Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Cole Paton’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colepaton 

- Free cycling nutrition calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/cycling-nutrition-calculator

- Free W/kg calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/watts-per-kilogram-calculator 

- How to Qualify for Kona: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/how-to-qualify-for-kona-2027/ 

- Kona Bike Course Breakdown: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/the-kona-bike-course-how-hard-is-it-and-how-hard-do-athletes-actually-ride-it/ 

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Cole Paton Wins Little Sugar: What the Win Means

(00:02:31) Six Years Without a Win: How He Kept Showing Up

(00:04:53) Too Hard at Worlds, Too Safe at Chequamegon

(00:08:13) Tires, Casing, and PSI That Survived Little Sugar

(00:15:28) How to Ride Rocky Trails Without Flatting

(00:16:56) Cole's Race Power: A 4-Hour Criterium on Dirt

(00:23:56) How the Winning Gap Opened

(00:25:55) Which Early Attacks to Follow and Which to Let Go

(00:30:57) Should You Pace by Power on a Variable Course?

(00:34:08) Carrying Momentum Through Rollers and Punchy Climbs

(00:42:26) Scared of Hard Workouts? Mental Strategies That Work

(00:50:37) What Altitude Camps Do to Your Heart Rate: The Data

(00:59:54) How Pros Approach Altitude and Training Camps

Cole Paton just won Little Sugar, one of the most technical mountain bike races in the Life Time Grand Prix, and his first win in six years. He joins Jonathan Lee from Bentonville to break down exactly how he did it: tire setup, race power, pacing, and the mental reset that finally got him across the line first.

You'll hear the Vittoria Mezcal casing and pressure that kept air in while the field flatted around him, why his file looked like a four hour criterium, how the winning gap opened without a single attack, and which early moves are worth burning matches for. Cole also shares how to carry momentum through rollers and punchy climbs, and what he tells himself when a hard workout scares him.

To close, we look at TrainerRoad data on altitude camps: how much heart rate rises at the same power, how long it takes to settle, how fast it drops once you're home, and where the 7,500 foot inflection point sits. This comes from a filtered sample of 3,000+ athletes, and the findings are associational, not causal.

Get faster with TrainerRoad. Try it risk-free for 30 days: https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Free cycling nutrition calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/cycling-nutrition-calculator

- Free W/kg calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/watts-per-kilogram-calculator 

- How to Qualify for Kona: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/how-to-qualify-for-kona-2027/ 

- Kona Bike Course Breakdown: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/the-kona-bike-course-how-hard-is-it-and-how-hard-do-athletes-actually-ride-it/ 

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) How Much Faster Can One Season of Structured Training Make You?

(00:01:18) Your First Year of Training: Where the Power Gains Land

(00:03:06) Which Power Durations Improve the Most, 1 Minute to 4 Hours?

(00:05:08) Gains by Age, Gender, and W/kg: Is It Just Newbie Gains?

(00:06:00) Racing in Spring? Why You Need to Start Training Now

(00:07:06) Your Odds of Hitting the Improvement Curve, Month by Month

(00:08:15) Does Following the Plan Actually Make a Difference?

(00:08:51) UCI Gravel Worlds Course vs Unbound and Big Sugar

(00:11:04) Kona: How Strong Are Ironman World Championship Athletes?

(00:12:53) How Kona Qualifying and Age-Graded Slots Work

(00:14:10) Aero Upgrades vs a Year of Training: What Saves More Time at Kona?

(00:16:20) Kona Bike Course vs Other Ironmans: Intensity, Pacing, and Heat

How much faster can one season of structured cycling training make you? Coach Jonathan Lee looks at power data from athletes in their first year on TrainerRoad to see how much 20-minute, 60-minute, and 4-hour power improved, how fast the gains arrived, and why starting now matters if you race in the spring.

You'll learn which parts of the power curve moved the most, how the gains compared across age, gender, and watts per kilogram, why month two to month four is where the biggest jump happens, and how your odds of hitting the improvement curve climb the longer you stay consistent. Then we break down the UCI Gravel World Championships course in Western Australia against Unbound and Big Sugar, look at how strong Ironman World Championship athletes in Kona really are, how Kona qualifying and age-graded slots work, and whether aero upgrades or a year of training saves more time on the Kona bike course.

All TrainerRoad data comes from a filtered sample of athletes who followed their training plan closely. Results are associations, not guarantees.

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Free cycling nutrition calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/cycling-nutrition-calculator

- Free W/kg calculator: https://www.trainerroad.com/landing/watts-per-kilogram-calculator 

- Follow Alex: https://www.instagram.com/alexwildmtb 

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) How Much Faster Are Pro Cyclists Than You?

