In this week’s episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy and Brian dive into the chaos, excitement, and pressure of early-season ski and biathlon preparation. From crowded inboxes to snow-hunting missions and travel logistics, they share what this time of year really looks like for coaches balancing athlete needs, race schedules, and constantly shifting plans. The conversation kicks off with a reflection on the all-too-relatable “Master Blaster” workout trap: those unstructured, overly hard power-hour sessions that feel productive in the moment but derail long-term training goals.

The hosts then dig deep into early-season on-snow priorities, including technique transfer from roller skis, pacing workouts, and the value of practicing race-day routines before the season officially begins. They break down why drills like no-pole skiing, early-season pace projects, and controlled L4 efforts help athletes ski smooth, stay efficient, and avoid thrashing on snow. There’s also a great discussion on ski testing, ski-fleet strategy, grinds, and communication between athletes and coaches, especially ahead of their upcoming interview with ski-genius Zach Caldwell.

To wrap things up, Andy and Brian answer listener questions ranging from interval training at high altitude to the science behind VO₂ max, lactate thresholds, and how world-class endurance athletes push their limits. This section is packed with clear explanations, practical takeaways, and insights from recent physiology research. Whether you’re a racer gearing up for the season, a coach looking to refine your approach, or just a fan of ski-nerd deep dives, this episode is loaded with value from start to finish.

Link to Tom Cuddy's Substack

On this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with legendary skier, coach, and NBC analyst Chad Salmela for a deep-dive into performance, physiology, and the evolution of endurance training. Chad opens up about his eclectic career, from racing biathlon professionally, to leading NCAA runners, to shaping the next generation of Team Berkie athletes, and how each chapter has influenced the way he coaches and interprets high-performance sport. His trademark curiosity and passion for learning come through immediately as he recounts early VO₂ max tests, time in Finland, and the origins of his Threshold podcast.

The conversation shifts into training theory, where Chad explains why metabolic testing (specifically identifying ventilatory thresholds and RER1) has transformed his understanding of athlete development. He breaks down how his lab and field testing evolved over 15 years, why lactate alone can be misleading, and how he uses metabolic profiles to individualize training for both runners and skiers. The discussion also explores the nuances of pushing threshold closer to VO₂ max, the surprising volatility of certain athletes’ physiology, the challenges of sprint training, and how world-class performances emerge from mastering small details over time.

Finally, the crew dives into youth development, cross-country running as a complementary sport for junior skiers, and why many athletes struggle to train truly easy. Chad shares stories from coaching at St. Scholastica, insights on why younger athletes benefit from the simplicity of running, and candid thoughts on the cultural pressures that push kids toward “looking like skiers” rather than training like developing endurance athletes. The episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the science behind endurance sports, the art of coaching, and the mindset required to help athletes reach their potential.

In Episode 29 of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan reflect on the biggest lessons from this year’s training and racing season. From early-season takeaways at Soldier Hollow to insights drawn from World Cup athletes like Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Ben Ogden, and Campbell Wright, this episode dives deep into the mental and physical fundamentals that define elite endurance performance. The hosts explore the often-overlooked role of breathing as a trainable skill, discussing how purposeful exhales and focused respiration can enhance control, relaxation, and overall efficiency in both skiing and biathlon.

Brian and Andy also unpack common themes shared by top World Cup athletes, including a process-driven mindset, training with intent, and maintaining simplicity in a world full of performance trends. They emphasize the importance of tracking progress through training logs, knowing your body, and building fitness patiently—brick by brick. Listeners gain perspective on how the best in the world balance high-level preparation with grounded, consistent habits, while also learning how to apply these insights to their own training and coaching.

To close, the hosts touch on the importance of team cohesion and joy in sport. Drawing from FIS webinars and their own coaching experiences, they highlight how a supportive team culture and balanced mindset sustain long-term success. Whether you’re a coach, junior skier, or elite athlete, this episode offers practical strategies to stay motivated, focused, and connected as the season begins. Tune in to learn how intention, simplicity, and community can elevate both performance and passion in endurance sport.

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with biathlon phenom Campbell Wright, Junior World Champion, U23 Blue Bib winner, and 2x World Championship silver medalist, to unpack his remarkable journey from the Snow Farm of New Zealand to the top of the international biathlon stage. Campbell shares how a small ski club at Snow Farm and a passion for racing led him to Europe at just 15, where he built a career defined by resilience, adaptability, and raw love for competition.

