Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad

We sat down with Emmet Kelley, a triathlete from Ireland, to learn every detail about how he trained and qualified for IRONMAN World Championships in Kona. Topics covered in this episode: • How qualifying for Kona works • Which events should you pick to maximize your chances of qualifying • What type of swim, bike and run splits would you need to qualify for Kona • How to optimize your bike equipment • How to follow a training plan with a busy schedule • What made the biggest difference for Emmet

• TrainerRoad's Product Manager mixing it up with the pros! • TrainerRoad athlete Liz Lyles' IM Chattanooga win • IRONMAN World Championships TrainerRoad plans • The podcast hosts are going to climb Mauna Kea! • Levi's Gran Fondo recap • How to train for Levi's Gran Fondo • What to know about the Levi's Gran Fondo course • How to recon a remote course • How to pace a long day in the saddle • What is a "passhole"? • 10 best tips for Levi's Gran Fondo • How to train between back to back big weekends • Cold weather riding footwear options • What causes your peak power to drop? • Why has fasting quit working? • How to change your BMR • Do electronic muscle stimulating systems work? • How to overcome a fear of swimming • Swimming lessons for adults

In this special episode we spoke with the God Father of triathlon innovation, Dan Empfield, at Interbike in Las Vegas, NV. Topics covered in this episode: • How triathlon wetsuits came to exist • What caused TT bikes to be designed as they are • The two most important bike fit measurements • How gravel racing could affect triathlon • How to know if a TT bike fits you before you buy it • How to avoid neck pain in aero position

• How to race with a bent derailleur hanger • The one thing you shouldn’t do right before a race • Why your disc brakes may be rubbing • How much aggression is okay in cx? • How to get a good start, even from the back of the pack • How to know when to make passes and when to wait • How to know if you should ride or run stairs? • How to not clip your pedals on stairs • How to remount smoothly in a turn • When bunny hopping barriers is a bad idea • Tips for making it through a sand section • How to drift turns on a CX bike • What your tread can tell you about how your bike will handle • What it takes to get a UCI point in cyclocross • Chad, Nate and Jonathan’s results at Cross Vegas • The key that most amateur CX racers are missing • How to know if your race is over, or if you can salvage it • What makes a good single speed course? • How to beat somebody with a higher power to weight ratio in CX

Keegan Swenson (Cannondale 3Rox), #2 ranked pro XC racer in the USA, joins us for his take on cyclocross and a preview of Cross Vegas. Topics covered in this episode: • What makes pro athletes different from the rest of us • Keegan Swenson's power data • Pre-race warmups for cyclocross • Pre-race "leg openers" for the pros • Tire choice and bike setup for grass cyclocross courses • Pedal setup for cyclocross racing • How to pace Cross Vegas and other cyclocross races • How to know if you should ride or run through obstacles  • How to pop a tire onto the bead in an emergency

• Join us and author Matt Fitzgerald in person for a live podcast recording! Saturday, November 4, 2017, at Rapha Cycle Club in San Francisco, CA! • XC MTB suspension setup guide • What motivates you to race? • How to use your off-season wisely • How long does fitness last? • Should you use a full suspension MTB on the trainer? • Which pedals should you get? • How to win a crit for first-time riders

• How more carbohydrate actually improves performance • Updated mobile apps! • Depleted glycogen stores vs. skipping breakfast • What it takes to win Park City Point 2 Point (beat the best XC racers in the country) • Can CX training replace Base training? • Is cold training as important/beneficial as heat training? • Gear and strategies for cold weather riding • What is muscle "activation"? • Is smooth pacing in CX a bad idea?

- Join us and author Matt Fitzgerald in person for a live podcast recording! Saturday, November 4, 2017, @ Rapha Cycle Club in San Francisco, CA - Nate's new MTB - "Park City Point 2 Point" MTB race - New cyclocross plans! - How to fix shifting problems on a smart trainer - Is precision during rest intervals important? - Can you do too many or too few races in a season? - Cyclocross in the Crossfit games!?

• Live podcast recording at Rapha Cycle Club in San Francisco Nov. 4! • Why Breck Epic is one of the hardest races in the world • Nate's new approach to nutrition • Should you have different FTPs for different circumstances? • How focus and motivation can improve your performance • Is visualization damaging or enabling? • How to know if your helmet is ruined • How bike fits work and how to pick the best one • Do sugar coated pills hurt fasted training?

• How to transition to cyclocross season • The effects of humidity on heat training? • Could the Trek Domane be a gravel bike? • Should you maintain your smart trainer? • Can you skip base training if you are fat adapted? • Can you shortcut to peak fitness if a race schedule changes? • Tips for endurance mountain bike racing • Can you use ERG mode during an FTP test? • How to make yourself a sprinter • Are brick workouts really worth it?