Fast Talk

While the Fast Talk podcast was originally geared toward cycling, many of the concepts we discuss can be applied across all endurance sports. After all, human physiology remains the same whether we’re talking cycling, running, rowing, or cross-country skiing.  Today we’re joined by someone who has a broad understanding of endurance sports, not only because he’s studied human physiology in the lab for decades, but he’s also worked with athletes across a broad range of athletic pursuits and participated in many of the sports he studies, from rowing to cycling. With the help of Dr. Stephen Seiler, today we compare and contrast endurance sports as a whole, exploring everything from cardiovascular hemodynamics to muscle loading. We also discuss training impacts and implications across sports—how similar are they, how different are they, and does the polarized approach work for all of them—and in the same way? While we had him, we also asked Dr. Seiler a few questions we often get asked by listeners about the polarized approach, including what intensity should 4x8-minute intervals be done at and should we ever do sweet spot work. And just to be clear, when Dr. Seiler discusses “threshold” sessions, he uses the research definition, which is actually sweet spot training—cyclists think of threshold sessions differently. We clarify all of this and more on the show. Adding to our conversation today are Adam St. Pierre, the head coach of the Nordic ski team at Montana St. University, Joe Gambles, a longtime professional triathlete and coach, and Glenn Swan, a former master’s national cycling champion and Coach Connor’s mentor. To all the runners, rowers, skiers, AND cyclists out there, let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Gambles has been racing triathlon professionally for nearly 25 years and has been coaching for the last seven years. We've gathered many of our triathlon-specific questions for the right athlete and coach—and Joe fits that bill.Training distributionThis question comes from Frank Bastion in Bellingham, Washington. He writes:“I’m new to triathlon, but have a decent background in other endurance sports including running, which I did for five-plus years competitively. I haven’t yet hired a coach to work with me for triathlon training. What’s the best way (or ways) for me to determine how my training time should be distributed between the three sports?For further background, I have the least experience on the bike. I used to swim in high school and was decently competitive. Running is what I’m most comfortable with.Running outside after running inside all winterThis question comes from Hampton Pryor in Sheffield, UK. He writes:“Last year I did a ton of my riding on Zwift during the winter. While I was doing that, I noticed increasing numbers of people using Zwift for running. So this winter I’m seriously considering moving almost all of my training indoors, and doing my runs on the treadmill on Zwift over the winter. But eventually I have to get outside, right? How can I make the transition to the road easier once the snow melts?”Prioritizing eventsThis question comes from Stefanie Weidenhammer from Munich, Germany. She writes:“In the past several seasons, my training and racing has been very disrupted. It has been three summers since I have been able to do a full Ironman distance event. As I rebuild toward a goal of completing one in the summer of 2022, would you recommend I use sprint, Olympic, or half Ironman events—or a combination of several of these—to prepare for a full Ironman event? How much time would you leave between each of them? How should I approach the shorter events when using them as practice for a full distance event?”GI distress on the runThis question comes from Zdenek Novak from Prague. He writes:“Tell me when you have heard this one before: I often will feel good on the bike, but once I start the run I will frequently get pains in the stomach or other symptoms of discomfort [GI distress]. What is the answer? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? I have tried using all manner of nutrition on the bike, from all liquid to all solid, and everything in between.”Knee warmers!This question comes from Joe Melton of Utica, New York. He writes:“I live in the northern U.S. and it’s starting to get cold here when I train. I’ve heard your podcast about covering your legs, but I think I can tolerate the cold better than most. I frequently wear arm warmers, but my legs are fine. Do I really need knee warmers?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Young athletes have a host of concerns outside of sport that make their development a unique, challenging undertaking. While they can often be sponges for new information, skills, and techniques, they are also dealing with complex stressors and pressures—in many ways they are more vulnerable than their adult counterparts. Today we discuss ways to develop young athletes with Alec Pasqualina, USA Cycling’s Director of the Olympic Development Academy, or ODA. While he willingly admits he doesn’t have all the answers, the 25-year-old Pasqualina is attempting to take this fledgling program within the national governing body and bring opportunity and access to more young cyclists than ever before.  