All Things Endurance

In this engaging discussion, exercise physiologist Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas, known as Dr. G, shares his extensive experience as the high-performance director for USA Pentathlon. He dives into the essentials of program design, highlighting the significance of an athlete's adaptation rate. The conversation touches on the importance of personalized training plans and challenges faced by older athletes. Dr. G also critiques training zone myths, emphasizing aerobic conditioning and balancing intensity for optimal performance in all athletes.

In this episode of the ‘All Things Endurance’ Podcast, host Rick Prince chats with David Callahan, Co-CEO of Ultrasignup. As the leading event registration platform for ultrarunning events, David has a unique perspective on the state and growth of ultrarunning. Some of the topics that Rick and David discuss are:1.       Could you tell our listeners a little more about your background, both professionally and athletically?2.       The popularity of ultrarunning is through the roof, what are some of the key factors that you believe are driving this popularity?3.       Within the sport of ultrarunning and based on Ultrasignup’s data, are there specific distances that are seeing above average growth?4.       Where do you see the sport of ultrarunning over the next 5-10 years?5.       Athletes within sports like gravel racing and climbing often resent the result of their sports becoming more popular and mainstream – do you think this is, or will be the case with ultrarunning?6.       In the same vein as the prior question, popularity often comes with large organizations looking to purchase events. Is there a concern amongst the ultra community that the acquired events will lose their identity? 7.       For someone that is looking to get into ultrarunning, do you have any advice in regard to what type of ultra to choose as their first ultra event?8.       We often hear from our ultra coaches that running ultra’s are addictive. While it’s also true of road running, it seems to be more the case with ultra’s – why do you think this is?Where do you see ultrasignup in the coming years? 

Jeff Pierce is a former professional cyclist and the current CEO of Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). In Jeff’s distinguished cycling career, he rode for team 7-11, the first American to ride the Tour De France and in 1987, Jeff became just the third American to win a stage of the Tour De France on the final stage on the Champs-Elysees.   In his current role as CEO of CTS, Jeff is responsible for the overall operations and direction of CTS. In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with Jeff about the coaching landscape and how it has evolved over the years – as well as where it is heading. Questions covered in this episode include:1.       Please tell our listeners about your sport background as well as your career post being a pro cyclist2.       What was the coaching landscape like while you were racing professionally?3.       How has training technology changed the coaching profession over the years?4.       What are some of the main reasons that athletes hire coaches at CTS?5.       What do you think the increase in demand of qualified coaches is due to?6.       Are there any significant trends that you see in the coaching landscape at CTS?7.       To be a successful coach, what are some of key qualities that athletes are looking for, as well as you as the head of CTS?8.       What are some current challenges that the coaching profession faces?9.       Where to you see the coaching profession in 5-10 years with respect to its evolution?Lastly, as CTS is largely one of the first to legitimize the profession of endurance sports coaching, what do you attribute its longevity to? 

In this episode, host Rick Prince chat with professional triathlete and coach, Matt Hanson. Matt is a six-time Ironman champion, and also a six-time Half Ironman champion. In 2024, Matt finished 5th overall in the Ironman Pro Series. As both an accomplished triathlete and triathlon coach… as well as a former professor of exercise physiology, there is perhaps no one better to discuss the evolution of triathlon training than Matt. In this podcast, Rick and Matt discuss many topics including how training has evolved over the years, how technology has played a role in this evolution and some common mistakes that triathletes make in their training. Questions covered in this podcast include:1.       Could you tell us about your background, both academically and as a professional triathlete?2.       Could you give an overview of how triathlon training has evolved over the years?3.       Of the three sport disciplines, is there one that has evolved the most with respect to being triathlon-focused vs. training as a stand-alone sport discipline?4.       You are also a coach, have you found that any athletes push back against a modern triathlon-focused program versus a more old-school triathlon program?5.       What are some of the biggest changes in the sport with respect to training and racing from the days of Dave Scott to today?6.       How has technology played a role in the modernization of triathlon training?7.       There is a saying in bike racing “Train your weakness, race your strength.” Does this also hold true for triathlon? Meaning, do you overly focus on your weakest sport discipline, or do you focus on your strength?8.       What are some of the biggest training mistakes that you see triathletes make with respect to their training?9.       If you could give one piece of advice to our listeners with respect to triathlon training, what would it be?

Steve House is a former professional alpinist and mountaineer guide. Steve is currently the founder and CEO of Uphill Athlete.   As a professional climber, Steve climbed some of the most difficult mountains around the world and in 2006, Steve was awarded the Piolet d’Or (the Golden Ice Axe) award, which is the highest honor in the world of professional mountaineering.   With mountaineering being an inherently risky sport, host Rick Prince discusses the element of risk with Steve as it pertains to mountaineering and business. Unsurprisingly, there are quite a few takeaways with respect to mountaineering to business.   Questions covered in this podcast include:1.       Please tell us about your background as an alpinist and how you decided to start Uphill Athlete.2.       In most all sports, there is an element of risk. However, I can’t think of any sport with more at stake than high alpine mountaineering. How has being an alpinist shaped your perception of risk?3.       According to various sources, approximately 90% of start-up’s fail within the first 5 years, with 10% failing within the first year. Of the climbs that have been attempted, are there any that have this high (90%) of a failure rate?4.       What are some key lessons that you learned about risk that you’ve taken from climbing that you have applied to your business?5.       Regarding risk, what are some common mistakes that you see athletes and business owners make?6.       How do you assess risk? Specifically, deciding if a risk is worth the effort?7.       Appreciating the risk of a situation and going for it any way involves getting over one’s fear. As it relates to climbing, how did you get over the fear of certain situations that had a high risk factor?If you could leave our listeners with one or two nuggets of advice with respect to assessing and managing risk in their athletic and business endeavors, what would they be? 

