In this episode, host Dirk Friel sits down with professional gravel racer and Ignition Coaching coach Dylan Johnson to dig into all things gravel. They break down the cutting-edge equipment trends seen at the 2025 edition of Unbound Gravel, as well as training trends, nutrition and training tips for both amateurs and pros. Hear why mountain bike tires are dominating the scene, the evolving role of aerodynamics in the sport, and the reasons behind faster race times over the last few years. Whethe...
Jun 11, 2025•55 min•Season 7Ep. 7
In this episode of the CoachCast, host Dirk Friel sits down with Kristen Arnold, a registered dietitian, elite cycling coach, and former pro racer, to unpack the complex relationship endurance athletes often have with food and body image. Drawing from her coaching and clinical experience, Kristen explores how disordered eating patterns can quietly surface in training environments that overemphasize being lean, disciplined, or performing at any cost. Kristen offers practical strategies for coache...
May 21, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 6
In this episode, Dirk Friel talks with Alex Martin, a former professional motocross and supercross racer who spent over 15 years competing at the highest level, earning podiums and top-five finishes. After retiring from racing as a pro, Alex leaned into his passion for training and performance, co-founding Troll Training. His coaching company blends motocross performance with endurance sports methodologies. Alex shares his journey from motocross to recently catching the “running bug” and how str...
May 08, 2025•44 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Matt Dixon shares his clear and simple approach to coaching, emphasizing the importance of purpose, consistency, and developing foundational habits over chasing the latest trends or technologies. Whether you're an ambitious amateur or a seasoned pro, this episode has valuable takeaways to optimize your training and life balance. Matt is the founder and CEO of Purple Patch Fitness, a coaching company that caters to endurance athletes of all levels. Under his guidance, more than 1,500 Purple Patch...
Apr 16, 2025•59 min•Season 7Ep. 4
We're diving deep into the world of professional cycling camps as we hear first-hand from some of the leading coaches and nutritionists in pro cycling. Reporting from the picturesque coastal climbs of the Costa Blanca in Spain, our host, Dirk Friel, brings you insights from performance coaches like Lieselot Decroix and Mattia Michelusi, who reveal the critical training techniques employed to enhance rider performance. Learn how pro teams leverage lactate testing, hear what metrics WorldTour coac...
Mar 26, 2025•37 min•Season 7Ep. 3
In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, we sit down with Fergus Crawley, the co-founder and head coach of Omnia Performance, to look into the world of hybrid athletes. Hybrid training, a blend of strength and endurance disciplines, challenges the traditional boundaries of athletic training. Fergus draws from his rich background in rugby, powerlifting, triathlons, and concurrent training to explain how athletes can effectively balance opposing athletic goals. From his incredible achieveme...
Feb 19, 2025•55 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Professional runner and running coach Nell Rojas shares her insights into racing and coaching athletes for marathons, including the Boston Marathon, using a balance of art and science. She attended Northern Arizona University, where she studied exercise science and competed in cross country and track. Nell ran her first marathon in 2018 and became the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, she finished 10th at the 2022 New York City Marathon. Nell has achiev...
Jan 15, 2025•49 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Scott Johnston, co-author of "Training for the New Alpinism" and "Training for the Uphill Athlete," shares insights on recovery strategies for ultramarathon runners in this new podcast episode. Johnston emphasizes the critical balance between rest and performance, outlining how factors like central nervous system fatigue, motivation, and age influence post-race recovery. The conversation highlights actionable strategies, including subjective feedback tracking, active recovery, and the importance...
Dec 03, 2024•47 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Listen in as indieVelo creator George Gilbert and TrainingPeaks president Lee Gerakos break down the reasoning behind the acquisition of the virtual riding platform, now named TrainingPeaks Virtual, the opportunities for coaches and athletes and how the ethos of credible virtual racing is a part of the DNA of the merger. They share with Dirk the importance of community feedback in shaping the platform's development and commitment to creating inclusive and credible virtual racing environments. Pl...
Nov 20, 2024•52 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Gale Bernhardt's insights on effective coaching, balancing technology with human touch, setting long-term goals and tips for aspiring coaches. With over 35 years of coaching experience, Gale Bernhardt has guided Olympians and World Championship athletes and played pivotal roles as the USA Triathlon Olympic and Pan American Games Triathlon coach. She shares her incredible journey from a mechanical engineering background to becoming one of the most respected figures in endurance sports as a pionee...
