FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

This week we are talking about the new Netflix documentary The Gamechangers, plant-based Frank, Zwifting, the Excel Sports discount, Ray Dalio's book, Principles , and Jackson's morning routine. We hope you enjoy! If you are a training plan customer or FasCat Athlete, don't forget to check out Excel Sports ( excelsports.com ) and select FasCat Coaching under the how did you hear about us? dropdown...

We're back with another discussion of one of FasCat's main training philosophies: Sweet Spot. A big question we receive by athletes is "how much sweet spotting should I actually be doing?" In fact, our training tip on the subject remains one of our most popular. So today we break it all down and explain how much is enough for the pre-season, during the base build, and in season race mode. We'll ta...

We're back with another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we take listener questions submitted via our forum and add our take to help make you faster. This time, the focus is cyclocross training, as the season is in full swing. We hit questions ranging from offseason 'cross training, fueling for race day, to the best way to quantify cyclocross training and more. Thanks to everyone who su...

If you want to win on your bike, you'll have to win in the kitchen first. We're back with another #WinningInTheKitchen special, serving up a conversation about where this all begins: the grocery store. It doesn't matter how dialed your kitchen is or how motivated you are to cook healthy food if you don't bring it home from the grocery store first. So we're here to share our Go Fast Foods grocery l...

Since we talked about timing as it relates to training last week, this time is all about the timing of strength training/weight lifting for cyclists as it's the perfect time to get started on that. In this episode, Coach Frank breaks down the FasCat 10-week strength training for cyclists training plan, and how to use it most effectively. We discuss: The fundamentals of our strength training philos...

by Jake Rytlewski,  September 2019 If you have ever heard of or been to Kalkaska, Michigan chances are you have done or heard of the Iceman Cometh. The Iceman Cometh is a 27 mile point to point mountain bike race in northern Michigan held yearly on the first Saturday of November. What started off as a small event with only a handful of races has turned into an end of the year party drawing over 4,...

Phil returns to the FasCat Podcast to chat about his upcoming fondo happening in 6 weeks! Frank and Phil talk about his comeback from a terrible crash suffered earlier this year, what the vibe is like at the fondo, the food to expect, the training you need to do and much more! For more info, check out https://www.philsfondo.com/route-profiles-1#chocolate-chip 24136Click here to purchase the Phil's...

This week, Coach Frank sits down with Dirk Friel, the co-founder and Chief Evangelist of TrainingPeaks…the essential software for athletes. It's what we use to coach our athletes, and what is used by countless other coaches, athletes, and pros to quantify and track their training. Frank and Dirk talk about the origins of TrainingPeaks, Dirk's background in racing and coaching, the future of the so...

It's a busy time of year for cycling, so we're back at it with a 3-part podcast covering 3 very different but interestingly related topics: Steamboat Gravel [SBTG], cyclocross prep and the importance of taking an offseason as a road cyclist or gravel racer, and the role of USA Cycling in these changing times in cycling. We cover our experience at the insanely awesome and inaugural SBT GRVL event t...

We're back for a long awaited Q&A episode, answering questions about everything from weight loss to full gas intervals to altitude adjustment…it's a good one (we even get a call from Mr. Gaimon)! Thanks to everyone for submitting questions through the FasCat forum, emailing in questions, or shooting us a message on social media. Read Coach Jake's Racing at Altitude Training Tip that we referenced...

Rebecca's Private Idaho has quickly risen to one of the top gravel race weekends in the country. Based in the small ski town of Ketchum, Idaho, RPI was started by endurance mountain bike legend and Ketchum local, Rebecca Rusch. With sweeping views of the nearby Pioneer Mountains and endlessly beautiful gravel roads at altitude, it's a must do event. Since Jackson was born and raised in Ketchum and...

It's August 1st, which means #crossiscoming in approximately 6 weeks. It's time to get serious about training, honing cross-specific skills, and prepare the body for the demands of cyclocross. Have no fear our "oh shh*t six week cyclocross training plan is here! This week on the FasCat podcast, Coach Frank and Jackson talk about the 10 key cyclocross training components of our 6 weeks to cyclocros...

