Cycling computers have hundreds of potential data field configurations, with scores of variations on power, tss, heart rate, speed, altitude, temperature, time, blood glucose, pace partners, and on and on. But how many data fields can you actually look at while riding? And further, which are actionable on the bike?

On this podcast, we dig into exactly that - the numbers that matter - both for when you are on the bike, and then for post-ride analysis after.

We recorded this episode at The Cycling House in Tucson, Arizona, where we are holding FasCat Camp this week.

https://thecyclinghouse.com/

There are two basic mistakes you can make with your training in the winter. (And yes, it's still winter for many of us!)

Mistake #1: doing too much

Mistake #2: doing too little

But how do you know how much is just right? Coach Ricky Arnopol digs into the details with Ben Delaney on the micro and macro levels.

Ricky and his Project Echelon teammates are just back from racing the Mallorca Challenge in Spain alongside the likes of WorldTour teams like Ineos Grenadiers and Soudal Quick-Step, so Ricky first shares some stories of his adventures there.

Your questions poured in for Ask a FasCat #23. Listen in as we dive into bike handling, HRV improvement, strength training, and much, much more. One lucky winner gets a Whoop 4.0, and everyone who wrote in with a question will get a discount on a Whoop.

Here are a few links to resources we mention in the podcast:

How to properly taper for peak performance podcast: https://fascatcoaching.libsyn.com/how-to-properly-taper-for-peak-performance

Five Fundamentals for Faster: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/five-fundamentals-for-faster

What does HRV mean and 9 ways to improve it: https://fascatcoaching.com/blogs/training-tips/what-does-my-hrv-mean

Three-time Olympian Joanne Kiesanowksi is team director for Human Powered Health, which just kicked off the WorldTour road racing season with a stage win and a white jersey at the Down Tour Under in Australia.

In this episode, Joanne speaks with Ben Delaney about how the team trains for such a long and intense season that spans the globe, as well as how they monitor recovery, how their training numbers compare to racing numbers, and how Joanne herself squeezes in workouts when living out of a suitcase.

Frank Overton also joins the pod and invites you to go buy our sweet new Castelli FasCat kit:

http://teamorder.serviziocorse.com/index.aspx?pc=C90AFFB6-B152-41AA-8E9F-FC1EF62FFEF2

We have short- and longsleeve jerseys, Free Aero bib shorts, and vests on offer. Order before the store closes on February 8th!

Training camps come in all shapes and sizes from professional-team operations to destination camps for amateurs to DIY camps that you can do at home simply by taking a couple of days off work.

In this podcast, Coaches Allie Legg, Elliott Baring and Suzie Snyder share their experiecne with what works well and what doesn't, and explain how you can create your own camp to build up your fitness, improve your skills, bond with teammates and friends, and just have a heck of a lot of fun.

These three coaches have all raced at the professional level and now enjoy helping riders of all abilites get the most out of their training.

Improving doesn't have to be complicated! Coach Isaiah Newkirk and Ben Delaney walk you through five things that can increase your power output, raise your threshold, help you lose some weight, and perhaps even achieve better balance in your life.

When we say simple, we mean simple in concept. And, frankly, they aren't too hard to do in practice, either; you just need to be mindful and commit to them.

1. Be consistent & flexible
2. Ride more
3. Do zone-based training
4. Rest
5. Practice good nutrition

Good news, FasCats! Belgian Waffle Ride announced today that we are the Official Coaching and Training Plan Technology Partner of their excellent series, which includes events from Arizona to Canada this year. We are honored to have Belgian Waffle Ride founder Michael Marckx as a guest on the podcast today.

For 2023, we have 6 and 12 Week Training Plans created specifically for the BWR events in Arizona, California, British Columbia, North Carolina, Utah, and Kansas.

Hand in hand with this great news, this podcast episode is all about how to train for long gravel and other long endurance events.

Plug in and get ready for a great 2023!

As much as we'd all like to be Wout van Aert — who is seemingly able to be on flying form year-round — most of us can only peak a couple of times a year. Further, real life prevents us from attending every single event on the calendar that looks fun. So, we need to prioritize. But how?

This podcast comes with an interactive homework assignment to walk you through how you can set up your event and training calendar for 2023.

The new year is right around the corner, and quality events abound in 2023. Chances are, you already have a few events on your calendar. But do you have your training plan or training plans dialed in?

In this episode, we explain how you can set up your training now, going through various timing scenarios for target events that are in the spring, the summer, and the fall.

We also explore how you can build some flexibility into your training to maximize both good athletic results and a happy family life.

Happy holidays and happy new year!

Improving as an endurance athlete requires two things: training and recovery. The better you recover, the more effective training you can do, and the more improvements you can make.

But how to recover better? Here are 9 ways. They're all pretty easy to understand; some are easy to do, and some take a bit of work.

But all are very effective, and we know this because we are using HRV (heart rate variability) as the metric. A high HRV means you're primed for good training; a low HRV means you might need some more recovery. Similarly, if you have a wearable device like an Oura or a Whoop, you can track how things like alcohol and poor sleep lower your HRV. And you can track how improving your diet, your sleep habits, and your stress level can raise your HRV.

Tune in for 9 ways to up your HRV, up your recovery, and up your endurance athletics game.