Alli Felsenthal, founder of Runwithalli and former corporate ad tech employee, shares her journey from corporate life to online coaching. She discusses critical strategies for starting and growing a coaching business, emphasizing athlete retention, systems, and the importance of goal setting. Alli also reveals the challenges new coaches face, including pricing and imposter syndrome, while highlighting the necessity of building strong, engaged communities. Her insights are invaluable for both aspiring and established coaches.

In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with former professional, and current elite masters cyclist, Laura Van Gilder. Laura is a former elite criterium champion, the winningest female US cyclist in history and the current UCI gravel world champion (60-64)... in addition to other national and world titles.  In this podcast, Laura discusses many things, including her beginnings in the sport, her rise to becoming a professional cyclist, and how she manages to keep things fun and still race to this day! Laura is a legend in the sport of cycling and whether you’re a fan of cycling or not, this is an intriguing conversation. 1.       Could you tell us more about your sport background and some of your many accomplishments2.       How many years have you been competing?3.       You’re known as a sprinter, but you live in a pretty hilly area. Have you found that training in a hilly area has given you an advantage over other sprinters on rolling/hilly terrain?4.       As you’ve progressed through your cycling career, how has your training changed/evolved?5.       With respect to various aspects of fitness (i.e., endurance, strength, explosiveness, etc…), how have these changed, if at all?6.       What keeps you training and racing?7.       How has your nutrition changed over the years of your career, if at all?8.       What advice would you give to other master’s athletes?9.       Given the popularity of gravel racing/riding, do you find yourself doing more gravel riding than road riding these days?10.  Given all your experience, if there is one thing that you’ve learned that you wish you knew when you were in the infancy of your cycling career, what would it be?What cycling goals do you have for the upcoming year? 

In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with coach and physical therapist, Nicole Armbrust – owner of Jump Start Running, based out of Boulder, Colorado. Nicole specialized in working with female masters athletes and as such, this podcast discusses her decision to focus on working with masters athletes, as well as various aspects that are pertinent to masters athletes. 1.       Tell us about your background2.       Your current focus is working with female masters runners. Why?3.       As a PT, are there any common issues that you see amongst master runners versus younger runners?4.       As a generalization, with respect to endurance sports, aging is often associated with increased – or at least not diminishing endurance, while youth, is often associated with speed and quickness… and quick recovery. Do you find this generalization to be true?5.       What are some of the most important considerations when working with masters runners?6.       I think a lot of masters athletes are concerned about becoming slower. How do you tackle this subject with your athletes and moreover, are there any main things to focus on?7.       As a masters athlete myself, I often reflect back on how I was faster when I was younger and I find myself comparing myself to that person – which inevitably leads to frustration. How do you deal with athletes like myself in this regard?Do you find that masters athletes are more susceptible to injuries? 

In this episode, host Rick Prince chats with respiratory and exercise physiologist, Dr. Nick Tiller. Rick and Nick discuss if there is a toxic dose of exercise and if so, what it is. Dr. Tiller has established himself as a well-known resource with respect to addressing health and exercise-related myths head on. In that vein, Dr. Tiller is the author of the book, ‘The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science.’ 1.       Tell us about yourself?2.       Endurance sports seem to be trending toward longer distances. Is this a good thing from a health perspective?3.       Let’s talk about it with respect to a bell curve, would you say that with respect to exercise volume, the health benefits of exercise more or less follow the normal distribution?4.       Training is typically viewed through the lens of increasing performance, however it’s rarely also viewed through the lens of health. Are these two things sometimes at odds with each other and why do you think that the health aspect is often not considered with respect to training?5.       Could you discuss some of the things that might be considered toxic with respect to too much cardiovascular exercise?6.       It’s been my experience that with a lot of endurance athletes, especially those that participate in ultra-distance events, they overprioritize volume over intensity. Have you also found this to be true?7.       Is what could be considered a toxic level of cardiovascular subjective and different for each person?8.       With respect to ultra-athletes, are there are guidelines that you recommend with respect to staying out of the ‘toxic’ zone?When discussing ‘toxic’ levels of exercise, is it specific to a particular type (ie, cardiovascular, strength, etc…), or is it a culmination of all areas of training with respect to overall training load?

Nick Hancock, owner of Maximum Mileage Coaching, shares his journey from corporate burnout to full-time coaching. He discusses the challenges of juggling a side gig alongside a full-time job and the pivotal moment that made him leap into coaching. Hancock shares strategies for attracting athletes, emphasizing the importance of communication and a strong online presence. He also highlights self-care amidst busy lives and the significance of building trust in client relationships. His insights blend personal stories with valuable advice for aspiring coaches.