Endurance Unlimited

Matt Dixon shares his clear and simple approach to coaching, emphasizing the importance of purpose, consistency, and developing foundational habits over chasing the latest trends or technologies. Whether you're an ambitious amateur or a seasoned pro, this episode has valuable takeaways to optimize your training and life balance. Matt is the founder and CEO of Purple Patch Fitness, a coaching compa...

We're diving deep into the world of professional cycling camps as we hear first-hand from some of the leading coaches and nutritionists in pro cycling. Reporting from the picturesque coastal climbs of the Costa Blanca in Spain, our host, Dirk Friel, brings you insights from performance coaches like Lieselot Decroix and Mattia Michelusi, who reveal the critical training techniques employed to enhan...

In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, we sit down with Fergus Crawley, the co-founder and head coach of Omnia Performance, to look into the world of hybrid athletes. Hybrid training, a blend of strength and endurance disciplines, challenges the traditional boundaries of athletic training. Fergus draws from his rich background in rugby, powerlifting, triathlons, and concurrent training to...

Professional runner and running coach Nell Rojas shares her insights into racing and coaching athletes for marathons, including the Boston Marathon, using a balance of art and science. She attended Northern Arizona University, where she studied exercise science and competed in cross country and track. Nell ran her first marathon in 2018 and became the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon i...

Scott Johnston, co-author of "Training for the New Alpinism" and "Training for the Uphill Athlete," shares insights on recovery strategies for ultramarathon runners in this new podcast episode. Johnston emphasizes the critical balance between rest and performance, outlining how factors like central nervous system fatigue, motivation, and age influence post-race recovery. The conversation highlight...

Listen in as indieVelo creator George Gilbert and TrainingPeaks president Lee Gerakos break down the reasoning behind the acquisition of the virtual riding platform, now named TrainingPeaks Virtual, the opportunities for coaches and athletes and how the ethos of credible virtual racing is a part of the DNA of the merger.  They share with Dirk the importance of community feedback in shaping the pla...

Gale Bernhardt's insights on effective coaching, balancing technology with human touch, setting long-term goals and tips for aspiring coaches. With over 35 years of coaching experience, Gale Bernhardt has guided Olympians and World Championship athletes and played pivotal roles as the USA Triathlon Olympic and Pan American Games Triathlon coach. She shares her incredible journey from a mechanical...

Understand the essentials of athlete fueling, including RED-S and the importance of tailored nutrition plans, with sports dietician Kylee Van Horn. Kylee Van Horn, CEO of Fly Nutrition, specializes in helping athletes optimize their performance and manage eating disorders, including RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport). She's also an ultrarunner and running coach based in Colorado, looking...

Heart rate variability (HRV) is unique to each athlete. Learn how to effectively measure and use HRV data alongside subjective feedback to optimize your training and recovery. Our guest for episode 10 is Marco Altini, a scientist, app developer and expert in using data from wearable devices to optimize health and performance. Many will recognize his name from the app HRV4Training, which integrates...

Explore insights from top coaches Ryan Bolton and Erin Carson on preparing U.S.A. triathletes for the 2024 Olympic Triathlon competitions and, in one instance, the individual time trial in cycling, through coaching collaboration and training techniques. In this episode, Ryan Bolton and Erin Carson discuss the details of preparing athletes for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Triathlon team in Paris. Ryan Bol...

In this special episode for the Tour de France, Iñigo San Millán, a performance coach for UAE Team Emirates, shares his expertise on how race-day nutrition is meticulously planned and adjusted using race data from TrainingPeaks. We'll discuss the critical differences in fueling demands for various stages of the Tour, the importance of individualized nutrition strategies, and why maintaining weight...

In this special episode, we explore the insights of Amine Issa, Ph. D., on the intersection of gaming and numerous disciplines, such as esports, Formula 1, and even the military. Amine has spent 25 years obsessively playing video games and even competed professionally. He spent five years researching the extremes of human performance at the Mayo Clinic. His findings help develop new technology and...

