7 Ways HIIT Supercharges Your Heart, Muscles, and Metabolism for Peak Performance
For everyday endurance athletes, the quest for improved performance like in gravel racing, trail running, and cyclocross, often focuses on long Zone 2 workouts that build stamina, durability, and endurance. However, incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your training regimen is as important as Zone 2 work. HIIT, characterized by short bursts of intense activity […]
Mastering Heat Acclimation: Strategies for Endurance Athletes in Cycling, Running, and Triathlon
It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and that means hotter temperatures for bike and running races as well as triathlons. And if endurance athletes don’t acclimate to the hotter temperatures, their performances on race day will suffer and they’ll risk injury and heat stroke. The key principle is to get uncomfortably hot for a given […]
Boost Your Aerobic Power: Mastering VO2max with HIIT and Long, Slow Distance Training
Your VO2max – or the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise – is a measure of your aerobic fitness and endurance. The higher your VO2max, the more oxygen your body can take in and use, which means you can exercise harder and longer without getting as tired. It’s like your […]
Race to Your Peak: Key Recovery Strategies for the Tour of America’s Dairyland and Chicago Grit
The Tour of America’s Dairyland and Chicago Grit (formerly Intelligentsia Cup) are coming. You’ve done all the training, you’re peaked, and ready to go. Racing many days in a row requires a careful balance of hard efforts and recovery. Let’s talk through some of the most important elements so that you can be at peak […]
Optimize Your Cycling Potential: Balancing Endurance and Intensity Workouts
I’ve been having discussions with one of my newer cycling athletes about endurance riding. They consistently ride sort of hard all the time, and often add extra rides in at similar pacing. And while there’s a place for riding sort of hard, like in group rides or focused tempo intervals, this rider is slowly starting […]
Dial In Your Warm-Ups for Endurance Events: Maximizing Speed Without Burning Matches
I know a pro cyclocross racer who does a warmup before the race that is so intense I wonder if the rider was burning too many matches before the race began. Warming up before a race is tricky: Too much and you’re burning matches before the event even starts, but too little, and you’re missing […]
Nine practical tips to maximize your cycling and running strength training
Strength training is critical for cyclists and runners, especially older riders and women. What we’re going to dig into in this article is the specifics of how I assign strength training to my athletes. In addition to being certified as a cycling and running coach, I’m also a certified personal trainer and started my post-teaching […]
Cycling Over 40 is a Great Way to Build Endurance, Fitness, and Health
As we step into our 40s or 50s (or older!), maintaining our fitness becomes more crucial than ever. In fact, it’s often the perfect time to embrace healthy habits that keep you feeling energized and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way. And what better way to do that than by hopping on a […]
Five Ways to Train Smarter, Not Harder, as an Endurance Athlete Over 50
As we age, we start realizing our bodies can’t do what they did in our 20s, but we are better at other things. We can’t continue to push ourselves to the limit with every workout or every week. As athletes age, this approach can become increasingly challenging and counterproductive. For endurance athletes over 50, the […]
Your Guide to High-Intensity Interval Training to Improving Cycling and Running Fitness
Are you looking for a way to take your fitness and performance to new heights? Look no further than high-intensity interval training (HIIT)! This powerhouse training method has taken the fitness world by storm, and for good reason. Whether you’re a cyclist or a runner, HIIT can help elevate your endurance game like never before. […]
