career, and age related decline and whammo – that’s what we are talking about today. So much so that for the athletes I coach who are over 40 and the questions we field about training there are 3 VERY important aspects of training that pertain to masters athletes.  They pertain to all ages athletes but I’m specifically going to talk from my experience as an athlete and a coach who is over 40 dealing with and working on these three (Sleep, Nutrition & Training Plan) Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Master’s Recovery appeared first on FasCat.

Welcome to another periodized Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we field listener questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you get even faster on the bike. This go around we touch on a range of topics, including the most “coachable” traits in athletes, following the plan in the heat or sacrificing sleep, recovery, weight loss and treats, and even a question from Phil Gaimon. If you want to get a question answered in the next one, be sure to sign up for our forum over at forum.fascat.wpengine.com to hop in the conversation. Thanks to everyone who contributed! 41957More Bang for your Training Buck Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Ask FasCat #10 — Coachable Traits, TSS, and Recovery appeared first on FasCat.

Now that you’ve been building a big base, summer is here, and you’re wanting to “sharpen the sword”, we’ve designed a brand new addition to the Sweet Spot training plan fleet: Sweet Spot Polarized. This style of training is developed to perfectly balance sweet spot and VO2 work to make you go even faster using a “fresher is faster” dependent training plan design. So on the pod today Coach Frank breaks down the philosophy and plan in detail, what to expect and how to get it done. For more info on it, check out https://fascat.wpengine.com/training-plans/sweet-spot-part-4-polarized/ 41798More Bang for your Training Buck Show Notes: Next week we’re doing another episode of Ask FasCat! Submit your questions through the forum @ forum.fascat.wpengine.com or help@fascat.wpengine.com. TSS Training for Cyclists How to Perform VO2max Intervals Tabatas Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Sweet Spot Polarized Training appeared first on FasCat.

Strava Racing: Using the technology of Strava routes and segments + their live segments feature you can create and simulate race courses.  And best of all, use the segment’s leaderboard for the ‘race results’. Coach Frank and Jackson share the scoop with the FasCat Nation so you can make the most out of the summer! Be sure to check out FasCat’s very own Strava Racing Challenge here: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/strava-segment-challenge/ And of course continue the conversation in our active forum @ http://forum.fascat.wpengine.com Thanks to everyone for reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts and subscribing wherever you get your pods! Consider sharing the show with a friend or teammate to help them get faster. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Strava Racing Using Routes and Created Segments appeared first on FasCat.

It’s our 2 year anniversary! Hard to believe, but we’ve officially been podcasting for over 2 years. Almost 100 episodes, equaling around 100 hours of audio content to make you a faster cyclist! So today we celebrate by looking back on some of our favorite episodes, the themes that have emerged, and what to look forward to in the next phase of the FasCat Podcast! We also discuss the exciting new FasCat Strava Segment Challenge, Phil Gaimon’s insane Everesting world record, and much more. We want to give a huge shoutout to the entire FasCat community, from the podcast listeners to the forum users, for joining us in this journey and for giving us the inspiration for many of our episodes and content, and for supporting our work! We’re honored to serve your cycling goals, and will stay committed to that goal. 40668More Bang for your Training Buck Episodes mentioned: Winning in the Kitchen, ep. 2 The Origins of FTFP Sweet Spot Invention Gravel Training Timing is Everything Ask FasCat #1 Strava Segments/Strava-Vals Also be sure to check out the brand new FasCat Strava Segment Challenge! We’re hiring a Community Manager! Want to contribute to the mission of FasCat Coaching and work from home? Check out our job posting here: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/careers-community-manager/ Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post The 2 Year Anniversary Episode! appeared first on FasCat.

