The Full Circle Podcast

After 15+ years of being a runner, cyclist, and triathlete as well as having coached hundreds of individual endurance athletes to goals of all shapes and sizes, Coach Laura has tested out many gear items and seen many athletes do the same.  As a result of that experience, she has many gear tips to share to help you avoid frustration and to set you up for success. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: https...

Treadmills have become a popular tool for athletes and exercise enthusiasts alike.  While they certainly do confer some benefits, they also have some significant drawbacks.  It’s important for endurance athletes choosing to leverage the treadmill to consider all aspects of this device so they can be aware of its impact - both positive and negative - on their training. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: ...

Cooler temperatures usher in a new season of apparel for endurance athletes.  When the temperatures drop, what to wear for a workout becomes a big question that athletes wrestle with.  However, deciding what garments to wear during Winter and cold weather workouts doesn’t need to be an all-day internal debate.  Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/how-to-dress-for...

The Off-Season is often mistakenly thought of as unimportant.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Training in the Off-Season and Winter season is a vitally important component of overall training for endurance athletes and is what sets the stage for what athletes traditionally consider “real” training later on as their goals loom nearer. Coach Laura discusses why managing the Off-Season wel...

The only certainty in endurance sports - as in life - is uncertainty.  A paradox, to be sure.  But the truth, nevertheless. Try as we might, we cannot accurately foresee all that will happen in our lives.  (And this - the holiday season - is a time of year when this happens a lot.)  This means that there will be times when things that were pre-planned in our training and racing will need to change...

In a world where people are increasingly busy and seeking to get as much done as possible, the idea of multitasking is incredibly, incredibly alluring.  The hard truth is that multitasking is a myth, and that’s especially true for endurance athletes while they are completing workouts.  If you want to reap the benefits and/or see performance gains over time, resist the urge to attempt to multitask...

Too many runners, triathletes, cyclists, and swimmers discount the importance of strength training in their endurance sports training.  Strength training should not be just an off-season element.  For athletes who want to reduce their probability and see consistent gains over time, strength training should be incorporated all year long. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance...

“Nothing new on race day!” is extremely common advice doled out to runners, triathletes, cyclists, and other endurance athletes.  Unfortunately, too many athletes think this advice only pertains to physical gear items, such as shoes or clothing.  “Nothing new on race day” means so much more than this.  Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/what-does-nothing-new-on-r...

Where does confidence come from?  For humans and endurance athletes alike, it comes from surviving doing something scary.   Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/confidence-comes-from-surviving-doing-the-scary-thing   Ready to start training? Check out our Coaching and Training Plan options: Training Plans Customized Training Plans Personalized Coaching Services Le...

Is exercise as good as pharmacological medicine?  Athletes and exercise enthusiasts alike have long touted the benefits of a movement practice.  But does the research back up this anecdotal enthusiasm? Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/is-exercise-as-good-as-medicine   Sources: Netz, Yael. (2017). “ Is the Comparison between Exercise and Pharmacologic Treatment...

Do you do a lot of the same races and set similar goals in endurance sports year after year?  While there can be value - and comfort! - in doing the same events year after year, switching up the races you do and the goals you breathe new life into your endurance sports journey and set you up for different - and perhaps greater! - success. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: https://www.fullcircleenduranc...

Many, many athletes ask themselves “Can I accomplish this goal?” when they are considering a goal in endurance sports.  Instead of this, I encourage athletes to ask themselves something else…something that may very well set the trajectory for their entire training process. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/what-to-ask-instead-of-can-i-accomplish-this-goal   Rea...

Long runs and long rides are staples of many training plans for endurance athletes.  But why are these types of workouts so integral to endurance training plans?  Most athletes know that long workouts are important, but many do not understand exactly why they work and what adaptations they stimulate in the body. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/how-do-long-runs...

The term “Masters Athlete” may be a nice way to say “older athlete”, but I know that I’ve personally learned that the term Masters Athlete refers to athletes we should all respect and look up to. We are all getting older, and we can’t change that.  But Masters Athletes show us how we can thrive in endurance sports in all of the decades of our lives. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday: https://www.fullcir...

You’ve heard the old cliché: We’re our own worst critics.  We’re often much harder on ourselves than others in our lives are on us.  This holds true for endurance athletes: It’s not uncommon for endurance athletes to beat themselves up about things such as how they did (or didn’t) do a workout, how their training is going, or what their race results are. While it may be true that we’re our own wor...

Endurance athletes are too comfortable.  On at least a monthly (if not weekly or daily) basis, they run the same routes, do the same races, and complete the same types of workouts.  Intentionally and frequently introducing novel experiences into endurance sports training and racing can help athletes unlock their potential, enjoy their experiences more, and achieve higher levels of success than the...

Sometimes, things do go the way we envision on race day.  Unfortunately, most athletes neglect to look for lessons learned on these days.  It’s important to know that disappointing race days aren’t the only ones that teach us something; ALL race days teach us something, even the best ones. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/why-its-important-to-look-for-lessons-...

When things don’t go the way you want on race day, it’s not a completely negative thing.  The disappointment that is felt when this happens is very real, deep, and uncomfortable.  But the lessons learned from when things go awry actually lead to greater success for endurance athletes over time. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/why-disappointment-on-race-day-le...

How much does it cost to train for an IRONMAN 70.3?   It’s more than it appears and it is more than most people want to admit. While most endurance athletes are aware that triathlon is not an inexpensive sport to get into, the true cost of training for an IRONMAN 70.3 is high enough that most people shy away from the reality of how much it costs.  It’s important for athletes to understand just wha...

How much does it cost to train for an IRONMAN?   (It’s almost certainly more than you want to admit.) While most endurance athletes are aware that triathlon is not an inexpensive sport to get into, the true cost of training for an IRONMAN is high enough that most people shy away from the reality of how much it costs.  It’s important for athletes to understand just what they’re getting into - emoti...

How much does it cost to train for a half marathon?   When asked this question, it is unlikely that many - if any - could answer it accurately.  Understanding what it costs to train for an event like a half marathon is important so athletes can plan well throughout all of their training and understand what they are committing to when they set a goal to run a half marathon. Read this Coach Tip Tues...

How much does it cost to train for a marathon?   Many athletes probably can’t tell you this, whether because they don’t know or because they’re afraid to know.  Training properly and well for a marathon does cost very real dollars.  Understanding this is important so you can go into your marathon training experience with your eyes wide open and so you can make informed, good choices throughout you...

All too often, athletes don’t discover (or, perhaps more accurately) admit that they aren’t on track to reach the goals they’ve set until the inability to hit the goal is literally staring them in the face.  A much more effective and enjoyable strategy is to conduct a Mid-Season Athletic Performance Review to assess ahead of time if you are on track to reach your goals.  This allows you to recalib...

A wetsuit is a great and valuable tool in open water swimming events and triathlons.  However, there is too much emphasis on wetsuits being “necessary” for athletes to do multisport events.  You don’t need to wear a wetsuit to do a triathlon. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-triathlon-wetsuits-when-and-why-you-should-skip-them   Resources: Wo...

Injuries are an athlete's worst nightmare.  Fortunately, there is something all athletes can do to help significantly reduce their probability of injury.  It’s surprisingly simple, though that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s easy. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-the-best-way-to-avoid-injury   Ready to start training? Check out our Co...