In the spirit of annual training and periodization, now that we have covered weight lifting, the next phase of your training is the base phase. And longtime loyal listeners know we love the sweet spot - the ultimate way to build your base.   This is episode # 1 of an 8 part Series of Sweet Spot Podcasts coming up these next few weeks and months. Today we’ll cover What Sweet Spot is. In the coming weeks we’ll talk about: How Much Sweet Spot Should You Do?  When to Sweet Spot and when NOT to Sweet Spot Sweet Spotting on Group Rides Sweet Spot OTS Rides Sweet Spotting on Zwift Why Sweet Spot is Better than Zone 2 for 40+, 50+ and 60+ cyclists Sweet Spot vs Polarized <p class= "Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 cSfdnZ umouqjSkMUbvF4I_Xz6r"

At FasCat we’re all about helping you get faster and have more fun, with training methods proven by science and our experience with thousands of athletes. One thing the scientific community has proven is that taking time to be grateful makes measurable, positive effects on your life.  Going back 20 years to a study by Dr Robert Emmons, psychologists have consistently found that being grateful can have positive effects on your mental state.  Further studies since then have shown that taking time to be grateful - to count your blessings, as it were - can benefit your physical wellbeing, too. So in the spirit of doing some intervals with the aim of improving, on today’s podcast we are doing some grateful intervals, with the entire coaching staff weighing in from around the country and - in Christian's case in France - around the world. <div clas

From the Flanders Sportive to the Leadville Trail 100 to Unbound Gravel to just being fit for the group ride, riders have a wide variety of cycling goals for 2024. But how do you get there? How do you time and stack up your various training plans and goals to arrive at your event primed and ready to go?  That’s exactly what this podcast is all about. We’ll talk about the three main elements of training you need, and how to work your way backwards from your target to right here, right now.  Those three elements are: Off season training - with weights, or not Base training - with Sweet Spot Interval training / event-specific plans - with long endurance training   On this podcast we walk you through four goal scenarios, to help you understand how to tweak the training process to get where you want to go. And we’re going to tell you abou

1,200 kilometers, or 745 miles. That's a long distance for an unsupported event! But that's exactly what Lisa Charlesbois did this year at Paris-Brest-Paris, arguably the oldest bicycle race in the world. She finished in 78 hours and 27 minutes, sleeping 9 hours in total during that time. On this podcast, Lisa chats with her coach Allie Legg and host Ben Delaney about training and preparing for such a monster event — and the excitement and nervousness and motivation for completing such a daunting task in another country.  --- FasCat has a new Zwift racing training plan, centered around racing on Tuesday for all you WTRL and ZRL racers out there. The plan includes the all-important race warm-up protocol on Tuesda

Coach and three-time U.S. MTB national champion Elliott Baring has raced all the main cycling disciplines and coaches his athletes in a wide variety of pursuits. On this podcast, he explains his Top 5 Training Tips that apply to athletes of all levels.  More is not always better, but 'more' is a theme for his top tips. Take on more carbs in races and hard training sessions. The optimal amount varies by person, but you're likely underfueling, which compromises not only that day's effort but the next day's as well. Rely on RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and speed instead of power when racing. And practice pacing with RPE in training, too! Keep things fun. Pay attention to motivation and drive, take breaks, and switch things up.  Be flexible. Going wi

Cycling clothing has come a long way in the last few years, both in terms of comfortable construction and our understanding of how it can speed us up or slow us down. On this podcast, Castelli team liaison Alvin Nordell joins Ben Delaney to talk about what the world's best atheltes use now and when, and also what all of us cyclists can and should do for clothing in various conditions. In warm weather, it's pretty easy: get a snug-fitting jersey and bibs. In cold weather, it's a bit trickier, and Alvin shares some tips from his decade-plus of experience in the clothing industry, including working with teams like Soudal—Quick-Step. Have you been enjoying the FasCat Podcast? Please leave us a review on the App Store or Google Play. Thanks! <p class= "Type__TypeElement-sc-goli3j-0 cSfdnZ umouqjSkMUb

You've got training questions; we've got answers! In fact, you had so many questions last week that we extended Ask A FasCat into a two-pod series.  On this podcast, Director of Coaching Isaiah Newkirk steps up to filed an array of your questions on subjets like balancing fitness gains with losing weight, maintaining muscle and bone density as we age, rescheduling workouts during the week, indoor racing, and much more. Have you been enjoying the FasCat Podcast? Please leave us a review on the App Store or Google Play. Thanks! <div class="xgmjVLxjqfcXK5BV_XyN"

It's that time again: you ask training questions, and we answer. Since we had well over 100 good questions come in this time, we're breaking this episode of Ask a FasCat into two. On this podcast, FasCat Founder Frank Overton tackles questions on subjets like lifting weights, losing weight, boosting FTP & the Boogeyman. Yes, the Boogeyman. Which listener won the custom Castelli FasCat kit for the best question? Listen in and find out. Have you been enjoying the FasCat Podcast? Please leave us a review on the App Store or Google Play. Thanks! You can save 25% off your subscription to Optimize — your year-round training solution with unlimited training plans, meal plans and strenght and conditioning videos

At FasCat, we're big believers in the big three for weightlifting for cyclists: the squat, the leg press, and the leg curl. (Done for a 10-week block during the off-season.) But there are plenty of other great exercises out there that can benefit you as a cyclist, too! In this podcast, we talk about the exercises we recommend throughout the year, plus some alternative to the big three, as we realize that some riders may face obstacles with the squat or leg press. Have you been enjoying the FasCat Podcast? Please leave us a review on the App Store or Google Play. Thanks! You can save 25% off your subscription to Optimize — your year-round training solution with unlimited training plans, meal plans and strenght and conditioning videos — with the code 25podcast. https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/app

The off-sesason is a great time to do a cycling-focused weightlifting regiment in order to be stronger and faster next year. Why should cyclists lift weights? How should cyclists lift weights? And how does strength gained in the gym translate to power on the bike? Frank Overton and Ben Delaney address all these issues and more in this podcast, which is #7 in an 8-part Off-Season How-To series. -- We have many off-season training plans - including weightlifting plans - to get you through the fall and winter, all of which are included in a subscription to Optimize. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% off your subscription now.

Coach Isaiah Newkirk shares the ways professional and amateur athletes can switch up their routines in the off-season to take a mental break, have some fun, and still maintain fitness and even gain some strength and mobility. Some of these involve a bike; many do not! We have many off-season training plans to get you through the fall and winter, all of which are included in a subscription to Optimize. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% off your subscription now.

If you want to be faster or fitter next year, what should you be doing in the off-season? That is exactly what this podcast is about. Frank Overton and Ben Delaney walk you through when your off-season should start, what it should and shouldn't include, and specifically how you can start building yourself up right now. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% off a subscription to Optimize, your year-round trainining solution that includes unlimited training plans and access to professional FasCat Coaches who can answer your training questions.

As athletes, we need recovery to rebuild and come back stronger. This applies at the micro and macro levels, and applies to our mental health as well as our physical health. On this podcast, Coach Ricky Arnopol explains when, how and why to take a proper off-season break. Spoiler alert - You can still ride your bike and have fun! As most athletes have wrapped up their season, the fall can be a wonderful time to get out and enjoy being on the bike without any structure. And, yes, we all should take a week or two completely off the bike before ramping it up again. But when? Give this pod a listen. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% off a subscription to Optimize, your year-round trainining solution that includes unlimited training plans and access to professional FasCat Coaches who can answer your training questions.

This is the third podcast in an eight-pod how-to series. Last episode we talked about 14 ways to review your season, and on this podcast we discuss how to map our your 2024 season for maximum results and fun. Coach Jake Rylewski raced as a professional for many years, and he breaks down the full-year planning methodology for three types of athletes: coached riders Optimized subscribers self-coached athletes Ready to take your trainng to the next level? Subscribe to Optimize for unlimited training plans and access to FasCat coaches who can answer your training questions.  Start your free, 14-day trial of Optimize.  

How did this year go for you? What were the successes? What could you have done better? And how can you build on the momentum next year? In this episode, Frank and Coach Christian walk you through a 14-point checklist of ways you can review your 2023 season with an eye on getting faster and having more fun in 2024. Relatedly, we continue to build on the momentum of our Optimize training solution app. If you haven't downloaded it yet, go check it out on the App Store or Google Play.

If your season is wrapping up or about to wrap up, this podcast is for you. Here, we talk about end-of-season training, and how it differs from training in the early and middle parts of your season. Some phrases and philosophies we tackle: All the Hay is in the Barn  Rest is Best Let CTL/Training Load Go  Sharpen the Sword This podcast is the first of 8 episodes where we will be talking about your training from the end of the season into the off season.  We’ll cover: End of Summer Training (this pod) Reviewing your Season  Setting Goals for 2024

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. This bit of life wisdom, from the inimitable Mike Tyson, certainly applies to racing bikes and our daily lives.  This podcast is all about how to reset goals after life happens.  Coach Allile Legg is a former longtime professional racer and current longtime professional coach who helps athletes of all life situations set up their goals, work towards them, and then reconfigure their goals and their plans when things inevitably… evolve, shall we say. Allie talks about the goal-setting process, signs that things are on track, signs that perhaps your training and/or your goals should be recalibrated, and how to keep moving forward as life evolves. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% on your Optimize subscription today: https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/app

Seven watts per kilo. That is the number being thrown around as the new absolute best standard, courtesy Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard battling in this year’s Tour de France. Yesterday we saw Yara Kastelijn win stage 4 of the TdF Femmes with a solo attack out of a breakaway, and she was averaging 5.13w/kg over the final two categorized climbs to the finish. How much can you do? How much are your local competitors doing? How much can you improve this number? And how can we best measure this number? The devil is in the details, and we dig into all of those today - along with our new metric for measuring maximum sustainable power on the road - xPower. xPower is an advanced average of your power output that considers shorter higher-powered efforts for a true physiological representation of your power output. While Normalized Power often overestimates what a rider can do, xPower analyzes highly variable power output to giv

Zach Gregg has twice won the US time trial national championship and currently races for the UCI Pro Continental team Project Echelon. But getting there took plenty of work and involved a few lessons learned the hard way. On this podcast, Zach shares five lessons that apply to all cyclists, plus plenty of tips on how to constantly improve - even when it feels like you're not improving! Use the code 25podcast to save 25% your subscription to Optimize, your year-round training solution that includes unlimited training plans and data visualizations of your training and recovery.

Travis McCabe didn't want to work manual labor for his dad as a career, so he made a plan to be a bike racer. It took a few years, but through hard work, self-education and coaching, he made his way into the pro ranks, eventually earning two national titles and a spot on the WorldTour. As fate would have it, his entry into the WorldTour came in 2020, the same year Covid rocked the world. On this podcast, McCabe reflects on how he succeeded, the highs and lows of pro racing, and the lessons and fun he enjoys sharing with cyclists today. McCabe now works at Ventum Bikes, which recently partnered with FasCat Coaching to elevate your cycling experience through excellent gear and professional training. Subscribe to the FasCat Optimize app now for unlimited training plans and access to exclusive deals on Ventum Bikes. Use 25podcast here for 25% off your first month or st

How can I break up big rides into chunks? What power meter do you recommend for gravel? How can I follow a training plan when traveling for work? These and many other listener questions are answered in our 24th installment of Ask A FasCat. Other subjects include improving sprinting and attacking power, periodizing for ultra-endurance events, doing power-based workouts on mountain bike trails, the difference between OTS and TSS, riding the entire Tour de France route as an amateur (!), and more. Tune in for a good one, and don't forget to update your Optimize app for the latest and greatest data visualizations!  

SBT GRVL is one of the biggest and most important gravel races in the world, and FasCat is all in on this beautiful event here in our Colorado backyard. In this episode, FasCat founder Frank Overton is joined by Ben Delaney who won the 2022 SBT GRVL Blue event to talk about all things SBT GRVL - including FasCat's SBT GRVL training plan in Optimize and the SBT GRVL training simulation ride we are hosting August 5th in Boulder, Colorado. Get on Optimize today with your 14-day free trial, and if you're doing SBT GRVL, get on our SBT plan that starts July 10.

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB is — to use an overused but perfectly apt word — epic. 105 miles of racing that starts above 10,000 feet of elevation and climbs nearly 12,000 feet. That much elevation affects and informs so many variables for racing: power, breathing, headaches, weather, recovery, eating, sleeping, and more. Joining Leadville big-buckle owner Ben Delaney on this podcast is double big-buckle owner Coach Isaiah Newkirk to discuss how riders can prepare for the myriad challenges of this special race. (At Leadville, you get a big belt buckle if you finish under nine hours. A finish time of under 12 hours earns you a small belt buckle.) 

'Serious training' is sometimes perceived as doing nothing but power-based intervals, and those are important! But being able to drive a bike - in a bunch, over terrain, around corners - is also vital. And just like practicing intervals will build your strength, practicing skills will build your competence and your confidence. On this pod we talk about skills you should practice across road, cyclocross, gravel and mountain bike. Joining Ben Delaney on the podcast to preach about what we should practice is Coach Andrew Giniat, a man who practices what he preaches.

Everyone wants to improve, and there is more than one way to do so. At FasCat, we have two primary (and time-tested) methods. One-on-one coaching is the gold standard. And our training plans have worked well for thousands of athletes for many years. Plus, now that we have integrated those plans into our Optimize app, you can use your data to track your progress, training stress, recovery, and more… and coach yourself in a fun, flexible, and data-informed manner! The six primary methods of coaching are: Hire a coach Follow a training plan Self-coach Leverage your data <p dir="ltr" r

Training only by zones is a sure-fire way to kill the joy of cycling and your very will to ride. Training by zones is extremely effective, and at FasCat we recommend it for about half your rides.  But for the other half of your rides, zone-based training is dead.  We dig into all the details on this podcast with Ben Delaney and Coach Ricky Arnopol, who knows a thing or two about the right way and the wrong way to train for both maximum physiological adaptations and also for what is mentally sustainable in the long term.  

What and how much should you eat before, during and after training rides and races? It’s a simple question, with a lot of devils in the details. On this podcast we digg into those details with FasCat Coach Sierra Sims, who has ridden and raced all the things on all the bikes - mtb, road, gravel, bikepacking - and like all of us she loves to eat, too. We talk about what your body needs for different durations and intensities, and also practical considerations for what you can actually wolf down during a crit or a long gravel race or a technical mountain bike event. Some rules of thumb for events: 2-5 hours: 30-60g carbohydrates per hour (120 - 240 calories/ hour) 5+ hours: 60-90g carbohydrates per hour (240-360 calories/hour) for long, high intensity efforts, try to eat something every 30 minutes  

FasCat is officially 20 years old this month, and on this two-part podcast, we’re taking a long look back at the pivotal moments that formed the FasCat community.   From pioneering work on training with power to discovering that Subway’s microwaves can screw up your indoor training classes, there are all sorts of good stories in the annals of FasCat history. So many stories, in fact, that we are making this a special two-episode series.   The first podcast took you from 2003 to 2013, and this podcast brings you from 2014 to the present day.   <div class="xg

FasCat is officially 20 years old this month, and on this two-part podcast, we’re taking a long look back at the pivotal moments that formed the FasCat community. From pioneering work on training with power to discovering that Subway’s microwaves can screw up your indoor training classes, there are all sorts of good stories in the annals of FasCat history. So many stories, in fact, that we are making this a special two-episode series. This podcast will take you from 2003 to 2013, and next week we’ll talk 2014 to 2023. Many things have changed in 20 years, but the one constant has been FasCat's dedication to innovating science-based ways to make you faster. Thank you for joining us on this ride.  

Like many elements of cycling, climbing is at once so simple and so complex. How can you improve your climbing - especially if you live in a flat area? How should you pace climbs of different lengths? When should you stand, and when should you sit? What is the ideal cadence, and the ideal position on the bike? How should you use your core and arms? For equipment, where is the ideal balance between aerodynamics and light weight? For group tactics, where is the balance of the benefit of the draft behind a stronger rider and the danger of blowing up by going too hard? And, of course, how should one best improve that all-important watts per kilo equation? So many questions. Luckily for you listeners, we have an expert here in Coach Jake Rytlewski to guide you through this maze.  Use the code 25podcast to save 25% on an Optimize subscription now, and you'll get access to professional coaches like Jake for guidance in your train

Coach Suzie Snyder is a five-time Xterra national champion who is still racing at the international level in addition to coaching FasCat athletes of all levels. In this podcast, the veteran racer and professional coach shares five things she wish she knew when she began her professional off-road triathlon career. Listen in as she talks about the parasympethic nervous system, how contraceptives can affect training and recovery, and more. Use the code 25podcast to save 25% on an Optimize subscription now, and you'll get access to professional coaches like Suzie for guidance in your training.

