How Running Can Improve Cycling Performance and How Cycling Benefits Runners: The Science of Cross-Training
Runners often wonder if cycling can enhance their performance without adding extra stress to their bodies, and cyclists ask whether running can help build fitness and endurance. Interestingly, many world-class runners and triathletes incorporate significant amounts of cycling into their training because it provides a low-impact way to build aerobic capacity. Similarly, some cyclists run […]
Master Your Endurance Workout Intensity and Breathing with the Simple Talk Test
The Talk Test is a simple yet powerful tool for cyclists, runners, and triathletes to monitor exercise intensity and improve breathing during endurance training. Research suggests that it’s an effective method for gauging how hard you’re working based on your ability to speak during physical activity. Understanding the Talk Test The Talk Test categorizes exercise […]
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 […]
What’s On Your Plate: A Balanced Approach to Weight Loss for Everyday Endurance Athletes
I’ve been writing a lot lately about nutrition mostly because my athletes and others have been asking me about it. And good nutrition has come up in discussions about race performance and being under-fueled. Essentially our discussions come down to three questions: Are you eating enough? At the right time? And what does your plate […]
Five Strategies to Prevent Injury and Improve Performance For Aging Endurance Athletes
One of the most significant challenges faced by aging endurance athletes, including runners, cyclists, and triathletes who are over 40, is the increased risk of injury. For example, a lower back/hip problem has been keeping me from fully training on the bike for much longer than usual. As we age, physiological changes such as decreased […]
Cycling Adventures: Navigating the Path to Elite Racing While Maintaining Fun and Social Connections
My new coaching client, Jamie Zarda, like many older female cyclists, is stuck in the middle. Jamie, 44, started racing just a few years ago and has made a lot of progress in both mountain biking and cyclocross since then, upgrading to the Cat. 1 on the trails and Cat. 3 in cyclocross. But she […]
HIIT for Cyclists Over 50: Boosting Aerobic & Anaerobic Capacity
High-intensity interval training is an effective way for cyclists and runners over 50 to improve their physical performance. By pushing the body to greater levels of exertion, HIIT workouts can boost endurance, strength and speed in even the oldest athletes. With its many health benefits, high-intensity interval training is a great way for older cyclists […]
Yoga for Athletes: Unlocking Effective and Complete Recovery
Yoga for recovery might be the secret to faster recovery and improved performance. Yoga, once thought of as a practice reserved for 20-something former gymnasts and really flexible people, is now being recognized by cyclists and runners as a powerful tool for boosting athletic recovery. From relieving muscle soreness to enhancing mobility, bringing yoga into […]
Yoga for Endurance Athletes: Enhancing Durability and Strength
Yoga is one of the best things cyclists and runners can do to get stronger and more durable. Maybe yoga has a bad reputation among older cyclists and runners. Maybe people perceive it as too new-agey, or they feel like they aren’t flexible enough to even try yoga. But yoga is simply mobility work that […]
Monitor Training Progress: Practical Tools and Technology
What is the best way to track training progress to know if your training is actually working? When I was a middle school teacher, it was always critical for me to keep track of data, measure my students’ progress. How else would I know if they were actually learning what I was teaching? We need […]