(00:05:48) How Many Hours Do Pros Train vs Everyone Else?

(00:10:25) Alex Wild on Training Through Epstein-Barr

(00:15:53) How Team USA Won the Road World Championships

(00:29:04) Gravel World Championships: Course Preview and Favorites

(00:42:50) How Faster Riders Ride Zone 2 Differently

(00:53:16) The Hardest Workouts in Cycling, Ranked

(01:00:41) What Happens When You Skip One Hard Workout a Week?

(01:05:35) Two or Three Hard Days a Week: Which Is Better?

(01:07:02) Alpe d'Huez: Bike Upgrades vs Training

(01:11:47) Free Nutrition and Power-to-Weight Calculators

How much faster are pro cyclists than you? Coach Jonathan Lee compares pro gravel and MTB racer Alex Wild's power PRs and training hours to a filtered sample of 150,000+ TrainerRoad athletes, and the gap is bigger than most riders think.

You'll see where a pro ranks at 15 seconds, 1, 5, 20, and 60 minutes, and how many hours the median rider actually trains. Alex talks about training through Epstein-Barr, how Team USA won the Road World Championships, and who could win Gravel Worlds in Australia. Then we get into the data: how faster riders ride Zone 2 differently, the hardest workout types ranked, what happens when you skip one hard workout a week, and two vs three hard days.

Last up, Alpe d'Huez for a 250 W, 77 kg rider. A $5,800 frame upgrade saves about 7 seconds. The median FTP gain after a year for new TrainerRoad signups in a filtered sample (about 22 W) works out to roughly 6 minutes, at about $0.56 per second saved.

All TrainerRoad numbers come from filtered samples and show associations, not cause and effect.

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

Donate to Hannah’s World Bicycle Relief Fundraiser: https://beyond-the-summit.raiselysite.com/ 

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Which Workouts Do Cyclists Struggle With the Most?

(00:05:01) Life TSS: When to Push Through and When to Back Off

(00:06:21) Inside the Data: A Filtered Sample of 60,000+ Athletes

(00:12:35) 85% of AI-Prescribed Workouts Went to Plan (vs Picking Your Own)

(00:16:33) Why Recovery Rides Go Wrong More Than Endurance Rides

(00:20:21) The Hardest Workout Type (and Where Over-Unders Really Rank)

(00:28:08) Why Sweet Spot Workouts Rarely Go Wrong

(00:30:34) Why Steady Training Weeks Beat Big Spikes

(00:42:11) Longer Workouts Go Wrong More Often, but Not Equally

(00:44:29) Race Pacing: Treat Every Climb Like an Interval

(00:47:46) What Cyclists Actually Do When They Skip a Workout

(00:57:15) Worlds to Chequamegon in 6 Days: Hannah's Lesson on the Confidence to Rest

(01:02:24) Hannah's Kilimanjaro Record Attempt: Up and Down by Bike in One Day

(01:14:01) Soldier Hollow World Cup and NICA Racing

What's the hardest type of cycling workout? We looked at TrainerRoad data from a filtered sample of over 60,000 athletes and 12 months of planned workouts to find out. Pro cyclist Hannah Otto joins Coach Jonathan to break it down.

Anaerobic attacks top the list, followed by threshold hard starts and threshold sustained power workouts. Threshold over-unders, the workout everyone loves to hate, landed right in the middle. Sweet spot workouts sat near the bottom, with fewer problems than any threshold, VO2 max, or anaerobic workout. The surprise was recovery rides. They went off track more often than endurance rides. And when athletes swapped a recovery ride for an unstructured one, the median ride came in at nearly three times the planned TSS.

We also cover why longer VO2 max and anaerobic workouts get riskier past the 75 to 120 minute mark and how to use that to pace your races. We talk about why consistent training weeks beat big spikes, and how Hannah recovered between Marathon World Championships and Chequamegon. Plus, she explains her attempt to set the women's record for riding up and down Kilimanjaro in a single day, which is also a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Why Consistency Is the Key to Getting Faster

(00:01:33) What Is Training Variability? The Formula Explained

(00:02:28) Training Variability Scores: Steady, Moderate, Uneven, Erratic

(00:03:19) How We Analyzed 30,000 Everyday Cyclists

(00:06:54) What Steady vs Erratic Training Looks Like

(00:08:25) Steady Riders Gain More FTP at Every Training Volume

(00:10:46) Consistency vs More Training Hours: Which Raises FTP More?

(00:12:11) Erratic Training Makes You 3 to 4x More Likely to Lose FTP

(00:13:02) Does It Hold Up for 20 and 60 Minute Power?

(00:13:37) Steady vs Erratic Training Over 12 Months

(00:14:57) Why Big Training Weeks and Training Camps Can Backfire

(00:17:28) One Long Ride vs Three Rides Per Week

(00:19:43) How to Calculate Your Training Variability Score

(00:20:16) Key Takeaways: Steady Low Hours Beat Erratic High Hours

(00:20:39) Do Recovery Weeks Hurt Your Consistency Score?

(00:22:05) What Helps Cyclists Train More Consistently

(00:23:18) Real Athlete Tips for Staying Consistent

Training variability is a new way to measure training consistency, and it may be the reason your FTP is stuck. Coach Jonathan Lee looks at a sample of more than 30,000 everyday cyclists to show how closely steady training weeks are linked to FTP gains, and why both skipped weeks and huge weeks come with worse results.

You'll learn what training variability is, how to calculate your own score from your last 12 weeks of riding, what a good score looks like, and why recovery weeks don't count against you. Plus, real tips from TrainerRoad athletes on how to train more consistently.

This is a correlational analysis of TrainerRoad athlete data, not a controlled experiment. The same pattern showed up in 20 and 60 minute power, not just FTP.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Two Hard Days vs Three Hard Days Per Week

(00:01:41) What Hard Training Does Inside Your Muscles

(00:03:53) Why the Fitness Signal Fades Within 24 Hours

(00:07:21) How Much Recovery You Need Between Hard Days

(00:08:47) Where the Two Hard Days Rule Came From

(00:11:20) Research on Three Hard Days for Low Volume Riders

(00:14:48) What the Research Says Overall

(00:16:12) TrainerRoad Data: Two vs Three Hard Days

(00:18:51) Does Age Change the Answer?

(00:20:14) Does Training Volume Change the Answer?

(00:20:58) Do Three Hard Days Cause More Skipped or Failed Workouts?

(00:22:36) What the Data Says for Most Riders

(00:24:00) How to Add a Third Hard Day

Is it better to train hard two days a week or three? A 42-year-old listener has been told by his friends that three hard workouts a week is overtraining, yet he keeps getting faster while they stagnate. Coach Jonathan Lee digs into the research and a filtered sample of over 14,000 TrainerRoad athletes to settle it.

You will learn what a hard session actually does inside your muscles, why the adaptation signal fades within about 24 hours, where the two-hard-days rule came from, and how power PRs from 5 to 60 minutes compare for riders doing two versus three hard workouts per week, broken down by age and training volume. Plus, how to add a third hard day without digging a hole.

Topics: interval training frequency, VO2 max, threshold, sweet spot, recovery, mitochondria, low volume training, masters cyclists.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Does Strength Training Make You Faster?  

(00:07:02) How Often Should Cyclists Strength Train?  

(00:10:43) Why Women May Gain More From Strength Training  

(00:13:57) Strength Training for Older Cyclists  

(00:23:28) Year-Round Strength Training Beats Cramming  

(00:28:44) How to Avoid Strength Training Soreness  

(00:38:25) Can Mathieu van der Poel Win MTB Worlds?  

(00:49:10) Do Pull-Ups Help Cyclists Sprint?  

(00:56:21) Is Tonal Worth It for Cyclists?  

(01:02:32) Strength Training for a Bigger Sprint

(01:16:40) How to Train Around a Broken Wrist

In this episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast, presented by TrainerRoad, Coach Jonathan Lee welcomes Derek Teel of Dialed Health to discuss strength training for cyclists. Jonathan shares an observational analysis of a filtered 24-month sample of more than 120,000 athletes, examining how strength-training frequency and year-round consistency correlate with FTP, watts per kilogram, and power across cycling durations. Derek explains how lighter, more frequent sessions can reduce soreness, how pull-ups and full-body strength may support sprinting, and what the data suggest for women and older cyclists. They also compare Tonal with kettlebells and free weights, cover injury prevention and limiting muscle loss during Jonathan’s wrist recovery, and assess Mathieu Van der Poel’s prospects at the Mountain Bike World Championships.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

- Follow Dialed Health on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dialedhealth 

- Strength Training Blog Post: https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/how-often-should-you-strength-train-for-cycling/

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

- Donate to Jonathan’s Leadville Foundation Fundraiser: https://give.ltfoundation.org/leejonathan

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Jonathan’s Leadville Injury and Training Update

(00:12:20) Becoming a More Well-Rounded Athlete

(00:15:15) How the 2026 Leadville Course Changed

(00:19:25) The FTP and W/kg Needed for a Leadville Buckle

(00:24:05) How Rare Is Buckle-Level Fitness?

(00:26:45) How Much Altitude Acclimatization Helps

(00:28:15) Why Aerodynamics Matter More This Year

(00:31:10) Final Leadville Buckle Targets and Takeaways

The 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB course is shorter, climbs nearly 1,900 feet less, and has tighter belt-buckle cutoffs. Coach Jonathan Lee breaks down the FTP and watts per kilogram needed for the big and small Leadville buckles, how rare that fitness is by age and gender, and why altitude acclimatization and aerodynamics matter more than ever, plus why a fractured scaphoid ended his own Leadville race before it even began.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow Keegan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keegels99 

- Specialized Off-Road Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialized_offroadracing 

- Donate to Jonathan’s Leadville Foundation Fundraiser: https://give.ltfoundation.org/leejonathan 

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

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- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

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- Donate to Jonathan’s Leadville Foundation Fundraiser: https://give.ltfoundation.org/leejonathan

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// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Welcome!

(00:02:32) Potential Leadville Course Changes

(00:07:53) How to Pace the New Course

(00:16:36) Tires, Gearing, and Bike Setup

(00:24:47) Fueling for a Faster Leadville

(00:28:00) Leadville Aid Station Strategy

(00:30:22) Jonathan’s Sub-7 Race Plan

(00:39:14) Staying Warm on Race Morning

(00:43:18) Downieville Race Preview

(00:45:39) How to Pace Downieville

Keegan Swenson joins Coach Jonathan Lee to examine how potential Leadville course changes could affect this year’s race. They discuss pacing, fueling, gearing, tire selection, aid-station strategy, cold-weather preparation, and why riders should still approach the race according to their own abilities, regardless of the final route.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow Keegan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keegels99 

- Specialized Off-Road Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialized_offroadracing 

- Donate to Jonathan’s Leadville Foundation Fundraiser: https://give.ltfoundation.org/leejonathan 

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN

🚀 Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ 

Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠

Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠

// TOPICS COVERED

(00:00:00) Welcome!

(00:03:59) Why Cyclists Use Altitude Training

(00:07:53) How Altitude Stimulates EPO and Red Blood Cell Production

(00:14:23) Acclimatization and Live High, Train Low

(00:22:37) How Intermittent Hypoxia Works

(00:28:11) What the Research Says About Intermittent Hypoxia

(00:32:00) How the HEPOX Tech Device Works

(00:37:46) Safety and Carbon Monoxide Rebreathing

(00:42:31) The HEPOX Protocol and Jonathan’s Experience

(00:54:56) SpO2, Performance Testing, and Athlete Results

(01:04:06) When to Use Intermittent Hypoxia

(01:11:02) Preparing for an Altitude Goal Event

Altitude training can improve endurance performance, but how does it actually work, and what is the best way to prepare for racing at elevation? Coach Jonathan Lee and David Greif, founder of HEPOX Tech, break down acclimatization, EPO, red blood cell production, intermittent hypoxia, altitude tents, and practical protocols for cyclists preparing for events like the Leadville Trail 100.

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠

- Follow Hepox on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hepoxtech 

- Altitude Training Video: https://youtu.be/k3IIJqNxNMo?si=wfBeNmyL-KKLh-XQ   

- Wojan F, Stray-Gundersen S, Nagel MJ, Lalande S. “Short exposure to intermittent hypoxia increases erythropoietin levels in healthy individuals.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 2021;130(6):1955–1960. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00941.2020 

- Levine BD, Stray-Gundersen J. “‘Living high–training low’: effect of moderate-altitude acclimatization with low-altitude training on performance.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 1997;83(1):102–112. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1997.83.1.102 

- Chapman RF, Stray-Gundersen J, Levine BD. “Individual variation in response to altitude training.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 1998;85(4):1448–1456. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9760340/ 

- Wilber RL, Stray-Gundersen J, Levine BD. “Effect of hypoxic ‘dose’ on physiological responses and sea-level performance.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39(9):1590–1599. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17805093/ 

- Boulares A, Dupuy O, Bragazzi NL, Pichon A, et al. “Effects of Intermittent Hypoxia Protocols on Physical Performance in Trained and Untrained Individuals: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.” Sports Medicine – Open. 2025;11:145. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-025-00933-7 

- Gore CJ, Sharpe K, Garvican-Lewis LA, et al. “Altitude training and haemoglobin mass from the optimised carbon monoxide rebreathing method determined by a meta-analysis.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013;47(Suppl 1):i31–i39. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3903147/ 

- Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad 

// TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating.

// HELPFUL LINKS

- Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: https://www.TrainerRoad.com/podcast 

- TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/trainerroad/⁠

- TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠

- TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠https://www.strava.com/clubs/trainerroad⁠

- TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TrainerRd⁠

- TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ 

- Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ 

- Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠

- Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠

- Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN