Who should you trust? How can you verify? There’s a lot of training advice out there, often contradictory, so what’s the best way for an athlete figure out what to do? We are joined by pro cyclist Sepp Kuss and the founder of FasCat coaching, Frank Overton, to dig into dealing with contradictory advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For decades (almost a century, in fact), we’ve been told that cramping is caused by electrolyte imbalance or bad hydration. But new science suggests that this probably isn’t why you cramp during exercise. So why do you cramp? It all comes down to something called altered neuromuscular control. And how do you stop it? Well, that’s where things get even trickier. We called up the world’s leading athletic cramping expert to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The difference between a fast tire and a slow tire can be ten or more watts. So how should you optimize your tire selection and tire pressure? The science behind fast tires has evolved rapidly in recent years, so Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz called in tech writer Kristen Legan to dig into the latest research. This episode of Fast Talk is presented by Quarq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is it possible to stay fit and fast all year round? We talk to former pro and team director Mike Creed about the toll that cycling takes on a body. He also discusses the mentality required to endure bad days on a bike, which happen far more often than good days. Plus, we speak with Cannondale-Drapac pro Toms Skujins and Trek-Segafredo pro Kiel Reijnen about how they plan their seasons, schedule training and avoid the dreaded burn-out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Forget what you thought you knew about sports nutrition. We speak with Dr. John Hawley, one of the top experts in the world about the cutting edge trends in sports nutrition. Hawley also debunks myths about Ketogenic diets and explains the difference between race and training nutrition. Plus, we talk to Cannondale-Drapac’s Toms Skujins and national champion Joey Rosskopf about how they use nutrition in the real world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever turned on a Tour de France stage and found yourself wondering what the heck is going on? Why are these riders off the front? Shouldn’t that team be chasing? In this special Fast Talk episode, we are joined by Cannondale-Drapac pro rider Toms Skujins to discuss the intricacies of racing strategy. Plus, we’ll give you a few ways you can translate Tour de France tactics into your local races. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is the heat of summer getting you down? Fast Talk is here to help. Coach Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz are joined once again by Rob Pickels, a physiologist who is currently studying ways to make clothing work better in hot weather. The panel discusses the mechanisms that cause your performance to drop when your body gets too hot, how to trick these mechanisms, and why you don’t want to. Finally, Fast Talk digs into the best ways to stay cool and safe when the mercury rises. Learn more about your...
You need to sprint faster. Everyone does, except maybe Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish. Though sprinting ability is largely a function of genetics, there are still tons of ways to get more out of your finishing kick, from positioning to neuromuscular training to simply showing up at the finish line fresher. We discuss the ins and outs of sprint technique and training, and are joined by two-time national criterium champion Eric Young for some pro tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
What numbers do you use to describe your rides? Some cyclists keep it simple with mileage and time. Others delve into TSS, FTP, or kJ to quantify a day of training. We talk to Dirk Friel of TrainingPeaks to explain how cyclists can use the data to make your workouts more effective and productive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your body is ready to race, but is your bike ready? We are joined by VeloNews’s tech team of Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan to dig into the tech side of proper race preparation. What should you do to your bike to make it race-ready? Where can you find the biggest gains for the least cash? What do you need to have in your race bag? The panel tackles these questions and many more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The breakaway. It is perhaps the noblest form of victory, and the most difficult. Joining and then winning from breakaways is as much art as science, as much tactical awareness as strength. In this episode, we are joined by Cannondale-Drapac’s escape ace Toms Skuijns, winner of two breakaway stages of the Amgen Tour of California, as well as VeloNews managing editor Chris Case, to discuss the tips, tricks, and tactics needed to make a breakaway move stick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Everyone has a warm-up routine, which is sometimes simple, and sometimes very complex. But what are we actually achieving with a pre-race routine? Is it helping us or actually hurting our potential to perform? We go in-depth on the science behind warm-ups and provide tips on how to get the most out of your next race by tailoring your routine to the event and your own needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Should you eat gummy bears like Peter Sagan? Maybe. In this episode, we are joined by Dan Cavallari and Stacy Sims, founder of Osmo who now works with Nuun, to discuss the difference between food and fuel — what you should be eating on the bike, and off. We cover everything from the basics of sugars to osmotic gut pressure to the