One key question we ask ourselves as coaches at FasCat, is if the athlete is responding to the training we have prescribed. Aka, are they getting faster? Our favorite “experiment” to answer this question is a good old fashioned 20 minute power based field test, which is free and can be conducted anywhere and anytime appropriate. Reality Cycling In a former life and career, I conducted hundreds of experiments as a research scientist in biotechnology and academic medical research laboratories designed to answer specific questions about the research projects I was working on. Spinal cord research, cancer, and novel cancer cures to name a few.  At FasCat, we still perform “experiments” designed to evaluate our athletes’ current physiology as it relates to their cycling performance.  Still to this day the most practical, most relevant test of all is a 20 minute power based field test. With the exception of the gold standard, 40k time trial. 1463Increase your FTP with our Hill Climb Intervals Training Plan. In the past we have conducted MLSS tests in an exercise physiology lab, but the reality is that cyclists need to test two to three times per year which is cost prohibitive and not practical for many athletes.  Plus indoor power tends to be slightly less that outdoor power.  A properly conducted field test cuts to the core of cycling performance and gives a great physiological assessment of the athlete (1), making it an indispensable tool for our coaches or the self coached athlete. How Do I Conduct a Field Test? In essence, a 20 minute power based field test is riding as fast as hard as you can for exactly 20 minutes.  Just like a 20 minute time trial. Record your average power output and use that number as a benchmark and to determine your wattage based zones*.  When available we’ll recommend a steady grade hill free of stop signs, descents and any section of road that requires the athlete to stop pedalling.  Ideally a 2-3% steady grade hill like this Strava segment.  Steeper climbs tend to bog athletes’ cadence down which skews the test results.  Conversely, some athletes make greater power uphill than they can on the flats. Whichever you choose, it is absolutely imperative that you ensure your test is repeatable, accurate and reliable. Apples – apples. Here’s how: For the road cyclist and mountain biker an all out effort similar to your time trial pace of 20 minutes elicits a physiological response that has been found to be “the single greatest determinant of cycling performance in mass start cycling events” (1).  We have experimented with 60 minute Field Tests and honestly not that many athletes can sustain that sort of mental effort for the full 60 minutes.  If they can its a mental match we don’t want to burn.  On the other hand if we know the athlete can do a 60 minute field test once a year, it is the coaches discretion to prescribe one.   It is especially beneficial to compare 60 minute field test data to ~ 60 minute 40k time trial data. When choosing the roads for your field test let the terrain you have available dictate the specifics of your test (working within the 20 min range). After all, going for it from the bottom of a climb all the way to the top is more stimulating than working off your stopwatch. It may even be specific to your target event(s). For instance, a climber targeting a race with a decisive climb will want to specifically perform their test on a climb similar to the one found in the race. Heck, if you live nearby the race course, test on the race course! Conversely you may not even see a climb longer than one or two minutes where you live. That’s cool; then find a stretch of road to measure how far you can ride in 20 minutes. If this is the case, pay special attention to the wind and humidity which will affect your aerodynamics and thus time. As long as you come back to the very same piece of road and start from the very same spot, under the same test conditions, your test will be repeatable. *We take the average 20 minute power and subtract 5 – 10% to arrive at an athlete’s 60 minute “Functional Threshold Power” or FTP. As a generally rule of thumb we use 5% for slow twitch aerobic athletes and 10% for athletes that have a well developed anaerobic system.  We’ll subtract 7.5% if we don’t know about the athlete’s anaerobic capacity. Repeatability Whatever you have nearby, find a stretch of road free of stops signs, intersections and corners — anything that would slow you down. In essence: go as hard as you can! Don’t hold back one bit, go for it! Now here’s the catch: remember everything about this test and duplicate it for your next test. Items to keep the same (& ensure repeatability) include: Your powermeter! Calibrated of course. Different powermeters unfortunately produce different results Your bike: weight (including water bottles), body position, tires, tire pressure. Your kit: jersey, shorts, helmet – – essentially you want to have the same aerodynamic characteristics from test to test. Wind and weather conditions: test on a windless day under the same humidity – air density affects aerodynamics too! Temperature: avoid testing between extreme temperature differences. Come into the test rested, properly fueled, well hydrated with tons of motivation (you gotta go full gas!) Perform the exact same warm up before each field test. In a nutshell keep everything the same except for your fitness – that is the variable you are testing for. Being able to compare tests and controlling for all other variables except your physiology or fitness allows you and your coach to interpret the efficacy of your training. These details may seem picky but are necessary to draw accurate comparisons. Your results: Test at the beginning of your training and then again after 8-12 weeks to measure your improvement. If your power goes up, guess what? Your training is working, keep going.  If your power goes down or stays the same, guess what? Your training is not working and you need to change what you are doing.  Its as simple as that. All of our Six Week $49 Training Plans culminate with a field test so you can measure how much faster you’ve become! Test not once, but twice, or more If you have a new powermeter or are beginning a training program, perform a “baseline” field test for two reasons: • To determine your wattage based training zones • To establish a benchmark to measure future improvement For a good test ‘performance’, approach the day with a minimum of 24 hours rest and go absolutely as hard as you can during the test.  If you don’t, the results will be inconclusive.  Record the average power and continue with your next training cycle. Come back to the very same field test in 6-8 weeks under the same rested conditions and go for it again. By comparing the two average power outputs,  you will be able to draw useful conclusions about your training. i.e. is it working? Test periodically throughout the year (we recommend no more than 3 times*) and carefully record your results in your training log. This will paint a big picture that is extremely useful when plotting out your next move and planning your next winning season. Regular testing is THE BEST way to track performance and we do not recommend using mean maximal, mFTP or power profile charts that cull non “as hard as you can go” power outputs. By performing 20 minute tests, you’ll also be able to compare this data with race data.  For example, time trials where you went as hard as you could for 20 minutes or breakaways and long climbs. Summary • Go as hard as you can for the full 20 minutes • Upload your data and analyze the average power output • Make sure the test is 100% repeatable to eliminate all variables except your average power output improvement • For indoor 20 minutes tests, see our indoor cycling 20 minute tip Finally, testing yourself is a great start, but remember the ultimate measure of performance is performance itself. So get out there in a race, go hard, and duke it out!  For further reading, please read the “Determining Threshold Power” training tip on VeloNews. Reference E.F. Coyle, A.R. Coggan, M.K. Hopper and T.J. Walters, “Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists.” J Appl. Physiol 64:2622-2630, 1988 Copyright © 2020 FasCat Coaching – all rights reserved. Join our *FREE* Athlete Forum to nerd out with FasCat coaches and athletes about your FTP, race data, power based training, or anything related to going fast on the bike! Comments The post A 20 Minute Power-Based Field Test appeared first on FasCat.

