Category Archives for "Training"

Polarised training with Stephen Seiler, PhD | EP#177

Stephen Seiler, PhD, is known for his research on how elite endurance athletes actually train. In this research, he discovered that most endurance athletes spend the majority of their training time (~90%) at very low intensities (below the first lactate/ventilatory threshold) with most of the remainder of the training time spent at high intensities (above the second lactate/ventilatory threshold), with little time spent in between. This training intensity distribution has become popularised and known as ‘polarised training’.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• What is polarised training, and what is the evidence behind it?
• Polarised training and “pyramidal training” – the nuances of training for different kinds of endurance sports and events
• Does polarised training work for time-limited age group triathletes?
• How to set up your training zones and intensities correctly (and the dangers of short-cutting FTP-tests)
• Triathlon-specific considerations with polarised training

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The top-5 challenges for masters athletes and how to overcome them – Bo Falck Hansen, PhD | EP#176

Bo Falck Hansen, PhD, is a researcher and cycling coach with a special interest in training and performance for the aging athlete. He describes the top-5 challenges that masters athletes in triathlon and other endurance sports face, and how to tackle them.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• Reducing the rate of decline in aerobic capacity (VO2max) with the right kind of endurance training
• Reducing the rate of loss of lean muscle mass with the right kind of strength training.
• Reducing the impact of the insulin response while still making sure you perform in training and racing with periodised carbohydrate intake.
• Maintaining flexibility, coordination, and balance.
• Having the right attitude to aging

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Dan Lorang – coach of Jan Frodeno, Anne Haug and Bora Hansgrohe pro cycling team | EP#175

Dan Lorang is the coach of triathletes like Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug, as well as a high performance coach and Head of Innovation of the Bora Hansgrohe professional cycling team. In this Training Talk we dive deep into a variety of topics on training and performance, in particular as it pertains to long-distance triathlon.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• The training bull’s eye: maximising adaptations
• How to structure your training over an entire season (e.g. leading up to an Ironman) as well as on a weekly level
• Bike training structure
• Swim training structure
• Run training structure
• The importance of heart rate
• The importance of physiological testing

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Eight tips for having a successful triathlon training camp | EP#174

Training camps are great (and fun!) ways to increase fitness and build up towards a strong triathlon racing season. But there are several important do’s and don’ts you must pay attention to if you want to make the camp a successful one from which you come out the other side stronger. The main reason many age-groupers do not benefit from training camps is that they are unaware of, or do not adhere to these triathlon training camp commandments.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• The objectives of a training camp
• How much volume can and should you do on a training camp
• How much intensity can and should you do on a training camp
• Training tips for swimming, cycling, and running when on a training camp
• Nutrition, hydration, workout and post-workout fuelling, and recovery tips for a training camp
• How to resume training after a training camp

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Intensity, volume, rest, nutrition, coaching and triathlon myth-busting with Dr. Philip Skiba | EP#173

Dr. Philip Skiba, one of the most sought-after coaches and consultants in the triathlon and endurance sports industry joins us to discuss the fundamentals of designing a training program. He also gives his viewpoint on a number of topics and busts some hard lived myths.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• The physiological fundamentals behind effective training
• The volume vs. intensity debate
• How to include intensity in your training program
• How to think about rest in your training program
• Periodisation (or the lack thereof)
• Nutrition, and not falling for fad diets and the flavour of the month
• Some common triathlon myths or misconceptions busted and explained

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World Champions keep things simple: training masterclass with Joel Filliol | EP#172

Joel Filliol is one of the most successful elite triathlon coaches in the history of the sport. In his multi-national squad he coaches athletes like Mario Mola (three-time World Champion), Katie Zaferes, Vincent Luis, and Jake Birthwhistle, and his on his CV is also coached Simon Whitfield to an Olympic silver medal and working as the Head Coach of British Triathlon. In this in-depth interview we discuss Joel’s learnings from this great career of what really matters in training, and how to get these things right.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• Keeping training simple and avoiding major mistakes
• The importance of consistent total workload over time and of training frequency
• No “main” sessions: every workout counts
• A typical training week of athletes like Mario Mola, Vincent Luis and Katie Zaferes
• How to do low-intensity training the right way!
• How to do high-intensity training the right way!
• Brick workouts and peaking

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Should women’s triathlon training be different than men’s? with Wendy Mader | EP#170

Wendy Mader is a coach as well as former Ironman age-group world champion, with more than 25 years of experience in triathlon. In this interview we discuss what female athletes need to consider in their triathlon training, and how they may (or may not) need to train differently from male athletes.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• What might female triathletes need to do differently than males in their training?
• The impact of the menstrual cycle on training
• How does age impact training?
• Differences between men and women when it comes to psychology, mindset, and confidence.

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Triathlon training and performance for elite and age-group athletes with Barb Lindquist | EP#168

Barb Lindquist is a US Olympian and the World #1 ranked triathlete from 2003-2004. After retiring from professional racing, she turned to coaching, and also started working for USA Triathlon on the Collegiate Recruitment Program. We discuss training and overall performance in triathlon from both an elite and age-group perspective.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• Setting up the world-renowned collegiate recruitment program and the reasons for its success
• High performance triathlon now and then – what has changed in the last 15-20 years in training and racing?
• Long-term athletic development for elite athletes and for age-group athletes
• Things that age-groupers tend to underestimate, and on the flipside, over-value
• Fitting triathlon into life, and not life around triathlon for age-group triathletes

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Balancing the art and the science of endurance training with Susan Sotir, PhD | EP#167

Susan Sotir coaches with Breakthrough Performance Coaching, has a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology and is an assistant professor at Springfield College. We discuss the importance of balancing the art and science of coaching to develop better athletes, and how leaning to heavily on one side can be costly if you’re after improved performance.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• Why and how to balance the art and science of coaching or triathlon training for the self-coached athlete
• Individuality, and why research findings should never be generalised directly to the individual athlete without a good knowledge of the context of this particular athlete
• How lab testing can massively beneficial in optimising and individualising an athlete’s training, when we apply both the art and science of coaching to their training
• How to read research papers the right way, and conduct a critical analysis of the findings within

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Training talk and better triathlon run training with Jason Koop | EP#166

Jason Koop is the Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) and a wealth of knowledge and experience in endurance sports coaching. We dive into a wide variety of triathlon training topics in this interview, including getting specific on how to improve your triathlon run training.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• How much (or how little…) fitness should you lose in the off-season?
• Why you must know the purpose of every single workout and block of training
• How should triathletes structure their run training to improve their running?
• Common mistakes triathletes make in their training
• Current fads in triathlon and endurance sports

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