FASTER Cycling

Meditation has been making its way into sport more and more over the years. Historically a lot of people have thought of meditation as a spiritual or religious practice, but that is starting to change. Today on Faster we welcome back Nick Salazar to talk about meditation and his new company Stillside after making a transition from his company TriRig. We talk about the basics of mediation, meditation in sport and how it’s helping athletes, along with his new company and their flagship product the OM Chair. Listen to this episode so you can quiet your mind and become faster.

Watt Points: All of Them

Breathing is something we all must do to survive. It’s also a major part of performance. Today, on Faster we talk with Dr. Dena Garner about a product called Airwaav. Their patented mouthpiece is helping athletes lower their respiration rate, cortisol levels, and lactate levels to improve performance. I was initially skeptical about the product and I found out that Dena was also skeptical. It’s why she set out to prove it wrong before realizing she couldn’t. Listen to this episode to learn about Airwaav and the science behind lower your respiration rate so you can become faster.

Watt Points: 5-10 Watts

Groundedness, it’s a term that’s been used more in recent year than ever. Today, on Faster we talk with Brad Stulberg about his book “The Practice of Groudnedness” and how groundedness helps endurance athletes. If you’ve ever found yourself focusing on the goal without enjoying the journey, getting out of balance, or becoming obsessive out your workouts, this is a must listen to podcast. Learn about how presence, patient, vulnerability and community add up to make you a happier, more balanced, and faster athlete.

Watt Points: Happier Watts

Have you ever been to a race and wished that you could have previewed the course beforehand? Wouldn’t it be great to get a feel for a course when you’re not close? When an athlete has this advantage, they enter race day with more piece of mind. Ben Nobury at myWindsock has been obsessing about this idea for some time. myWindsock provides a descriptive look at a course based on weather data, and rider data to help you understand that the hill your about to climb normally has a head wind. This data allows you the athlete to mentally prepare ahead of time for the course so you’re not adjusting on the fly. myWindsock also uses advanced algorithms to help you predict times on a course and tells you the right places to apply power for your race to optimize your time. Listen to this episode to learn how to cheat the wind and be prepare for your next event so you can become faster.

Watt Points: 15-30

Sprinting, it seems easy right? Stand up and give it all you got. Well, that could not be further from the truth. Today, on Faster Jim Martin returns to discuss sprint finishes and the science behind making them faster.  Optimizing cadence, gear ratios, knowing when to shift, when to stay in the saddle and when to stand and how to stand all make massive difference to your sprint speed. Listen to this episode so you can add up to 100 w to your sprint and become Faster.

Watt Points: 95 (In a Sprint)

Jim's YouTube Video with supporting images and slides. 

This is a quick episode to recap 2021 and to welcome 2022 with our plans for the year. It's also to thank you the listener for being a part of FASTER.

Following a diet plan can be challenging at best. What starts off as a perfect pdf with meals planned out meticulously, usually ends up causing more stress. What happens if your buddies want to hang out and grab dinner but the restaurant doesn’t have the Salmon and Quinoa your meal plan calls for? What if you get called out to a work dinner or simply haven’t been able to get to the grocery store due to your busy schedule? Today, on Faster we talk with Co-Founder Scott Tindal of Fuelin who’s making performance nutrition plans for athletes easy and stress free. Scott years of experience working with professional athletes in triathlon, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Team Oracle are now the brains behind the app Fuelin. Fuelin not only optimizes your meal plans for your season but also helps you train your gut so that you can consume the calories you need on race day. Stomach issues during a race are so common but Scott’s athletes are finding this is a thing of the past. Listen to this episode to learn about optimizing your nutrition with Fuelin’s AI so you can become faster.

Watt Points: 100

Cross training has been viewed in two ways, One, as the best thing for athletes who are looking to perform at a high level in their sport and two, as time taken away from further developing that sport. When considering children’s sports, the topic is even more debated. Today on Faster we talk with Matt Kritz who specializes in strength training athletes in multiple disciplines. His time with the New Zealand Olympic program lead, him to develop a movement screen and a prescriptive way to get athletes to progressively load their bodies with strength training to better prepare them for their sport. During that time, he’s also developed theories around cross training for athletes of all ages. Listen to this episode to learn what type of cross training can make you and your kids faster.

Watt Points: 50 

What if someone were to take a practical vs a technical approach to training? What if you looked at how to fit training into your life instead of how to fit life around your training? Could you train less and achieve more? Today on Faster we talk with well-known coach Matt Dixon from Purple Patch Fitness who delivers high-performance triathlon training for time starved athletes. We discuss Purple Patches theories on training, movement analysis, nutrition & hydration, strength training, and much more. Listen to this episode to learn how taking a balanced approach to life and training can make you faster.

Watt Points: 30-40 or... (101 with smile points )

Extras from Matt

Free Training Resources HERE (includes Fundamentals of Running Form, Going Fast on a Flat Course, Free Strength Sessions, Off-Season Workouts, etc)
Upcoming LIVE Events with Matt Dixon HERE

Website - for detailed information on coaching, squad programming, bike fits, swim analysis, live and VOD bike classes, and more
Instagram: @purplepatchfitness
Facebook: @purplepatchfitness
Twitter: @purplepatch

There are several hundred thousand friction instances per minute in a chain when cycling. This creates a lot of friction and can waste up to 20 watts if your chain is not properly lubricated and maintained. Chain lubrication options have exploded over the last few years and many people find themselves confused when trying to understand what’s best for them. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of bad information around lubrication. Today on Faster we talk with Adam Kerin from Zero Friction Cycling who is leading the way in cycling lubrication knowledge and testing. We discuss all of the lubrication types and why immersion waxing is best and not as difficult as you may think. Listen to this episode to learn about chain lubrication and how to save up to 30 watts in your next race.

Watt Points: 10-30