Gravel continues to blow up in popularity, and FasCat is all in on helping you prepare for your next big event, whether that’s 40 miles locally or 200 miles in Emporia, Kansas.  On this podcast, Ben Delaney and Elliott Baring give you the lowdown on getting your bike dialed ahead of time, travel tips, course recon tips, hydration and nutrition strategies, pacing and drafting techniques, and more. Ben is just back from Belgian Waffle Ride California, and Coach and national champion Elliott Baring is racing gravel, road & MTB this year. Together, they've got you covered on gravel! Past podcasts for reference:  https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/gravel-skills <

What are the most important workouts? It's a question we get a lot at FasCat, and people ask it for two reasons. One - sometimes athletes following a training plan feel like work or family should take priority over a workout, and they want to know which workouts they should absolutely do and which they could skip. And two - all athletes want to perform at their best, and many wonder if there is some magic workout out there that will deliver them to peak performance. This podcast address that 'most important workouts' question from both angles, as Coach Isaiah Newkirk and co-host Ben Delaney bursty some bubbles and offer some real-world solutions. If you're not already using Optimize, our training solution app, then by all means use code 25podcast to save 25% off your first three months today.

How do you get fast? That is the underlying question behind so much of what we do at FasCat. In today's episode, we talk about how you peak for top performance by applying an overload and then a taper. Many FasCats have noticed the Two Week Taper to Peak plan we have in Optimize, our training subscription solution that includes 100+ training plans and thousands of workouts. Unlike the rest of our training plans, this one is different! One, yes, the duration: it's just two weeks. But two, and perhaps most critically, this plan only works after you have applied an overload. What's an overload? What's a taper? And how much power can you gain when you peak? Well, give this podcast a listen. If you haven't already, head over to the App Store or Google Play and download Optimize to start your training subscription today. You can save 25% off your first three months with the code 25podcast.

FasCat Coach Christian Parrett raced on the road as a pro for many years and learned many things. Now, with seven years of professional coaching also in the rearview mirror, there are a few things he wishes he could go back and tell his younger self. He can't do that, but on this episode he shares five of those things with you!

Optimize, our next-generation training and data analytics platform, now works with Apple Watch to balance your recovery data in the form of nightly HRV and Sleep with your training data from your power meter. Optimize balances an athlete’s training and recovery — both now measurable through traditional power meters and modern wearables — to deliver actionable daily insights. "FasCat athletes have been asking for Apple Watch integration, and we are happy to now have this as one more wearable option athletes can use to track their recovery and balance it with their training within Optimize," said FasCat founder Frank Overton.  On this podcast Frank and Ben Delaney discuss Frank's experience beta testing Apple Watch with Optimize - and argue about whether you should put your smartphone on your handlebars...

So how exactly does one-on-one coaching work? On this episode, we take you inside the weekly call of Coach Jake Rytlewski and Zach Hoover, so you can experience the details that are discussed and the methodology used. While nearly all of our FasCat Coaches are completely booked now for one-on-one coaching, you can access and utilize their knowledge and understanding and love of the sport through an Optimize subscription. Inside the Optimize app, you can ask our coaches training questions, such as which training plan is right for you based on your target event. Our Coaches take turns working shifts inside Optimize to answer your questions, Monday through Friday.  Head over to the App Store or Google Play now to download Optimize and start your free 14-day trial!

What’s up FasCat listeners? Chances are, if you listen to our podcast you enjoy the coaching wisdom we share, and maybe you like the idea of working personally with a coach - but that might not be financially feasible. We have a solution for you! Today we are going to describe how an Optimized subscription is like working with a professional coach but at a fraction of the cost.  Our Optimized subscription is an affordable coaching solution at less 80% less than the cost of hiring a 1x1 Coach.  For $35 a month you get access to all our training plans AND personalized coaching advice for which plans to select to achieve your goals. Here’s how it works: Step 1. Download <a href= "http://trk.klclick.com/ls/click?upn=MTvd-2FTAg4FH6uaySKvknRUCXfb7mvAdAd2vFlbjb-2BkAsav4mU2rb0z0zdhL6-2Fn8bdtgOYH-2B-2F9Mz-2FK1-2FGr3HRgf9TGIueqHObftFREkhsvildSY4fv5gqONs6

At FasCat Coaching, we are big fans of the group ride. They're fun, and they can be very effective training.  In this episode, we detail the six reasons why you should incorporate a group ride or two into your regular training. We talk about the three kinds of group rides. And we explain some 'how to' and some 'how not to' tips and tricks about group rides, including when it's too much (or too little!). For unlimited access to all our training plans and workouts, subscribe now to Optimize. We have a 14-day free trial from the App or Google Play Stores or use 25podcast for 25% off on fascatcoaching.com 

Ted King raced as a professional on the road for years, working his way up through the American domestic ranks to join the world's best in Europe, where he raced alongside Peter Sagan for a couple of years with the three-time world champion when Sagan was at the top of his game. Ted King worked with FasCat Coaching for a number of his years racing — including some time undercover! — and on this podcast FasCat Founder Frank Overton and Ted talk about their early forays into training with power, what it was like to be one of two Americans on an Italian-speaking European team, and Ted's upcoming XL'ent Adventures and plan to tackle the Tour Divide.

Cycling computers have hundreds of potential data field configurations, with scores of variations on power, tss, heart rate, speed, altitude, temperature, time, blood glucose, pace partners, and on and on. But how many data fields can you actually look at while riding? And further, which are actionable on the bike?  On this podcast, we dig into exactly that - the numbers that matter - both for when you are on the bike, and then for post-ride analysis after. We recorded this episode at The Cycling House in Tucson, Arizona, where we are holding FasCat Camp this week. https://thecyclinghouse.com/  

There are two basic mistakes you can make with your training in the winter. (And yes, it's still winter for many of us!) Mistake #1: doing too much Mistake #2: doing too little But how do you know how much is just right? Coach Ricky Arnopol digs into the details with Ben Delaney on the micro and macro levels.  Ricky and his Project Echelon teammates are just back from racing the Mallorca Challenge in Spain alongside the likes of WorldTour teams like Ineos Grenadiers and Soudal Quick-Step, so Ricky first shares some stories of his adventures there.    

Your questions poured in for Ask a FasCat #23. Listen in as we dive into bike handling, HRV improvement, strength training, and much, much more. One lucky winner gets a Whoop 4.0, and everyone who wrote in with a question will get a discount on a Whoop. Here are a few links to resources we mention in the podcast: How to properly taper for peak performance podcast: https://fascatcoaching.libsyn.com/how-to-properly-taper-for-peak-performance Five Fundamentals for Faster: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/five-fundamentals-for-faster What does HRV mean and 9 ways to improve it: <a href= "https://fascatcoaching.com/blo

Three-time Olympian Joanne Kiesanowksi is team director for Human Powered Health, which just kicked off the WorldTour road racing season with a stage win and a white jersey at the Down Tour Under in Australia. In this episode, Joanne speaks with Ben Delaney about how the team trains for such a long and intense season that spans the globe, as well as how they monitor recovery, how their training numbers compare to racing numbers, and how Joanne herself squeezes in workouts when living out of a suitcase. Frank Overton also joins the pod and invites you to go buy our sweet new Castelli FasCat kit: http://teamorder.serviziocorse.com/index.aspx?pc=C90AFFB6-B152-41AA-8E9F-FC1EF62FFEF2 We have short- and longsleeve jerseys, Free Aero bib shorts, and vests on offer. Order before the st

Training camps come in all shapes and sizes from professional-team operations to destination camps for amateurs to DIY camps that you can do at home simply by taking a couple of days off work. In this podcast, Coaches Allie Legg, Elliott Baring and Suzie Snyder share their experiecne with what works well and what doesn't, and explain how you can create your own camp to build up your fitness, improve your skills, bond with teammates and friends, and just have a heck of a lot of fun. These three coaches have all raced at the professional level and now enjoy helping riders of all abilites get the most out of their training. 

Improving doesn’t have to be complicated! Coach Isaiah Newkirk and Ben Delaney walk you through five things that can increase your power output, raise your threshold, help you lose some weight, and perhaps even achieve better balance in your life. When we say simple, we mean simple in concept. And, frankly, they aren’t too hard to do in practice, either; you just need to be mindful and commit to them. THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS FOR GETTING FASTER ARE: Be consistent & flexible  Ride more Do zone-based training Rest Practice good nutrition

Good news, FasCats! Belgian Waffle Ride announced today that we are the Official Coaching and Training Plan Technology Partner of their excellent series, which includes events from Arizona to Canada this year. We are honored to have Belgian Waffle Ride founder Michael Marckx as a guest on the podcast today. For 2023, we have 6 and 12 Week Training Plans created specifically for the BWR events in Arizona, California, British Columbia, North Carolina, Utah, and Kansas. Hand in hand with this great news, this podcast episode is all about how to train for long gravel and other long endurance events. Plug in and get ready for a great 2023!

As much as we'd all like to be Wout van Aert — who is seemingly able to be on flying form year-round — most of us can only peak a couple of times a year. Further, real life prevents us from attending every single event on the calendar that looks fun. So, we need to prioritize. But how? This podcast comes with an interactive homework assignment to walk you through how you can set up your event and training calendar for 2023.

The new year is right around the corner, and quality events abound in 2023. Chances are, you already have a few events on your calendar. But do you have your training plan or training plans dialed in? In this episode, we explain how you can set up your training now, going through various timing scenarios for target events that are in the spring, the summer, and the fall. We also explore how you can build some flexibility into your training to maximize both good athletic results and a happy family life. Happy holidays and happy new year! 

Improving as an endurance athlete requires two things: training and recovery. The better you recover, the more effective training you can do, and the more improvements you can make. But how to recover better? Here are 9 ways. They're all pretty easy to understand; some are easy to do, and some take a bit of work. But all are very effective, and we know this because we are using HRV (heart rate variability) as the metric. A high HRV means you're primed for good training; a low HRV means you might need some more recovery. Similarly, if you have a wearable device like an Oura or a Whoop, you can track how things like alcohol and poor sleep lower your HRV. And you can track how improving your diet, your sleep habits, and your stress level can raise your HRV. Tune in for 9 ways to up your HRV, up your recovery, and up your endurance athletics game.

Indoor training has its time and place, particularly in the winter, but riding outside is what we love to do, right? On this episode, Coach Isaiah Newkirk and Ben Delaney talk through what you need to get outside and train comfortably and effectively when it's cold. We talk clothing tips (hats and jackets and booties and fabrics we love), we talk nutrition strategies (hello, hot drinks!), and we talk about what's important and what's not. Put on some hot tea and cue this one up! 

On this podcast, FasCat founder and cohost Ben Delaney talk about the new Optimize training platform - what it is, what it does, and really what drove Frank and the team to create it - which was you, the endurance athlete & podcast listener! We also talk about how we are changing our business from selling single plans to selling subscriptions for unlimited training plans in the Optimize app, which tracks how your training is going with a proprietary algorithm that takes into accounts data from your power meter, your heart rate monitor, and your wearable like a Whoop, Oura, or Garmin watch. Optimize has two three parts: Training shows you each day's prescribed workouts and your completed rides in a calendar. The Optimize section shows your Sleep, HRV, OTS and Load numerically, and then your Optimization score numerically and visually in a color-coded graphic. Th

Happy Thanksgiving, FasCats! We made a special edition this week: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we dedicated this episode to the people and things for which we are grateful this year. Each of our coaches and even a few FasCat athletes check in on this episode. At FasCat we are all grateful for you, our cycling community. The Big Cat would like to take this time to remimd you to Work Hard, Ride Fast, Enjoy Thanksgiving, and FTFP.  

Winter is upon many of us, and Coach Jake Rytlewski and Ben Delaney are in indoor cycling mode. Perhaps you are, too. On this episode, Jake and Ben chat about what works well for them and what doesn't work so well, in terms of training, habits, hardware, and other indoor gear. Coach Jake is a Level 50 Zwifter, former professional racer and longtime professional coach. Ben is a level 48 Zwifter who once did a 500km indoor ride for charity. Both are dads who appreciate the time savings, social elements, and fun and challenge of Zwift. Want to get on a training plan or work directly with Coach Jake? Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com and use the code 25PODCAST to save 25% off your first purchase.   

FasCat coaches Ricky Arnopol and Zach Gregg will be racing at the UCI Continental level in 2023 as part of Project Echelon, for which FasCat coach Isaiah Newkirk is the performance director. On this pod, Ricky and Zach talk about how they are training, and how the FasCat athletes they coach are training this winter. A lot of the same principles apply... Zach Gregg also reveals that he is shooting for a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Olympic Games in Team Pursuit. Ready to start training with a plan or a coach like Ricky or Zach? Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com and use the code 25podcast to save 25% off your first plan now.

The joy of training. At this point in the year, the words 'training' and 'joy' may not be sounding like chocolate and peanut butter to many of you out there. Which is exactly why we’re talking about it now. We’re at a funny point in time with endurance sports. We can measure and track the minute of so many things that is can be easily to be overwhelmed by it all.  So here's the solution: go have fun. On this episode, FasCat founder Frank Overton and cohost Ben Delaney dig into the roots of coaching and training, and offer some simple solutions to getting faster through having fun on your rides. 

Which wearable is better, the Whoop or the Oura? Frank and Ben have been wearing both for month and tracking the daily data. On this podcast, they share their insights on each. Plus, they dig into two academic studies that investigated wearables for their accuracy in measuring sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, and more. Don't have time to listen right now? Here's the summary: both Whoop and Oura are excellent for tracking HR, HRV, and total sleep time, but aren't yet accurate for tracking stages of sleep.     

How many people do you know who check one of these three boxes: -has raced UCI World Cup cyclocross this year -has the tattoo from winning the Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships -uses their PhD to help people with cancer Not many, right? Well, FasCat athlete Sunny Gilbert checks all three boxes, and on this episode she chats with her longtime Coach Isaiah Newkirk and host Ben Delaney about how she balances everything. As endurance athletes, only the professionals get to focus exclusively on training and racing — and even they stumble on life's twists and turns. Here, Sunny and Isaiah talk about keeping things in perspective, listening to the body and consulting the numbers, and keeping it fun! Want to get on board with a Coach like Isaiah. Head on over to FasCatCoaching.com to meet our Coaches. You can also use the code "25podcast" to get 25% off your first training plan on FasCatCoaching.com, where we have more than 1,000 five-star

To lift, or not to lift? That is the question. Or, more specifically, how and when should bike riders and endurance athletes lift weights? What should roadies do? What should triathletes do? What about mountain bike and gravel? Here to guide us through the why and the how is Coach Suzie Snyder, just back from the Xterra world championships. Suzie is an NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist and a five-time national Xterra champion. Coach Suzie explains some general principles that apply to all endurance athletes, then breaks down some specific strength and conditioning exercises that each type of athlete should do. Here are five videos with Suzie demonstrating quick and effective strength and conditioning exercises: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/video-5-quick-effective-strength-conditioning-exercises Be sure to use the code

The term Sweet Spot is now used all the time when riders are talking about training. Countless cyclists have improved because of it. But sometimes the term gets used incorrectly — and sometimes the HOW and WHEN To Sweet Spot also gets muddled. So today we are going to clear all that up, by tackling 8 Sweet Spot Myths, and hopefully leaving you with a better understanding of what Sweet Spot is - and ISN’T - so that you can use this knowledge to get faster and stronger, and have more fun Sweet Spotting! Ready to get on the Sweet Spot train for 2023? Head over to fascatcoaching.com and use the code ”25podcast” to receive 25% off your first FasCat training plan. All our plans are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee and we have 1,000 five-star reviews.

It's time to start dreamin' and schemin' about your 2023 season, and on this episode we've got 23 suggestions of gravel races you could do. While road and mountain-bike events might be somewhat limited in certain parts of the U.S., gravel events are popping off every weekend in seemingly every state in the country. So, we brought in gravel reporter and gravel racer Betsy Welch to break down 23 of the best gravel races in the lower 48. Betsy and Ben Delaney talk about the what and the why, and Frank Overton breaks down the how, in terms of training and strategy. Ready to get locked and loaded for 2023? Head over to fascatcoaching.com and use the code ”25podcast” to receive 25% off your first FasCat training plan. All our plans are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee and we have 1,000 five-star reviews.

