FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

We are honored to talk about sweet spot training with Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D on this podcast. Dr. Coggan is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Indiana University's School of Health and Human Sciences. IU has a doctoral program in Kinesiology so if there's a young cyclist out there that wants to study how to get faster, IU's Department of Kinesiology could be the place for you. 39701More Training For Your Limited Time Andy and Frank go way back to the early days of USA Cycling Coaches Education Program primarily from the power based training seminars and clinics. In 2004 Andy presented at the Coaches Summit at USA Cycling's headquarter's in Colorado Springs, CO and introduced a power based impulse – response performance model. The term sweet spot training was born a few months later from a group of coaches working to validate the model which would later become the Performance Manager Chart in TrainingPeaks and WKO. Andy is also the co-author of "Training and Racing with a Powermeter" along with Hunter Allen. Of course we reference the sweet spot graph, address the arbitrary units from the y-axis and the expected physiological adaptations from training in Zones 1 – 7. We also reference two important OG exercise physiology studies here: Effect of training on enzyme activity and fiber composition of human skeletal muscle Gollnick PD, Armstrong RB, Saltin B, Saubert CW 4th, Sembrowich WL, Shepherd RE. J Appl Physiol. 1973 Jan;34(1):107-11. Linear increase in aerobic power induced by a strenuous program of endurance exercise. Hickson RC, Bomze HA, Holloszy JO. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1977 Mar;42(3):372-6. You can read about and listen to the story behind the performance manager chart, TSTWKT, here. 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 Training with Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D appeared first on FasCat.

The podcast this week is another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we answer listener questions! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions via our forum, and congratulations to the 3 question-askers we selected to win a FasCat T-shirt! Listen in to see if you won… This go around we answered questions ranging from FTP adjustments for indoor vs. outdoor riding, making the jump from a new cyclist into a cat. 2 or 3, nutrition during the Coronavirus outbreak, moving to elevation from sea level, going after KOMs in training, and plenty more! 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. 39556Gravel Team T-Shirt Show Notes, Training Tips & Previous Podcasts Referenced: Timing is Everything FTP is Alive and Well The Effect of Altitude on Cycling Bassett, D.R. Jr., C.R. Kyle, L. Passfield, J.P. Broker, and E.R. Burke. Comparing cycling world hour records, 1967-1996: modeling with empirical data. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 31:1665-76, 1999. Using the Performance Manager Chart The 20 minute Field Test Indoor 20 minute Field Test Amity Rockwell and Peter Stetina Podcasts on Dirty Kanza pacing Strava-Vals Interval Intensity: going as hard as you can Gravel Then and Now, Pearl iZUMi blog post Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast. Our Gravel Team's Jersey, Bibs, Hats and T Shirts are in stock and shipping out daily! The post Ask FasCat #9 — FTP Indoors vs. Outdoors, Corona Nutrition, and Timing is Everything appeared first on FasCat.

The whole gravel team is here to check in with the FasCat community about setting intermediate goals using virtual communities to keep the motivation high and training moving forward for the next few months. You still have your A race goals and long term goals, we just don't know (yet ) how the timing of those goals relates to your training. So in the meantime we present ways to have fun, ride alone, stay fit and improve while we get thru this pause and quarantine! We share what is going in our own communities, our coaching goals with our athletes, the benefits of Strava and Zwift in current times, how our recent Cervelo Gravel Rush Zwift event went, and plenty more. It was a fun conversation – we hope this brings you some entertainment and wisdom to your day. You still have your A race goals and long term goals, we just don't how the timing of those goals. 39182Gravel Team T-Shirt Show Notes Use: FasCat2020 to buy your Panaracer GravelKings Join the FasCat Strava Club Whoop Recovery Group: Use Team code = 'COMM-7F3229 Join Us next Thursday April 2nd @ 1:10 MDT for the 'Zwift // Cervelo Gravel Rush Series: "Beat Coach Jake Challenge" Watopia "Sand and Sequoias" Route :: 12.6 miles – Beat Jake's time of 31:32 309watts Watopia Alpe Du Zwift :: 7.5 miles – Jake's time of 39:48 330 watts Reminder we're doing a Q&A episode next week – submit your questions! Via Instagram, the forum, or help@fascat.wpengine.com. And as always, help us out by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast. Our Gravel Team's Jersey, Bibs, Hats and T Shirts are in stock and shipping out daily! The post Setting Intermediate Training Goals using Virtual Communities appeared first on FasCat.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade as the saying goes. With the cycling season put on hold until May () there's now plenty of time to get faster. Two life situations dictate your training approach: do you have less time to train + more stress / more 'life stuff' do you have more time now that you're working from home Depending on your life situation, we recommend adopting a training style and strategy to match what you have going on plus what you have once this is all over: a low volume/ high intensity interval style of training or a sweet spot part 3 style more base/ more CTL training strategy We've even created a Corona Training Plan, (which is free with discount code #FtFP at checkout) to help you follow the plan. But this conversation extends beyond a global pandemic affecting our training and racing, lots of things can impact our consistency, such as weather, races being cancelled for a variety of reasons, or even just "life stuff". We discuss the differences between indoor and outdoor training plans, the specifics of the Corona and Sweet Spot plans, and even throw in some tips on keeping up the Winning in the Kitchen habit during quarantine 36616Weather the Coronavirus with our Indoor Corona VO2 Plan. The Corona Style of Training uses a 'fresher is faster' training plan design model – the traditional low volume. high intensity approach. Other key features are: the 3 > 4 > 5 VO2 Progression (see below) AmEX Rides Using your power data from a 2 x 10 workout to pace yourself properly for a 20 minute field test why we use heart rate during the prescribed Zone 2 rides The FasCat Gravel Team's Hat T Shirts and Cycling Jerseys we mentioned in the pod may be purchased thru the links – order up , we are shipping daily! For more, check out all of our training plans, training tips, gravel team merch, and more over at http://fascat.wpengine.com The post COVID-19 Training appeared first on FasCat.

