Endurance Nation Podcast

A blast from the past, trimmed for today. In this episode from our archive, Coach Patrick breaks down the three reasons training with a team makes you a better athlete, and makes you better for the people around you:

Momentum. People have walked the path before you, people are walking it with you, and someone a step behind could use your help.

The experience factor. You borrow what your teammates have already figured out about sleep, gear, races and race-day execution, so you toe the line like it's your fourth time.

Fun. Teammates turn even the hardest parts of training into something you look forward to.

Learn more about training with Endurance Nation at endurancenation.us.

Hey, it's Coach Patrick. This is our 20th OutSeason, and this episode walks you through how it works and which plan fits you.

Most winters don't make you faster. This one is built on a simple idea: get fast first, then go far. We use the time and recovery that winter gives you to build a bigger engine, then carry it into race season.

Picking your plan comes down to three questions. Where did your last season leak time? Can you absorb three or more hard sessions a week right now? And how many hours have you really been training? From there I walk through a real week of Bike Focus, Run Focus and Masters, the intensity budget that keeps Masters athletes healthy, and what the OutSeason room looks like once you're in.

The results in this episode are athlete-reported from past Endurance Nation OutSeasons. Individual results vary.

Plans, start dates and how to pick yours: endurancenation.us/outseason

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zK9slpAECe4

Chapters 0:00 Welcome 0:26 Why most winters don't make you faster 2:57 Fast before far 4:07 Pick your plan: where did your last season leak time? 5:57 Can you absorb three hard sessions a week? 7:47 Your real weekly hours 9:24 The short version 9:50 Your 14 weeks 11:56 Bike Focus: a real week 14:13 Run Focus: a real week 16:27 Masters: a real week 19:02 The intensity budget 20:45 Athlete results 22:34 The OutSeason room 23:19 The questions I hear most 25:36 Two ways to do it with us

The Secret Endurance Winter Protocol: Fast Before Far

Winter is the best time for endurance athletes to get stronger and faster. Most of us spend years doing it the other way around before we figure that out. [Watch on YouTube]

In this episode I break down Fast Before Far, the idea behind the Endurance Nation OutSeason. When time is short and your race is still nine months away, we build sustainable power first. Then, as the days get longer, we extend that power toward race distance.

The conventional winter plan asks for 10, 12, 14 hours of zone 2 at the exact time of year when daylight, motivation, and your immune system are all working against you. If you're already doing race-sized volume in the fall, what's left to change by spring? We'd rather raise the engine. If your FTP is 250, your 70% is 175 watts. Get that FTP to 280 and your 70% goes up about 20 watts. That's a bigger engine to use all next season.

This year's OutSeason is our 20th, and it starts November 2. It runs 14 weeks, with test and recalibrate weeks at weeks 5, 10, and 14. Threshold work sits around 95% of your tested FTP, with some above-threshold sessions mixed in. There's one clear quality bike session per week (plus a quality run on the run plan). Saturdays stay aerobic and easy, and Mondays and Fridays are off. Strength and flexibility are built into the week, every workout lives on Zwift, and somewhere between 150 and 250 athletes go through it together every year.

Watch on YouTube: Fast Before Far

Join the OutSeason: endurancenation.us/outseason

Chapters 0:00 Winter is the best time to get faster 0:45 Coming off a big season 1:16 Why winter training is so hard 1:40 The problem with the conventional winter plan 2:49 Fast before far 3:36 What an OutSeason week looks like 4:07 The FTP math 4:51 What's new this year 6:18 The research 6:59 Testing and personalization 8:10 Why it works year after year 9:08 How to join

Endurance Nation resources OutSeason Best Practices / FAQ: our philosophy, workout priorities, recovery, and testing Building an Ideal Triathlon Season Starting This Winter: how the OutSeason fits into your whole year More Fast Before Far articles

Research mentioned Seiler et al., 2013: why intensity and accumulated work matter together Burgomaster et al., 2008: short, hard training can build aerobic adaptations González-Ravé et al., 2022: what the evidence says about intensity before volume

The most important part of your 2027 season doesn't happen on race day. It happens this winter, and most athletes waste it.

In this episode, Coach Patrick McCrann explains why Endurance Nation built the OutSeason 20 years ago, and why it still works for athletes with jobs, families and real lives. You'll hear the three ways athletes blow the winter, why Mondays and Fridays are rest days, why sprints belong in January instead of June, and the two tests to run before November.