Oct 02, 2024•55 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Understand the essentials of athlete fueling, including RED-S and the importance of tailored nutrition plans, with sports dietician Kylee Van Horn. Kylee Van Horn, CEO of Fly Nutrition, specializes in helping athletes optimize their performance and manage eating disorders, including RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport). She's also an ultrarunner and running coach based in Colorado, looking to simplify nutrition for athletes and steer them away from fad diets. You can also hear her on the ...
Aug 28, 2024•50 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Heart rate variability (HRV) is unique to each athlete. Learn how to effectively measure and use HRV data alongside subjective feedback to optimize your training and recovery. Our guest for episode 10 is Marco Altini, a scientist, app developer and expert in using data from wearable devices to optimize health and performance. Many will recognize his name from the app HRV4Training, which integrates with TrainingPeaks. Marco's background spans computer science, human movement and high-performance ...
Aug 07, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Explore insights from top coaches Ryan Bolton and Erin Carson on preparing U.S.A. triathletes for the 2024 Olympic Triathlon competitions and, in one instance, the individual time trial in cycling, through coaching collaboration and training techniques. In this episode, Ryan Bolton and Erin Carson discuss the details of preparing athletes for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon team in Paris. Ryan Bolton, Director of High Performance for U.S.A. Triathlon and owner and founder of BEST Coaching brings...
Jul 24, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 9
In this special episode for the Tour de France, Iñigo San Millán, a performance coach for UAE Team Emirates, shares his expertise on how race-day nutrition is meticulously planned and adjusted using race data from TrainingPeaks. We'll discuss the critical differences in fueling demands for various stages of the Tour, the importance of individualized nutrition strategies, and why maintaining weight and muscle health is crucial for rider performance. From pre-race breakfasts to post-race recovery ...
Jul 08, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 8
In this special episode, we explore the insights of Amine Issa, Ph.D., on the intersection of gaming and numerous disciplines, such as esports, Formula 1, and even the military. Amine has spent 25 years obsessively playing video games and even competed professionally. He spent five years researching the extremes of human performance at the Mayo Clinic. His findings help develop new technology and techniques to assess human-integrated physiology, specifically in mobile health and remote monitorin...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 7
In this episode, we sit down with John Wakefield, the managing director of Science to Sport and performance coach with the Bora-hansgrohe World Tour cycling team. John, from Cape Town, South Africa, shares his insights from years of coaching and an advanced training facility in Girona, Spain. Understand why recovery is the key to progression and how ignoring it can impede an athlete's performance, no matter their level. John believes recovery is the critical element in athlete training. He share...
Jun 19, 2024•44 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Björn Geesman is a German-based sports scientist and coach. He is also the CEO of HYCYS coaching company and co-founder of power & pace. He works with pro triathletes Patrick Lange and Kat Matthews, among other big names in endurance sports. In this episode, Dirk and Björn dive into everything from wind tunnel testing tunnels and bike selection based on data to the importance of sports psychology to his potentially controversial approach to the "long run" — even at the professional levels of...
May 15, 2024•55 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Dr. Will O'Connor takes us through the nuances of using running power in training. Will and Dirk get into the scientific side of power meters, discuss the accuracy and data consistency from devices like Stryd and other wearables, and learn how to use critical power zones to break down the metabolic costs of running variable terrain. Will also touches on some of the lessons in his Fundamentals of Running Power TrainingPeaks University course. Will is a running scientist and former triathlete base...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Kristin Armstrong talks coaching strategies in a data-driven world filled with wearables and social platforms. With the advancement of technology and platforms, there is a growing tension between positives and negatives when it comes to data, wearable devices and social media. The challenges of managing this tension have become heightened for younger athletes who may feel pressure to maintain an online persona of success and accomplishment through sharing data and results. How can a coach find t...
