Shownotes

Indoor versus outdoor FTP

3:29 -

• The first question comes from Diederik, who has noticed that his bike FTP on the trainer and outdoors are quite different. The race-effort ranges prescribed by his training plan felt too easy on long outdoor rides, so he has been taking the top of the prescribed range and adding 10 to 15 watts, then monitoring his effort levels to make sure they match the intended RPE for the intervals. He asks whether he should be testing his FTP outdoors as well, and whether that would then make his indoor training too hard.
• Jack says this is a common situation, and not only for indoors versus outdoors. The same thing shows up between a road bike and a TT bike, between different conditions, and between different power meters.
• Jack thinks Diederik is on the right track by going more by feel and monitoring effort, because the objective is to hit the right intensity for the session, not an arbitrary number. A number from a test is a tool for getting as close as possible to the target, so when other variables change, the number has to be adjusted.
• Jack would also check whether the same power meter is being used in both settings, since the difference may be a power meter difference rather than an indoor versus outdoor difference.
• It is normal to see more power outdoors. On the same power meter, Jack would call this gap slightly on the high side, but still within the expected range. The priority is to get the outdoor number as high as possible, because that is what will be produced on race day, so the aim is not to drag the indoor number up to the outdoor one. That direction is preferable to the reverse.
• Mikael has never asked an athlete to test both indoors and outdoors, and does not think that is the way to go. RPE matching makes more sense. Testing both requires the two tests to sit close together, within the same week or a couple of weeks, so that a genuine fitness change is not confounding the comparison. Even then, day-to-day variability remains: one test may be a good day and the other a bad day.
• Mikael notes there is quite a lot of research on the indoor to outdoor difference, and in some studies 20 watts was the average found, though that was in very highly trained athletes. It therefore depends on the absolute level. At 200 watts a 20-watt gap is on the high side. At 350 watts it is completely normal.
• Mikael has observed that in athletes with a lower FTP, or with generally lower performance indoors than outdoors, adding a couple of really good fans removes most of the difference in about four out of five cases.
• Jack has seen the same thing, though he does not think he has enough data points to confirm it. He agrees the indoor environment can be very tough, and not only because of heat and ventilation.
• Mikael thinks many people know they need a fan, so they buy one, but it is a mediocre one, or they buy two mediocre ones, or one good one. Two good fans is what he thinks is needed. For anyone who rides indoors, he considers this almost more important than a lot of the bike upgrades people make.
• There is science on this. One study found that power output can be maintained during indoor training up to at least 27°C, when humidity is not too high, if the airflow from the fan is matched to the wind speed that would be generated during outdoor cycling. That is a fairly hot garage or pain cave, which shows how much difference airflow makes.
• Jack has experimented with one and two fans and has not personally seen quite the same difference, but agrees it makes a difference.
• Jack adds that day-to-day variability is not just an indoors versus outdoors issue. The same approach to the numbers should apply to every session, because that variability is large and driven by a number of factors.

Estimating your outdoor FTP from your own interval data

11:07 -

• Mikael suggests that rather than doing a specific outdoor test, a better route is to use actual interval data, at least from intervals fairly close to threshold, such as FTP or sweet spot intervals.
• The worked example: FTP tested indoors is 300 watts, and the baseline target for sweet spot intervals is 90%, giving 270 watts. Targets should still be adjusted up and down day to day based on how the session is going, but across several weeks the average might land around 270 watts.
• If the same intervals are then done outdoors by RPE matching, as Diederik has been doing, and they come out at 285 watts, and especially if that repeats over multiple weeks, an estimated outdoor FTP can be calculated in reverse: 285 divided by 0.9 gives 317 watts.
• Mikael would only apply this to training fairly close to threshold, ideally at or a little below it. His range is roughly 85 to 105% of FTP, and ideally 85 to 100% so as not to go above threshold. Further away from threshold, he thinks the accuracy of the method decreases quite sharply.
• Jack initially reads the example as a rate of progression, and points out that improving that fast every few weeks would be rare and unusual.
• Mikael clarifies that it is not about improvement over time. If someone rides three weeks indoors and three weeks outdoors within a six-week block, perhaps alternating, and the indoor average for the intervals is 270 watts while the outdoor average is 285 watts, the 15-watt gap is the difference between conditions, not a gain in fitness.

Setting the intensity for 3 x 10 minutes versus 1 x 30 minutes

13:50 -

• The second question comes from Peter, who asks whether time in zone is all that matters for an effective workout, or whether it matters how that time in zone is achieved. He asks whether there is evidence in trained cyclists that 1 x 30 minutes is more effective than 3 x 10 minutes, and says he has always assumed the 10-minute intervals would need to be done at 10-minute power while the 30-minute interval would be at a lower 30-minute power.
• Mikael takes the second part first, because he considers it the more straightforward of the two. Repeating 10-minute power three times over is not actually possible, because there is no full recovery from an all-out 10-minute effort even with fairly long rests. Doing 30 minutes at 30-minute power is possible, but that is a time trial, and while some people do train that way, Mikael does not think it is the most sustainable method.
• Mikael's approach to harder sessions is that you should almost never go to your absolute limit. Something should be left in the tank. Using session RPE, meaning how hard the session felt on a scale of one to ten at the end of the session or at least the end of the main set, his default for a key session is a seven. He is comfortable with an eight, comfortable with a six now and then, and an occasional nine can be fine, at least for higher intensity intervals. He wants to avoid tens and all-out efforts in training.
• The task in any session, whether 1 x 30 minutes or 3 x 10 minutes, is to solve that particular session so that the power is high enough to give a good stimulus and can be held to the end. Across 3 x 10 minutes the power should be maintained or even increase slightly in the later intervals, rather than dropping off.
• If the session finishes at around a seven and a half or an eight with a little left, Mikael thinks that is how it should be pitched. Chasing maximum power is impossible in the 3 x 10 case, and even in a 1 x 30 minute maximum effort it is less sustainable in the long term. It may also reduce the total time spent at intensity compared with going slightly easier and accumulating more.
• Jack reads the question differently: he took it as 10-minute rep power rather than 10-minute maximum power, so slightly higher than 30-minute power but not an all-out 10-minute effort. He agrees with Mikael on the goals of the workout, on how to grade it, and on the RPE and load that should follow a session, with the aim being repeatability and consistency.

What time in zone misses

18:04 -

• Mikael points out that if the question is really about time in zone, it becomes the harder part. It depends on what "zone" means. If someone can do 1 x 30 minutes at 300 watts and 3 x 10 minutes at 315 watts, those might fall in the same power zone, perhaps at the low end of zone five, but they are not the same power and not the same bin in a power histogram.
• Analysed with rigour, those are simply different time in zone, because 3 x 10 accumulates 30 minutes at 315 watts rather than 30 minutes at 300 watts, even if a given zone system puts them in the same arbitrary band.
• Mikael thinks time in zone counts for a lot regardless of how it is accumulated. Taking 300 watts as the target, whether it is done as one 40-minute bout or five 8-minute bouts, close to threshold, the stimulus is solid either way.
• There is no question, though, that the single 40-minute bout is more challenging, and specifically for certain physiological parameters. Oxygen uptake, heart rate and RPE will all be higher done continuously than as intervals.
• Jack agrees that with a crude five-zone model there is a big range between the top and the bottom of a zone. He suggests it may help to think in terms of kilojoules, and that the goal is getting the most work done at higher intensities. The simplest reason to break work up is to be able to get more of it, and at better quality. There is not a large difference between the two formats in themselves, but over time the differences may start to present themselves through whether the work can be backed up.
• Jack also raises the time it takes to get into the zone. For a VO2max stimulus you want to be above 90% of VO2max, and it can take a few minutes of each rep to get there even with a good warm-up. One-minute reps with one-minute recoveries at that intensity might not accumulate much time there at all if that is the session objective. That does not make it a bad workout, but it needs to be considered.
• Mikael agrees that such a session accumulates time in the power zone but not the same time at a high fraction of maximum. He describes a study that did close to exactly this comparison: 30 minutes continuous versus 30 x 1 minute at the same power, so the same time in zone and the same power output.
• In that study, at or below threshold, the continuous group spent far more time near VO2max and reached a higher lactate. What the intervals produced was greater use of fast-twitch fibres, probably because participants without fast VO2 kinetics had to recruit more fast-twitch fibres when moving from the recoveries back up to the higher power.
• Mikael's practical reading of that is that 30 x 1 minute at a relatively low power might be a way to train the fast-twitch fibres without a high power output. Conversely, close to threshold, a 30-minute continuous bout can be good for accumulating a long time close to VO2max, and potentially even for improving VO2max.
• Across a whole range of similar studies, when power is matched, the longer reps or the higher work-to-rest ratio will produce higher oxygen uptake and a higher RPE. Lactate varies depending on session design, so that is not clear cut, but oxygen uptake and RPE track fairly consistently with rep length.
• In the real world, though, interval training is effort matched. If 1 x 30 minutes is possible at 300 watts, then 3 x 10 minutes might be possible at 315 watts, and that is the athlete's capacity for those two sessions. Mikael finds the more interesting question to be which one to choose, which depends on the goal of the session.
• As an example, the classic Rønnestad study from 2015 used 30/15s short intervals and found a higher time at VO2max, better improvement in VO2max, and better improvement in 5-minute, 40-minute and 30-second time trial performance compared with a 4 x 5-minute group, despite the shorter intervals. That was because the 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off structure was so tightly regulated, and it was effort matched against the 4 x 5-minute group, which had two and a half minute recoveries, so the same work-to-rest ratio but much longer intervals. Both groups worked to the best of their ability over 10 weeks, and the shorter intervals came out significantly better on most of the variables measured.
• Mikael's summary is that once things are effort matched, shorter intervals with longer recoveries allow higher power, and that is the point at which you have to ask what the goal of the session is physiologically, as opposed to purely mechanically in terms of power or pace output, and then puzzle the session together to achieve it.
• Jack adds that more power is not always better, especially with a very glycolytic athlete, where effort matching is probably going to overshoot what is wanted from the session, particularly for sub-threshold or around-threshold work. He would look at duration as well, and step back to see how things fit into the bigger picture.

What to optimise at and around threshold

27:04 -

• Mikael frames the trade-off by intensity. At or below threshold he considers time in zone a very important variable. At threshold you enter a transition towards VO2max training, where time at a high fractional utilisation of VO2max becomes more important.
• Above threshold there is also the mechanical stimulus to consider, depending on the event. For a cyclist who needs to handle hard surges in racing that matters, but for non-drafting triathletes, where surges are not a big part of racing for amateurs, Mikael would think more about maximising time at a high fraction of VO2max above threshold, and about maximising time at a power output below threshold, without going too low, meaning without intervals that are too short and rests that are too long.
• Right at or around threshold, within a narrow band, both factors can be considered at the same time. Mikael refers to a study by Ingvild Odden, which was discussed with Gabriele Gallo in the research roundup a couple of episodes earlier.
• In that study a group of athletes all did sessions of 5 x 8 minutes at their 40-minute time trial power, so the same performance intensity, but 40-minute time trial power turned out to be a higher or lower fraction of VO2max for different athletes. Those for whom it was a higher percentage, and who therefore accumulated a higher percentage of time close to VO2max during the sessions, improved more on essentially all the metrics measured, including VO2max, power at 4 millimoles, time trial performance and the performance index, which combines several different time trials.
• Mikael's takeaway is that at or around threshold, which is roughly 40-minute time trial power and close to critical power, if your critical power is not too low relative to your VO2max then you can have a significant effect on VO2max at that intensity. So both goals can be pursued at once: maximising time in zone for improved time to exhaustion at threshold and better muscular endurance, while still getting a VO2max stimulus.
• Jack questions how well some of this research applies to long course triathlon, and says he does not think it always transfers as well as the research sometimes suggests. Mikael accepts that as a fair point.

Spreading intervals through a ride

30:51 -

• Mikael notes he cut part of the question, but that Peter is a cyclist, and that the missing context matters: he had asked whether it is acceptable to go out for a ride and simply ride hard on the hills of a given course or loop, accumulating, say, 40 minutes of work at critical power spread out across the ride.
• Mikael relates this to a discussion with Kolie Moore some weeks earlier. He broadly agrees that with longer VO2max intervals you can spread them through a ride, because within each one you will still spend a large chunk of time at a high fractional utilisation. That does not work once the intervals get too short.
• Mikael thinks the same applies to threshold intervals. The muscles need to be challenged within each interval for it to work, so it can work if the reps are long enough, perhaps 15 minutes at threshold, but with 4-minute threshold intervals he would do them as a tight set with tight recoveries rather than spreading them out with large chunks of recovery in between.
• Asked by Jack what rep durations he would prescribe for spread-out sessions, Mikael would give 4 to 5 minutes for VO2max, with 4 minutes the minimum. For threshold it depends on how much the athlete struggles to hold power at threshold, but 10 minutes is the absolute minimum, below which he would not bother, and ideally more like 15 minutes. Jack would be happy to stretch those out a little longer still, and Mikael agrees.
• Mikael adds that if 10 minutes at threshold is a struggle, that might imply a slightly overestimated threshold in the first place.
• Jack points out that longer reps at VO2max or threshold power are more mentally challenging, but that pushing on hills is easier in another sense, and 50 minutes at threshold on a climb can be a lot easier than on the flat.
• On where to place these sessions, Mikael would use the spread-out version further away from racing, and bring things closer together nearer to racing, using shorter rests so the session simulates the long block of sustained intensity of a race more closely.
• Jack notes it depends on the race. A hilly race with big climbs and descents makes more of a case for the spread-out approach, but he thinks most races are not like that, and even on rolling terrain you are on the power or pace for prolonged periods. Holding position also matters, and on a climb you are not necessarily in an aero position, which is a reason to be careful about doing all your work up a climb.

First 70.3: breathing fell apart on the swim

35:03 -

• The third question comes from Daniel, who did his first 70.3 two weeks earlier and finished 30 minutes faster than his goal time. He had prepared with two 45-minute swim workouts a week at different intensities over the previous six months. There were around 600 starters, and the fighting in the first part of the swim was okay compared with other races he had done, but after the start he could not breathe properly. Instead of his preferred pattern of breathing every three strokes he had to breathe every second stroke, and it took him nearly three quarters of the swim to find a normal rhythm. He asks whether that was nervousness, the cold, the wetsuit, since it was his first race in one, or simply inexperience.
• Jack thinks Daniel has largely answered his own question, and that the biggest factor was probably race nerves. Breathing is already elevated before the start, it is a foreign environment, he had been training in the pool, and there were 600 people around him, which cannot be mimicked in training. Without experience in that environment, some anxiety is to be expected, and that raises breathing rate, so the inhalation while swimming gets rushed and more frequent breaths are needed.
• Jack notes the water temperature was not given, and that cold water on the face is a known, recognised phenomenon that increases breathing rate. The wetsuit could also have had an impact.
• Jack's recommendations are more open water swimming and more racing to get used to the environment, possibly some visualisation, and taking a moment in the race to stop and reset. He stresses this is a very normal experience. He would also manage intensity: taking a step back and swimming a little easier usually does not cost much speed, but allows for a smoother stroke, and if breathing rate can be managed that way the swim will probably be faster with better efficiency and technique.
• Mikael adds that there can be a negative feedback loop. Whether the trigger is cold shock, anxiety or the wetsuit, once you start to hyperventilate and lose control of your breathing it is hard to get out of, because when you feel out of control you stop exhaling properly. That produces a CO2 buildup, or hypercapnia, which creates the feeling of breathlessness and the sense that you need to breathe even more, which pulls focus even further from the exhalation.
• Mikael agrees a reset can be very effective, and would focus that reset on exhalation. Stopping is not necessarily required. Taking back control by focusing on a proper exhalation expels the CO2, reduces the air hunger, and allows a gradual return to normal stroke and breathing patterns.
• On the wetsuit, Daniel said it was his first race in one but did not say whether he had trained in it. Mikael notes that a snug wetsuit can put a lot of pressure on the chest and feel uncomfortable, and that letting a bit of water in through the front can break that feeling of suffocation.
• On cold shock, Mikael prefers to get in the water beforehand, and the colder it is the more he wants to. He gets bad cold shock when first entering cold water, so even if it means standing on the shore freezing afterwards, he would rather get that first cold shock out of the way before the start. He acknowledges it depends on how long the wait on the beach is, and that many races do not allow getting into the water, in which case the alternative is to collect cold water from the ocean in a bottle and pour it over the face to trigger the response that way.

First 70.3: hamstring cramps at 70 kilometres of the bike

41:50 -

• The second part of Daniel's question: the bike was quite hilly with 1300 metres of climbing, and after around 70 kilometres both hamstrings started cramping on the uphills. He asks whether it was due to altitude, poor preparation despite feeling prepared with a few good hilly outdoor rides, or a lack of carbs or sodium. He had a gel before the swim and one every 30 minutes on the bike, plus some isotonic drink.
• Jack says cramping is mainly due to fatigue, but that hydration status is also a big factor. From the limited information given, he thinks it sounds like Daniel was not taking enough on, and he would look closely at fuel, fluid and electrolyte intake.
• Mikael says it is hard to be precise, since the description of the isotonic drink is vague, and it does sound a bit low. Jack agrees it at least does not sound thought out.
• This is where Jack points to the show sponsor, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and their Fuel & Hydration Planner, where race duration and individual metrics can be entered and a plan with specific numbers comes out.
• Mikael adds that Precision also have good articles on how to test your sweat rate yourself with a scale at home, along with spreadsheets for it. The planner gives an estimate for sweat sodium concentration, while sweat rate can be measured directly.
• Jack notes that plenty of top athletes cramp in major races, including in races with good results. He points to Kristian Blummenfelt as one of the best-known examples, having finished on the podium in big races while cramping. Jack sees this as the line you ride when racing: you are playing with fire in terms of fatigue. Cramping is worth trying to avoid, but it does not mean the race is over. He has cramped in some of his own best races, probably from slightly over-biking or missing some hydration because of how the race played out, and it is possible to come back from it.
• On Daniel's race specifically, Jack says that if you are not conditioned to that elevation gain it can be a factor, because the mechanics are slightly different if all your riding has been on the flat. But he thinks the main thing is that it is race day, you are pushing harder than you ever have, and you are riding that line. It is something to keep thinking about at any level, not something you address once and never revisit.

Matching training to the demands of the course

46:45 -

• Mikael thinks the Kristian Blummenfelt example fits this context well. The instance he has in mind is the PTO US Open a few years ago, where Blummenfelt had not been riding much on the TT bike, because that was the year they went back to the Olympics, and he changed his bike fit something like the night before the race. Even a small change means slightly different biomechanics and slightly different demands on the muscles that have not been prepared for in training, and muscular demands you have not prepared for, mechanically or metabolically, always increase the chances of cramping.
• Applying that to Daniel's race, Mikael would ask whether the good hilly training rides really matched the amount of climbing in the race, and whether the training was on rolling hills while the race had sustained climbs, which is quite different. He would also ask whether the climbs in training were ridden at actual race intensity.
• Mikael agrees dehydration at 70 kilometres into a middle distance race can predispose you to cramping, but thinks the main factor is some kind of fatigue or overload, meaning demands the body has not been prepared for. In a race with a lot of climbing, that is a typical one.
• His recommendation in that case is to simulate the course on an indoor trainer. The full Ironman Nice course is on Rouvy, but regardless of the race you can ride at a fixed power and fixed cadence that you know you will be facing, provided you have some idea of the gearing and the gradients.
• Mikael stresses that it is not only about power but also about torque. If the climbs on race day are much steeper than those trained on, and you run out of gears, you end up producing much higher torque than you are used to. In that case you may have done the power and the elevation but not the torque, which the body is not prepared for.
• Jack adds that he thinks Jan Frodeno got in Blummenfelt's head in that race and that he over-biked, so it was not only the position, though he agrees position has a big impact. His broader point is that you should not go to the well in training. The race is where you test yourself and find your limits, so you will always be pushing harder than you have before, which is the nature of racing. These things tend to present themselves without preparation having been suboptimal.
• Mikael agrees, and wants to emphasise that although most of the discussion went to physical preparation, if Daniel is someone who sweats a lot and has a high sweat sodium concentration, that could be a significant contributing factor. He sets it as homework: use the online estimate of sweat sodium concentration, which he thinks is usually good enough for most purposes unless there are consistent issues, and measure sweat rate at home. That either rules it out as a factor or identifies it as the likely cause.

Finding your bike power in the first 20 minutes of a race

52:17 -

• The Instagram questions begin. The first asks for recommendations to help open up the hips and glutes in the TT position before a race, because it usually takes 10 to 20 minutes to find power during a race.
• Mikael notes he had logged these as two separate questions without realising they came from the same person, so he had prepared them as two different answers. He also questions the premise, asking whether it is actually established that hip and glute tightness is the reason it takes 10 to 20 minutes to find power.
• The points Mikael had noted for the "finding power" version of the question: increase kicking in the last few minutes of the swim to get blood flow to the legs, start the bike at a higher cadence for the same reason, and try a caffeine gel before the swim.
• For the mobility version, Mikael suggests the world's greatest stretch, a single dynamic movement that works the hips and glutes among other things, including thoracic rotation, and which would probably help the swim as well. He also wonders whether wetsuit fit could be a factor.
• Jack asks whether the question is about triathlon or a standalone TT, because the answer differs. If it is a pure TT then the wetsuit is not a factor and the answer is simply a good warm-up. Mikael agrees that for a pure TT, taking 10 to 20 minutes to find power points straight to warm-up.
• Jack is not familiar with the world's greatest stretch but suggests some activation work, posterior chain type work, to get things going pre-swim or pre-race.
• Jack also questions whether it is a problem at all. Depending on the length of the race, and especially in triathlon, the biggest mistake people make is going out too hard, so taking 10 to 20 minutes to get into things could be setting up a good day on the bike and run.
• Jack would add more race simulation in training to rehearse the race day routine, including wake-up time, caffeine, warm-up and nutrition, and to experiment with those factors.
• Mikael raises how the swim is paced as a final point. Speaking from personal experience, going as hard as you can on the swim leaves you quite acidic at the end, with a lot of lactate, at least up to middle distance, and he thinks that really can affect bike power, because it takes time to get back closer to baseline.
• Jack adds T1 to that: swimming hard and then standing up and running hard through T1 is what can really put you on the back foot on the bike. Mikael suggests slowing down a little in the last five minutes of the swim and taking T1 under control.

Is a VO2max block followed by a threshold block a silver bullet?

57:05 -

• Kristoff asks about the concept of raising the ceiling with a VO2max block followed by threshold blocks, and whether that is a silver bullet.
• Jack does not think there is a magic order. The generally accepted philosophy is to become more specific with the intensity focus closer to the race, and the order tends to be dictated by that.
• Jack would not start with a VO2max block either, because the athlete needs to be fit enough to get the most out of it. Crudely, he might sequence a more technical block, then a volume block, then a threshold block, then a VO2max block, then a race-specific block.
• Mikael does not think it is a silver bullet, but does think it can work well. In general he thinks the sequencing of blocks is probably overrated. He suspects it could be done either way, or not as block periodisation at all, with one VO2max session and one threshold session per week over a longer period, with similar outcomes.
• Mikael's view is that block periodisation mainly helps by giving an easy overview of what is planned and what type of training is being done at different times of year. The value is not that the sequence is so important, but that it stops certain useful types of training from being missed or getting very limited attention. Getting both VO2max and threshold work in over the course of a season matters, but he does not see the particular sequence as being of major importance, and he is not against the sequence being proposed.

Training after dental surgery

59:43 -

• The next Instagram question asks whether one should train after a tooth operation or implant, or whether it is fine to take a week off as an age grouper.
• Mikael's answer is to listen to the dental surgeon, and he is clear that he is not qualified to answer it himself, since it will be specific to the situation. His guess, depending on the size of the operation, is that at least a couple of days with no training is likely, based on his limited experience of having wisdom teeth removed.
• Jack thinks whether it was done under general or local anaesthetic makes a difference. Going under completely probably warrants a week, while for a local he would not expect to need that much. Either way, listen to the professionals.
• Jack's general rule for the recovery sequence is rest, refuel, easy training first, then add volume, then add intensity, with the timings guided by the professionals.
• Mikael's own case was a local anaesthetic because it was a single tooth, but he was told that two at the same time would have meant a general. He does not know whether the same would apply for an implant.

Splitting 120 grams of carbs per hour

1:01:15 -

• James Goodman asks whether 120 grams of carbohydrate is best consumed as 3 x 40 grams or 4 x 30 grams.
• Jack thinks this is really splitting hairs and probably does not matter too much. He allows that 4 x 30 grams may give more opportunity to absorb, since it is a smaller dose in the stomach at once, with slightly less risk of discomfort.
• Jack's approach is to fuel when the race allows it. If there is a moment where you can be less aero or put less pressure on the pedals and absorb something, that should lead the decision more than a specific plan. The hourly numbers still need to be hit, but how they are made up matters less. Some people are very sensitive, in which case exact timings deserve more care. The key is to practise in training what you plan to do.
• Mikael refers to his recent interview with Paul Booth, who said there is some evidence that consuming carbohydrates three to four times per hour is better than doing it less frequently, but also better than doing it too frequently. Taking 10 grams every five minutes, so 12 x 10 grams in an hour for the same total, might reduce the oxidation of exogenous carbohydrate. Mikael notes he has not looked that up himself, but he knows Booth said it and confirmed it in his notes while preparing for this episode.
• Mikael adds that on the bike in a triathlon, drinking from a bottle often means consuming in those smaller amounts anyway, and thinks you can probably train yourself to at least tolerate it, even if oxidation is reduced. He agrees with Jack that the top of the hierarchy is fuelling when the race allows it and when it is not going to be detrimental, particularly in races with group dynamics, or on a technical descent, which is not the moment to fuel anyway.

Sequencing physiological qualities across the year

1:04:35 -

• An Instagram question asks for thoughts on the timing of training different physiological qualities throughout the annual training plan and within a training plan.
• Mikael's short answer is the same principle Jack gave earlier: less specific to more specific. He notes this is a big question, and that it was covered in some detail in the base training series.
• Jack adds that for him it is always aerobic as well, which remains number one for everything.

Training for the Nice climb without long climbs

1:05:36 -

• Christina asks how to train for the climb at Ironman Nice from the UK, where there are no long climbs.
• Jack would point her to Rouvy, and Mikael confirms the full course is on there.
• Jack's broader point on specificity echoes the earlier answer: the priority should be getting as fit as possible and focusing on what is needed to do that, rather than stressing about doing specific sessions up climbs, which is the cherry on the cake. When the time comes, Rouvy is one option. On flat roads you can match the power profile of the race, perhaps calculated with Best Bike Split, which works pretty well, although it will not reproduce the mechanics of riding up and down a climb. For that, riding up and down a shorter climb repeatedly, matching the elevation accumulated, is not the same as a single 30-minute climb, but it does put you in a similar position for some of the time and goes some way to addressing it.
• Mikael would do some pre-planning: work out the power you can hold up the climb and your gearing, so you know what cadence you will be holding. That tells you whether low cadence work is needed at all, which it may not be if you can hold your normal cadence. As with the earlier question, if lower cadence is going to be part of the race, it should be practised.
• Mikael's main point is that training for climbing is the easy part, and the descent is harder. He would find short descents with some general technical elements to improve cornering and technical skills, and they do not have to simulate the course. The visuals and the feel can be picked up on Rouvy, but the actual cornering skill has to be trained outdoors.
• On the specific course, Mikael would not call the Nice descent hugely technical. He notes that Christina has been to Mallorca with them, where there are far more technical descents. He compares the Nice course to descending the Coll de Femenia, a fairly non-technical descent with nice flowing corners. There are a couple of hairpins on the Nice course but not too many.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• The full podcast episode archives (including category filters) can be found here.

• Is VO2max more important than lactate threshold? | Research roundup

• Kolie Moore – Overrated and Underrated Factors for Cycling Performance

• Why 90 Grams of Carbs Still Beats 120 | Paul Booth

• Triathlon Base Training Series 1 - How to train smarter in winter to race faster in summer

• Prolonged self-paced exercise in the heat – environmental factors affecting performance - Junge et al. 2016

• Physiological comparison of intensity-controlled, isocaloric intermittent and continuous exercise - Combes et al. 2018

• Short intervals induce superior training adaptations compared with long intervals in cyclists - an effort-matched approach - Rønnestad et al. 2015

• The higher the fraction of maximal oxygen uptake is during interval training, the greater is the cycling performance gain - Odden et al. 2024