Welcome to Chain Reaction. I’m Coach Damian Ruse, a professional cycling coach for over a decade. Each episode unpacks a real cycling story about the human side of performance.
We take it back to basics in this episode with Dr. Max Testa. Dr. Max Testa has been around PRO cycling for over 20 years - listen in to hear some of his training "rules" and the science behind them. Also find out V02Max benchmarks for PRO and Cat 3 cyclists. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Mobility has its roots in functional movement, which is linked biomechanics. This can lead us to bike fit methodology, but today I’m going to focus on the basics of functional movement for strength training and body balance including a self-assessment tool, where to start with your results, and then get into two common mobility issues that cyclists face. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Here’s the problem - you have arrived at your new location, whether it be permanent or temporary - and your coach (or you) have prescribed a specific workout that requires a specific type of road, or climb etc. and you have no idea where to ride. Here's how to find and set the best training routes in new places. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Goals are the starting point for any cycling success. They are fundamental to measuring your progress, maintaining laser focus, and sustaining motivation. Learn the why you should break down your goals into 3 types, and why some are more important than others. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Find out how a rider goes from C grade, then B, then winning his club champs in A grade and State ITT Champs in one year. And now leaves his homeland to race in the US and Canadian domestic scene. For a guy that only started dabbling in cycling in 2009 at the age of 22 whilst doing rehab for some broken bones in his feet, and only infrequently once he got back to playing rugby, he has come along way. His real cycling career began when he started riding more after he finished playing rugby at the...
Do the dangers of a cyclist running outweigh the risk of any potential fitness gains? Running can damage your your body if you aren't a seasoned runner. Listen in to learn the physiological adoptions of each training modal, why running can build fitness, and how can you reduce the risk of injury - if you try to run. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Understanding yourself as an athlete, in the context of performance, training and everyday life, will help you decide how to plan your training, and the type of races you do. Colby Pearce dives into his process for finding the best training and racing match for a riders abilities, skill and personality. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
A look at Cadel’s journey. Considering where Cadel is in his career, I think it’s fitting to take a look at Australia’s most accomplished cyclist. What made him a champion, and more specifically what role did sport science play in developing his talent, and helping him win the Tour de France. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Once you start getting into the nitty gritty of designing a training plan, you start to get overwhelmed by all the elements that should be included. It’s complicated. Here are the 6 crucial components you need to get the most out of yourself. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
How do you know what you know about cycling? Think about every single element of cycling...from the shoes you wear to the gels you eat, from the training your do to anything else you’ve done or bought in the name of increased performance. How do you know they will increase your performance? This episode helps you sort through all the cycling information and marketing to find the truth - or at least make the best guess. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Short term thinking can harm your potential as a cyclist. Big statement I know - but if you want to improve as much as possible - then allow yourself to think big and plan for each phase in your development. If you don’t then you risk not having the year-on-year gains that are part of upgrading your fitness, and also thinking more holistically about your skill development and forming habits. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
It's a complicated and expensive investment but buying a power meter doesn't have to be too difficult. In this episode I guide you through the top considerations to make the process a lot simpler. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Performing under pressure is crucial to training and racing success. The key to controlling pain and other emotions is awareness that starts with your body, then your mind, and finally your situation. This episode will give you tools directly from the military that will help you to deal with each of these areas. Helping you expand the time you can spend in the pain cave. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Learn how to PROs deal with pain, and how you can start to understand your own relationship to pain. This episode explores the issue of pain and how cyclists deal with it differently than other athletes, and non-athletes. We also look into the pain cave, and how you can extend your time in there, and increase your pain threshold. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Hard race data like power is important but can only take you so far in understanding why you did, or did not perform to your expectations in a race. Using a race reports as a tool to gather and record vital subjective information will help shape your training, race preparation, and ultimately your performance. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Learn the 5 steps you should take the moment you buy a power meter; including, why not to test straight away, what to test and why, and why you shouldn't Froome-dog it! → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Andy Blair from the Swell-Specialized Mountain Bike Team talks how to upgrade your bike based on dollars per gram. I also touch on if it is even worth upgrading for roadies by looking at how weight reduces climbing times, what to look for in new wheels, debunking the rotational weight myth, and we tackle to aero versus weight debate. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Phil Gaimon from the Garmin-Sharp Pro Cycling Team is here with us this week to talk about how to turn pro even if you have a late start and don’t make your way through the traditional development route. Phil really gets into what it takes to be a Pro, and what you can do to better your cycling, whether you want to be a pro or not. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Plyometrics are supposed to help with explosive anaerobic power, but what does the science say? Learn the ins and outs of plyo - and even if you should even bother adding to your training at all. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Sportives and epics create the perfect environment to challenge your physical and mental limits. Finding ways to survive any epic ride your about to do will not only increase your chances of enjoy it more, but finishing the ride in the first place. This show focuses on the Scody 3 Peaks Challenge in Australia, but the lessons apply to any epic adventure you set out to conquer. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Sprinting is a rare thing in cycling - a skill we can actually practice. Ignoring tactics, positioning and panache - actually learning how to sprint is vital for every racing cyclist, and even non-racers. This episode breaks down the skill of cycling, including how to read your power meter to analyse your sprint. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
The race season is coming so it's time to get everything in place to start with a bang. This episode covers 5 ways you can prepare your body and your mind, plus some skills for good measure. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
How you handle stress on and off the bike are a major determining factor in progressing your natural cycling talents. Ideally you want a year over year increase in the amount of training stress you can handle. All while minimising life stressors, and understanding how the two go together. This episode looks at managing your stress as a whole by making adjustments in high stress times, and assessing how you currently manage your stress. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPR...
Another great performance framework to delve into. This time we learn lessons from Dave Brailsford of Team Great Briton and Team Sky. Everything from ensuring clarity to building ethics by sticking to your principles. Plenty of lessons here for the Semi-Pro. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
If solo indoor training isn't your thing - or you're looking for some variety in your winter program then indoor group cycling (in the right place) might give you a motivational and performance boost. This episode discusses how a studio builds their cyclists, and the added benefits of training in a group environment. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
Learn skills to help your performance, not race related but skills you can practice and perfect to improve your performance every time you ride. Things like standing while climbing, sprinting, and breathing. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
When we're in the grind with training, having an accountability system is a great way to stay focussed on what matters. This episode goes through 4 levels of accountability, and how each one can help. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Confidence is the gateway to peak performance. Learning how the mind works is a big part of the puzzle, controlling is another story. It a skill that can be learned though. This episode will arm you through solid ideas and exercises to build to confidence to the next level. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
This week it’s all about the numbers, and their context in a linear periodisation training plan. Depending on how involved you get with your training and analysis, it may all be new to you. But I believe it’s super important to have an understanding of the metrics (even if you’re being coached). → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO
Joe Friel is easily one of the most influential coaches and authors in endurance sports. Introducing periodisation to the broader endurance community, as well as other training ideas and metrics. This episode focuses on topics that are relevant to the Semi-Pro to get a bit more of an understanding behind the ideas, and the man that brought them to us. → Subscribe to the Cycling Science Digest → Join Team SEMIPRO...
