Train like a Monk

What is Critical Power? What is W'? How does a mathematical model help solve a physiological problem? We answer these questions, ask some more and consider whether it all actually matters in helping you ride your bike faster. Also some chat about how hunting Strava KOMs can fit into a program and whether comparing yourself to others on cycling's social media platform is a good or bad thing...

'Fresh' off the Giro d'Italia Jensen interrupts his week off the bike with a cruise up Col d'Eze to the local boulangerie. We chat about what goes on inside the chaotic final sprints, and what goes on inside Jensen's head. You can decide for yourself which is more scary. Drop a comment if you're a fan of this format and I'll double check the mics stay connected for next...

This week we break down the key sessions we're using with Slane and our other athletes. What are the intervals, which systems are they targeting, and where do they fit into the bigger picture? We also delve into a little sports psychology and mindset discussion on how to attack strength work, hard intervals and training in general.

Slane is now two weeks into his training program. The focus has been 'mostly' on strength and endurance however he's already seeing rapid improvements in power values well above the bulk of his training. We go into the physiology and adaptations behind getting these watts back after time off, and how quickly the reverse happens.

Slane gave me a call a few weeks back with a pretty simple assignment: “I want to get fit again, can you write me a program.” After a month off the bike (not sitting on the couch but hiking in Patagonia…) Slane’s numbers are a long way off their best, so in this series we’ll discuss what training we’re using to get back to full fitness and hopefully beyond. In week 1 we discuss strength training,...

Australia’s Golden Girl Grace joins the pod to talk about how she trained for Olympic and World Championship Gold in her final year as a pro cyclist. Plenty of golden nuggets of wisdom in this one, Grace is a legend. Thumbnail image: GettyMusic: WalterEditing: Terance Hor(s)e

The Aussie couch peloton are still recovering from a whirlwind Tour de France with the revelation of this year's TdF Femmes, Sarah Gigante. Sarah is an avid listener and former guest on the pod (go and listen to that episode if you haven't already!) and she has put in more requests than most for guests. We thought we'd start with request number one and get the man behind the scenes of...

One of the most consistent performers in the World Tour. Harps provides great insight into how he has continually improved each year since turning pro, and more recently, how he prepared to win his first Grand Tour stage. Fourth Frontier Heartrate Monitors: fourthfrontier.com ***Big apologies for my audio on this episode. The recording grabbed the audio from the headphones instead of the mic so it...

Mudgey has been a bit of a journeyman of the sport. Riding for Aussie, Irish, Kiwi and now Chinese teams across a 10-year career to date. Last year he had his biggest prize money earnings to date by winning the China Pro League. What is the China Pro League? What's the racing like in China? How's the food? Listen to find out

We put so much time, money, blood, sweet and tears into our training to improve our physiology, but how much do we work on our mindset? And how much does this impact our performance on race day? Shannon knows her way around this topic better than most, after pursuing her own career at the top of the sport and now helping many athletes better manage theirs. If you haven’t had some filthy head noise...

Daniek started the year with a solo win at the very first race on the World Tour. Instead of chasing her down during her stint in the Ocre Jersey, I got to sit down with her at the end of a training ride near her home in Nice and find out how she started the season so well and what her training at the moment is looking like.

Georgie packed a lot into a short stint at the top of the cycling world, but she's not done yet. Hear how Georgie transitioned into cycling from a rowing background and how the training differs (or doesn't) between the two sports. We also go into Georgie's battle with REDS. The steps she's taken to get healthy again and how she's looking to continue in the sport even after what...

From Runner to World Tour Cyclist in less than 4 years. Now from Pro Cyclist to Pro Triathlete in a matter of months. Hear how Jimmy is taking the skills learned and experience gained from top level road cycling and applying it in the world of triathlon. Can he make it to the end of the pool yet without stopping?

Julian has rapidly gone from being a regular listener of the Train Like a Monk podcast to starring on it! Taking home the U23 National RR win in Perth at just 18 years of age, Julian has bucked the trend of having to sacrifice his schooling to fit in training time on the bike. We discuss how he has managed to go from making up the numbers at many junior races to riding for Australia’s best domesti...

Keeper of The Fern, Kim Cadzow, has started the season on fire. She played a major role in EF-Education Oatly teammate Noemi Ruegg's TDU win and achieved her own personal goal of defending the National TT title and netting her first National Road Championships victory. We chatted in the middle of her build toward Kiwi road nationals so it was great to get an insight into her preparation for these...

Join Pat, Kerry and I in the team car for Duda Cycling at the Melbourne to Warrnambool. "The Warrnie" is the second oldest bike race in the world. The parcours is by no means challenging but the conditions and length of the race mean anyone that completes this historic event has stories to tell for years to come. This year's edition was decorated by crosswinds, cramps and a healthy d...

He's defending his title later this week but it's fair to say, no matter the result, this title will still hold true. Gatey has a ridiculous palmares on both the road and track, the latest achievement becoming the oldest rider ever to join a World Tour Team for the first time (34 is ancient) and just recently reaching a World Tour Podium at Cadel's Road Race. I caught up with Gatey in...

Maeve has represented Australia at two Olympic Games, won Commonwealth Games gold and countless National Championships. Alongside her exploits on the bike she has become a well renowned advocate for cycling in Australia and even more so in her home town of Adelaide. I sat down with her at her local beach to discuss how she has balanced training for top level track competitions and World Tour road...

Noemi had a breakout season in 2024, turning heads at the Olympic Games Road Race and netting herself a National Championship. Those who didn't know her already certainly do now, after winning the Tour Down Under in dominant fashion with a memorable win up Willunga Hill. We sat down a few days after the victory to discuss her preperation for this event and how she managed to perform better tha...

Plappy has made the month of January his own, consistently finding form to start the year. This discussion took place just before his nationals campaign where he not only defended his TT title, but selflessly delivered teammate Luke Durbridge to victory in the road race. We discuss how Plappy prepared for these goals and, more specifically, for Tour Down Under next week. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing:...

Marko is to the Australian Cycling Scene what potato salad is to a Christmas Lunch. Always there, always a crowd favourite but usually not top of the rank, until this year. Marko bucked the recent trend by outstaying the young up-and-comers at this year's 270km Melbourne to Warrnambool. We discuss how he manages to stay at the front of any race he enters so deep into his own career and look at how...

Sarah turned heads across Australia as soon as she left the junior ranks by taking a National Road Championship in her first race as an elite woman. She's turned heads across the rest of the world this year by winning the Tour Down Under and finishing seventh at the Tour de France Femmes. Despite these big ups, Sarah has had to navigate some downs along the way and her ability to bounce back from...

Nick has a coaching Palmares any coach would envy: countless world and national champions across multiple disciplines and a healthy number of World Tour pros targetting races across the calendar. Nick's pathway into cycling is certainly an interesting one and a story I hadn't heard before, though I'm sure all his athletes are stoked he's found his place at the top of this sport. It was great to si...

Aidan was one of the first athletes I took on board as a coach and it's been incredibly rewarding to help him progress from kicking around at local crits in Melbourne to racing World Championships and landing a pro contract. He has forged a unique path to the top of the sport and in doing so has become the first Maltese rider to race at a professional level. This path certainly wasn't smooth and u...

Stephen (or SLane as he's commonly known by those who find two syllables too long for a name...) has helped countless cyclists achieve their goals on the bike. Whether it be winning the local club series or making the step from the Aussie domestic scene to a fully-fledged pro. SLane has a unique skillset, utilising both the knowledge gained through his academic pursuits and his own experiences in...