The Full Circle Podcast

A big fallacy in the world of endurance sports is that longer is better.  But longer races are not inherently more impressive, meaningful, or significant.  Don’t fall into the trap that you must always do something “bigger and better” when it comes to setting goals for yourself. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-a-longer-goal-isnt-a-better-goa...

If you’re like most athletes, after you’ve worked consistently and diligently in training, you expect that that hard work will come to fruition on race day in the form of good race results.  This is a reasonable expectation, but perhaps surprisingly, consistency and working hard in training isn’t enough to have a successful race.  You must also execute the race itself well and in a particular way...

It can feel overwhelming - to say the least - when beginner endurance athletes are trying to decipher what they should do in their training.  What is the best thing for beginner endurance athletes to do?  The answer is simple, but it’s not easy. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-the-best-thing-for-beginner-endurance-athletes-to-do   Ready to s...

When temperatures rise, workouts feel more challenging.  For some athletes, hot conditions can make workouts feel downright awful.  Despite how difficult workouts in hot conditions can feel, there are some proven strategies that enable you to train and perform well in the heat. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-how-to-train-and-perform-well-in...

You’ll hear about how you “should do this” and you “should do that” in order to successfully train and reach your goals.  There are an infinite number of things that you could do that would be beneficial.  But you can’t - and shouldn’t! - do All of The Things.  There are three things that are the best for endurance athletes to focus on.  Beyond that, sorting through which things are most beneficia...

When was the last time you intentionally engaged all of your available senses simultaneously?  If you’re like most people, you probably can’t remember.  Using all of your available senses during workouts can result in many benefits, including more enjoyment during workouts and increased self-awareness. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-using-a...

Is it best to complete workouts in the morning or the evening?  This question has been debated among athletes and coaches for a long time and the opinions on this topic vary widely.  After 10+ coaching endurance athletes, a trend has stood out that indicates which might actually be best for a lot of athletes. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-...

Training for a Sprint Triathlon is an exciting thing!  Along with the excitement that comes from embarking on a journey like this, athletes may feel overwhelmed if they’ve never trained for a triathlon or multisport event before.  But there’s good news!  Training for a Sprint Triathlon honestly isn’t as intimidating as it may seem.  By giving yourself enough time to prepare, thoughtfully consideri...

When it’s up to you to decide what to do in a workout, what do you choose in terms of duration, distance, and intensity?  Do you choose to go the hardest and/or longest you possibly can?  Contrary to popular opinion, The Hardest and/or The Most is not necessarily The Best. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-you-dont-always-need-to-do-the-hardes...

Early season goal races often sound fun and great when athletes sign up for them.  But as race day looms, some truths about what having a goal race this early in the year means become clear.  Coach Laura dives into what it actually means to select an early season race as a goal race. Ready to start training? Check out our Coaching and Training Plan options: Training Plans Customized Training Plans...

No matter which endurance sport you train for, the transition from indoor to outdoor training is often more challenging than athletes expect.  We dive into all of the things to consider and expect when you make this transition. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  http://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-how-to-hanlde-the-transition-from-indoor-to-outdoor-training     Ready to start trai...

Coach Laura discusses the books she read in April 2024 and how she’s going to implement what she learned into her coaching and training.  She also dives into why reading is so important for the development and maintenance of the human brain. Non-Fiction: No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts Other Works Referenced: Into Thin Air: A Persona...

We’re celebrating the SEVENTH anniversary of Coach Tip Tuesday!   In what has become a tradition, I am sharing something inspired by my friend and mentor Coach Brendan Jackson: What if you fly? Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-what-if-you-fly     Referenced Posts: 1st Anniversary Post: Coach Tip Tuesday: At the End of All Things 2nd Anniversa...

“What if I’m wrong?” is one of the most significant and important questions we can ask ourselves as we navigate our lives.  We do not know everything, and even what we think we “know” may prove to be incorrect.  It’s important to understand when things have shifted and admit it when they have. Sources: The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael East...

Walking is one of the best activities humans can do for their overall health and wellness.  Perhaps surprisingly to some athletes, walking is really important for endurance athletes, too. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-the-case-for-walking     Sources: Banach, Maciej, et al. “ The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascula...

If it hasn’t happened to you already, sooner or later you will get sick.  How do you best handle getting sick when you’re training? Read the Written Version: https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/how-to-handle-training-when-you-get-sick Ready to start training? Check out our Coaching and Training Plan options: Training Plans Customized Training Plans Personalized Coaching Services Learn more ab...

Over the last several years, we keep hearing about how anxiety and depression levels are rising significantly.  There have been a lot of complex and expensive solutions proposed to combat this problem, but the real solution may be more simple and elegant than anyone realizes.  Seeking out regular opportunities for awe and enchantment can remind us of how wonderful being human really is and help us...

Workout logs are an undervalued part of endurance training.  Workout logs provide a more complete and full picture of what actually happened in a given workout, and these details help athletes and coaches plan better and more effective training over time.  They also help athletes develop more effective strategies for both training and racing.  All athletes should carve the time to log notes on the...

A negative split is almost like a character from mythology in the world of running; it’s something that everyone talks about with reverence, but relatively few athletes see them or experience them regularly.  Learning to run negative splits can be a profoundly impactful skill for athletes both in terms of their results and their emotional growth. Read this Coach Tip Tuesday:  https://www.fullcircl...

Coach Laura discusses the books she read in March 2024 and how she’s going to implement what she learned into her coaching and training. Non-Fiction: Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney Fiction: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose Maybe Series by Colleen Hoover Maybe Someday Maybe Not Maybe Now Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah The Storied Life of A....

Transition has been called the “fourth discipline” of triathlon, and with good reason.  In triathlon - or any other multisport discipline (such as duathlon, aquabike, or aquathlon) - time spent in Transition counts toward an athlete’s overall race time.  Practicing Transition like you would practice any other discipline of multisport (such as swimming, biking, or running) can help you have a stres...

More times that they realize - and perhaps more times than they’d like to admit - athletes get away with poor habits and behaviors.  Contrary to what they may think (or tell themselves), just because they get away with poor habits and behaviors does not mean that what they’re doing is best.  Developing the self-awareness to recognize when you got away with something in your training is the mark of...

“Push down, pull up” is a cue that has been passed around the cycling world like popcorn at the movies.  While it’s extremely common advice, it’s actually extremely incorrect advice.  Unfortunately, because it is so common, people often automatically assume that it’s good advice.  But pulling up on your bicycle pedals hurts you more than it helps you.  Coach Laura dives into the reason why this is...

Stick around the endurance sports world long enough, and you’ll probably get the bug to sign up for a race that requires travel or you’ll travel somewhere where you’ll want to train.  Thoughtfully considering travel plans and where you’re going is a really important component to successful destination training and racing. Sources: Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology...

The terms “pace” and “effort” are often used interchangeably by athletes.  This isn’t a good practice or habit to get into because in the world of endurance sports, “pace” and “effort” are not the same thing.  While they are somewhat related and can influence each other, they are two entirely different concepts.  Understanding this distinction is really important for athletes. Read this Coach Tip...