benefits (or lack thereof) of red algae. Some of the conclusions just might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Which is better, sweet spot training or polarized training? To find out, we invited in proponents of each type of training — FasCat’s Frank Overton on the sweet spot side, and Boulder Center for Sports Medicine’s Ryan Kohler to advocate for a polarized model — and let them have at it. Don’t know what Sweet Spot or polarized training are? Don’t worry, that’s covered first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There is no training tool more powerful than a power meter, when it’s used properly. But which one you should buy? What part of your bike should it be on? Is a one-sided power meter good enough? We are joined by our tech crew, Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan, to answer these questions and many more. Plus, pro power insight from Cannondale-Drapac’s master of the breakaway, Toms Skuijns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let’s say you’re on an amateur team. A bunch of Cat. 3s with varying strengths and weaknesses. How do you use each rider effectively? How should a sprinter approach each race? Or a climber? Or a big domestique? Those are the questions we focus on. We are joined by VN managing editor Chris Case, plus pro guests Ted King and Eric Young. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s episode is all about busting two commonly held and closely related training myths. First, should you always do precisely what’s written on your training plan, even if your body is tired? And second, should your intervals always be ridden to failure, as hard as you can go? We are joined by Brent Bookwalter, Lucas Euser, Inigo San Milan, and Grant Holicky to help you determine when you should and shouldn’t push through bad legs, and when you should and shouldn’t do intervals at full gas. L...
What is the healthy way to get to race weight? We are joined by Dr. Philip Goglia, a nutritionist to the stars (and Phil Gaimon) to discuss safe and effective ways to drop weight, how to best fuel your training, and why paying close attention to your food matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are top pro teams training differently from the rest of us? Can you replace lab testing with a power meter and field testing? What should you look for in a coach? We are joined by Andy Pruitt, an internationally-known fit guru and sports physician, and Robert Pickels, a coach and researcher working at the leading edge of endurance training at the CU Center for Sports Medicine, for a wide-ranging discussion that answers these questions and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...
Want some free watts? Your legs are fighting themselves, and we want them to stop. Episode 8 is all about neuromuscular training, decreasing what is called coactivation, which is when your muscles actually work against each other. Neuromuscular training can provide big gains without requiring any increase in fitness. We are joined by neuromuscular training expert Grant Holicky of Apex Coaching for insight into how this type of training works and how exactly to implement it in your own training. ...
Why do you need to cover your legs when it’s cold? It’s not about comfort, it’s about getting the most out of your training. We dig into the physiology behind pedaling in cold weather and offer up a few tips and tricks for dressing properly. Internationally renowned trainer Andy Pruitt and former pro Ted King add their own insights on the subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is it enough to just ride your bike for training? In this episode of Fast Talk, we explain why serious cyclists should be spending time in the gym, incorporating weight lifting into their weekly programs. We speak to pro cyclist Svein Tuft, as well as Dr. Andy Pruitt to learn more about the benefits of strength training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can you buy speed? Yes, if you spend wisely. Fretz and Connor are joined by tech experts Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan, and they try to answer a simple hypothetical: If you have $2,000 to spend and want to ride faster, where should those dollars go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You thought you could ditch that heart rate strap since you bought a power meter? Think again. In episode 4, coach Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz are joined by one of the world’s leading cycling physiologists, Inigo San Milan, to bust the myth that power is all that matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 3 is all about execution of solid training program with limited time. The theme remains the same as episode 2, but the discussion moves from theory to practice. Precisely how should you structure a week, a month, or a year of training to fit in between all the time-snagging realities of life? Listen to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews columnist Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz discuss a range of topics, including training, physiology, technology, and more. Have limited time to train? Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz discuss the best way to get the most out of your ride time, and whether it’s possible to substitute long, slow base miles with high intensity training. ...
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in as VeloNews columnist Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fretz discuss a range of topics, including training, physiology, technology, and more. In this first episode, Connor and Fretz tackle a question you’ve surely asked yourself: Why aren’t you a pro? What makes them different? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