Mar 20, 2024•58 min•Season 6Ep. 3
In this episode, we have none other than Joe Friel, a legendary figure in the world of endurance coaching. As the co-founder of TrainingPeaks and author of several seminal books on athletic training, Joe has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of endurance sports. The fifth edition of the Triathlon Training Bible hit shelves earlier this month. Plus, he has kept his peak health and participation in the sports scene into his 80s. In our conversation, Joe takes us on a journey through h...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 6Ep. 2
In this episode, Dr. Brian Gearity, professor and director of the Master of Arts Sport Coaching program at the University of Denver, talks with Dirk Friel about the intersection of sociology and coaching. Dr. Gearity, with his extensive experience in sports sociology, coaching and exercise science, provides valuable insights into the complexities of coaching that come from social constructs. The thought-provoking discussion also delves into the difference between sports psychology and sports soc...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Dirk Friel digs into Chris' approach to strength training. His philosophy is underpinned by thorough body movement assessments, identifying and targeting an athlete's limiters, and a belief in the vital role of strength work for injury prevention and performance improvement. He points out that he advocates year-round strength training tailored to each phase of an athlete's season. Lee, the director of Sports Performance at Kinesis Integrated, holds a physical education and exercise science degre...
Dec 13, 2023•50 min•Season 5Ep. 12
In this episode, Lance and Dirk discuss the importance of cultivating a multidimensional sports foundation for young athletes before zeroing in on a particular sport. Hear about the upsides of a mixed sporting background and the risks of early specialization. Lance also shares insightful experiences as a coach (guiding Brent McMahon from the junior ranks to retirement from the pro circuit) and a parent of two high-performing kids. When is the right time for a young athlete to specialize in a spo...
Nov 15, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Mike Ricci, founder and head coach at D3 Multisport and After 40 Reboot, joins the CoachCast this month to talk all things triathlon offseason. Mike shares several tips that any athlete can do to take the offseason into race season with more momentum. With over 20 years of coaching experience, Mike has worked with IRONMAN age group winners and national champions. He believes in working on weaknesses during the offseason to set up the coming season of success. From goal setting to blood testing t...
Oct 18, 2023•39 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Whether you're a coach looking to navigate the business landscape or an athlete considering hiring a coach, this episode offers valuable insights and perspectives from seasoned professionals. Three diverse coaches in business structure, sport type and location open up to shed light on their sources of income, ranging from subscription-based coaching to book royalties and bike fits. Learn the differences between U.S.-based and European-based coaching businesses. They discuss the challenges and op...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 5Ep. 9
The physical demands of cyclists and cyclors take center stage in this episode of the CoachCast. Ben Day, a retired pro cyclist and head performance coach of the American Magic team, shares his insights on his transition from pro cycling to yacht racing and the advent of cyclors crewing race boats. Cyclors, using their lower-body strength, can produce 30-40% more power than arm grinders, making them more efficient in manipulating sail shapes and setting up the boat for optimal performance. The e...
Aug 16, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, host Dirk Friel interviews Jill Colangelo, a researcher focusing on mental health in endurance athletes. Colangelo shares insights from her ultra endurance experiences, sports psychiatry work and research, highlighting the higher prevalence of mental illness among ultra endurance athletes. She discusses the need for recognition and treatment of exercise addiction, as well as the importance of balancing athletic pursuits with a fulfilling life outsi...
Jul 19, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Renee Eastman explains the details of the five mistakes people make in losing weight as endurance athletes, which she published in a blog post on the CTS website. From overcompensating for nutrition deficits to fad diets to short-term fixes and misplaced belief that cardio drives weight loss, learn how to use slow and boring tactics to have the best results in losing weight while maintaining performance goals. Eastman is a Premier Coach for CTS with over 20 years of experience coaching endurance...
Jun 21, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In this episode, Gordo Byrn explains the importance of base training, which he defines as "the ability to move for the duration of your goal event." Highlighting that athletes should focus on building general capacity before moving on to specific capacity training. He believes that many endurance athletes make the mistake of focusing too much on specific capacity training and not enough on general capacity training, which can lead to overtraining and injury. Byrn has been called the Tony Robbins...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 5
David Babbitt is an American ultrarunner living in Nepal and racing some of the most difficult multi-stage races on the planet. He's doing this at age 75. With the help of his long-time coach, Land Heintzberger, the duo have focused on core training basics to keep David in races and finishing faster than many younger competitors. Babbitt completed the seven-day Manaslu Mountain Trail Race, which covers 122 miles, 35,000 feet of elevation gain and tops out at 17,000 feet above sea level. He finis...
Apr 12, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 4