In this episode, we sit down with John Wakefield, the managing director of Science to Sport and performance coach with the Bora-hansgrohe World Tour cycling team. John, from Cape Town, South Africa, shares his insights from years of coaching and an advanced training facility in Girona, Spain. Understand why recovery is the key to progression and how ignoring it can impede an athlete's performance,...

Björn Geesman is a German-based sports scientist and coach. He is also the CEO of HYCYS coaching company and co-founder of power & pace. He works with pro triathletes Patrick Lange and Kat Matthews, among other big names in endurance sports.  In this episode, Dirk and Björn dive into everything from wind tunnel testing tunnels and bike selection based on data to the importance of sports psychology...

Dr. Will O'Connor takes us through the nuances of using running power in training. Will and Dirk get into the scientific side of power meters, discuss the accuracy and data consistency from devices like Stryd and other wearables, and learn how to use critical power zones to break down the metabolic costs of running variable terrain. Will also touches on some of the lessons in his Fundamentals of R...

Kristin Armstrong talks coaching strategies in a data-driven world filled with wearables and social platforms. With the advancement of technology and platforms, there is a growing tension between positives and negatives when it comes to data, wearable devices and social media. The challenges of managing this tension have become heightened for younger athletes who may feel pressure to maintain an o...

In this episode, we have none other than Joe Friel, a legendary figure in the world of endurance coaching. As the co-founder of TrainingPeaks and author of several seminal books on athletic training, Joe has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of endurance sports. The fifth edition of the Triathlon Training Bible hit shelves earlier this month. Plus, he has kept his peak health and part...

In this episode, Dr. Brian Gearity, professor and director of the Master of Arts Sport Coaching program at the University of Denver, talks with Dirk Friel about the intersection of sociology and coaching. Dr. Gearity, with his extensive experience in sports sociology, coaching and exercise science, provides valuable insights into the complexities of coaching that come from social constructs. The t...

Dirk Friel digs into Chris' approach to strength training. His philosophy is underpinned by thorough body movement assessments, identifying and targeting an athlete's limiters, and a belief in the vital role of strength work for injury prevention and performance improvement. He points out that he advocates year-round strength training tailored to each phase of an athlete's season. Lee, the directo...

In this episode, Lance and Dirk discuss the importance of cultivating a multidimensional sports foundation for young athletes before zeroing in on a particular sport. Hear about the upsides of a mixed sporting background and the risks of early specialization. Lance also shares insightful experiences as a coach (guiding Brent McMahon from the junior ranks to retirement from the pro circuit) and a p...

Mike Ricci, founder and head coach at D3 Multisport and After 40 Reboot, joins the CoachCast this month to talk all things triathlon offseason. Mike shares several tips that any athlete can do to take the offseason into race season with more momentum.  With over 20 years of coaching experience, Mike has worked with IRONMAN age group winners and national champions. He believes in working on weaknes...

Whether you're a coach looking to navigate the business landscape or an athlete considering hiring a coach, this episode offers valuable insights and perspectives from seasoned professionals. Three diverse coaches in business structure, sport type and location open up to shed light on their sources of income, ranging from subscription-based coaching to book royalties and bike fits. Learn the diffe...

The physical demands of cyclists and cyclors take center stage in this episode of the CoachCast. Ben Day, a retired pro cyclist and head performance coach of the American Magic team, shares his insights on his transition from pro cycling to yacht racing and the advent of cyclors crewing race boats.  Cyclors, using their lower-body strength, can produce 30-40% more power than arm grinders, making t...

In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, host Dirk Friel interviews Jill Colangelo, a researcher focusing on mental health in endurance athletes. Colangelo shares insights from her ultra endurance experiences, sports psychiatry work and research, highlighting the higher prevalence of mental illness among ultra endurance athletes.  She discusses the need for recognition and treatment of exer...

Renee Eastman explains the details of the five mistakes people make in losing weight as endurance athletes, which she published in a blog post on the CTS website. From overcompensating for nutrition deficits to fad diets to short-term fixes and misplaced belief that cardio drives weight loss, learn how to use slow and boring tactics to have the best results in losing weight while maintaining perfo...