Apple just launched three new watches with measurements for sleep cycles, HRV, blood oxygen levels, and many other things, and Des Yap of the DesFit YouTube Channel was in California for Apple’s presentation. After testing and posting reviews on all three, Des came and joined Frank and Ben for a chat about what's new and interesting with wearables. Des specializes in wearable technology like smart watches and fitness and recovery trackers. Which is exactly what this episosde is about: tools like Whoop, Oura, Garmin, and Apple that track your sleep, HRV, and other things and how you can use that data to improve your cycling - or running, swimming, nordic skiing — any endurance sport pursuit. Frank and Ben have a lot of questions for Des, chief among them: as someone who has tested all the top wearbles, which wearable do you like best, and why?  First, head over to fascatcoaching.com and

Our 'Ask a FasCat' episodes are always fun because we take your questions, give them some thought, and FasCat founder Frank Overton delivers advice on a wide range of topics. On this episode, we dig into HRV, weight training, weight loss, overcoming plateaus, dealing with post-event blues, which workouts to prioritize when traveling, and much more. Ready to move forward with your training? Head over to fascatcoaching.com and be sure to use the code”25podcast” to receive 25% off your first FasCat training plan. All our plans are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee and we have nearly 1,000 five-star reviews. Reference links mentioned in show: What to eat before early workouts:  https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/video-effective-fueling-for-early-morning-workouts Using your Powermete

Top athletes are always looking ahead and planning long term. One of the best ways of doing this is by taking time to look back at how your training went this year: what went right, what went wrong, and what edits might help you improve next year. Using power data to review your season is an invaluable tool. With TrainingPeaks, you can use these charts to lay out some quick metrics to track your season.  On this podcast, coaches Isaiah Newkirk and Frank Overton talk with Ben Delaney about how to do exactly that. Ready to move forward with your training? Head over to fascatcoaching.com and be sure to use the code”25podcast” to receive 25% off your first FasCat training plan. All our plans are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee and we have nearly 1,000 five-star reviews. Other relevant info: Use your power data to find the right training approach (video) <a href= "https://fascatcoaching.com

Off-season training doesn't mean off the bike! In fact, the time away from competition is the best time to improve and build your body up for racing.  In this podcast, we dig into the five pillars of off-season training: creating the Annual Training Plan, the fall foundation, lifting weights, Sweet Spot base, and adding intervals. Before you get going on your off-season training, take a break! In this pod we touch on OTS - Optimized Training Stress. For a deep-dive on this cutting edge new metric, check out this podcast with Dr. Phil Skiba. Our popular Ask a FasCat podcast is coming up soon, so get your questions i

We all know that we need good sleep for optimal recovery and performance on the bike, but many of us still skimp on getting enough quality rest. We break down some simple tips and tricks for improving your nightly rest so you can fully recover and prime yourself for quality training and racing. We also drop some science from recent studies on sleep and athletic performance, as well as some suggestions for natural sleep aids and a list of things to avoid. -- Feeling tired and need a break from the season? We got you. Here are some tips on how to best take an off-season break: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/post-season-break Ready to move on to the next phase? Here is a 30-week plan for training in the off-season: <a href= "https://fascatco

Fresh off pro racing in Europe on the road this summer, Coach Ricky Arnopol joined five of his Project Echelon teammates at SBT GRVL, the big gravel race in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. On this episode, Ricky and show cohost Ben Delaney talk about the similarities and differences between the two styles of racing in terms of tactics, power numbers, stress, and fun. There are four distances at SBT GRVL, and Ben won the 100-mile Blue course in the men's division, with Tiffany Cromwell of Canyon-SRAM taking the women's Blue title. Keegan Swenson and Lauren De Crescenzo won the 140-mile Black race that Ricky participated in. You can see Ben's power file and analysis up on fascatcoaching.com now. The whole FasCat team who attended SBT GRVL had a great time, so much so that we have even bigger plans for 2023, when we hope that you can join us in Steamboat for long week

Many racers dream of winning a national title and wearing the jersey, but few achieve it. On this podcast, we talk with not one but three FasCat athletes about how they achieved their goals of winning at the U.S. national championships. FasCat coach Zach Gregg won the amateur U.S. time trial title (after placing fourth in the pro TT), and two athletes he coaches also scored jerseys as Patrick Welch won the U23 TT and Liam Flanagan won the U23 criterium. On this podcast, the three racers talk about the demands of juggling racing, school, and work, and about the dynamics of the coach-athlete relationship. Tune in for some insights about their methodology for success. Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Get daily training tips from us weekly over on Instagram: <a class="parsed_link" href=

What sort of watts per kilo does it take to compete in the biggest race in the world? Today we are talking about power-to-weight ratios, the cumulative effects of fatigue, and how training compares to racing. And what better context for these topics than the biggest race in the world, the Tour de France Femmes. Today we are delighted to be talking with Nina Buijsman of Human Powered Health. Nina raced the Tour de France Femmes and seemed to get stronger each day, or at least placed better every day, finishing 21st on the brutally steep Super Planche stage 8 to finish 25th overall. On this podcast we talk about the cumulative effects of fatigue, and how training compares to racing, and what Nina’s experience was in terms of her power data, her sleep data, and how she felt throughout the Tour de France Femmes.<

Dig out that cowbell and get your skinsuit ready — cyclocross is coming! Whether you're a beginner or a veteran, FasCat is here to help you fine tune your skills so you can get the most out of this season. Coach Andrew Giniat is an UCI Elite ’cross racer who has honed his chops racing World Cups in Europe, and on this podcast he breaks down the four key skills you need to have. Andrew and host Ben Delaney break down the mechanics of starts, cornering, dismounting & remounting, and dealing with obstacles.  Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. After digging into the basics of these four skills, Andrew and Ben take another, deeper pass with pro tips for racers for whom this year isn't their first rodeo. No matter if you're planning on your first race or your 91st, these four skills are vital, and can always be refined. Are you ready?

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Power meters, heart-rate monitors and other technology are excellent tools for training and racing. But your body is also an excellent tool for measurement.  On this podcast, Coach Suzie Snyder talks with Ben Delaney about Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) — its history in science and its everyday applications for athletes from beginners to world-class pros. For instance, Coach Suzie just won her fifth Xterra National Championship relying heavily on RPE. Suzie and Ben talk about what you can do with RPE in Avon, Colorado, on site of the Xterra National Championship. Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off.<

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Having a solid, science-based plan is one thing — but following it is another. Having someone — or something — hold you accountable can help you stay on track in multiple ways. On this podcast, FasCat founder Frank Overton and new FasCat content director Ben Delaney talk about how everyone benefits from being held accountable — including the top pros. Ben just joined the FasCat team after 20 years in cycling media. You may have read his stories, listened to his podcasts, or seen his videos on VeloNews, BikeRadar, Cyclingnews, CyclingTips, or other outlets. Frank and Ben talk about how vital accountability is in training, from the perspectives of what they have seen over two decades working with professional athl

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. It is HOT outside. We are feeling it and we know you are, too. So, how do we navigate through riding in this heat to continue to progress? More importantly, how do you navigate racing in events that are going to be hotter than what you currently train in? Don't worry, you're about to get all the answers you need! In this episode of the FasCat podcast, we dive into the specifics on how to deal with this heat. It's a coaches round table edition, which means you get advice from not just Coach Frank, but from the entire team. The coaches touch on the science of training in the heat, how exactly the heat affects your performance and power output, practical coaching guidelines, and ways you can become better heat adapted. </

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Are you stuck on a plateau?! Are you struggling with physical gains where you can't seem to increase your power output? Or, are you struggling with performance gains where you can't seem to place higher on the leader board? Whichever plateau you're stuck on, this podcast episode is for you.  Coach Frank is joined by Coach Andrew to discuss the low hanging fruit you can implement in your training right away. Coach Andrew Giniat is our newest FasCat coach. Andrew comes to us from Asheville, NC and is a criterium, cyclocross and road coach. He races for the CS Velo at the professional level on the road and the Pony Shop for cyclocross.</s

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Welcome to our very long overdue episode format: "Ask a FasCat". In this episode, FasCat Mike Dee reads off our athlete submitted questions and FasCat Founder, Coach Frank gives us rapid fire answers. If you're ready to nerd out on the data science of training and how to structure your training based on different scenarios, this episode is for you. At the end of this episode, we give away an Oura Ring to the best asked question, so stay tuned to find out if YOUR answer won! A few questions Coach Frank answers: Should you be moving your power around during sweet spot training?  Is an indoor trainer better for training? Which wearable is most accurate? Good calorie-dense foods that aren’t gels and bars that are GI friendly? How do you psychologically g

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Are you making one of thse five in-season training mistakes?! You could be putting in max effort this season, but if you are making one of these mistakes, it doesn't matter how much effort you are putting in, you're going to fail to see the results you want. Don't worry, Coach Frank explains these mistakes in detail and helps you understand how and why to avoid these mistakes. What we discuss: - Group ride 3 or more times a week - Racing every weekend - Under-recovering after a weekend of racing and travel - Not going back to base at some point after a midseason break (even for just a few weeks) - Not training specifically for your event with intervals that meet the power deman

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. In the spirit of Unbound Gravel just wrapping up, we thought it would be timely to have a discussion about how to proceed forwards after an epic event. In this episode of the FasCat podcast, Coach Frank, Allie, Isaiah, Jake, and Zack do a deep dive into their own standard protocols for their riders for navigating recovery after an epic event. How many weeks should you take to recover, what should your nutrition look like, when should your next event be, and what should your first workouts look like are just a few of the questions they get answered for us!  What they discuss: 3:30 - How do you define an epic event? 7:00 - When can you resume to training after an epic event?  11:00 - What data do you look at after an epic event? 20:00 - What you need t

FasCat Athlete, Marisa Boaz, won one of the top gravel races in the world: Unbound Gravel (100).  In this episode, Marisa gives us a play-by-play of the race and inside look into what it took to take home the gold. From racing with Peter Sagan, the mud, her husband to parenting her 4 children, Marisa shares her story and journey into gravel racing and talks a little bit about her future goals this Summer and beyond.   Big congrats to Coach Isaiah Newkirk on their fine coach-athlete work together.  Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off your next training plan!

  In our 20 years of working with athletes, we always notice that some athletes get more out of their coaching than others. It's not usually about which athlete has the most time to train or the most talent. Instead, there's a variety of attributes that combine to make an athlete coachable–and the more an athlete is coachable, the more time a coach has to dedicate to the most important aspects of making the athlete faster.    So what does it take to be coachable? What are the attributes you need to ensure you are getting the most out of your coaching? What mistakes do you need to avoid to make coaching you easier for your coach? We answer all these questions for

Summer Kickoff special: Free interval training plan if you buy our 16-sweet spot plan first. Use SUMMER22 to redeem over at FasCatCoaching.com Have you ever heard of the expression "All the hay is in the barn" ? To many cyclists and farmers alike it has great meaning: the hard work is over and now it is time to reap the benefits of a job well done.   <span class= "author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zg

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. In this episode of the FasCat Coaching Podcast, Coach Frank introduces 3 upcoming podcast topics and touches on what FasCat is up to – May is a busy month and there's a lot going on! Coach Frank introduces the topics of what it means to be “Coachable” and makes you think about whether or not you are coachable when it comes to training. He also dives into how to properly taper for an event, how much training should you do beforehand, and how much recovery your body needs. Lastly, Coach Frank chats about how to know when you are ready to train again after an epic event. Links mentioned: New Athlete Handbo

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Should you be performing anaerobic intervals? If you’re unsure, you should know that anaerobic intervals are essential for criteriums, cyclocross, road racing , track, your local group ride and mountain biking - even for fondo’s and gravel events in small amounts.  With that being said, you should probably be doing anaerobic intervals and that’s why in this episode of FasCat Coaching, Coach Frank gives you the a complete step-ny-step guide on how to incorporate and execute anaerobic intervals into your weekly training routine. He explains the how, what, why where, when and how hard. The term anaerobic comes from the physiological fact that the energy required is so rapid that oxygen is not used to make the power unlike a longer vo2 or threshold interval that is more aerobic. They are less than one minute, as hard as you can go intervals. We

We have a special podcast guest this week: The Belgian waffle ride winner, Alexey Vermeulen. Alexey went full on beast mode this past Sunday, riding away from his comrades with an incredible display of wattage and courage. In this episode, we not only get a full recap of Alexey's experience of winning BWR, but also background on where he came from, his racing pedigree, and what his big plans are for the rest of the season and the future. Plus, we also diving into Alexey winning Junior National Road Race in 2011, getting called up to the big leagues with Lotto Jumbo and his new Jukebox cycling team with our good friend and FasCat Athlete, Phil Gaimon.  Lastly, we have two huge announcements to share in this episode... 1. Our Mother's Day sale is LIVE. Use MD50 for 50% off any and all of our five star rated training plans. Head over to www.fascatcoaching.com to redeem. 2. FasCat is hiring <a href= "https://www.b

Do you have fun performing FTP tests? We know the answer is a hard no. We don’t always have to perform an FTP field test in order to measure our performance. Often times the BEST data is in yuor hard group rides or races. That's why in this episode, we give you alternatives for FTP tests that will give you similar data. Coach Frank explains... How you can get your FTP data through group rides and races. How to use deductive reasoning to estimate your FTP. What to look at in your power data to see improvements and evidence that your power output has increased. Essentially, he shows you how to look at your data correctly to see how you progressing. If you learn how to do this, you may spare yourself a field test or two

Check out www.fascatcoaching.com and use code 25PODCAST for 25% off. Feeling burnt out on the bike or feeling like you're training takes the fun out of riding?  But the question is, how do you ride faster and longer, and see better success, while still having fun? We know some of you believe doing structured intervals 5 days a week inside is the only way to see results. We know others of you think following structure, structure, structure is the only way. If you force yourself to do this, it’s not sustainable, because not having fun equals not seeing optimal results. In this episode of the FasCat podcast, Coach Frank gives you endless tips on how to have more fun while training without compromising results, and in fact, see BETTER results. Here's a sneak peek into a few of the tips shared... Join group

  In this episode of the FasCat Coaching podcast, Coach Frank is joined by Dr. Philip Skiba. Dr. Phil has a rare quadruple threat pedigree in that he is a medical doctor as well as a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, and has 20+ years of coaching experience including coaching Olympians and World Class Endurance athletes. Perhaps best of all, Phil has deep domain expertise in power-based training methodologies and often refers to himself as an algorithmic human performance engineer.    Dr. Phil and I have been working on a new sports science techno

Today we are talking about Winning in the Kitchen! Performance nutrition and weight loss are all about your food choices and that’s what we call winning in the kitchen.  80% of weight loss and optimal race weight is achieved from proper nutrition while only 20% from riding more. Whether you believe it or not, it's true! That's why in this episode of the FasCat Coaching podcast, Dr. Lauren and Coach Frank dive into the ins and outs of winning in the kitchen. After listening, you may be surprised by the nutrition mistakes you're making! What's discussed: Your Go Faster Food Choices Winning in the Kitchen Grocery List <span style= "font-weigh

Spring is here, and the weather is no longer an excuse to not ride longer and more. But, we get it, just because the weather is better, doesn’t mean riding more is necessarily easier. That’s why in the podcast episode, Coach Frank is here to make riding more each week a lot more simple with some simple training tactics. Coach Frank dives into why you need to ride more, FasCat’s top strategies and coaching tips for riding more, a 16-week training guide progression to help your ride more, and three long rides we love to subscribe at FasCat. With these tips, you will double your ride time this summer! Are you ready?! What Coach Frank discusses: 4:00 - Overview of increasing time in the saddle 11:00 - Strategy 13:00 - 3 Different long rides 19:00 - Riding longer tips Get your FasCat on-bike training and nutrition plan now! Head over t

Welcome to Part 3 of our three-part series on stage racing! This mini-series is brought to you by coach Isaiah from the Tuscon Bicycle Classic Stage Race where Coach Ricky and Coach Zach were both racing for Project Echelon.  The Tuscon Bicycle Classic is a large stage race and has always been a big staple for pro riders as an early-season race. Coach Isaiah interviews the two on their mental and physical preparation – giving you an inside look into how pro bike racers prepare for each stage in a stage race. They also chat through what the next stage is and what some of their race tactics are, how the previous stage went in general, and what goes on behind the scenes at a pro stage race. Be sure to check out Part 1 and 2 first!

Welcome to Part 2 of our three-part series on stage racing! This mini-series is brought to you by coach Isaiah from the Tuscon Bicycle Classic Stage Race where Coach Ricky and Coach Zach were both racing for Project Echelon.  The Tuscon Bicycle Classic is a large stage race and has always been a big staple for pro riders as an early-season race. Coach Isaiah interviews the two on their mental and physical preparation – giving you an inside look into how pro bike racers prepare for each stage in a stage race. They also chat through what the next stage is and what some of their race tactics are, how the previous stage went in general, and what goes on behind the scenes at a pro stage race. Stay tuned for Part 3!

Welcome to Part 1 of our three-part series on stage racing! This mini-series is brought to you by coach Isaiah from the Tuscon Bicycle Classic Stage Race where Coach Ricky and Coach Zach were both racing for Project Echelon.  The Tuscon Bicycle Classic is a large stage race and has always been a big staple for pro riders as an early-season race. Coach Isaiah interviews the two on their mental and physical preparation – giving you an inside look into how pro bike racers prepare for each stage in a stage race. They also chat through what the next stage is and what some of their race tactics are, how the previous stage went in general, and what goes on behind the scenes at a pro stage race. <p data-pm-slice="1 1

Did you know we are data scientists for the Human Powered Health Professional Women's Team? We analyze the entire women's team's power, heart rate, sleep, and HRV data, literally everything in their training and racing. We're able to then use their data to help their team perform at their best. Coach Isaiah and I have been working for the Women's World Tour Team Human-Powered Health since the beginning of the year as their data scientists. In this episode, that's what we're going to talk about – our work with the women's team. We not only discuss the data we analyze, we also dive into the surveys we have the riders fill out in order to put their data into context, the reports we provide to the team, and then how the team uses those reports for improving their training and performance. Riding bikes fast isn't just about FtFP, it's also about a

Should you be doing pyramidal training only, pyramidal training only, or a mix of both? Which format is most effective? This is a controversial topic and one we’re going to dive deep into today in this episode of the FasCat Coaching podcast. More specifically, there have been a few recent studies released, as well as debates happening, within the scientific community that we will dissect, followed by Coach Christian and myself sharing our thoughts and experience on the subject. What we discuss: - A recent study was done on the “Effects of 16 weeks of pyramidal and polarized training intensity distributions in well-trained endurance runners”. The study compares 4 different groups: 16 weeks of polarized, 16 weeks of pyramidal, 8 weeks of polarized then 8 weeks of pyramidal, and 8 weeks of pyramidal then 8 weeks of polarized. - Sports Science journal series of debate articles titled “Polarized Training is

Want to increase your power output? VO2 max intervals are the answer. Although, the issue is that many riders are new to power meters or don't know how to use them correctly in order to perform their VO2 max intervals for maximum returns. That's why in this episode of the FasCat podcast, Coach Frank gives us a step-by-step guide on how to perform these intervals with a power meter correctly. He also outlines the most common mistakes riders make and how you can avoid them. Plus, Coach Frank dives into how to do the power analysis post-ride so you learn what watts you should target for your next vo2 max interval workout. (This is the best way to evaluate your  'technique' tp see maximum gains!) Important notes: - In this podcast we are covering zone 5 only. - You will also need to know your pow

Guess what? We have another new coach on the FasCat team and we couldn’t be more excited! Dr. Lauren Costantini, PHD has a holistic approach to training where she focuses on fitness, nutrition and sleep altogther, as the three work synergystically. And in this episode of the FasCat podcast, we dive into her background on these three things. Plus, we also chat about her time as a professor at Harvard, her switch to the BioTech world and the products she developed, plus how she managed her time while being a CEO and racing bikes! For a quick look into Lauren, she has a PhD in Neuroscience and was on faculty at Harvard Medical School before moving cross-country to enter the biotech world of Silicon Valley. She then became the CEO of a medical device wearables company. Though a dancer from the ages of 3 to 18 years old, Lauren entered the cycling world in her late 20s and soon became a nationally ranked professional bike racer (including a

In this episode of the FasCat Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by one of our newest coaches, Ricky Arnopol. We have some good cyclist to cyclists training talk, chatting about everything from Ricky’s favorite ways to train himself and his riders, what’s contributed most to his riding progress, his riding nutrition, and a bunch of fun rapid fire questions.   After getting a late start to racing, Ricky Arnopol has been slowly chipping away at competing at the highest level races in the United States as well as racing internationally. While continuing to race for Project Echelon, Ricky has put his experience and knowledge towards working with athletes of all disciplines and abilities. His number one goal is to guide everyone he works with towards achieving their goals.    5:00 - Background on coach’s Ricky’s riding 10:00 - What has contributed the most to his progress 20:0

We are excited to have our newest coach to the FasCat team onto the podcast to get a deep dive into his training, preferences, thoughts, and everything in between. Coach Frank has a list of 20 questions he asks every coach and Zach gives us some killer answers!  Zach has been a cycling coach since 2018. His educational background includes a Masters in Exercise Physiology from Midwestern State University, pre-med from Colorado Mesa University.  Zach most recently worked as the assistant Cycling Coach for Lees McRae College and continues to volunteer time to Project Echelon’s veteran and adaptive athletes. His cycling career was positively impacted by his time at Midwestern State where he raced on the road and track, winning the 2019 Collegiate Individual Time Trial and several podiums on the track.  He continues to race on the road with Project Echelon and is the 2021 Elite Time Trial champion, a title he will defend in 2022 while racing at the highest

Sweet spot vs. zone 2 seems to be the big debate between rides. In our opinion at FasCat, the adaptations we've seen with sweet spot compared to zone 2 are undeniably larger. Therefore, athletes accomplish more with one hour of sweet spot training than they do with one hour of zone 2 training. In this episode of FasCat, we're going to cover the 6 most prominent physiological adaptations gained through sweet spot training as opposed to lower intensity aerobic training. These adaptations include: Increased Plasma Volume Increased Mitochondrial Enzymes Increased Lactate Threshold Increased muscle glycogen stores Increased Stroke Volume Increased VO2 Max The proportion of sweet spot training to stimulate those 6 physiological benefits above to the rest of your training hours is described in a "How Much Sw

The BigCat checks in with Coach Jake about his new MeetUp and talks all things Zwift. We give you a step-by-step guide on how to join our Zwift meet-up rides, how to draft during group rides (I personally think it’s extremely difficult to do!), how we both use Zwift as a training tool for our athletes when coaching, and how to navigate the more technical side of Zwift. What we discuss: 2:00 - Directions on how to join Jake for meet-up rides on the Zwift companion app 5:30 - Calculating wattage for the Zwift group ride 10:00 - How to draft on Zwift 17:15 - How Jake uses Zwift for coaching 30:00 - Understanding how to navigate Zwift Want help getting started with your training and follow one of our plan on Zwift ? Head over to <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://www.fascatcoaching.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link= "http://www.fascatcoaching.com" data-sk="tooltip_parent

The new year is upon us and thoughts are quickly shifting towards the race season. What are you doing to ensure an improvement over last year? What kind of training are you doing? Are you just winging it? There’s a certain combo of art and science to the base building phase of a training calendar, and in Coach Frank’s extensive experience of coaching cyclists he’s come up with a healthy dose of each to help you go faster. What’s the key component? Sweet spot training. 32655The one and only “Six Weeks to the Sweet Spot Training Plan” We’ve talked about sweet spot a lot on the show and it’s weaved into almost everything FasCat does, but this week on the last episode of the year, Coach Frank breaks down how and why you should be incorporating sweet spot training into your plan to build a bigger and better base for 2022. He’ll cover: What is Base Training? Why Sweet Spot is Better than Zone 2 for Base Training Power Based Sweet Spot Metrics – Quantit

This podcast is for all the athletes who are making new year's resolutions for their 2022 training and goals. Just because it’s a new calendar year, doesn’t mean you will automatically reach your goals. In order to do so, you need to develop new habits. What habits do we recommend you adopt in order to set yourself up for success in 2022? I share 8 training habits you can easily adopt for achieving big results in 2022! What I discuss in this episode… 9:00 - Habit 1: Consistency 11:00 - Habit 2: Indoor training 17:00 - Habit 3: Group Rides 21:00 - Habit 4: Pay attention to your training load 24:00 - Habit 5: Winning in the kitchen 30:00 - Habit 6: Practicing yoga 33:00 - Habit 7: Lift Weights 35:00 - Habit 8: Sleep Take advantage of our killer coaching deal ending January

In this episode of the FasCat Coaching podcast, we are joined by U.S. Cross country mountain bike 2020 Olympian, Erin Huck. Coach Allie takes over as host because guess what? Allie and Erin are both badasses on the bike and are also both pregnant. What Allie and Erin discuss: - Managing pregnancy as an athlete  - The similarities and differences of their pregnancies - Expectations vs. their realities while pregnant - How they are handling riding/working out (It's different for them both!) - How their handling the pregnancy mentally and physically - Adapting to the changes in thei

The best tool you can utilize for optimizing your performance are your training zones. Why? Because training zones bring professional level sport science to your handlebar in a simple, easy to understand and follow training method. Even if you are new to training, you can use zone-based training and literally train the same way Tour de France Pros. In this episode of FasCat Coaching, I give you a step-by-step guide on not only understanding what the seven different training zones are, but how to actually utilize them in your training. I break down each zone individually and explain how to set them, what they accomplish, and how you can use them in your training. Plus, I give you a sample workout for each training zone. Ready to start using training zones? <a href= "https://fascatcoaching.com/collections/training-plans

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you should stop training. No one wants to show up in the spring on their first group ride and get dropped, right? Training through the winter isn’t as difficult as you think, and in this episode of FasCat Cycling Training Tips, I share 3 habits to adopt if you want to stay on top of your game.   Implementing these three habits will no doubt have a dramatic effect on your riding next Spring and they are include: consistency, nutrition, and strength and mobility. Plus, I include a bonus tip at the end, which in my opinion is the best/most important of them all. For each habit, I give you a deep dive into how you can easily implement them into your

In this week's podcast, the FasCat team continues with our annual Thanksgiving tradition of sharing short messages of gratitude to our loyal podcast listeners and athletes! We hope you all enjoy the episode and we wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

In this podcast, Coach Frank reintroduces the topic of timing as it relates to the 3 main phases of a cyclists' annual training plan including lifting weights, building base, and high-intensity interval training. He explains in detail the ways athletes can line up these phases depending on what their race calendar looks like for the upcoming season. He also answers the question that athletes frequently ask at this time of the year, which is whether they should lift weights or start building up their base.   

On today’s podcast Coach Frank speaks with Alex Dowsett, a Pro World Tour Rider who is attempting to break the Track World Hour Record on November 3rd. Alex is no stranger to what it takes to achieve this feat, as he set the same world record in 2015! In the episode, they chat about Alex's training, his special equipment, nutrition, DadWatts, as well as the foundation Little Bleeders that he started to raise awareness of hemophilia and to encourage young hemophiliacs to engage in sports.   

In this episode, the Big Cat talks to Dr. Louis Passfield, a Sports Scientist from the UK. Dr. Passfield is a leader in the scientific community, especially in the realm of quantifying training load from power data to optimize performance. He also has a 25-year track record of work in cycling and has worked as a lead sports scientist with the highly successful British Cycling team preparing for many important events including the Barcelona, Atlanta, Beijing, and Tokyo Olympic Games.   Check out his array of sc

Welcome to the 20th edition of our “Ask a FasCat” podcast series, where we gather athletes' questions from our forum, email, and social media to help you ride faster!  In this round, Frank and Lacey dive into topics ranging from the signs of overtraining, HR drift, the most useful whoop metrics, how weight loss can enhance or harm your performance, end of season CTL, and lots more. Big thanks to everyone for submitting your thought-provoking questions, we couldn't do these episodes without you!

In this week's podcast, the Big Cat dives into a discussion about stress including training stress, life stress, when it is good, when it isn't good and how/if you can manage both together. He also touches on how HRV is a good stress metric and what kind of lifestyle habits you can adopt to minimize your stress.   

BigCat speaks with Pat Warner and Ben Sharp, the dynamic Coach-Athlete duo from Stages Cycling. Ben is an Olympic Gold Medalist Coach who also happens to coach Pat Warner. Pat is the head honcho at Stages Cycling who recently won the Masters National 50+ Road Race and Time Trial. In part 2 of the episode, they discuss Ben's work with Asthon Lambie, Stages strain gage technology, Sweet Spot training, Pat's mindset around training, the value of a strong coach-athlete relationship and much more!

BigCat speaks with Pat Warner and Ben Sharp, the dynamic Coach-Athlete duo from Stages Cycling. Ben is an Olympic Gold Medalist Coach who also happens to coach Pat Warner. Pat is the head honcho at Stages Cycling who recently won the Masters National 50+ Road Race and Time Trial.   In part 1 of the episode they discuss topics including their background in cycling, what their coach-athlete relationship is like and how Pat's training differs from Olympic athletes such as Jennifer Valente (won gold in Tokyo). They also talk in-depth about Master's training. Stay tuned for Part 2 which will be released next week!

In this podcast, Coach Frank discusses FasCat's 4 new off season training plans for the 2021-2022 season! Specifically, he breaks down the 30 week off season plan, explaining the phases of the plan, how the workouts, sets, reps, and mesocycles progress, as well as the rationale for the plan and which type of athlete each level is designed for!

In this episode, Coach Frank Overton and Coach Christian Parrett discuss what pyramidal training is, research studies from world tour athletes that support its use, real-world examples of how pyramidal training differs from polarized training, and why the 'Polarized versus Sweet Spot Training' is a false debate. 

In this episode, the Big Cat talks about 4 training tips for the month of august including fueling for long events, SBT race strategies, gear and tire choice, 4 cyclocross skills you should be working on, and how to taper properly. He also announces a few changes to our tried n' true off season plan and our 18 weeks of sweet spot training plan that you don't want to miss!

We received a record number of user submitted questions for the 19th edition of our "Ask a FasCat" podcast! In fact, it was so many that we couldn't answer in one go. So in this episode, we bring in Coaches Allie, Jake, Lacey, and Christian to help answer 30 more questions!  Topics covered include stage race nutrition, optimal cadence, mid-season setbacks, mental strategies for pushing through intervals, how to improve your XC race starts, and much more!

Welcome to the 19th edition of our "Ask a FasCat" podcast series, where we gather questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you ride faster! This go-round we are giving the athlete with the most thoughtful question a pair of Normatec Pulse, 2.0 compression boots that we’ve talked about in several of our podcasts including the holiday gift guide, recovery for cycling, and the masters recovery episodes.  We received a record number of questions for this Q&A episode, which we are thrilled about!  However, it meant that we were not able to answer them all in one go... so be on the lookout for a bonus episode to come out soon! 

We’ve podcasted on the topic of master's training three times before including on Masters CTL, Master’s Recovery, and the Seven Habits of Successful Masters Cyclists. In this episode, Coach Frank touches on those again, but dives down even deeper and discusses 3 actionable adjustments you can make to your training as a 50+ athlete.  This podcast commemorates the Big Cat's 50th birthday! To celebrate, you can use the coupon code 50podcast to get 50% off any training plan! Offer expires July 15th. 

Are you a new cyclist or a season veteran looking for ways to start riding faster? Well here is your how to guide! In this episode Coach Frank goes over his top 8 Riding Faster Fundamentals that will help you to improve your cycling. While some of you may already know about these, it is always helpful to be reminded and to learn about ways to put them into practice. Visit fascatcoaching.com to learn more about getting faster on the bike, and don't forget to subscribe to the show!

Coach Frank and the FasCat Coaches drops some wisdom on how to nail your warmup for different kinds of bike racing. It doesn't have to be complicated to be effective, so tune in to get ready for your summer race season. Keep up with all things Fascat over at fascatcoaching.com. 

Frank is joined by Coach Jake in Boulder to answer listener-submitted questions! They cover Q's such as training on really hot days, training for Leadville at sea level, finding the joy in suffering, and more! Visit fascatcoaching.com to learn more about getting faster on the bike, and don't forget to subscribe to the show.

Coach Frank catches up with the former WorldTour rider and recent champion of the Unbound Gravel 200 to hear about his win, his preparation for the race, nutrition strategy, shift from the road to gravel, spirit animals, and what's next for the Boz. 

In this episode, we repost one of our original podcast episodes to celebrate our (almost) 3 year anniversary of the FasCat Podcast. Learn how Frank "invented" and popularized the concept of sweet spot training to improve cycling performance. For more training tips, visit fascatcoaching.com. 

There seems to be a lot of discussion about CTL, TSS, FTP, etc. as it relates to elite or world-class level cyclists, but what does this all mean for masters cyclists? Today on the podcast, we discuss masters CTL and the fundamentals of using CTL to quantify your training load as a masters cyclist and some key tips and advice from the Big Cat on this topic. Lots of good info here! For more info on the subject, subscribe to the podcast on all your favorite platforms and check out our training tips on the website: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/seven-habits-of-highly-successful-masters-cyclists/ 12393If you’re listening and reading this tip, check out Sweet Spot #2 — follow the plan, you will go faster. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    Instagram: <a href= "https

Welcome back to another installment of our Q&A series, Ask a FasCat! Here we take listener questions from our audience and do our best to answer them. In this round, we tackle a variety of questions including first gravel race tips, nutrition for stage races, and plenty more! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and we hope this is helpful in your pursuit of getting faster on the bike! 62802 Gravel Training Plan Work Hard, Ride Fast, don’t forget to Switch from Base to Race, Have FUN and as ALWAYS FtFP Use 25podcast for 25% off training plans Copyright © 2021 FasCat Coaching – all rights reserved. Join our *FREE* Athlete Forum to nerd out with FasCat coaches and athletes about your FTP, race data, power based training, or anything related to going fast on the bike! To talk with a FasCat Coach that exudes these qual

 Are you new to riding and training with a powermeter? Here is your beginner’s guide to start training with power.  In this episode, Coach Frank outlines 5 steps to begin training with power and using your data in TrainingPeaks. 62544Power-Based Intervals for Road Racing Training Plan Step 1: Upload your Data to TrainingPeaks Step 2: Look at your Power Graph  Step 3 is to set your power at threshold and begin personalizing your data to you! Step 4: Train Using your Power-Based Zones Step 5: Set up your charts in your dashboard A power meter is a fantastic training tool that can take your training and racing to the next level. Listen to our beginner’s guide to start training with power and learn how to use it and TrainingPeaks! Also: next we

What makes a good Coach? Coaches come in all different sizes and shapes but what are the core values that makes a great one? 61959Designed by Good Coaches to help YOU Ride Faster In this podcast, Coach Frank describes the inspiration behind the podcast (we’re hiring) and what he considers the qualities of a great coach  starting with these four core qualities: Results Knowledge Education and Experience Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast SHOW NOTES: Cycling Coach Job <a href= "https:/

 Switching from Base to Race Part 2: a continuation from our 2019 podcast on moving onto an interval phase of training after building a sweet spot base 61785Gravel Training Plan to help you practice what’s described in this podcast! In this podcast, Coach Frank goes thru 10 instances Dave Letterman style of when you should switch from aerobic endurance training to high intensity interval training. This is the sweet spot and polarized methodologies referenced in last week’s podcast! Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging i

 Coach Frank goes on a 14 minute rant about ‘internet scientists’ and the whole sweet spot versus polarized debate.  He espouses how the coaches are ahead on the scientists and bring it all back to the podcast topic: the long ride.  Frank describes his three long rides and how you can progress thru each. 61558Gravel Training Plan to help you practice what’s described in this podcast! In this podcast, Coach Frank covers the benefits of a long ride and goes on a rant about ‘internet scientists’. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast Show Notes: <a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/how-i-invented-sweet-spot-training/

 Spring is around the corner and that means dried-out roads, sunshine, and GRAVEL. While gravel riding and racing is super hot right now in the cycling world, there are still a lot of cyclists who are intimidated or unfamiliar with how it all works. So, in this episode, Coach Frank breaks the gravel skills  down and offers some of his tried and true tips for gravel riding and racing as a veteran of the gravel scene (he’s been doing it since before it was “cool”). 61385Gravel Training Plan to help you practice what’s described in this podcast! In this podcast, Coach Frank covers: pack riding skills maintaining a line of sight body position and english o

“Happy spouse, happy house” is an important mantra to keep in mind as a cyclist. Training and racing can be a selfish endeavor, and it’s often easy to get sucked into the tunnel vision of goals and TSS and forget about the home life. Coach Frank shares some Valentine’s Day wisdom for finding and keeping balance in the household while still hitting your cycling goals! 59525Sweet Spot part 3 top off your base!” We are having a 30% off Valentine’s Day sale!  Use the coupon code FAST30 for 30% any training plan on FasCatCoaching.com.  Note: if you’ve already used your limit 1 25podcast coupon this is your 2nd chance to save again. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post <a rel="nofollow" href= "https://f

 Welcome to the 16th edition of our “Ask a FasCat” podcast series, where we gather questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you ride faster!  This round Frank and Lacey dive into questions ranging from course pre-riding, long term development in cycling philosophy, starting training again after a crash, and tons more. Thanks to everyone for the thought provoking questions! 58364Sweet Spot part 3 – as mentioned in the podcast!” The FasCat community now has access to discounts on Stages products, learn more by clicking on the Stages logo in our latest power based training tip “<a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/powermeter-training/" target= "_blank" r

Show Notes: This week on the podcast we are talking about ways to help you stay motivated!  That’s right motivational tips and tricks to beat the mid-winter blues and follow your plan.  Coach Frank with sound bites from Coaches Isaiah & Jake expand on using these 18 examples to stay motivated in order to achieve your goals: 57324Sweet Spot Part 3 with Over Unders and Criss Cross Intervals Remember your Goals Set a Daily Goal to FtFP (General McRaven’s Make your Bed EveryDay) Make it Turn Green – same as above, daily goal Indoor Training – lower the barrier to completion If you have a 3 hour ride on your plan ride 1.5 hours one way so that you have to ride 1.5 hours to make it back home! Ride a different bike than the day before Ride in a new place or new route Set an FTP – plan a 20 min field test

 The recipes in our Winning in the Kitchen Meal Plans are designed to be template guides for meals and have nearly endless variations to fit your preferences and tastes. In this episode, Frank and Jackson discuss how to adapt a few of the recipes to change them up and how to approach incorporating the 5 key food groups for meal planning. Listen in to hear how to keep the kitchen exciting if you’ve been feeling uninspired with your meals! 56075Winning in the Kitchen Meal Plan! Show Notes: Meal Prep Guide: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/meal-prep-guide/ Eggs and Kale recipe: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/what-to-eat-for-breakfast/ Chipotle Rice Bowl: <a

How about a little anaerobic work to go with your sweet spot base training? At FasCat in the wintertime we like to caress and nurture our athlete’s anaerobic system.  One training myth we’d like to dispel is to only do base training for 2-3 months. Why not do both simultaneously, in the right amounts.  We’ve long been fans of fast fun wintertime group rides for the short 10 – 20 second forays above threshold we see in athlete’s power data.   While not a ton of time is spent above threshold there is value and benefit to including anaerobic work to your base training.  After all, isn’t this how the sport of cyclocross was invented? 54547Wintertime Intensity Training Plan. 1 hour workouts Zwift Compatible. This year a number of athletes are missing group rides not only for the social aspect but also for the training.  And not only the base miles training and TSS but the anaerobic component that makes these group rides so beneficial.  Doing a group ride on Zwift (not a r

 Happy 2021! Coach Frank is back in action to talk about what’s coming down the pipeline for podcasts over the next few months of the new year. Winter training, nutrition challenge, and more! Frank also revisits an episode he recorded earlier in 2020 discussing the importance of measuring and tracking your FTP (functional threshold power) with a 20 minute field test, an essential metric to focus on in the beginning of a new year. 53820Six Weeks till the Sweet Spot Part 1 Base Training Plan Reference: A 20 minute Power-Based Field Test As always, thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling trainin

 I wrote this five years ago in 2016 and have been living it since – cycling is a lifestyle and in this training tip I’ll share that lifestyle with you – Frank Overton Jan 9, 2020 Five year’s ago my new year’s resolution was to double down and make 2016 my year to have a great cycling season. You know, ‘get serious’.   The motivation came from two cyclocross seasons of getting my ass kicked. That was not fun at all. Like cross the finish line, go back to your car, get in and drive away.  So I woke up on New Year’s Day 2016 and went for a ride. Then the next day I went for another ride and the next day and so forth. Training consistently was my first goal and I knocked that out in January – I got back to being a cyclist, just like you. As I look back on 2016 and the 4 years since then, I more than accomplished my goal to h

Welcome to another Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we gather questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you ride faster!  This round Frank and Lacey dive into questions ranging from tips for young cyclists, heart rate behavior during workouts, tapering,  frequency of field testing, data fields to display, long term race goals, Haute Route nutrition, and so much more! Thanks to everyone who contributed questions, and congrats to the lucky winner of the Stages Dash head unit! 52180The one and only “Six Weeks to the Sweet Spot Training Plan” The FasCat community now has access to discounts on Stages products, learn more by clicking on the Stages logo in our latest power based training tip “Top 10 Reasons to Ask Santa for a PowerMeter” Show Notes: <a href= "http://citeseerx.ist.psu

The Performance Manager Chart in TrainingPeaks and WKO is one of THE best tools athletes can use for their training and performance.  Coach Frank busts out the pocket protector to explain and describe this impulse-response performance model. Athletes and coaches may use the model to plan training and therefore predict performance! One can literally design more watts into their annual training by using the PMC Chart. It also a dashboard to monitor training stress, training load, acute training stress and the almighty: form – the balance between your training load and short term daily side effects from training. Frank covers everything you need to know about the PMC:  what it is, why you should care about it, and most importantly, how you can use it to take your training and performance to the next level! For the scientific literature reference please see read visit the story behind the development of the PMC Chart <a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/realts

It’s December, which means next year is upon us and thoughts are quickly shifting towards the race season. What are you doing to ensure an improvement over last year? What kind of training are you doing? Are you just winging it? There’s a certain combo of art and science to the base building phase of a training calendar, and in Coach Frank’s extensive experience of coaching cyclists he’s come up with a healthy dose of each to help you go faster. What’s the key component? Sweet spot training. 32655The one and only “Six Weeks to the Sweet Spot Training Plan” We’ve talked about sweet spot a lot on the show and it’s weaved into almost everything FasCat does, but this week on the last episode of the year, Coach Frank breaks down how and why you should be incorporating sweet spot training into your plan to build a bigger and better base for 2020. He’ll cover: What is Base Training? Why Sweet Spot is Better than Zone 2 for Base Training Pow

 Coach Frank drops some wisdom about what types of training we recommend for the next 22 weeks. Why 22 weeks? Well, that’ how long it is from now until mid-May, where you likely want to be fast, faster, peaking, or crushing your A race. We’ll also touch on: what if you have 25 – 26 weeks, which is the Memorial Day Holiday, traditionally a big event week? Or training for the June 5 Unbound Gravel – formerly the Dirty Kanza.  And accordingly, we know some of you out there are chomping at the bit to start racing in mid March which is in 14 weeks. This is part 2 of our OG “Timing is E

From the FasCat family to yours, thank you! For tuning in to the podcast, for letting us help you get faster on the bike, we’re grateful to serve you. This week’s show, the FasCat coaches + Jackson share short messages of gratitude for you, the listener! 49244Shop our off-season resistance training plan. It’s a privilege to do what we do as coaches, and despite the uncertainties and madness of 2020, we want to take a moment to remember why we’re doing this and how lucky we are to be in our position. Hope your holiday season is positive and healthy! Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 50% with FAST50 during our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale The post Tha

Coach Isaiah comes on the podcast today to explain whether or not you should be doing specificity training year round.  Isaiah defines ‘specificity’ in terms of power output, skills, training on (or up/down) certain terrain, equipment, nutrition and of course duration.  We also break down which specifics apply to what phases of your training such as off season weights, sweet spot base, intervals or in season racing. 48934Shop our off-season resistance training plan. It’s a good time of year to start thinking about the demands your target races will require and how you might train specifically for them. From nutrition to skills and drills, specificity is one thing you can control during the hectic uncertainty of 2020!   Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code

Welcome to another episode of the FasCat Podcast! This week Coach Frank and Coach Jake explain how you can use Zwift to FtFP your FasCat Training plan. During the episode they touch on: How to FtFP Zwift Training  Zwift Group Rides & Zwift Racing  Analyzing your racing or training  Jake’s two favorite workouts specific to Zwift Racing We will also be hosting a FasCat meet up via Zwift next week, so be sure to listen (or read the transcript below) to find out more details! 48474Zwift Training Plan + Outdoor Workouts Transcript to the Podca

Welcome to another Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we gather questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you understand training plan design and to help you get even faster on the bike. This go around we touch on a range of topics, including TT fits, fueling indoor workouts, and how strength training increases your FTP! Here are the questions and answers from the podcast: Neil: I’m just over 50 years old and I would love to continue to get better. But as i do that my question is this: Every training plan I see for progressing involves 5-6 sessions/wk. With my job  I can only do 3: one long (up to 5 hr) and 2 short ones at about 90 min. How do I adapt a standard plan into my schedule for maximum effectiveness? 48244Lift Weights & Sweet Spot Base! (& recipes) Well, I guess you could simply skip the w

Here are Frank’s Four Favorite and Fun Indoor Cycling Workouts: Sweet Spot Bursts Criss Cross ‘Micro’ Intervals Over Unders Zwift! 48013Works on Zwift and includes Frank’s 4 Favorite Indoor Cycling Workouts My four favorite workouts are all one hour and have a plethora of variations to last you all winter and to help make indoor training diverse, fun and motivationally stimulating.  I prescribe variations of these workouts Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday and longer outdoor sessions without any structured intervals on the weekends.  One of my biggest rules to make indoor cycling fun and productive is to avoid steady power output – that tends to be boring.  For example 4 x 8 minutes on 4 minutes off – booooooring.  Productive yes, but with a little tweak this workout can become more realistic and dynamic by adding bursts which help the time pass by quicker.</

With the offseason approaching, we’re thrilled to release our Winning in the Kitchen Weight Loss Meal Plan! Get your nutrition habits dialed this offseason so you can hit your goals in 2021. Created by Registered Dietitian Lacey Rivette, these custom meal plans take the guesswork out of weight loss for cyclists and take into account your training, weight, and goals to provide an approachable and easy to follow weight loss plan with custom recipes and meal prep instructions. On the pod, Lacey and Frank break it all down and give you the deets on what you need to know, from some example recipes to how athletes should approach weight loss. Show Notes: Meal Prep Guide: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/meal-prep-guide You Ate App: https://youate.com/ MyFitnessPal: https://www.myf

We’re now well in to October, which is traditionally the offseason period for most of the cycling community (except you ‘crossers!) and so it’s time to start thinking about at home strength training. This is something that can make a huge impact on your cycling performance, but with the current COVID pandemic, going to gyms is a tricky situation. So we’ve adapted and created a special, effective at-home weight lifting plan that uses affordable and minimal equipment to make sure you can still get it done this winter and be back and ready for when racing returns. 47564Weight Lifting (at Home) for Cycling Training Plan In the pod today, Coach Frank breaks it all down, the equipment you’ll need, and what to expect with this unique strength plan. For more on strength training, go back and check out our old episodes on the subject to learn more about why it’s important in the annual periodization. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and review

Weight Lifting this winter will make you faster! More strength = more power = higher FTP =  riding our bikes faster. However this is not your high school weight lifting plan; its designed for cyclists! “Speeds specific to cycling” is the secret sauce of this program: the velocity of the lifts plus the neuromuscular sprint workouts that are coupled to the Strength and Power Phases make this 10 week plan effective for endurance cyclists.” On this week’s podcast, we break down all you need to know about incorporating a cycling-specific resistance training program into your offseason. 9139Take the guesswork out of your off-season with one of our best-selling off-season plans. For more info, check out our training tip: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/weight-lifting-for-cycling/ And the Weight Lifting for Cycling training plan: <a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/training-plans/wei

This week, Jackson and Lacey take over the pod to talk about their favorite subject: performance nutrition. A major theme of this show, we get lots of questions in the forum and through our new meal plans, so we thought we’d touch on a few of the commonly asked questions, such as weight loss, carbohydrate periodization, white vs. brown rice, and more. The offseason is approaching and it’s the ideal time to start dialing in your nutrition strategy so you don’t fall behind! Be sure to check out our Winning In The Kitchen meal plans to get the ball rolling. If you have questions on nutrition and performance, ask away in our dedicated athlete forum at forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 47142Complete Fall and Winter Training Plan! Big thanks to WattBike for sponsoring the show. WattBike is the ultimate indoor cycling experience to take your winter training to the next level. With sup

As the age-old adage goes, timing is everything. As we’re winding down the 2020 “season” and beginning to look towards 2021, it’s a critical thing to consider when planning our calendar. Choosing A vs. B races, when to start the weight lifting and base phases, and how to approach a peak and taper all come down to timing. With a little bit of preparation and planning, and a tip from Goldilocks, we can come into the 2021 season not too hot, not too cold, but just right. 24742Begin your 2021 campaign with our Sweet Spot Part 3 Training Plan In this episode, we cover: ½ life of aerobic endurance adaptations Goldilocks Principle – porridge too hot, too cold, just right 42 day time constant in TrainingPeaks CTL TSTWKT chart <li style="fon

Welcome to another periodized Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we field listener questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you get even faster on the bike. This go around we touch on a range of topics, including thoughts on at-home gym setups, carbohydrates, how to train when smoke is in the air, and more. Here are the links we mentioned in the Podcast: Build Your Own at-home strength setup Pogacar’s Strava file Phil’s Tour of California file analysis  47019Complete Fall and Winter Training Plan! If you want to get a question

It’s about that time! With all the craziness and uncertainty of 2020, we still believe in the importance of taking an actual “off season” to bring some certainty to the cycling season periodization. So how should that look? What should you do? Today on the podcast is a continuation of our 2018 episode about the post-season break where we talked about the 3 core tenets of a good offseason break: Taking 2 weeks off from following a training plan Re-establishing Life Balance Soul Rides 46786Complete Fall / Winter Training Plan: Weights + Sweet Spot Base In this podcast we give seven more performance enhancing, non biking activities to consider as you take some time away from structured, dedicated training. They are: Nutrition/ Winning in the Kitchen Yoga Foundations MTB’ing (rid

The three musketeers of FasCat training plan and coaching design, Frank Overton, Jake Rytlewski, and Isaiah Newkirk stop by the studio to discuss an ever-important topic: When to Hire a Coach or Follow a Training Plan? This question is extremely individualized and complex, so the three coaches break it down and talk about the reasoning behind both so you can be better equipped to decide what’s best for you. As 2020 looms, it’s time to start really planning out the details of the season and how you’re going to approach those goals. We hope this helps you FtFP even better next season! For more on our training plans and coaching, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com and ask away in our exclusive forum at http://forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 31972Complete Fall / Winter Training Plan: Weights + Sweet Spot Base Join our *FREE* Athlete Forum to nerd out with FasCat coaches and athletes about your FTP, race data, power ba

This week we dive into the background of “FTFP”, or Follow the F@#%&^* Plan! Following the well designed training plan is paramount to success as a cyclist, and there’s many layers that go into it. Coach Frank and Jackson discuss the key components to making training efficient and effective, and the 8 habits of successful cyclists. 19803Start building fitness and increasing FTP with our best-selling Sweet Spot plan. Remember to use code 25podcast at checkout to save 25% off your next plan…and don’t procrastinate! If you’d like more help #FtFP’ing consider our Coaching Subscription or hire a FasCat Coach! Find the FasCat podcast on Apple Podcasts, <

As the offseason for most cyclist

This Fall, for those of you with big goals and aspirations, NOW is the time to get on a plan and start training.  Right now cyclists have a huge opportunity to begin their off season training to take their performance to the next level in 2021. Here is our description of ON (off) season training for cyclists because there is no off season for better results next year. As coaches, we look forward to the offseason because it is a time when we can work on athletes’ weaknesses without having to worry about their performance in upcoming races.   As a result, we can start with the basics and methodically take athletes thru a 4-6 month offseason training program that elevates their performance.  There’s a saying “the off season is where you can make the greatest gains” and we couldn’t agree more. 2190Purchase this best-selling 32-week off-season training plan today! The goal of our offseason training program is to

Perhaps #crossiscoming. Perhaps #crossisnotcoming. Regardless, we are going to have some fun with this one. We’ve created a 6 week Strava CX challenge to keep you motivated, inspired and ready to race just in case it’s necessary. Here’s the deal: each week builds off the previous with the goal of making you smoother, more efficient and ultimately faster. Follow the directions below and add this to your training plan or talk with your coach on how to incorporate this into your current plan. Feel free to ask us any questions and let us know how it’s going in the FasCat Forum! Good luck and have fun! <img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone wp-image-45652" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cx-course-1024x715.png" alt="Cyclocross course Fascat" width="788" height="551" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/cx-course-1024x715.png

Ever struggle to get yourself out the door and on the bike? Ever feel burnt out?  Want to find even more motivation and ensure you #FtFP on a regular basis? Well you have come to the right place! Here are our top five tips that will help you do just that: (Tips 1-2 come from our Dietitian and Community Manager, Lacey. Tips 2-6 are from Coach Jake) 1. Train in the Mornings!  Do we sound like a broken record yet? We preach this all the time because it is our #1 tip for nailing your workouts. You might even remember it from our Seven Habits of Highly Successful Masters Athletes training tip! Why do we recommend  this? Becasue training in the morning means you #FtFP before anything can get in your way. Whether that be

Welcome to another periodized Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we field listener questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you get even faster on the bike. This go around we touch on a range of topics, including how best to prepare for a race, interval specificity, gas station bonking, ‘cross training, and more. Here are the links we mentioned in the Podcast: 20 Minute Power Based Field Test Phil Gaimon’s Advice to New & Experienced Cyclists  <a style="color: #ff471c;" href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/my-coaching-philosophy/" target= "_blank" rel="

Ever since we began talking about Winning in the Kitchen two years ago you all have been asking for us to create a cookbook and we thought that was a great idea.  But since adding Lacey Rivette, a Registered Dietitian, to the FasCat team we began to brainstorm and realized we could come up with something even better.  Enter FasCat Meal Plans! These plans are uniquely designed by Lacey to give guidance to even the most unexperienced of cooks so that they can start eating better and riding faster! How is FasCat’s Intro Winning in the Kitchen meal plan different than others? Unlike most meal plans, FasCats meal plans are delivered directly into your TrainingPeaks Account so that you get email notifications each monday about what you need to eat or meal prep. You also get PDF’s of y

As we continue to navigate the weirdest cycling season in history, one of the greatest training tools out there, the group ride, has also been affected. With social distancing rules, group rides are generally a no-go in today’s climate. So how can we mimic the huge benefits of smashing it with your friends on your weekly group ride? Frank and the team of FasCat coaches have 3 quality workout ideas to satisfy the group ride itch while giving you a very similar training stimulus to your favorite weekly throwdown. So, in this episode, Coach Frank and Jackson break down simulating the group ride and how to perform these workouts: Jake’s Diabolical “Kitchen Sink” workout Isaiah’s 4 hour, 4 intervals pain cave sesh Frank’s Freestyle Fartlek / AmEx ride Remember that just because races and group rides as we know them are cancelled doesn’t mean that training hard and smart is cancelled. Keep pushing the pedals and finding ways to keep work

What do you do when the whole season is cancelled because of a global pandemic? Keep calm and FtFP on, duh, because bike riding ain’t cancelled! Coach Frank revisits the topic after we discussed back when COVID-19 first exploded in the U.S. in March and put many things in question, and my how times have changed… Frank shares his expert covid summertime coaching advice to help you keep the motivation rolling, what training should look like right now, some ideas for challenges and ways to use your fitness, and more. Remember to stay positive and embrace this current moment; it’s still such a gift to be able to ride at all! 44449More Bang for your Training Buck SBTVRTL: https://sbtgrvl.com/sbt-vrtl/ How to Taper https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/tapering-in-cycling-for-peak-performance/ Using the Performance Manager Chart to Peak https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/realtstwkt/ Thanks to ev

Join Jackson for a short, 10 minute guided meditation to use while on a ride to cultivate more awareness, mindfulness, and concentration. For more of Jackson’s thoughts on meditation, check out his podcast In The Flow. The post Jackson’s Guided Meditation for Cyclists appeared first on FasCat.

Meditation has become a buzzword in the mainstream, and you’ve probably heard about elite athletes like LeBron James, Kate Courtney, and others espousing its benefits. But what actually is meditation? Why should we consider starting a meditation practice? What are the benefits? Today on the show, we discuss this topic at length and get into why you should consider leaning in to this ancient practice for your mental health, athletic performance, and managing stress in these crazy times. We’ll talk: how meditation works some common misconceptions why athletes could benefit from incorporating meditation practices into their routines and more! Jackson also shares a short, 10 minute guided moving meditation to listen to while on the bike at the end, so stick around! We’ll also release that as a standalone episode. Let us know how you’ve used meditation in your life in the forum at forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 43692

They say that the true gains made in sport performance come not from the hard training, but from the rest and recovery from the training – the adaptation. This becomes more and more important as we get older, and in order to continue training hard and enjoying the sport of cycling, we absolutely must prioritize recovery. This week on the show, Coach Frank breaks down the three main principles of master’s recovery: Sleep Nutrition a Well-Designed Masters-Based Training Plan Frank dives into thoughts on meditation, winning in the kitchen, and training less (crazy right?) to maximize recovery and thus get faster on the bike, basically for free! Our Father’s Day sale is in full force this weekend, so pick up those #DadWatts by using code FASTERDAD at checkout to save 50% off your next training plan. Put that recovery to good use! 42594More Bang for your

Welcome to another periodized Q&A session of the FasCat Podcast, where we field listener questions from our forum, website, and social media to help you get even faster on the bike. This go around we touch on a range of topics, including the most “coachable” traits in athletes, following the plan in the heat or sacrificing sleep, recovery, weight loss and treats, and even a question from Phil Gaimon. If you want to get a question answered in the next one, be sure to sign up for our forum over at forum.fascat.wpengine.com to hop in the conversation. Thanks to everyone who contributed! 41957More Bang for your Training Buck Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wpengine.com. Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast The post <a rel="nofollow" href=

Now that you’ve been building a big base, summer is here, and you’re wanting to “sharpen the sword”, we’ve designed a brand new addition to the Sweet Spot training plan fleet: Sweet Spot Polarized. This style of training is developed to perfectly balance sweet spot and VO2 work to make you go even faster using a “fresher is faster” dependent training plan design. So on the pod today Coach Frank breaks down the philosophy and plan in detail, what to expect and how to get it done. For more info on it, check out https://fascat.wpengine.com/training-plans/sweet-spot-part-4-polarized/ 41798More Bang for your Training Buck Show Notes: Next week we’re doing another episode of Ask FasCat! Submit your questions through the forum @ forum.fascat.wpengine.com or [email protected]. <a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/tss-training-for-cyclists

Strava Racing: Using the technology of Strava routes and segments + their live segments feature you can create and simulate race courses.  And best of all, use the segment’s leaderboard for the ‘race results’. Coach Frank and Jackson share the scoop with the FasCat Nation so you can make the most out of the summer! Be sure to check out FasCat’s very own Strava Racing Challenge here: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/strava-segment-challenge/ And of course continue the conversation in our active forum @ http://forum.fascat.wpengine.com Thanks to everyone for reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts and subscribing wherever you get your pods! Consider <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fascat-cycling-training-tips-podcast/id1381614039" target="_blank" rel="noopener nore

It’s our 2 year anniversary! Hard to believe, but we’ve officially been podcasting for over 2 years. Almost 100 episodes, equaling around 100 hours of audio content to make you a faster cyclist! So today we celebrate by looking back on some of our favorite episodes, the themes that have emerged, and what to look forward to in the next phase of the FasCat Podcast! We also discuss the exciting new FasCat Strava Segment Challenge, Phil Gaimon’s insane Everesting world record, and much more. We want to give a huge shoutout to the entire FasCat community, from the podcast listeners to the forum users, for joining us in this journey and for giving us the inspiration for many of our episodes and content, and for supporting our work! We’re honored to serve your cycling goals, and will stay committed to that goal. 40668More Bang for your Training Buck Episodes mentioned: <a href= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/winning-in-the-kitc

One key question we ask ourselves as coaches at FasCat, is if the athlete is responding to the training we have prescribed. Aka, are they getting faster? Our favorite “experiment” to answer this question is a good old fashioned 20 minute power based field test, which is free and can be conducted anywhere and anytime appropriate. Reality Cycling In a former life and career, I conducted hundreds of experiments as a research scientist in biotechnology and academic medical research laboratories designed to answer specific questions about the research projects I was working on. Spinal cord research, cancer, and novel cancer cures to name a few.  At FasCat, we still perform “experiments” designed to evaluate our athletes’ current physiology as it relates to their cycling performance.  Still to this day the most practical, most relevant test of all is a 20 minute power based field test. With the exception of the gold standard, 40k

 We don’t always have to perform an FTP field test in order to measure our performance. We you may use normalized power during hard effort 20-60 minutes in length, or similar durations during group rides or races to track your performance and FTP over time using real world examples. This is a hot topic so we’d love to field your questions at forum.FasCatCoaching.com  14440Interested in a FasCat training plan? Use code 25podcast at checkout to save 25% on your first plan!   – Join the discussion on the FasCat Forum –   Thanks for listening! Find the FasCat podcast on Apple Podcasts, <a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/2dCwiPGkiv3VJuSeJN957S?si=9a4xgP9e

One of the most popular topics we talk about on the podcast is nutrition, and specifically our philosophy of “Winning in the Kitchen”. We’ve podcasted about breakfast, dinner, on the bike nutrition, winning in the grocery store, weight loss, and now we bring you a conversation about SNACKS! 40045More Training For Your Limited Time Snacks are a challenging aspect of nutrition for many people, athletes included. So we try and simplify it and help you make better choices and build better habits by crafting snacks in a healthy and sustainable way to keep your nutrition game strong! Previous Winning in the Kitchen podcasts/videos worth checking out: Winning in the Kitchen Weight Loss for Cyclists Breakfast <a href= "https:

This week, we discuss how Strava live segments can “hack” your interval performance by increasing motivation, positive reinforcement, and therefore your power output. A Strava-Val is going as hard as you can like an interval but using the live Strava segment for motivation. Knowing in real time if you are ahead or behind your PR is good for 10-20 more watts of motivation. Kind of like a group ride of one. You can do VO2 Max intervals, anaerobic intervals, climbing intervals, breakaway intervals, time trial intervals and of course sweet spot intervals with this style of training.  The choices are endless and at this time of the year, mid-summer, variety is the spice of life and being motivated to go hard is more than half the battle to staying sharp. 21766Follow the plan that Phil uses to get KOMs across the globe. Here’s how to perform a Strava-Val: #1: Create a Strava account The basic is free and the premium (“Summit’ for $8/month) gets

This week we sit down with Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance and coach to many of USA’s greats such as Tejay van Garderen, Kate Courtney, Kristin Armstrong, and Lawson Craddock to name a few. Jim is the ultimate “coaches coach” and has been coaching elite level cycling for nearly 2 decades, and his work has developed amazing athletes and superstar performances, including world championships and Olympic medals. 39934More Training For Your Limited Time Frank and Jim discuss everything from his coaching philosophy, athletes’ least favorite workout, float tanks, embracing failure, and the approach going into Tokyo 2021. Past Training Tips referenced in the podcast: Whoop Recovery Float Tanks VO2 Intervals: 5 on 5 of

This week Frank talks about the 3 ways he advises athletes to use Zwift as a Training Tool. They include: #1 Using Alpe Du Zwift #2 ERG Mode # 3 Group Rides and Races Save 25% on your next training plan with code 25podcast 39836More Training For Your Limited Time What if you had a one hour climb out your backyard to train on? Well now you do with Zwift’s Alpe D Zwift. We’ll talk about using the Alpe du Zwift as a training tool – not necessarily playing the game and racing… but as a training tool to help you follow your training plan and workout better.  Bringing some enhancements to FTFP’ing. The Alpe is a great way to use terrain to help you make better watts.    Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit http://fascat.wp

We are honored to talk about sweet spot training with Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D on this podcast.  Dr. Coggan is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Indiana University’s School of Health and Human Sciences.  IU has a doctoral program in Kinesiology so if there’s a young cyclist out there that wants to study how to get faster, IU’s Department of Kinesiology could be the place for you. 39701More Training For Your Limited Time Andy and Frank go way back to the early days of USA Cycling Coaches Education Program primarily from the power based training seminars and clinics.  In 2004 Andy presented at the Coaches Summit at USA Cycling’s headquarter’s in Colorado Springs, CO and introduced a power based impulse – response performance model. The term sweet spot training was born a few months later from a group of coaches working to validate the model whic

The podcast this week is another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we answer listener questions! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions via our forum, and congratulations to the 3 question-askers we selected to win a FasCat T-shirt! Listen in to see if you won… This go around we answered questions ranging from FTP adjustments for indoor vs. outdoor riding, making the jump from a new cyclist into a cat. 2 or 3, nutrition during the Coronavirus outbreak, moving to elevation from sea level, going after KOMs in training, and plenty more!  Thanks to everyone for tuning in, subscribing and reviewing on Apple Podcasts, and for engaging in our forum! For more things cycling training, visit <a href=

The whole gravel team is here to check in with the FasCat community about setting intermediate goals using virtual communities to keep the motivation high and training moving forward for the next few months.  You still have your A race goals and long term goals, we just don’t know (yet ) how the timing of those goals relates to your training. So in the meantime we present ways to have fun, ride alone, stay fit and improve while we get thru this pause and quarantine!  We share what is going in our own communities, our coaching goals with our athletes, the benefits of Strava and Zwift in current times, how our recent Cervelo Gravel Rush Zwift event went, and plenty more.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade as the saying goes. With the cycling season put on hold until May () there’s now plenty of time to get faster. Two life situations dictate your training approach: do you have less time to train + more stress / more ‘life stuff’ do you have more time now that you’re working from home Depending on your life situation, we recommend adopting a training style and strategy to match what you have going on plus what you have once this is all over: a low volume/ high intensity interval style of training or a sweet spot part 3 style more base/ more CTL training strategy We’ve even created a Corona Training Plan, (which is free with discount code #FtFP at checkout) to help you follow the plan. But this conversation extends beyo

In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the timing of your training for the 2020 cycling season has changed. Races are in question, stress is high, and a lot of us are wondering how to proceed with our seasons with so much being up in the air. So we decided to sit down and chat about the age old question: what should we do when our races get cancelled? How do we proceed when plans change? A lot of us are in this position, so we hope that this clears some of the worry and unknown when it comes to the next few weeks of the season. #KeepCalmAndFtFPOn . Here are 3 training scenarios if your plans have changed per our “Timing is Everything” Podcast: 35684Start building fitness and increasing FTP with our best-selling Sweet Spot plan. #1 your next race is in 6-10 weeks (and/or you have MORE time to train): Keep raising your CTL (Chronic Tra

We’re starting a gravel team! That’s right, the FasCat Coaching Gravel Team will be a thing this year, and we’re here to tell you all about it! Coaches Frank, Jake, Isaiah, and Jackson will be traveling to six gravel events this year, including Mid-South, Belgian Waffle Ride, Dirty Kanza, Crusher in the Tushar, Steamboat Gravel, and Rebecca’s Private Idaho. With the help of some awesome brand partners, a sweet FasCat sprinter van, and an Apple Genius Bar-esque expo set up, we’ll be out at the races walking the walk to help you get faster. We’ll be providing expert level guidance on training, nutrition, and equipment, providing Normatec recovery, and more. 35426Make 2020 your best gravel season ever with FasCat’s Gravel Racing Plan. The goal is to engage with YOU, the race participants to share war stories from the races, connect with the awesome gravel community, represent our brand partners, and support your training and racing goals. For all things gravel team rela

This week Frank and Jackson sit down to help each other out and answer some questions. Jackson is training for his first Dirty Kanza, and asked Frank to coach him through the overview of the next 3 months of preparation. Things like: Macro-scale training plan design, weekly and monthly hours on the bike Training camp ideas What DK simulation rides should look like How to incorporate intensity and tapering for an event like Dirty Kanza 35024Make 2020 your best gravel season ever with FasCat’s Gravel Racing Plan. And then to repay Frank’s wisdom, Jackson helped Frank with some questions about plant-based nutrition, such as: How much protein should I have per meal? What are some potential things I may be missing? What about the Impossible Burger? Is it healthy? We have a great back and forth conversation about these topics, and hopefully you can glean some valuable information for your own training, racing, and nut

Coach Frank “BigCat” Overton drops some knowledge and watt bombs about his top 3 go-to interval workouts this week on the pod. Threshold, VO2 and Anaerobic Capacity/Zone 6 intervals.  It’s that time of year to start thinking about switching from base to race with early season races looming on the horizon, so intervals are the prescription. In this podcast, Frank shares some wisdom on his top 3 interval workouts that are versatile to a variety of races and cycling disciplines, so that you can feel more confident in your training this year: Zone 4: 3 x 8 minutes ON 4-8 minutes off. Zone 5: 2 sets of 2 x 3 min On 3 min OFF Zone 6: 2 sets of 3 x 1 min On 1 min Off , 115 % of your FTP and higher like 150% For more on interval training go bac

This week we’re excited to bring you a conversation with Amity Rockwell, the 2019 winner of Dirty Kanza and overall gravel hitter. Amity has a unique and interesting path into the sport of cycling after growing up in the Bay Area to ultrarunner parents, and her philosophy around the sport and mindset towards training and racing are powerful. Frank and Amity talk about her upbringing and how it developed her love and physiological talent for riding long distances. They also get into what her training and mental preparation looked like for her 2019 Dirty Kanza victory, and what she’s looking forward to in 2020. For more on Amity, check her out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amityvil Subscribe and leave us a review to support the show! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fascat-cycling-training-tips-podcast/id1381614039<

Perhaps the two most important pillars of the FasCat Coaching ethos, following the plan and Winning in the Kitchen go very hand in hand. We’ve podcasted about them separately but realized that they fit together nicely, so we have a bit of a combo episode for you today to revisit these topics to keep you inspired as winter rages on. Winning in the Kitchen is about choosing go fast foods and setting the conscious intention to prioritize nutrition as part of you training – and sticking to that plan, just like #FtFP when it comes to training. The origin of FtFP comes from our coaching experience and noticing bad training habits. #FtFP is having a training plan and following it. This is also where we got the expression “If you can follow a plan, you can get faster” – this is based on being able to FtFP: Planning <span style="font

<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-33892" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-1024x682.jpeg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-540x360.jpeg 540w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-580x387.jpeg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-750x500.jpeg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-360x240.jpeg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Pete-Stetina-pic.jpg-1140x760.jpeg 1140w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp

We’re back with our 8th edition of Ask FasCat, where we field listener questions to help you become a faster cyclist. This time, Coach Isaiah is in the house to help break down questions ranging from Dirty Kanza training, the utility of plyometrics, training camp thoughts, polarized training vs. sweet spot talk, and plenty more. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! Should You Strength Train During the Season https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/video-should-you-strength-train-during-the-season/ Volume versus Intensity Debate: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP277633 As always, you can submit questions through our engaging forum over at forum.fascat.wpengine.com and please consider subscribing to the show and leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts. The post Ask FasCat #8 — Dirty Kanza Training, Polarized vs. S

This week on the pod, Coach Isaiah returns to share his takeaways and lessons learned from his recent USA Cycling Coaches Level 1 Education Course, and how it applies to YOUR cycling training. Isaiah shares a lot of powerful insights on training and racing philosophy, coaching science, and more, and really brings you into the mind of a high-level cycling coach. For more on Isaiah, check out his coaching bio at https://fascat.wpengine.com/coaches/isaiah-newkirk/ And as always, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and share the show with your training buddies! Thanks for listening. 33420Get started with our best-selling Sweet Spot 1 Training Plan. The post Inside Coach Isaiah’s Mind: Takeaways from USAC Level 1 Coaches Education appeared first on <a rel

It’s late December, early January and time to get serious and make the most of the remaining months of the offseason to come into the gravel calendar swinging. Coach Frank and Jackson sit down to discuss their top tips and considerations for offseason gravel training, including: 32352Looking for the perfect off-season Gravel Plan for January? Here it is. 10 Weeks Resistance Training Sweet Spot Base Gravel simulation rides strength + conditioning periodization gravel training camp and of course, #WinningInTheK

We’re back at our favorite local bike shop, Excel Sports for a LIVE podcast sharing FasCat’s picks for the holidays if you or someone you know is a cyclist! Coach Frank breaks down everything from bikes to tires to nutrition products, and we even gave away a Wahoo ROAM for the livestream! If you’re looking for some really solid gifts for the cyclist in your life this season, look no further. To find all of the products mentioned in this podcast, visit our friends over at Excel Sports: http://excelsports.com. Products mentioned: Cervelo Aspero gravel bike 1 <a href= "https://www.excelsports.com/main.asp?page=8&description=Roctane+Energy+Drink+Mix+12+Serve&vendorCode=GU&maj

It’s the week of Thanksgiving and Boulder is being covered in snow, so Coach Frank checks in with the podcast to share what he’s grateful for, share the details of our Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal, and how to stay sane and train this holiday season. Remember to use code Fast50 at checkout to save 50% off any plan, today through end of day Monday, Dec. 2nd. And have a fantastic Thanksgiving! Check out our sweet selection of training plans for every kind of cyclist: https://fascat.wpengine.com/training-plans/  The post Thanksgiving Gratitude & Black Friday Show appeared first on FasCat.

<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28750" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM.png" alt="" width="960" height="968" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM.png 960w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-150x150.png 150w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-298x300.png 298w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-768x774.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-580x585.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-496x500.png 496w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Screen-Shot-2019-11-21-at-8.48.20-AM-360x363.png 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/

<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-28568" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt.jpg" alt="" width="919" height="919" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt.jpg 919w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-150x150.jpg 150w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-300x300.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-768x768.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-410x410.jpg 410w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-580x580.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-500x500.jpg 500w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-360x360.jpg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Mark-aboutsbt-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px

<img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-28159" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-1024x640.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="640" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-300x188.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-768x480.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-580x363.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Redlands_Classic_Stage_2_TeamTwenty20_Rossignol_Bike_Group_00014_2048x-750x469.jpg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine

This week we are talking about the new Netflix documentary The Gamechangers, plant-based Frank, Zwifting, the Excel Sports discount, Ray Dalio’s book, Principles, and Jackson’s morning routine. We hope you enjoy! If you are a training plan customer or FasCat Athlete, don’t forget to check out Excel Sports (excelsports.com) and select FasCat Coaching under the how did you hear about us? dropdown menu for some wicked discounts! And continue the conversation in our exclusive forum at forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 27878Buy our most popular off-season training plan today. The post Grab Bag: Gamechangers, Zwifting, Principles, and Morning Routines appeared first on FasCat.

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone wp-image-26241 size-large" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-798x1024.png" alt="" width="798" height="1024" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-798x1024.png 798w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-234x300.png 234w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-768x986.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-105x135.png 105w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-580x745.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-2.16.01-PM-389x500.png

We’re back with another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we take listener questions submitted via our forum and add our take to help make you faster. This time, the focus is cyclocross training, as the season is in full swing. We hit questions ranging from offseason ‘cross training, fueling for race day, to the best way to quantify cyclocross training and more. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and be sure to check out our forum for more cycling conversation @ forum.fascat.wpengine.com. 25924Looking for that perfect in-season CX training plan? Click here to start fast. Shownotes: Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Design and Podcast The Perfect Cyclocross Pre-Race Routine <a href="https://fascat.wpengi

   We’re back with another #WinningInTheKitchen special, serving up a conversation about where this all begins: the grocery store. It doesn’t matter how dialed your kitchen is or how motivated you are to cook healthy food if you don’t bring it home from the grocery store first. So we’re here to share our Go Fast Foods grocery list and share some of our favorite tips and foods to help you on your offseason nutrition plan. Our focus is discussing the main areas to shop for: Greens Vegetables Fat Protein <li style="font-weight: 4

<img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-12534" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-12534" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-11-at-2.15.47-PM-1024x621.png" alt="FasCat Coaching, Cycling Nutrition" width="1024" height="621" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-11-at-2.15.47-PM-1024x621.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-11-at-2.15.47-PM-300x182.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-11-at-2.15.47-PM-768x466.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-11-at-2.15.47-PM-580x352.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-20

Since we talked about timing as it relates to training last week, this time is all about the timing of streng

by Jake Rytlewski,  September 2019 If you have ever heard of or been to Kalkaska, Michigan chances are you have done or heard of the Iceman Cometh. The Iceman Cometh is a 27 mile point to point mountain bike race in northern Michigan held yearly on the first Saturday of November. What started off as a small event with only a handful of races has turned into an end of the year party drawing over 4,000 racers. Even though there is a lot of talk about the after party, many riders like to finish of the year on a high note with a good result. 2757But how do you train for the Iceman Cometh MTB race? Here is a six week training plan showing you how! Of course the biggest variable is the weather where it can be anywhere from 70 degrees to 20 degrees and 6 inches of snow or anything in between. In our Iceman training plan, each week has a day dedicated to mountain bike skills. Try to ride in different trail conditions such as sand

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-24137" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-1024x551.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="551" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-300x161.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-768x413.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-580x312.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-750x404.jpg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-360x194.jpg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-1-1140x613.jpg 1140w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-home16x9-

T

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-23303" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-1024x577.png" alt="" width="1024" height="577" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-1024x577.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-300x169.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-768x433.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-580x327.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-750x422.png 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-26-at-10.01.50-AM-36

We’re back for a long awaited Q&A episode, answering questions about everything from weight loss to full gas intervals to altitude adjustment…it’s a good one (we even get a call from Mr. Gaimon)! Thanks to everyone for submitting questions through the FasCat forum, emailing in questions, or shooting us a message on social media. Rea

R

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-21041" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-1024x899.jpg" alt="#SECRETTRAINING CYCLOCROSS TIPS FOR JULY" width="1024" height= "899" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-1024x899.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-300x263.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-768x674.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-580x509.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-570x500.jpg 570w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-360x316.jpg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Tips-July-cornering-1140x1001.jp

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone wp-image-22018 size-large" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-1024x465.png" alt="" width="1024" height="465" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-1024x465.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-300x136.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-768x349.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-580x264.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-750x341.png 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-25-at-12.27.00-PM-360x164.png 360w, https://fascat

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-21134" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-1024x684.png" alt="" width="1024" height="684" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-1024x684.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-300x200.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-768x513.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-540x360.png 540w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-580x387.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-28-at-4.28.22-PM-750x500.pn

Summer is here, which means training and racing on the bike is being ramped up, goals are being achieved, and we can finally be outside more. However, it’s also a time to revisit our nutrition and maybe lose those lagging couple extra pounds or just dial things in to train harder and recovery even better during big training and racing blocks. Coach Frank and Jackson sit down to talk through 3 very important and relevant topics in this conversation: Using your powermeter to track caloric expenditure & quantify weight loss Fiber & satiety as it relates to healthy nutrition, and of course your #WinningInTheKitchen Grocery Shopping List We’d love for you to join the discussion about our podcast on <a class= "wpdc-discourse-topic-link" href= "https://forum.fascat.w

We are asked constantly about different pieces of gear, what’s the best bang for your buck, what kind of cycling computer to buy, which tires to use for X race, etc. With the cycling season in full swing, we decided to stop by Excel Sports, our local cycling superstore to record a podcast walking through our favorite items at the $50, $100, $250, $500, and $1,000 price points. The whole purpose is to share our recommendations as cycling coaches for products that have a very tangible and practical application for your training and performance, in order to ride faster and perform better. For this reason, we didn’t discuss carbon wheels or frames, pedals or shoes, but instead focused on the “little” things that you might not think about as essential items for cycling success. For all your cycling gear needs, definitely check out Excel Sports and remember your FasCat Team Discount for be

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-full wp-image-20287" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM.png" alt="" width="1008" height="568" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM.png 1008w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM-300x169.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM-768x433.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM-580x327.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM-750x423.png 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Screen-Shot-2019-06-12-at-9.40.03-AM-360x203.png 360w" sizes="(max

Greetings, fellow bicycle nerds! We’re back with another installment of our Ask FasCat Q&A s

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-18751" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-1024x576.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-300x169.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-768x432.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-580x326.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-750x422.png 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fas-Cat-Haute-Route-You-Tube-360x203.png 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/F

With the Haute Route approaching next week, we decided to sit down and talk about how to win at traveling to bike races, whether it’s via car or via plane. We discuss what to bring and how to avoid those last minute stressors to prepare best for your target races. Speaking of travel, you can listen to our live podcast from Asheville the day before the Haute Route here: https://youtu.be/PlekuP2Udks Be sure to continue the conversation in our brand new forum at http://forum.fascat.wpengine.com. Find the FasCat podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Follow us on social: Facebook, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-18296" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-1024x531.png" alt="" width="1024" height="531" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-1024x531.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-300x156.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-768x398.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-580x301.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-750x389.png 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-360x187.png 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-6-to-zone-5-1140x591.png 1140w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/zone-

Gravel racing season is in full swing, and this week’s podcast is all about

  With another 4 weeks gone by in an instant, it’s time for another Q&A session! On this week’s show, we dive into listener submitted questions on topics ranging from fasting, avoiding cramping, using commuting as training, and more. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! We hope you enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to subscribe and use code 25podcast at checkout to save on your next plan. The FasCat Athlete Forum is live! Join the discussion here. Find the FasCat podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. Follow us on social: Faceboo

With the racing season in full swing, a big area of consideration and confusion for many cyclists is on the bike nutrition. We’ve talked at length about Winning in the Kitchen, but it’s an entirely different animal to fuel yourself on the bike in training and racing. We sit down to discuss the fundamentals of nutrition on the bike, and share the essentials of what you need to know. Here’s a short recap of what we covered:  2-5 hours: 30-60g carbohydrates per hour (120 – 240 calories/ hour)  5+ hours: 60-90g carbohydrates per hour (240-360 calories/hour) Every 30 minutes : gels > blocks > bars + Skratch Labs rice cakes Speaking of the “Guaranteed Not to Bonk” Rice Cakes here’s Dr. Allen Lim’s recipe (<a href= "https://blog.skratchlabs.com/blog/berry-mint-chocolate-rice-cakes?rq=rice%20cakes" target="_blank" rel="noopener nore

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone wp-image-15531 size-large" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-1024x546.jpeg" alt="" width="1024" height="546" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-1024x546.jpeg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-300x160.jpeg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-768x410.jpeg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-580x310.jpeg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-10.02.25-AM-750x400.jpeg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-05-at-

Happy spring! To shift gears a bit, Jackson and Coach Isaiah come to your ears with a special edition of the podcast while Frank is on vacation for spring break. We dive into the fundamentals of plant-based nutrition for athletes, and discuss many aspects of our own diets and philosophies on food and fueling for cyclists. It’s a fun and educational conversation, so grab a pen and paper and take some notes! #WinningInTheKitchen applies to everyone, and if you’re curious about being vegan or vegetarian, or simply incorporating more plant-based meals into your routine, this episode is for you. And as promised, here is the recipe for my famous smoothie bowl: Join the discussion on the FasCat Forum. 15250If you’re looking for that perfect all-around training to help increase FTP, purchase & follow 18 Weeks to Sweet Spot! Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to share this episode with a friend or teammate.</p

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-medium wp-image-13144" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-580x326.jpeg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-750x422.jpeg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-360x203.jpeg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fullsizeoutput_1b93-1140x641.jpeg 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 300px)

Continuing with the progression in early season training periodization, we’re now getting into the real work of the race season and everyone’s favorite part of training: intervals. We did an episode way back in the beginning of the FasCat podcast on intervals, but we

It’s getting to be that time of year when the first races of the season are quickly approaching, you’ve been (hopefully) putting in some solid base training, and your A race is on the foreseeable horizon. It’s time to start thinking abo

We’re back with another Q&A episode, taking questions from the FasCat podcast community to help you get faster! We answer questions ranging from the proper usage of sweet potatoes to building watts/kg and everything in between. It’s a great episode, so thank you to everyone who contributed questions! Remember to send in your questions for our monthly Ask FasCat episodes, and share this episode with a friend or teammate and subscribe to all the usual places you listen to podcasts (links below). Time to get faster! Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fascat-cycling-training-tips-podcast/id1381614039?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dCwiPGkiv3VJuSeJN957S?si=9a4xgP9eT26_YXp6ASOVNA Stitcher: <a href= "htt

Training camps are one of the quintessential components of cycling. Putting in a highly focused and productive week of training in a warm place, combined with good nutrition and recovery in the early season can pay off tremendously for the upcoming race season. In this episode, we recount some of our favorite training camp stories, how to best design your own personal camp, the three pillars of a successful camp, and also hear from Coach Isaiah about his recent team camp with the 303 Project Pro Cycling Team. 12797Sweet Spot Part 3 Training Plan Here is what our 3 Day Mill Valley Training Camp looked like after we ‘made it turn green’ in Training Peaks: <img loading="lazy" class= "aligncenter size-large wp-image-56200" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/DIY-Training-Camp--1024x254.png" alt="" width="1024" height="254" srcset= "https:

<img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="537" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-1024x537.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-11971" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-1024x537.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-300x157.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-768x403.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-580x304.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-750x393.jpg 750w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_350319155555587_4405176470347972608_o-360x189.jpg 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51165021_3503191

You asked, we answered! Once a month, we will take questions fielded from the FasCat community (via email and social media) and spend the entire hour answering them! The entire purpose of this podcast is to help you go faster on the bike, and we want to be more engaged with our podcast community (YOU!) to achieve that goal. This is the first installment in the Ask FasCat series, and we answer questions ranging from the rationale of openers to fueling for sweet spot, to fitting in fun group rides within a structured training plan, and everything in between. If you’d like to get a question answered next month, shoot us an email to [email protected] or tag us #askfascat. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and thanks for listening! Don’t forget to use code 25podcast at checkout to receive 25% off any training plan. Don’t get left behind and scrambling to get ready for your target event! Also, the full video version of the podcast will be on

We get a ton of questions about how best to pair and sequence our training plans to connect them through an entire season or a specific situation. With many permutations of how to combine plans over the course of a training and racing block, today’s podcast is about giving you the tools to decide how to approach it. Don’t forget to use code 25podcast at checkout to save 25% off any of our training plans. Tis the season! Don’t wait until the last minute and “cram for the exam”. We’re also recording a Q&A podcast next week, so send in your questions to [email protected] with any and all questions and we’ll answer them on air. You can also watch the video version (coming soon) of this podcast on our YouTube channel, and be sure to subscribe as we’ll be filming all forthcoming episodes. Enjoy the show! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascat

We’re back with Coach Isaiah to discuss the value and importance of collegiate cycling not only for the development as a cyclist, but creating more long term enjoyment in the sport of cycling. We chat about our experiences from both the rider side (Jackson and Isaiah) and the coaching side (Frank) to share insight for young athletes and parents alike. <img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-medium wp-image-10900" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/64257_593888787297318_2046025998_n-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/64257_593888787297318_2046025998_n-300x199.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/64257_593888787297318_2046025998_n-768x510.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/

  <img loading="lazy" class= "alignleft wp-image-10776 size-thumbnail" src= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-150x150.png" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-150x150.png 150w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-300x300.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-768x768.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-410x410.png 410w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-580x580.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-500x500.png 500w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-360x360.png 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/podcast-2019-100x100.png 100w, htt

Coach Frank sits down wit

photo: Snowy Mountain Photography FasCat Athlete Sunny Gilbert recently had the ride of her life at the 2018 USA Cyclocross National Championships, netting second place in one of the most technical and demanding races in recent years. But what’s more fascinating is the path she’s taken to arrive at this place. A national champion in collegiate running, PhD level biochemistry science nerd, and a love for adventure, Sunny is the definition of a working-woman powerhouse athlete. We sit down with Sunny and her coach, Isaiah, for a candid and hilarious conversation about evolving as an athlete, what it takes to be strong, and how to juggle everythin

Coach Frank drops a solo episode this week on the FasCat Podcast discussing how he “invented” Sweet Spot Training and how he integrates it into his coaching philosophy. Here is the training tip referenced in the podcast about the simultaneous development of Training Stress Score (TSS) and TSTWKT (the Performance Manager Chart) 10075Train Less, Go Harder, Get Faster! For more on Sweet Spot and to add it to your training, check out our entire Sweet Spot training tips section and our Sweet Spot training plans Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    <

<img loading="lazy" class= "size-medium wp-image-10003 alignleft" src= "http://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-300x300.png 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-150x150.png 150w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-768x768.png 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-410x410.png 410w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-580x580.png 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-500x500.png 500w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sbt1-logo-360x360.png 360w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploa

A Thanksgiving gratitude podcast because we are thankful for our all awesome listeners!  So we sit down and talk about how grateful we are for this podcast and for YOU, the audience! We also dive into a couple other topics to get you through the holiday weekend. Enjoy! Jackson’s Ted talk: “Make Pooping Great Again” https://youtu.be/oVDh6w6secs Why Sweet Spot is Superior to Zone 2  https://youtu.be/l61Rk8_SeOU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    Instagram: @fascatfh Twitter: @FasCat  , @FasCatCoaching and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FasCatCoaching</p

This week’s show is all about cyclocross. The final month of the season is upon us, so how can we make the most of it? What should we do to keep the momentum flowing into Nationals? Coach Frank sits down with FasCat coach and cyclocross crusher, Brandon Dwight**, to discuss this topic. The two discuss Secret Training techniques, how to do better when it’s cold out, and plenty more. **Brandon is a 4 time Master Nationals Champion ‘Cross the Pond film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPxYIfEZbdg&feature=youtu.be Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    Instagram: @fascatfh Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.c

This week we’re doing something a little different, and hosting a sort of “grab bag” podcast, inspired by listener and athlete questions we’ve received in the recent days. Typically our conversation revolves around a central topic, but instead we hit on four topics that are relevant to our entire podcast audience! We discuss our new 30-day Winning in the Kitchen Challenge, how to effectively perform a 20 minute field test, avoiding a common coaching pitfall, and why taking a weekend off from racing to train in cyclocross can make you faster for the rest of the season. Thanks again for the great feedback and for sharing your questions with us via social media and elsewhere, it helps us develop the direction of the show! And of course, thanks for listening. Fa

  It’s beginning to become that time of year where the clocks change, the days get shorter and colder, and we inevitably spend more time inside on the bike. We can hear the groans of dread for the early morning trainer rides echoing across the northern climate cycling communities, but we promise it doesn’t have to be dreadful. With a few simple tips and some structure, you can make indoor cycling great again. This week on the podcast, we share our advice for making the most out of the winter trainer season to not get burned out and instead get the most out of your trainer workouts. We break down things like the “trainer effect”, why consistency is king, and how to navigate the waters of Zwift. We also broadcasted this live on our Facebook page, so you can see us recording the podcast and answering listener questions in our Halloween costumes…watch it if you dare: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/ For

Training with power has become the norm in the sport of cycling. Objectively speaking, it’s probably the most beneficial tool we have at our disposal for quantifying our training so that we may train smarter. But as Uncle Ben said in Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility (pardon the pun). For those of us who are new to this tool and technology, it may feel easy to get overwhelmed but have no fear we’ll tell ya what to really pay attention to. In today’s podcast, we break down the top 4 ways to use your new powermeter, and take listener questions from our live Facebook broadcast. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to see more live podcast shows! #1 Perform a 20min Field Test: #2 <a href="http://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/training-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noref

On this week’s podcast, we sit down to discuss how to plan your races for 2019. We break down all the races we are thinking about into A, B & C races and talk about what factors to consider when planning out your whole season. Coach Frank and Jackson walk you thru their choices for races like the Belgian Waffle Ride, Dirty Kanza, the Crusher in the Tushar and Rebecca’s Private Idaho. What races are you planning for next year? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear what your goals are. We also just want to extend a huge thank you to all of our listeners. It’s been a really fun project to create this show and help you get faster, and we’ve been blown away by the support and engagement! Finally: who’s in for a Gravel Training Camp next June [2019] in Boulder, CO? Let us know and we’ll see about putting on together. <img loading

On a follow up episode from our extremely popular Winning in the Kitchen podcast, it’s time to dive into the world of nutrition and weight loss yet again. It may sound counterintuitive, but the time to lose weight is NOT during the peak of the racing season, but instead during the offseason and winter base period. This is an incredibly hot topic of discussion among cyclists and other endurance athletes, as power to weight is a critical factor for performance. However, there is both a wrong and a right way to lose weight, and our goal today is to offer up some of our thoughts on losing weight and eating well in a sustainable, effective, and healthy way. What would Alaphillipe do? <img loading="lazy" class= "wp-image-9109 size-full alignleft" src= "http://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ally.jpg" alt=""

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone wp-image-9008 size-large" src= "http://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-768x512.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-540x360.jpg 540w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/39032308_10214795905844048_1285959976321286144_o-580x387.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengi

It’s that time of year when the racing starts winding down and all of our excitement and energy for the season begins to dwind

Cyclocross season is upon us, so it’s time to start thinking about your cyclocross skills. Cornering is a HUGE skill that can take your cyclocross racing to the next level. Think about it: you take two dozen or so turns per lap. Carrying your momentum thru the turn saves your energy that you would otherwise have to spend re-accelerating back up to speed. In today’s podcast, Coach Frank talks with cyclocross powerhouse, Michael Robson.  Frank and Michael discuss cornering and how carrying your momentum thru the corner can help you race faster and get better results. We wish you speed and smoothness this upcoming ‘cross season, and hope you enjoy the show! Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    Instagram: @fascatfh Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/F

In this podcast we are talking about the wearable Whoop device.  We consider the Whoop to be like a power meter for your recovery. The WHOOP is wearable designed for athletes that measures your sleep, strain, and cardiovascular parameters like heart rate variability and resting heart rate. The Whoop’s algorithm factor’s all those metrics to give you a recovery score. Simply, are you recovered like you think you are?  Cool right? Here at FasCat we’ve been testing the WHOOP strap for 8 months and wanted to dive in and share our thoughts with the podcast community! 8799The one and only “Six Weeks to the Sweet Spot Training Plan” We’re also joined by the WHOOP content manager, Mark Van Deusen to hear how the WHOOP strap works. He’s also been generous enough to offer our listeners a free month of a WHOOP subscription with code ‘fascatwhoop‘ at checkout ($30 value)! We talk about how using the WHOOP enhances our trai

The Crusher in the Tushar brings the pain. We’ve had some time to process the pain and suffering of the 2018 Crusher in the Tushar gravel race, which was both Frank and Jackson’s target race for the season. We met so many people who listened to our first podcast on the Crusher, so we felt compelled to break down the experience and go through the data! In this episode, we go through each of our races (Jackson in the pro field, Frank in the 45-49 field) and look at the TrainingPeaks data. We also filmed the episode, so head over to our YouTube channel to get visuals on the data! We’re already planning how to do better next year… Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and feel free to leave a question or comments in the comment section below, or ping us on social media. Thanks for listening! Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoach

MONZA, ITALY – MAY 06: (L-R) Eliud Kipchoge Zersenay Tadese and Lelisa Desisa run during the Nike Breaking2: Sub-Tw

This week, Frank and Jackson sit down with FasCat coach Isaiah Newkirk, a seasoned performance coach and professional c

<img loading="lazy" class= "alignnone size-large wp-image-8475" src= "http://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-arcs-region-1024x575.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="575" srcset= "https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-arcs-region-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-arcs-region-300x169.jpg 300w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-arcs-region-768x431.jpg 768w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-arcs-region-580x326.jpg 580w, https://fascat.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tour-de-france-in-bourg-st-maurice-2018-les-ar

It’s Recovery Mond

The Crusher in the Tushar, one of the premier mixed terrain bike races in the country, is a cruel, brutal yet beautiful event. It covers 70 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation gain in the Tushar mountain range of Southern Utah, and is easily some of the most difficult 70 miles you’ll ever do. This week on the podcast, we break down the course and provide insight into the race strategy so you can crush with confidence. Coach Frank has attended multiple Crushers, and has won his age group as well. We break down the course and what you can expect out there come race day. Be sure to check out the video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel for a more in depth look at the TrainingPeaks and GPS data from the race! Thank you for tuning in to the podcast, and for all of the great feedback on the show. If you have questions, ping us on Twitter @fascat and @

  We’re excited to bring a bonus episode this week to your ears! We bring on a special guest, FasCat’s new coach, Robby Ketchell to talk all things Tour de France. Robby has worked at the highest level of the sport as a sports and data scientist for teams like Garmin Slipstream and Team Sky. He helped coach Ryder Hesjedal to victory at the 2012 Giro d’Italia and has been an integral component to the high performances of many professional cyclists. Robby drops by the FasCat podcast to talk about his background and stories from behind the peloton, including a fantastic account of Ryder’s Giro win. We then dive into the 2018 TdF route and discuss some of the contenders and key stages, and what we can expect from this year’s race. If you have any questions for a future podcast with Robby, leave them in the comments below or on Twitter! We’re definitely bringing him back for more… If you’re interested in working with Robby to improve your cycling performance, he’s no

This week we’re diving into the rationale behind using a well-designed cycling training plan to pursue your goals as a cyclist. Training is both an art and a science, and having a professionally curated plan will ensure that you’ll go faster on the bike. We talk about: How and why FasCat began developing our six week $49 training plans What’s included in the training plans How to choose, follow and get the most out of the plan And more! Listen through the end of the podcast to get a special coupon code to save on your next training plan! And remember: if you can follow a plan, you can go faster. Thank you for tuning in to the podcast, and for all of the great feedback on the show. If you have questions, ping us on Twitter @fascat and @jacksonlong, or by commenting below. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform, and leave us a <a href= "https://itunes.apple.co

This week we’re going an inch deep and a mile wide on the science of intervals for each of the primary disciplines of cycling so you

  This week on the podcast, we’re diving deep into recovery for cyclists. Have you ever heard the mantra, “Train hard, recovery harder”? It’s true; recovery is an absolute cornerstone for performing as an athlete, and it must be taken seriously. We walk through the fundamentals (the practices that make up 80-90% of recovery) plus the additional 10-20% “marginal gains” that can be added in to maximize recovery and performance as a cyclist. In this episode, you’ll learn: The top 3 fundamental components of optimizing recovery as an athlete What an ideal recovery routine looks like Some of Frank’s favorite recovery tools and secrets What’s up with Cryotherapy and sensory deprivation tanks? Plus more! Thank you for tuning in to the podcast, and for all of the great feedback on the show. If you have questions, ping us on Twitter @fascat and @jacksonlong, or by commenting below. Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on

Welcome to the third installment of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! This week we’re pumped to bring you an episode on all things GRAVEL. Gravel cycling is so hot right now, and we felt like it would be a good topic to cover as we swing into the gravel riding and racing season. Both Frank and Jackson are avid #groaders and are both training for the upcoming Crusher in the Tushar race in about 6 weeks, so we go through everything you need to know about riding and racing gravel. We talk about: – What is gravel riding? – Equipment, fueling, training for gravel events – The four main components to a successful gravel training campaign – Expert recon for an example gravel race (Crusher in the Tushar) – And plenty more! Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback and response to the last two podcasts, we’ve been blown away by the support already! You can further your generosity by leaving a review on the iTunes store (which is free) or by shari

  Welcome to Episode 2 of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! This week we’re talking Winning in the Kitchen. Performing as an athlete extends far beyond training. In order to perform like a Ferrari, you have to put in high-octane, Grade-A fuel! We talk about: – The importance of periodized nutrition – The core carbohydrate, protein, and fat sources – Frank’s grocery list and how to hack the grocery store Listen in to learn how you can win in the kitchen to win on the bike! Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoaching/    Instagram: @fascatfh Twitter: @FasCat  and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/F

Welcome to the first episode of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! We’re really excited to bring you a more in-depth look at our training tips and cycling experience through the podcast medium. Expect regular content covering everything from power and sweet spot training to winning in the kitchen. In our first episode, Coach Frank and his co-host, Jackson Long, discuss FasCat’s 15-year history starting with how FasCat got its name. We talk about what you can expect from the podcast moving forward and why we decided to launch this in the first place! Definitely, let us know if you have any specific topics you’d like us to cover or questions to submit for future Q&A episodes of the show. We can’t wait to make you faster! 7796As a special introductory offer, you can save 25% on your first training plan purchase with coupon “25podcast”! Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fascatcoa