We hit him with all manner of questions about the general principles that guide youth athletic development, as well as specific questions on the ODA, how it compares to the Long Term Athlete Development model, as well as the thornier subject of how parents should and should not be involved in their children’s development. We also hear from several other coaches with decades of experience in youth development, including Houshang Amiri, director of the Pacific Cycling Center; Coach Ryan Kohler, Coach Rebecca Gross, and former collegiate cyclist Adam Wisseman.  If you have kids, listen up. If you coach kids, pay attention.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Rebecca Gross, owner of 3six0 Performance, we field questions on polarized training, how to effectively close out a season, whether you can ruin workouts with indulgences or poor sleep, and how to get the most out of spin class.Before Rebecca began coaching, she was an accomplished cyclocross and mountain bike racer. She was the 2012 Cyclocross Masters World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky and has twice won the collegiate mountain bike short track national championship. She continues to race professionally.Rebecca is also a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a masters degree in sport and performance psychology from the University of Denver.Polarized training progressionThis question comes from Eoin Cremen, from Bath in the UK. He writes:“This question comes from a long-running debate between my twin brother and I about the optimal progression of bike intervals in a training program, moving from early / base season, into an 'A' race / short racing season.We both subscribe to a polarized model, predominantly using sessions as the distribution, rather than durations in zone. The question has revolved around the balance between the final training block reflecting re-enforcing race pace at distances nearing race duration, or pushing to develop the higher end qualities (both centrally, VO2Max, and peripherally, fiber and cellular physiology).We have both played with "Seiler-esque" intervals (4x2, progressing to 8x2) as the HIIT component of a training block, complemented with regular easy, Z2 sessions. Then for the final block, we’d elongate the duration and reduce the intensity of these efforts and often include them into longer rides to allow for more time at higher intensities.We also have considered swapping the emphasis of those training blocks, essentially training long to short, race pace to VO2max intensity.Thoughts?”Ramping down a seasonThis question comes from Sara Larsen of Brattleboro, Vermont. She writes:“As the seasons start to change here in the Northeast, it’s about time I hang up the road bike. The thing is, I still feel like my fitness is high, and my mind is fresh. What should I do in this situation? Bottle that energy and motivation and save it for next year? I’m not really one to race cyclocross. Are there other outlets I should pursue?"Burned out on structureIn a related question from Britt Gunnarson of Kolding, Denmark, she asks:“I have reached a point in my season where I have decent form, but I don’t have the mental energy to do more structured intervals. With one more race to go this season, I don’t know if I should continue to push the mental side of things, scrap the season, or if there is an alternative to these.”Ruining a workout?This question comes from Scott Dickey from San Diego, California. He writes:“I’m prone to indulging in an occasional beer or three after a hard workout. It helps me relax. Sometimes I also stay up late or my sleep is disrupted after a hard workout or long ride. I seem to be buzzing for hours and sleep poorly. I’ve often wondered where’s the breaking point… If I get the work in, but then indulge too much or don’t rest well, did I gain anything? Or did I just lose the chance to gain something from the work I put in?”Can spin classes replace Zwift?Finally, a question from Joe Uknalis. He writes:“For the sake of motivation this winter, I’m considering spinning classes, rather than another year of Zwift. I just would rather be around people. How do they fit into a training schedule when it's cold and dark outside? How do I use them effectively for motivation, without overdoing it? Is that possible in that setting? Where does that leave you when you can finally get outside again?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re talking cyclocross, a discipline that is as demanding as it is rewarding and educational. Because there are so many variables in ’cross, athletes are constantly being challenged and consistently faced with new opportunities to learn and progress. Whether that’s the engine or the skills. Whether that’s strength, power, finesse, or off-the-bike prowess. In cyclocross, you’re always on the edge, and that’s the focus of today’s episode.   