In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the timing of your training for the 2020 cycling season has changed. Races are in question, stress is high, and a lot of us are wondering how to proceed with our seasons with so much being up in the air. So we decided to sit down and chat about the age old question: what should we do when our races get cancelled? How do we proceed when plans change? A lot of us are in this position, so we hope that this clears some of the worry and unknown when it comes to the next few weeks of the season. #KeepCalmAndFtFPOn . Here are 3 training scenarios if your plans have changed per our "Timing is Everything" Podcast: 35684Start building fitness and increasing FTP with our best-selling Sweet Spot plan. #1 your next race is in 6-10 weeks (and/or you have MORE time to train): Keep raising your CTL (Chronic Training Load) – everybody benefits from a 'bigger base' so keep building. In other words go from 'race' back to 'base' [reverse!] . In this case we advocate a Sweet Spot Part 3 training plan approach. With a ramp rate of 3-4 TSS per week you now have the opportunity to take your CTL 12 – 16 TSS/day higher from 75 – 90 (for example) which will make a big difference in not only your endurance but also your power output. #2 your next race is in 6-10 weeks (and you have LESS time to train): For example, your kids are home from school and you can't ride outdoors like normal. In this case you may adopt a 'go harder to compensate for less time to train' approach to your goals from an interval training plan like the ones here. #3 you are a cyclocross'er in the off season and don't want to go to the gym anymore [#flattenthecurve] We advocate making your own home gym with the strength and conditioning movements we prescribe in our 10 week resistance training plan. You'll have to let go of the squat, leg press and leg curl from the plan and double down on these strength and conditioning movements and routines Nino's Coach Brandon's #secretTraining 5 minute Plank Your REVO Physiotherapy Hydrate & Skate band exercises EC Fit Strength and Conditioning App YogaGlo I feel great and FAST Right Now: Good (!) & congratulations! Sounds like your training is working (you've been #FtFP'ing). Here are a few things you can do to flex your muscle: #1 measure how much faster you are with a 20 minute Field Test – not the 'funnest' so perhaps # 2 is your jam #2 go for your favorite Strava segment for a PR – take a page out of FasCat Athlete Phil Gaimon's playbook and test yourself agains your previous best. We hope these suggestions and podcast help – that's what we're here for: to help you go faster on the bike. Should you have anymore questions, concerns, dilemmas, obstacles, etc… reach out to your FasCat Coach, hire one or goto our athlete forum and post your question – we'd be glad to try and help! The post What to Do When Your Race is Cancelled appeared first on FasCat.

We're starting a gravel team! That's right, the FasCat Coaching Gravel Team will be a thing this year, and we're here to tell you all about it! Coaches Frank, Jake, Isaiah, and Jackson will be traveling to six gravel events this year, including Mid-South, Belgian Waffle Ride, Dirty Kanza, Crusher in the Tushar, Steamboat Gravel, and Rebecca's Private Idaho. With the help of some awesome brand partners, a sweet FasCat sprinter van, and an Apple Genius Bar-esque expo set up, we'll be out at the races walking the walk to help you get faster. We'll be providing expert level guidance on training, nutrition, and equipment, providing Normatec recovery, and more. 35426Make 2020 your best gravel season ever with FasCat's Gravel Racing Plan. The goal is to engage with YOU, the race participants to share war stories from the races, connect with the awesome gravel community, represent our brand partners, and support your training and racing goals. For all things gravel team related, including the team, more on our brand partners, and training, check out our page at https://fascat.wpengine.com/gravel-team/ The FasCat Gravel Team is made possible by our fantastic podcast listeners, training plan customers, forum users, and our amazing brand partners: Excel Sports Cervelo Bicycles Panaracer GU Energy PEARL iZUMi Normatec HED Wheels We'll see you on the groads! The post Announcing the FasCat Coaching Gravel Team appeared first on FasCat.

