TrainingPeaks CoachCast

This week Dirk sat down with Registered Dietician Patrick Wilson to discuss the common gastrointestinal issues that plague endurance athletes. Together, Dirk and Patrick cover everything from beverage osmolality, leaky gut syndrome, the benefits of periodic fasting and why more women are vexed with bloating and constipation during competition than men. They also cover which kinds of sugars are easiest to digest during exercise as well as the gut reactions pre-race anxiety can impose.Patrick offers expert insight on all things related to athlete stomach distress and serves up fascinating, easy-to-implement advice for all endurance coaches and athletes.

Winning the Tour de France is no easy feat, and when you dig into the science behind coaching a champion, the task only looks tougher. This week, in a special 'Sprint' episode of the CoachCast, Dirk discusses Tadej Pogacar's recent TDF win with his coach Iñigo San Millán. Listen as they discuss maximizing mitochondrial function, building glycolytic capacity and the dedicated focus that lead to a 30-watt difference from last year to this year.

This week Dirk sat down with renowned Coach Jim Miller and the very talented mountain biking athlete, Christopher Blevins. They explored topics such as the athlete-coach relationship, Christopher’s recovery process and the reality of racing during COVID-19. Christopher also dove into the reasoning behind his decision to commit to mountain bike racing over road and why he’s happy with the current trajectory of his career. Jim reviews his own personal evolution as a coach, starting at USA Cycling, exploring racing strategy at many Olympic Games, his progression to TrainingPeaks and finally, returning to where it all started again at USAC.

It goes without saying that 2020 has been rough on everyone, not excluding Pro Cyclist Ayesha McGowan. Her career was gaining serious momentum after years of hard work and diligent training with her coach Jim Lehman, then, all of that went out the window with COVID-19. Nevertheless, Ayesha has taken this time to rediscover her love for riding bikes and allowed herself to mentally process the current reality, without risking burning out while training for more canceled events. Listen as Ayesha and Jim discuss how their relationship has evolved and improved during this tough time and the lessons they've learned along the way. 

If you want to feel inspired, look no further than Coach Joy Miles. She is a fitness instructor and triathlon coach based in Chicago and has a palpable passion for helping members of her community be the very best version of themselves. She guides athletes through every step of their training journeys, from getting comfortable in the deep end of a pool to finishing their very first triathlon.Her success as an athlete and a coach didn't come easy though. As a black woman training in the city, she has faced adversity that most endurance athletes never have to grapple with. She has a story that calls for acknowledgment and leads us to notice what we can do to make the triathlon community a safer and more welcoming place.

Race Director Gabriela Gallegos gets, stuff, done! She puts on a multitude of races in Texas as well as Arizona and is on the Board of Directors for USAT. She trained for her first triathlon as an adult and found the finish line experience totally transformative. From then on, she was hooked.Gabriela strives to share that experience with many others in her community, particularly women of color via her Mighty Mujer Race Series. She has undoubtedly made some tough choices throughout the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic but is continuously looking at ways to adapt and guarantee her racers are able to return to what they love most. 

If there ever was someone with true expertise in endurance training through a pandemic, it would be Jeff Sankoff. As a doctor of 21 years, with a specialty in critical care, he has deep insight into the physiology behind triathlon training and racing, in addition to a well-informed perspective on the current status of race safety in the time of COVID-19.Jeff is also a triathlete with many Ironman and Half-Ironman race finishes under his belt. Listen as Dirk and Jeff explore the future of safe racing as well as discussing the infectivity to COVID-19 among training athletes. 

Tony Kanaan is a force to be reckoned with. Not only has he dedicated his life to Indycar racing for the past 23 years, but he is also a triathlete with an insatiable dedication to his training. From pulling massive TSS weeks to carving out triathlon racing time between a 17-week car racing season, there is no doubt that Tony is addicted to competition and driving to greatness. Listen as Dirk dives deep with Tony to discuss motivation, time management and what the future holds for this athletic all-arounder. 

An athlete like Alison Tetrick brings a lot to the table. Not only does she have a long history of athletic ambition (playing NCAA tennis and dabbling in triathlon), but she is also an absolute beast on gravel. Her coach Adam Pulford matches her completely. He calmly helps her navigate healthy recovery practices and enables her to be her truest self, even if that means turning a blind eye to her riding seven hours when she was prescribed a two-hour workout. Together, they make an undeniably successful team and a killer CoachCast episode. 

If creating a true champion requires a special cocktail of raw talent, mental toughness and dedicated mentoring, Coach Jim Miller is exactly the kind of bartender you're looking for. He comes from a long line of coaches, but never originally planned on getting into the business himself. While racing on the pro circuit as a young cyclist, Jim met his first client, Chris Baldwin at a stoplight. From there he was hooked.Jim has worked with numerous top-level athletes and undoubtedly has a knack for finding talent in unexpected places. Listen as Dirk and Jim chat about the evolution of sport and the upcoming challenges facing Jim in 2020 and 2021.