The short-duration, high-intensity nature of cyclocross sharpens the pointy end of fitness. Cyclocross also offers countless opportunities to improve many technical aspects of cycling. Want to exponentially improve your handling skills? Cyclocross is the answer. Always wanted to feel more “at-one” with your bike? Yup, cyclocross wins again.  Today we’ll hear from one of the greats of American cyclocross, three-time national champion Stephen Hyde, a longtime member of the iconic Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com squad who now races for the Steve Tilford Foundation Racing team. We talk about all aspects of the sport, from dealing with the weather to skills acquisition to tactics and race-day prep.   We also hear from Alec Donahue, who once coached Hyde and who specializes in cyclocross coaching, as well as Dr. William Adams, who speaks to preparing for cold weather. All that and more, today on Fast Talk.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, four of us on the Fast Talk Labs staff—our producer Jana, Head Coach Ryan, Trevor, and me—chose an N1 Challenge. You’ve hopefully heard us speak about it previously on the show. It was meant to be an experiment of one—each of us—offering lessons for all, particularly you, the listeners.   Today, we explore that last bit, those “lessons for all” that each of us gained from our respective events. The most common term used to describe our events was “transformative...” That’s a big word. Yet, in each case, the adjective is appropriate. In the case of Jana, for example, it’s so appropriate that she up and moved to Spain and is traveling indefinitely, with her bike in tow wherever she goes.  Personal challenges, races, events of all kinds are meant to teach us not just how to train better or more effectively, to progress as athletes and hopefully people, but also to gain a greater understanding of what’s possible, what it means to be alive and healthy and able to do the things we love. That’s transformative. And that’s what we’ll discuss today.  One final note: Sadly, Trevor has had to call an audible several times on his N1 Challenge, after health issues and race cancellations disrupted his plans. Still, he learned lessons along the way that everyone can benefit from, and he shares those today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve listened to Fast Talk for any length of time, you’ve likely heard the name Glenn Swan. That’s because Glenn was Coach Connor’s first and, arguably, most influential mentor in the sport of cycling. Trevor has gone so far as to say that without Glenn’s influence, he probably would not have become the cyclist he became. Thus, Trevor often refers to lessons he learned from Glenn on the show.  We’re excited to have Glenn on this episode to discuss many facets of mentoring, including his definition of that seemingly simple term, as well as the benefits of having a mentor, and the differences between mentors and coaches, plus much more. Glenn’s influence wasn’t focused solely on Trevor, of course. He served as a mentor to many in the Ithaca, New York cycling community where he lived and trained. He helped shape the careers of many great cyclists, and we’re very pleased to have him share his wisdom today.  We’re also joined by a collection of several wise athletes and coaches today, including pro roadie Erica Clevenger, former elite cyclist Adam Wisseman, endurance coach Daniel Matheny, legendary coach Joe Friel, and author and coach Jim Rutberg.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CTL. Chronic Training Load has rapidly gained in popularity among endurance athletes, but how well understood is this complex metric? Today we discuss the benefits of CTL, as well as the issues that can arise if too much stock is placed in this one number.   CTL can tell you the general level you’re at, and more importantly, it can indicate trends in your training and help direct your training plan. But is this little acronym quickly replacing FTP as the metric of reference? Indeed, many people seem to think of it as an indication of how strong they are. But should they? Are there any dangers to doing so? As always, we start by taking a step back and defining how it is calculated and what assumptions and estimates it is based on.  Today, Trevor and I discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of CTL. Ultimately, we want to try and answer as many of the questions we’ve received about this metric as possible, and help illustrate why a focus on training principles, rather than any single number, is much more effective for creating adaptations and seeing gains.  As we always do on our summary episodes, we hear from a world-class group of coaches, scientists, and athletes, including Tim Cusick, Larry Warbasse, Joe Friel, Dr. Stephen Seiler, Dr. Iñigo San Millan, Kendra Wenzel and others.   Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June, Trevor went to Moab for what he thought would be a nice vacation filled with mountain biking with friends. It turned into a stressful, harrowing experience when one friend was evacuated to the hospital by helicopter, and Trevor was left wondering if he’d live.No, it wasn’t from a crash. It was all about the heat that day. Trevor’s friend had suffered heat stroke. Or was it heat stress? Ultimately, the trip made Trevor wonder what he could have done differently.Thus, we found experts to help us better understand heat stress, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and similar conditions elicited by heat. In this episode we try to answer several questions: What are the true definitions of these conditions? What are the causes? What are the physiological ramifications? What can you look for, in yourself or others, to know if serious issues are on the horizon? And what can you do to prevent those early symptoms from turning into a catastrophe? We’re joined today by Adam Wisseman, a collegiate national championship podium finisher and Trevor’s friend who lived through this ordeal in the heat of Moab. We also hear from Emile Abraham, a former pro and Pan Am Games medalist turned elite coach. Finally we’re joined by Dr. William Adams, the associate director of sports medicine research at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, whose work focuses on investigating the prevention, management, and care of heat-related illness, among other things. He's the perfect expert for our episode today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Alec Donahue, the senior coach at Cycle-Smart who has worked with some of the best American cyclocross racers, including Jeremy Powers, Stephen Hyde, and Ellen Noble, we dive into questions on training zones and whether we're being duped by them; beer and bike culture and its effect on recovery and performance; effective methods for transitioning to cyclocross season; 'cross skills; and weekly planning for time-crunched athletes.Duped by zones?This question comes from Brian Adkins. He writes:“Given that there are three primary energy systems— 1) ATP-PC, for very short efforts; 2) anaerobic glycolysis; and 3) aerobic—and that we now know that all three are typically being utilized, just in varying proportions, I'm wondering if we (cyclists) have been underserved with this seven-zone Coggan model of:Active RecoveryEnduranceTempoLactate ThresholdVO2maxAnaerobic CapacityNeuromuscularThe polarized training idea resonates well with me, and I enjoy that type of training. So I'm trying to think through the ramifications of various interval durations for power that are above threshold. The distinction between zones 5 & 6 seems a little silly—aren't both emphasizing anaerobic glycolysis quite a bit, with more emphasis from higher wattage?Are the actual adaptations resulting from a 4x8-min @ 108% FTP really that different from a 3x4x1.5-min @ 125% FTP?It seems reasonable that central adaptations may relate to durations of a certain heart rate (e.g. 8-minute intervals averaging 90% HRmax seem important from Seiler), but what about the muscular adaptations, and how they vary in these higher zones?”Beers and bikesThis question comes from Eric in Somerville, Mass. He writes:“Given the ‘beer and bike’ culture, I would be very interested in knowing if there are any performance or recovery effects of alcohol use.”Transition to cyclocrossThis question comes from Colin in Colorado. He writes:“I have been racing marathon MTB and 100-mile gravel races this year with large volume and significant work around Lactate Balance Point or Sweet Spot Training to create high CTL numbers—for me that’s around 95.What strategies should I employ to transition summer fitness to cyclocross specificity? Should I continue high volume in a polarized fashion while the weather is nice while focusing on VO2max and anaerobic capacity work during intervals? Is there value in still hitting SST or FTP in my lead up?”Cyclocross skills trainingThis question comes from Megan in Westport, Ireland. She writes:“I have heard Katie Compton discuss how she trains certain ‘cross skills by repeating the same skill over and over again, at a faster and faster pace, until she is ultimately going faster than race pace. Is this a sound approach for amateurs? What other pro tips do you have for mastering ‘cross skills, particularly ones that involve quickness at race speeds?”Mapping out a weekThis question comes from Robert. He writes:“I typically have 10 hours/week to train. I try to spend 1-2 of those hours doing some strength routine work for maintenance. I tend towards a ‘polarized’ model. I’ve been riding regularly for eight years so there’s not a lot of ‘unknowns’ in my overall capabilities.Like a lot of people, I am time crunched, especially when it comes to getting in a ride/workout of longer than 1.5 hours. That said, I can probably get 2-3 hours of training in a day a couple of times a week if I workout before and after work.What’s the best way to plan this for maximal adaptive response? And how do two-a-days affect adaptive response with different kinds of stimuli?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices