Endurance Unlimited From Couch Potato to World Champion: April Zilg on Coaching and What Makes a Great Paddle Athlete — Season 7 Ep 8
Jul 24, 2025
April Zilg, three-time SUP world champion and certified instructor, talks technique-focused, science-based coaching and her rise from unathletic beginnings. She covers paddle-racing disciplines, using TrainingPeaks and HR/TSS, the coming wave of on-water power meters, pacing and nutrition strategies, and dry-land work to prevent imbalances.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Couch Potato To World Champion Journey
- April went from a non-athlete who ‘held the paddle backwards’ and DNF'd her first six-mile race to finishing second the next year after lessons and equipment upgrades.
- She quit her job, worked in a paddle shop, and dedicated herself to training, eventually becoming a world champion through iterative testing and coaching.
Technique Plus Data Beats Raw Volume
- April combined elite technique coaching with data tools like TrainingPeaks and annual planning to structure load and recovery.
- She mapped block periodization concepts (two/three peak weeks) into TrainingPeaks TSS adjustments to control weekly spikes and recovery.
Treat HR TSS As A Guide Not Gospel
- Use heart-rate-based TSS for paddling but treat values cautiously because stand-up paddling is higher resistance than cycling or running.
- Monitor CTL trends and ramp rate rather than single-session TSS, and expect lower safe ramp rates for paddlers to avoid overtraining.