We're about 3 weeks away from the inaugural Steamboat Gravel race, and Coach Frank recently pre-rode the critical 100 miles of the 140 race. From pacing and training to equipment and course conditions, we're here this week on the podcast to break down everything you need to know about key preparation for this event. In the podcast, we cover: The 3 "tricky" sections of the course and important note...

This week on the pod, we have a special episode for you featuring our very own TT specialist, Coach Isaiah Newkirk! Isaiah races professionally for the 303 Project cycling team, and is a strong disciple of the time trial. Coach Frank and Isaiah sit down to discuss the in's and out's of time trial performance from training to equipment to racing. Follow Isaiah on Instagram: @isaiah.newkirk For more...

Summer is here, which means training and racing on the bike is being ramped up, goals are being achieved, and we can finally be outside more. However, it's also a time to revisit our nutrition and maybe lose those lagging couple extra pounds or just dial things in to train harder and recovery even better during big training and racing blocks. Coach Frank and Jackson sit down to talk through 3 very...

We are asked constantly about different pieces of gear, what's the best bang for your buck, what kind of cycling computer to buy, which tires to use for X race, etc. With the cycling season in full swing, we decided to stop by Excel Sports, our local cycling superstore to record a podcast walking through our favorite items at the $50, $100, $250, $500, and $1,000 price points. The whole purpose is...

Cyclocross is coming, and getting ahead of the curve this summer will set you up for success come the fall. Cyclocross racing legend and FasCat coach Brandon Dwight is in the studio this week to share some of his favorite summer cyclocross training secrets so that you can come into the season FLYING. For more info, check out our summer cyclocross training tip: https://fascat.wpengine.com/tips/ten-...

Greetings, fellow bicycle nerds! We're back with another installment of our Ask FasCat Q&A series, where we answer listener questions from our forum and beyond. Today we dive into questions about altitude, mid-season breaks, recovering from big events, and more. Be sure to join our forum to get your questions in for the next round (in 4 weeks), and check out our new coaching subscription to help w...

We're here in gorgeous Asheville, NC for the Haute Route Asheville, a 3 day event through the Blue Ridge mountains. In today's episode, we do a live podcast from the event HQ and break down each stage, discussing our strategy and plan for the weekend. Thanks again to the Haute Route crew for having us, and stay tuned for more video content coming from us. Haute Route: https://www.hauteroute.org/ B...

With the Haute Route approaching next week, we decided to sit down and talk about how to win at traveling to bike races, whether it's via car or via plane. We discuss what to bring and how to avoid those last minute stressors to prepare best for your target races. Speaking of travel, you can listen to our live podcast from Asheville the day before the Haute Route here: https://youtu.be/PlekuP2Udks...

Carefully crafting the design of a training plan is a critical aspect of improvement and success as a cyclist. Coach Frank abides by the idea of "fatigue dependent" training plan design, which is the focus of today's episode. We break down what this means and why it's important for maximizing the time on the bike. We provide some solid advice for following a fatigue dependent training plan, how to...

Gravel racing season is in full swing, and this week's podcast is all about helping you crush your next race. We believe there are 4 key components to successful gravel racing — pacing, hydration, nutrition, and equipment — so we break down how to approach these things and apply them to your next race or looking back on previous events. We dive deep into these topics and talk about everything Grav...

  With another 4 weeks gone by in an instant, it's time for another Q&A session! On this week's show, we dive into listener submitted questions on topics ranging from fasting, avoiding cramping, using commuting as training, and more. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! We hope you enjoy the episode, and don't forget to subscribe and use code  25podcast  at checkout to save on your next pla...

With the racing season in full swing, a big area of consideration and confusion for many cyclists is on the bike nutrition. We've talked at length about Winning in the Kitchen, but it's an entirely different animal to fuel yourself on the bike in training and racing. We sit down to discuss the fundamentals of nutrition on the bike, and share the essentials of what you need to know. Here's a short...

This week, Coach Frank outlines using the 4 components of monitoring training in his athletes to help you better provide feedback in the post-activity comments section of TrainingPeaks or other software so that you can communicate more effectively with your coach, progress as an athlete, and prevent setbacks or problems in training and racing. We talk about the importance of sports psychology, tra...