TrainingPeaks CoachCast

The IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii are finally here, and weather conditions are shaping up to make it another challenging year. First, Dave discusses updated race conditions with Ryan Cooper. Then, Lance Watson joins the discussion to share lessons from his 30+ years of experience coaching triathletes to Kona.

For some triathletes, making it to Kona is the achievement they have strived for. For others, Kona is yet another chance to test their determination in a challenging, unforgiving environment. Regardless, all of the triathletes will face the same punishing heat, humidity, and wind on a course that is known for testing the best racers in the world.Dave Schell discusses this year's race conditions with BestBikeSplit Co-Founder Ryan Cooper, and then chats with Coach Simon Ward who has guided dozens of athletes to Kona over his coaching career. Simon raced in the Championship last year himself, and is busy preparing this year's crop of athletes to excel in the race.

Joe Friel has always given back to the endurance sports community he loves, but it was only when he faced an illness that left him on a training hiatus that he sat down to write the first of his many books. Since then, Joe has dedicated his life to endurance sports as the co-founder of TrainingPeaks and a triathlon and cycling icon.This episode, Dave Schell sat down with Joe to discuss how the story of the Training Bible series and TrainingPeaks began, how endurance sports coaching has evolved since the 1980s, and advice Joe has for coaches.

How much of an athlete's performance is dependent on their mental toughness? Chances are you already know mental toughness plays an important role in an athlete's ability to reach their full potential, but how can coaches help grow athletes mentally as well as physically?Dave sat down with Joanna Zeiger, triathlete World Champion, Olympian, the author of The Champion Mindset: An Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness, and distinguished researcher in the field of mental toughness, to discuss her journey as an athlete and how it inspired her to help other athletes reach their goals.

Every athlete has a unique level of knowledge and experience. So how do you make sure you set them up for success in the on-boarding phase? Whether athletes don't understand what kind of equipment they need or sabotage their races by skipping over details, it's important that coaches try to get in front of issues by avoiding assumptions that can lead to disaster.Dave Schell and Cody Stephenson sat down with Coaches Taylor Thomas and Andrew Simmons to discuss past experiences, common challenges, and tricks they have learned related to the new athlete experience.

In the summer of 2013, Ryan Cooper took a few weeks off of work to answer a question: could you accurately predict a cyclist's performance using a fast, easy-to-use model? Over five years later, Ryan is the co-founder and chief scientist at Best Bike Split, a tool that helps cyclists of all levels develop optimal pacing and training strategies using proven technology. Dave Schell sat down with Ryan to talk about how Best Bike Split came to be, how athletes and coaches can get the most out of the software, and other optimal strategies to use before and during a race.