 We don’t always have to perform an FTP field test in order to measure our performance. We you may use normalized power during hard effort 20-60 minutes in length, or similar durations during group rides or races to track your performance and FTP over time using real world examples. This is a hot topic so we’d love to field your questions at forum.FasCatCoaching.com  14440Interested in a FasCat training plan? Use code 25podcast at checkout to save 25% on your first plan!   – Join the discussion on the FasCat Forum –   Thanks for listening! Find the FasCat podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Follow us on social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Intro music: David Cutter Music. The post How to Measure FTP Improvement with Normalized Power appeared first on FasCat.

One of the most popular topics we talk about on the podcast is nutrition, and specifically our philosophy of “Winning in the Kitchen”. We’ve podcasted about breakfast, dinner, on the bike nutrition, winning in the grocery store, weight loss, and now we bring you a conversation about SNACKS! 40045More Training For Your Limited Time Snacks are a challenging aspect of nutrition for many people, athletes included. So we try and simplify it and help you make better choices and build better habits by crafting snacks in a healthy and sustainable way to keep your nutrition game strong! Previous Winning in the Kitchen podcasts/videos worth checking out: Winning in the Kitchen Weight Loss for Cyclists Breakfast Winning in the Kitchen 30 Day Challenge Go Fast Food Choices Winning in the Grocery Store | Nutrition for Cyclists Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post Winning in the Kitchen: Snacks appeared first on FasCat.