When it comes to world-class endurance cycling, nutrition has become as critical as training. The 2024 Tour de France showcased just how far the sport has evolved, particularly in the realm of fueling strategies. Cyclists like Tadej Pogačar are managing sustained efforts indicating Functional Threshold Power approaching 7 w/kg. Chris Froome rode away from the … Continue reading Maximizing Cycling Endurance: Pro-Level Nutrition Tips for Amateur Riders
A week or two ago, I published Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 1, which I recommend you read if you haven't. Biology was not something of interest to many of us in high school, but knowledge of human metabolism is very helpful in planning and executing endurance training. Last time, the main topic was an … Continue reading Metabolism for Endurance Athletes, Part 2
There's a familiar pattern recommended for most workouts. Start with a period of light activity, as a warm up. Then proceed with your workout. Finally, bring the intensity down in a gradual manner, the cool down. Proponents of this method tout the last stage as facilitating recovery, promoting clearing of metabolites from the muscles and … Continue reading Do cool downs matter?
Drinking an adequate amount of water is vital for peak performance. Specifically in the winter, when indoor training sessions leave puddles of sweat on the floor on a daily basis, it's easy to operate constantly dehydrated. If you're logging hours of training every day, the recommendation of eight glasses of water per day is likely … Continue reading What’s up with sports drinks?
It's early in the season yet, but I'm making plans for workouts on commutes. One of the best ways to build fitness without building excessive fatigue is through Sweet Spot Intervals. Here's the sweet spot (the gold star), measured by training intensity and volume: Training volume and intensity lead to positive changes in fitness and … Continue reading Sweet Spot with VO2; “Kickers”
Back in October, I was training hard for a running race in November and I really started to appreciate rest days. I wrote a short blog post then on appreciating rest. For what it's worth, I always subscribed to a "train hard, race hard" mentality, but struggled with burnout and injuries. In August of 2018, … Continue reading Rest Days and Goal Setting;
I have a real soft spot for chili this time of year. Something about the heat, spice and savory flavors in the cold weather is just so satisfying, and it helps that chili can be made with a hearty mixture of vegetables, beans, and lean protein. Even better, it's easy to throw together a chili … Continue reading Sweet Potato Turkey Chili;
Strength training has a funny reputation among cyclists. Many racers are concerned that lifting will lead to weight gain and bulkiness, which will be counterproductive to their goals. Further, many athletes most enjoy riding their bike and would prefer for training to be exclusively on the bike. But riding a bike at low or moderate … Continue reading Applied Research; Strength training for female cyclists
The holidays bring lots of wonderful things, time with loved ones, maybe a few days off or even some new equipment! But those benefits are counterbalanced with potholes on the road to a successful season; there's heavy meal after heavy meal, desserts lining every coffee table, and the weather turns sour and the days get … Continue reading Willpower for the New Year;
It's a scary thing to look at the calendar and realize that a race for which you've been preparing is just a week away. That final week of real training is typically not easy; you're peaking and putting down performances that are a little startling. And with that difficult training comes a focus on just … Continue reading Tapering tutorial;
