Fast Talk

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

When you watch the Olympics, do you think about the dedication, sacrifice, and risk that it takes to focus on such a big event, one that takes four years to prepare for? The pressure is immense. Is it worth it?When we invited Olympians Svein Tuft and Errine Zarsadias (you may remember her as Erinne Willock from her racing days) to join us on Fast Talk, we intended to discuss whether it was wise to focus on a single big race—for example, that Olympic Games or world championship race, or, for the amateurs among us, the state championships or that one big race you always wanted to win. What are the benefits of such focus? What are the dangers?While we did broach that subject, we ultimately ended up discussing so much more, from goal setting to purposeful training.Svein, an 11-time Canadian national time trial champion and two-time road champion, and Errine, a Pan Am Games silver medalist, each share their personal experiences with the Olympics and worlds, the things they would change and the things they’d do the same, in hindsight. They discuss the dangers of putting all their eggs in one basket—the dangers of placing too much emphasis on a single day or course.They also discuss how having a purpose and other goals based on enjoyment are perhaps the most rewarding and, ultimately, most performance-benefitting mindsets you can take.In addition to Svein and Errine, we hear from prominent sports psychologist Julie Emmerman and elite coach Kendra Wenzel who each share their perspective on the best way to target races.Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the help of Kendra Wenzel, co-founder and head coach at Wenzel Coaching, we field questions on how to manage training when you have a busy travel schedule, when to get intensity during the week before a race, incorporating big gear work into your LSD rides, and knowing when to push through or when to pull the plug on a workout.Travel and trainingThis first question comes from Steve Herman in Dayton, Ohio. He writes:“I recently took a new job that requires a significant travel schedule. Typically, about once or twice per month, I’ll have a two- to three-day trip, but sometimes more. I can control when I travel to some extent, but not completely. So far, I’ve been planning my workouts around my trips and vice versa, i.e., digging an ATL “hole” and using the time off the bike while away from home to recover. This can’t be optimal. Now that I’m in the off-season, I’ve been thinking about incorporating running to eventually build up my ability to do high-intensity and/or long-duration workouts while traveling. What are your thoughts on that idea? Is there some way to translate work done while running to work done on the bike? Is there a better way to deal with this?”Training camp before a big raceOur next question on travel comes from Susan Squam in Buffalo, New York. She writes:“I have my target race coming up towards the end of August. It’s a three-day stage race. I want to do a big training camp before the race, but I was wondering how much rest I need between the end of the camp and the race? The race starts on a Friday and I’m flying there on the Wednesday night. Does finishing my camp on the Sunday before give me enough time?”HIT work in final race prepThis question comes from Lasse in Lillehammer, Norway. He writes:“I am planning to run a 14-mile [running] race on Saturday. How many days before the race should I refrain from doing a HIT workout? Can I do one Thursday and then have Friday to recover or is two days out too close? If two days is too close, can I focus the HIT workout on upper body on Thursday? Will that leave my legs fresh for the race on Saturday?”When to push through or pull the plugThis question comes from David Sutter in Carbondale, Colorado. He writes:“Should I suspend training if I am feeling exhausted or push through with a shorter zone 2 workout? Am I negating gains that could be realized by not allowing for adequate recovery? When I see CTL drop on TrainingPeaks, it makes me think I'm losing fitness, but I think that is a maybe a flaw with CTL?”Effective use of training racesThis question comes from Amos Kirkpatrick in Burbank, California. He writes:“I’m not a big interval guy. I love to get my intensity through training races. Most weeks, I’ll do the group ride on the weekend, a training race on Tuesdays, and another training race on Thursdays when work allows. Is this an effective approach to keep me strong throughout the season and to prepare for my target event?”Big gear work on your LSD rides?Our final question comes from Scott in Greensboro, North Carolina. He writes:“Is there any benefit to doing the long, slow rides at a slow grinding cadence? I do mine indoors on rollers. My thought process would be that the low cadence (60 rpm or lower) would fatigue the slow-twitch muscles quicker, thus, recruiting the fast-twitch muscles to work sooner.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a long time, weight loss and weight management strategies have focused on counting calories. The question we ask in today’s episode is: Does that work? That is, if you count accurately, will it predict your weight loss or gain?  To answer these questions, we pit two theories against each other. On one side, there is the argument that you can’t break the laws of thermodynamics, and therefore a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, and you just need to know what goes in your body and how it gets used to understand which direction your weight will go.  On the other side, there is the carbohydrate-insulin model, based on the fact that insulin promotes energy storage and, as a result, the belief is that low energy availability then promotes intake.  We’ll discuss the evidence for and against the viability of each of these theories, then turn our attention to what is arguably a more important question: Do we over-equate weight loss with improved health? And what are the most healthy ways to lose weight?  We’re excited to be joined today by a leading voice in the world of exercise physiology, Dr. Timothy Noakes, whose work has had a significant impact on nutrition as well as many other aspects of sport science.  Let's make you fast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Pickels is the Advanced Development Project Manager at PEARL iZUMi, but more importantly, he can out-nerd Trevor as you'll hear in today's deep-dive into some new scientific research in sports physiology. Even though the findings of one of these studies may not appear to directly apply to your weekly training plan, understanding the questions that have been asked by scientists can hopefully give you context into what is known and knowable by science as it relates to human performance. Trevor gives a brief overview of each study and then he and Rob point out key components of each study and translate the scientific jargon.In case you missed it and enjoy this depth of conversation about research, we did a "Nerd-Lab" episode a while back, Fast Talk 155: Recent Research on Interval Types, Timing Effects on Performance, Health Benefits of Endurance, and Pacing Strategies.Aerobic vs Anaerobic Contribution in SprintsFirst up is "The Aerobic and Anaerobic Contribution During Repeated 30-s Sprints in Elite Cyclists" by researchers Nicki Winfield Almquist, Øyvind Sandbakk, Bent R. Rønnestad, and Dionne Noordhof. Sometimes, because of the way a study is conducted, the findings are not very well applied to real-world training. Trevor points out some of these methods used which a training athlete would never use in their own workouts. It could be argued that science sometimes needs to ask and answer questions for itself that simply show the bounds of human potential.Mitochondrial ImpairmentNext, we try to understand more about mitochondrial impairment in a study titled "Excessive exercise training causes mitochondrial functional impairment and decreases glucose tolerance in healthy volunteers."Durability in Endurance AthletesThe final review of the day leaves Rob asking for more from scientists and friends of the podcast, Stephen Seiler and Ed Maunder in their Review article, "The Importance of ‘Durability’ in the Physiological Profiling of Endurance Athletes." Rob asks the questions he wants answers to and looks for more valuable information.Let's make you fast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

sources, it’s time to ask the question: Should we modify how, where, and when we train based on our potential exposure to pollutants? Furthermore, are certain pollutants worse than others? Finally, can we, and if so, should we try to “adapt” to certain pollutants?  We’re joined by a leading expert in the field of environmental pollution and its effects on exercise performance and health, Dr. Michael Koehle, from the University of British Columbia. With his help, we’ll address the different risks associated with pollution exposure, and how those effects change based on the concentration and duration of our exposure, as well as how we breathe.  Finally, Dr. Koehle, as well as environmental physiologist Dr. Stephen Cheung and pro cyclist Shayna Powless, share their recommendations for training in a polluted world. Ultimately, exercise is good, pollution is bad, and there are things we can do to lessen the impact based on the conditions that day.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices