Coaches on Couches

You decided to take on a beast of an event. The unknowns are greater than the certainties. The truth is, doing your first 100 mile ultra marathon is a lot more complex than just getting out there and jogging (and hiking) for hours on end. There are several other aspects to the event that can make or break your ability to cross the finish line. So if you're crazy enough to take on this monster or slowly losing you mind and considering it, join us for our top 10 tips for beginner ultra marathoners. All of these things we've learned from the successes and failures of our athletes over the last 14 years. And if we missed something, post it in the comments!

There are a million and one reasons why endurance athletes take a break from training and racing. Be it cycling, running, triathlon, or any other feat of endurance, it likely involved a decent amount of time, as well as a chunk of your emotional and financial resources. There is always serious injury that can sideline you as well. And now that you've been out of the game you're left wondering how the heck you'll ever: A. get the love back and B. get back to being as fit as you use to be, preferably fitter. If that's you, you're in luck because this episode is devoted to helping you get your groove back.

Shamelessly, the easy-ish button to getting fit again (you still have to do the work) is to hire a coach that is in your corner and ready to guide you back to being fit, keeping life balanced, and then crushing souls. So if that's of interest, you can book a chat with one of our coaches at bpccoaching.com

Mason Schofield didn't grow up with dreams of becoming a pro cyclist. He really didn't even play sports growing up. But when the pandemic hit and life was in flux, he found joy in getting out on a beater road bike. Soon he found himself working at bike shops and getting into his first Cat 4 races. 14 months later, he's lining up with the best in the US at the American Crit Cup races with his first pro contract. His main goal? Take cycling as far as he can and keep having fun. But we dive into this meteoric rise and we'll find out how his training has changed, how he continues to learn, and how working with Coach Jonny Brown has prepared him for the upcoming season. So if you like a good ole fashion story about dedication and hard work, join us for another episode of Coaches on Couches.

To wax or not to wax, that is the question. Of all the trends in cycling right now, chain waxing seems to be the one we get asked about the most. So, we called on our local chain waxing guru (and engineer) Cole McDaniel to school us all on the pros and cons of waxing your chain. Some of the benefits for your average cyclist and triathlete are pretty staggering, especially when you do the math for long distance events. But, and there are a couple of things to consider, and one major scenario where you might want to pass on fresh hot melt wax. So if you are a cycling enthusiast looking for marginal gains, before you ruin your family's crockpot, sit back, relax and join us for another episode of Coaches on Couches.

As cyclists, runners, and triathletes, one of the reasons we train is to stay healthy. But let's face it, this winter has sucked in terms of staying at full capacity. We've had athletes who have been sick 3 and 4 times in 3 months. It's the worst we've seen in 14 years of coaching. So today, we discuss illness and training. First, how to avoid it if you can. Secondly, we discuss the decision making process around whether to train or not, and what to do if you're still OK to train. Unfortunately a timely topic, but it will always be a part of any endurance athlete's journey. So whether you are smashing it full gas or laid up with the funk, the couch is calling.

In this episode, Coach D has a lot to get off his chest when it comes to bike fitting. As someone who has been fitting bikes professionally and studying human physiology and biomechanics for over a decade, he sees a lot of trends in the industry that just don't make sense! Even things "elite level" fitters ignore that have massive impact on the final product and ultimately the rider's comfort and performance. Everyone deserves a properly fit bicycle! A few frustrations include but are not limited to: - Not paying attention to pedaling mechanics while fitting - Static fitting in general - Using high rise stems to fix hand and saddle discomfort - Using shims and wedges instead of fixing the root problem - Marketing of tools over knowledge So if you are cyclist or triathlete who is having pain or discomfort, looking to optimize your performance, or you are an aspiring bike fitter, you won't want to miss this therapy sesh, uhhh, podcast. If you'd like to book a proper dynamic bike fitting with Coach D in the Memphis area, you can do so at www.bpccoaching.com

If you are a triathlete or swimmer, you know The Magic5. Their catchy marketing and claims of custom fit unleaky goggles caught us the moment they hit the interwebs. It's no secret, we love their goggles. Being entrepreneurs ourselves, it was a ton of fun to sit down with Magic5 co-founder Rasmus Barfred, and chat a little about the industry, their story, the trials and tribulations of starting a brand of goggles amongst the giants, and of course, we got into their time on Shark Tank!

We were also fortunate to learn a little more on how they actually make these goggles so comfy, which is not something they have shared in the past. And then there is a deal with Canyon looming! We tried to pry open that one but Rasmus was a lockbox. But we definitely made our predictions.

This was our first episode talking to an industry pro and not about training, so let us know how you like this type of interview in the comments!

And yes, we have a partnership with them that benefits our athletes, but we make zero dollars evangelizing their product. We only promote products we really believe in, so stay until the end and we'll share the love with a 20% off code so you too can experience the comfort, fit, and peripheral vision of these goggles.

When doing Ironmans isn't enough, what do you do? Ask Francisco. This guy has been a joy to coach and has managed to strike a great balance between training for crazy challenges and still managing to have fun. There is a lot more to Francisco than we unpacked in this episode. Born in the states, but grew up in Mexico swimming competitively as a kid. Did his first triathlon in 1985. Sporting life went on hold while he started a family (sound familiar?). Spent some time in the Air Force during Desert Storm. But it wasn't until his daughter asked him to ride a bike with her to kindergarten, that he realized he needed to make some changes to better his health...and the rest is history. 8 Ironmans and countless shorter events later, he's finding one crazy adventure after another alongside his partner in life and in crime. So today we talk about Francisco, his decision to take on his first 100 mile ultra, the disappointment of a DNF, the comeback to a solid finish, and then completely changing gears and targeting a 10k open water swim. Whew! Stick it out to the end and find out what he's noodling next!

After the little altercation between Cory Williams and Michael Hernandez after the Salt Lake Criterium, we decided to pull Coach Jonny Brown in on the conversation considering he had a front row seat. JB has been pretty vocal about the lack of respect and etiquette in the American pro peloton as of late so we figured we'd let him get it off his chest. They don't call him an "old soul" for nothin'. But in his defense, he has more international racing experience than most of the guys racing domestically at the ripe ole age of 25. We can't wait until he's telling youngins to get off his lawn! So all you young guns listen up! And join us for another episode of Coaches on Couches.

Let's face it, getting hurt sucks. Anytime you are unable to do the activities you love, it can trigger a nasty game of mental ping pong. As a cyclist, runner, or triathlete, our brains tend to travel to worst case scenario territory.

Something like:

- All this hard work for nothing

- I'm going to lose all my fitness, friends, fill in the blank

- There goes my goal race

- Now I'm going to have to stop my kids college savings so I can buy a new bike

Well have no fear fellow endurance athlete, today on the couch, we're here to calm you down, reframe your thinking, and get you on the path to training back at 100%. You may not like what we have to say, but you'll live and you'll be back to smashing it in no time.