Physiologists and coaches have attempted to quantify training through both external and internal measures. We review the primary training metrics and detail the benefits and shortcomings of each.
With the help of CTS coach Renee Eastman, we field questions on injury, the power of consistency, weight vs. power, and fast-twitch fibers.
Endurance athletes inevitably face the challenges imposed by training and racing in the heat. How do our bodies respond, and what are ways that we can best prepare? Learn how to beat the heat with advice from Dr. Stephen Cheung, Dr. Stephen Seiler, and a range of experts and coaches.
Coach Julie Young explores ways to develop mental skills to embrace discomfort as fuel for growth and performance.
Should you pay attention to the numbers on your head unit while you’re racing? If so, which ones, and when? We dive in with TrainingPeaks co-founder Dirk Friel.
HIT has many proven benefits and several big limitations. Trevor Connor explores how HIT works, its effects, and the most effective high-intensity interval workouts you can choose for specific gains.
High-intensity training offers many benefits. It also has limitations. We explore just how much HIT work you need to perform at your best.
Stage races and other multi-day events offer special challenges, particularly when it comes to recovery. We explore three of the key elements to maintaining good performances day after day.
Making a mid-season assessment of your training, and effectively modifying it (if needed), takes skill and confidence. We discuss how to do it, particularly when it comes to structure, recovery, limited time, and top-end form.
Analyzing your training is a critical aspect of improving fitness. With the help of Dr. Stephen Seiler, Colby Pearce, Julie Young, and many others, we explore how and why to monitor and analyze data, and explore different approaches to interpreting and managing your workout data.
Coach Grant Holicky explains how athletes can better manage anxiety through visualization, routine, and reframing.
Can cycling twice in one day produce the same benefits as one long ride? Do “two-a-days” yield adaptations you can’t get any other way? We explore.
These simple, critical tips from a veteran mountain bike coach will help you reduce race-day stress, increase enjoyment, and improve your chances of a great performance at your next off-road event.
We explore the physiology of race season—how to find top-end fitness, how long it takes, and the best ways to do it.
Are you tempted to throw out those five-hour rides—not enough time or willpower, or maybe you find them boring? Don’t do it! Trevor Connor explores the adaptations that can only be gained from long, slow miles.
Three-time XTERRA world champion and owner of MelRad Coaching, Melanie McQuaid, joins us to discuss how to judge fatigue, the effects of overtraining, and the “crossover effect.”
Training and racing at elevation can have a significant impact on performance. We explore some ways to improve your preparation for races at altitude.
Interval workouts are a fundamental part of any endurance training program. Learn exactly what intervals are, why they are so important, and how to properly execute interval workouts with the help of Sebastian Weber, Neal Henderson, and Dr. Stephen Seiler.