This week Frank and Jackson sit down to help each other out and answer some questions. Jackson is training for his first Dirty Kanza, and asked Frank to coach him through the overview of the next 3 months of preparation. Things like: Macro-scale training plan design, weekly and monthly hours on the bike Training camp ideas What DK simulation rides should look like How to incorporate intensity and tapering for an event like Dirty Kanza 35024Make 2020 your best gravel season ever with FasCat's Gravel Racing Plan. And then to repay Frank's wisdom, Jackson helped Frank with some questions about plant-based nutrition, such as: How much protein should I have per meal? What are some potential things I may be missing? What about the Impossible Burger? Is it healthy? We have a great back and forth conversation about these topics, and hopefully you can glean some valuable information for your own training, racing, and nutrition goals! Notable resources and mentions: DK talk with Amity Rockwell and Pete Stetina Vitamin B12: https://plantbaseddietitian.com/vitamin-b12-recommendations/ and Jackson's preferred supplement: https://lovecomplement.com/ Jackson's podcast: http://bit.ly/intheflowpod Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition Plant Based Sports Nutrition NutritionFacts.org The post Frank and Jackson Talk Dirty Kanza and How to Go Plant-Based appeared first on FasCat.

Coach Frank "BigCat" Overton drops some knowledge and watt bombs about his top 3 go-to interval workouts this week on the pod. Threshold, VO2 and Anaerobic Capacity/Zone 6 intervals. It's that time of year to start thinking about switching from base to race with early season races looming on the horizon, so intervals are the prescription. In this podcast, Frank shares some wisdom on his top 3 interval workouts that are versatile to a variety of races and cycling disciplines, so that you can feel more confident in your training this year: Zone 4: 3 x 8 minutes ON 4-8 minutes off. Zone 5: 2 sets of 2 x 3 min On 3 min OFF Zone 6: 2 sets of 3 x 1 min On 1 min Off , 115 % of your FTP and higher like 150% For more on interval training go back and listen to our 5th episode ever: How to Perform Intervals Podcast [Episode 5], June 21, 2018 Intervals 101 Podcast March 7, 2019 The Right Way To Perform VO2 Max Intervals with Your PowerMeter Snoop Dogg's Hollywood Star Speech https://youtu.be/NfF3bThOW0Q Thank you for listening and as always we'd love for you to give us a review on iTunes AND to ask us follow up questions and start a discussion in our athlete forum: forum.FasCatCoaching.com 34684Prep for road season with our Road Racing Intervals Plan. As a reminder, use code 25podcast for 25% off any training plan on fascat.wpengine.com that implement the very same training methodologies we talk about here in our podcast. We'll be back next week to help you get faster on the bike! The post The Big Cat's 3 Go-To Interval Workouts appeared first on FasCat.

This week we're excited to bring you a conversation with Amity Rockwell, the 2019 winner of Dirty Kanza and overall gravel hitter. Amity has a unique and interesting path into the sport of cycling after growing up in the Bay Area to ultrarunner parents, and her philosophy around the sport and mindset towards training and racing are powerful. Frank and Amity talk about her upbringing and how it developed her love and physiological talent for riding long distances. They also get into what her training and mental preparation looked like for her 2019 Dirty Kanza victory, and what she's looking forward to in 2020. For more on Amity, check her out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amityvil Subscribe and leave us a review to support the show! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fascat-cycling-training-tips-podcast/id1381614039 34437Make 2020 your best gravel season ever with FasCat's Gravel Racing Plan. The post Amity Rockwell appeared first on FasCat.

Perhaps the two most important pillars of the FasCat Coaching ethos, following the plan and Winning in the Kitchen go very hand in hand. We've podcasted about them separately but realized that they fit together nicely, so we have a bit of a combo episode for you today to revisit these topics to keep you inspired as winter rages on. Winning in the Kitchen is about choosing go fast foods and setting the conscious intention to prioritize nutrition as part of you training – and sticking to that plan, just like #FtFP when it comes to training. The origin of FtFP comes from our coaching experience and noticing bad training habits. #FtFP is having a training plan and following it. This is also where we got the expression "If you can follow a plan, you can get faster" – this is based on being able to FtFP: Planning Commitment Sacrifice Dedication Vacations Time Management Life Balance Having your ducks in a row Having the mindset you are going to follow the plan come hell or high water Not #FtFP'ing: Very rarely does anyone miss a workout intentionally. It's the details of what they do/don't during that workout – Missing 15 minutes of a workout here, or not having your ducks in a row there. Great example is of a new training tip from Coach Isaiah "Know your zones" https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/know-your-zones/ Show Notes: – What Plans Should I Do if I got into the Dirty Kanza – good forum thread: https://forum.fascat.wpengine.com/t/get-into-dk-what-plans-to-do-from-feb-may-30th/4619 – What Plans Should I do if I got into Leadville – also on the forum – What Plans Should I do for Steamboat Gravel? – foooooRUM: https://forum.fascat.wpengine.com/t/guidance-on-training-plans-for-sbt-grvl/4441 "How to Pair and Sequence the FasCat Training Plans" podcast from January 2019 Winning in the Kitchen Recipes: General Tso's Tofu – amazing and doesn't take that long! This recipe comes from a google search arriving at https://veganhuggs.com/general-tsos-tofu/ Vegan Mac n Cheese inspired by: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-green-chili-mac-n-cheese/ 34255Shop our Road Racing Intervals Plan and take the guesswork out of your interval training in 2020. The post #FtFP Meets Winning In The Kitchen: Recipes! appeared first on FasCat.