The 20th OutSeason starts Monday, November 2: 14 weeks, with Bike Focus, Run Focus and Masters plans, for triathletes and gravel riders. Founding spots close November 1, 40 per start. Pick how you want to do it at https://www.endurancenation.us/outseason

Why this race? And why ride it as a team? In the third and final part of our Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder recap, we get into the "why" behind five days of gravel.

I've coached for years, and I've always hated the gap between a training camp and a race. Same people, totally different weekend. This event closes that gap. It felt like five races in five days, the best return on investment in endurance sport, and adult bike camp all at once, with pros and first-timers rubbing wheels on the same course.

We talk compressed learning (and the dog-on-the-carpet analogy that explains why most athletes never improve), the lessons we fixed on the fly, and why we'll only do an event like this with a partner from now on. Marine-voice tent story included.

⛺ Learn about the race: https://www.oregontrailgravelgrinder.com/ 🚴 More coaching, camps, and community: https://www.endurancenation.us

A coach's eye, a teammate's honesty, and we still got it wrong. In Part 2 of our Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder recap, we break down the four in-race decisions that shaped all five days.

Tire pressure that we treated as set-it-and-forget-it (and paid for over 30 miles of volcanic washboard). Seeding, and why the back of the pack cost us free time and empty aid-station tables. Nutrition, including my caffeine-as-a-tool experiment and the tent-side gel math that literally resurrected Matt's race. And uncertainty: the stage-five "victory lap" that was anything but, and what you do when your whole plan falls apart at mile ten.

This is where a gravel stage race is actually won and lost.

⛺ Learn about the race: https://www.oregontrailgravelgrinder.com/ 🚴 More coaching, camps, and community: https://www.endurancenation.us

Amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics. My co-host Matt brought that line home from the Marine Corps, and after five days of racing gravel at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, it's the truest thing we can tell you about stage racing.

In Part 1, we get into the boring stuff that actually wins the week: the post-ride system that saves you from standing in a one-hose line with 500 other riders, packing your whole life into a Home Depot tote (RIP pillows), the nightly debrief that should've been its own episode, and "fravel," the fake gravel that no GPX file will ever warn you about.

You win the race between the stages. Here's how.

⛺ Learn about the race: https://www.oregontrailgravelgrinder.com/ 🚴 More coaching, camps, and community: https://www.endurancenation.us

Winter is doing winter things in New England, with snow, trainer miles, and a whole lot of basement fitness. In this February Endurance Nation update, Coach Patrick checks in on what's happening across the team, what he's building toward personally, and what's coming next for athletes looking for big adventures in 2025.

Inside this episode:

• How the Endurance Nation team is evolving, including Ironman, gravel, and a growing wave of Hyrox and hybrid athletes

• Why Season Roadmaps matter more than weekly hours or TSS, and how they keep your training pointed at the right target

• Coach Patrick's own training reset as he builds for the Oregon Gravel Grinder stage race

• Lessons learned from going too hard, too early, and how to avoid the boom and bust season

• A deep dive into Endurance Nation's Tuscany gravel camp with Avanti Tours, taking place June 13 to 20, featuring Strade Bianche roads, epic rides, incredible food, and unforgettable experiences

Whether you're chasing Kona, Leadville, your first 70.3, or simply a stronger and more durable season, this episode is about training with intention, staying focused through winter, and building toward something that truly matters.

This episode is also available on YouTube. Tuscany Camp details can be found at avantitours.com.

Train smart. Stay consistent. Work works.

In this episode, we dive into how athletes can safely restart training after a period of illness or fatigue. Whether you've missed a few days or weeks, we discuss the importance of a structured re-entry protocol to avoid further setbacks. If you're an OutSeason athlete, age-grouper, or just someone looking to protect your health while rebuilding your fitness, this episode is for you. Plus, we talk about when to test your fitness and how to track your progress during recovery.

Unlock the secrets to transforming your long, dreary indoor rides into dynamic, efficient workouts that keep your cycling game sharp this winter. You'll gain insights into crafting a foolproof strategy that ensures every pedal stroke counts, whether you're on Zwift, TrainerRoad, or any other platform. From selecting the perfect ride duration to mastering hydration and nutrition, we guide you through the essentials needed for a rewarding indoor cycling session. With practical advice on setting up your environment the day before, you'll learn how to prepare for the mental and physical demands of extended indoor rides.

Discover tips and tricks to keep your spirits high and your motivation soaring, even during the toughest moments on the bike. We share the importance of having everything within reach, from gear to entertainment options, and the little rewards that make long rides a bit more bearable. Embrace the power of planning ahead—pre-mix your hydration, lay out your gear, and charge your devices—to ensure a seamless and successful ride. Equip yourself with the know-how to make every minute count and emerge from the winter season stronger than ever.