Fitness testing is an essential part of improving as a cyclist as it allows you to quantify where you are, set training zones for your workouts (either through heart rate or power), and track your progress over time. If you are new to riding with power, where do you begin? Power testing to determine...
Ask the Experts: Best Nutrition for Race Day Performance
You’ve trained hard for your race, putting in the workweek in and week out so you’re in top form. Now comes the big day. Don’t let all of that hard work and preparation go to waste by getting your race day nutrition wrong. Just like you can’t put sawdust in the tank of an...
Regaining Fitness and Motivation After Injury
As much as we try to avoid it, injury at times is a part of the sport. There are the lucky few who can go throughout their careers relatively unscathed, while others seem to come upon a hurdle to clear more often than not. Whether it is your first injury or your 50th, the...
By The Numbers: What is TSS?
How do you quantify the quality or exertion of a workout? When it comes to training metrics, most programs will calculate this using TSS or the Training Stress Score. There are many things TSS represents in a workout and many misconceptions within the endurance community about this metric. So what does it all mean? ...
The Importance of Strength Training as We Age
Perhaps you’ve gotten away without strength training when you were younger, but as you got older you started to notice a few more creaks and cracks in your joints following a tough session. Whether we like to admit it to ourselves or not, our aging body’s ability to handle the same training loads as...
Setting Goals for a Successful Cycling Season
Goals are what drive each and every one of us to strive for our personal best. They are what allow us to wake at early hours to get on the trainer or to log late evening miles. They are what we dream of when we go to sleep, and push us when we are...
Debunking Training and the Menstrual Cycle
Women are not small men. Some of you may be familiar with this phrase as made famous by Dr. Stacy Sims, a leading researcher on female physiology and endurance. This statement could not be more true. Though some women may train just the same as their male counterparts, the truth is our physiology differs...
Going Beyond Threshold Power – The SYSTM 4DP Power Profile
With the advent of accurate, reliable smart trainers like the KICKR and SNAP, more athletes are taking advantage of the benefits of training with power. With that comes a greater focus on metrics like Functional Threshold Power (FTP). For the uninitiated, FTP is typically defined as the highest power output you can maintain for...
Sprint Distance Triathlon 101
For most individuals who begin dipping their toes in triathlon, the goal seems to always end with one word: Kona. Qualifying and competing in the Ironman World Championships is a bucket list event for many triathletes. Ironman-distance triathlons are the equivalent of completing a marathon in the world of running or a century in...
Failing Up: Recovering and Adjusting from Disappointing Results
Setting goals can be scary. Setting big goals can even be frightening. What if you don’t reach them? What if you encounter a setback? What if you’re not good enough? These what-ifs can cloud our judgment and decision processes. There are a thousand what-ifs that accompany any dream or goal we set. The reality...
How Long Does It Take To Lose Fitness?
We have all been there at one point or another: the fear that begins to creep in when we have to take a day off from training. Whether this is due to energy levels, family/life obligations, or injury prevention, a day can feel like an eternity for most endurance athletes. What would happen if...
Understanding your Swim Metrics
If you’re looking to knock your next triathlon out of the park, then conquering the swim is key! Setting yourself up for your best swim will rely heavily upon your preparation in training. Just like cycling and running, swim training will include many similar pieces: a warm-up, main set, and cool-down. The difference is...