Listeners get an inside look at the mindset behind the medals as Campbell opens up about “ego training,” the lessons learned from joining Team USA, and how he balances hard training with a lighthearted, confident approach to racing. His reflections on burnout, belief, and the “fake professionalism” often seen in elite sport are refreshingly honest, reminding athletes that joy, not tension, drives long-term success.

From jet lag hacks and mental reset routines to his now-famous start-line banter and laid-back New Zealand attitude, this conversation captures what makes Campbell one of biathlon’s most authentic rising stars. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or fan, this episode delivers motivation, laughter, and wisdom from one of the sport’s most grounded talents.

In this special episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins for an in-depth and deeply personal conversation about the mindset, training, and heart behind her success. From her early days racing at Minnesota high school meets to becoming one of the most decorated cross-country skiers in U.S. history, Jessie reflects on the long journey of learning, failing, and finding balance in the pursuit of excellence.

Jessie opens up about her evolution as an athlete and person. From her first humbling World Cup starts to her current role as a leader and mentor on the U.S. Ski Team. She discusses how her relationship with longtime coach Jason Cork has shaped her career, revealing how trust, communication, and process-based goals have driven her consistency and joy in the sport. The episode also explores the hard lessons that came with overtraining, learning to listen to her body, and turning past struggles, including her recovery from an eating disorder, into strength and self-awareness.

In classic Diggins fashion, the conversation dives into the “pain cave” that place of pure effort where physical limits meet mental grit. Jessie shares how she developed her now-iconic ability to push past pain and stay present under pressure, and how her motivation has evolved from chasing results to using her platform for something greater. It’s an inspiring, candid, and often funny conversation that captures the true spirit of one of the world’s toughest and most joyful endurance athletes.

In this listener-driven episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan open with stories from Soldier Hollow, Whitefish, and early-season training camps before diving into a stack of listener questions. The duo explores the value of lactate testing for master skiers—when it’s worth the investment, when “easy, medium, hard” is good enough, and why feel still matters more than lab data. Along the way they touch on muscular endurance, polarized training balance, and the eternal challenge of stress versus recovery.

Mid-episode, conversation turns to one of the sport’s more uncomfortable topics: doping. Drawing from the 1990s and early-2000s cross-country scene, Andy recounts the dark years of EPO, the fallout from the Finnish and Austrian scandals, and how those moments shaped the ethics of endurance sport today. Brian weighs in on biathlon’s past and the controversial idea of “enhanced games,” prompting a candid discussion about performance, fairness, and athlete health.

To close, the hosts tackle health and longevity on a more personal level—how to adjust training after illness or injury, why recovery doesn’t erase fitness, and how patience pays off when returning to snow. They connect lessons from World Cup pros like Julia Kern and Dario Cologna to everyday athletes balancing family, work, and racing goals. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging episode packed with real-world coaching insight, endurance wisdom, and plenty of laughs from the trail.

Conconi test

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, host Andy Newell sits down with Dr. Lauren Loberg, a performance psychology consultant whose experience spans the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, the NFL, and elite winter sport athletes. Together, they explore the mental side of high-performance sport — from stress management and emotional regulation to the importance of mental “prehab” for preventing burnout and injury. Lauren shares her own journey from Division I athlete to sports psychologist, revealing how personal setbacks inspired her mission to help athletes build resilience and self-awareness both on and off the field.

The conversation dives into the evolution of sports psychology into what Lauren calls performance psychology — a holistic approach that extends beyond competition to everyday life. She explains how modern mental training isn’t just for fixing problems but for strengthening the mind before challenges arise. Topics include reframing negative thoughts, balancing recovery with motivation, and cultivating mental toughness through awareness and repetition. Andy reflects on his own experiences as an athlete and coach, highlighting how mental fatigue, self-talk, and visualization all influence performance during the racing season.

In the final part of the episode, Lauren and Andy discuss the power of visualization, flow states, and positive self-talk in unlocking an athlete’s best performances. They unpack what really goes through an elite skier’s mind during high-pressure moments — such as Olympic races — and how athletes can learn to focus on what they can control, even amid chaos. Whether you’re a developing skier, coach, or parent, this conversation offers tangible insights into building confidence, managing anxiety, and approaching sport — and life — with a healthier, more sustainable mindset.

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive deep into the benefits and challenges of altitude training. They share insights from observing world-class athletes like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen training in Park City, and discuss how altitude adaptation varies from athlete to athlete. The conversation covers what it means to be an “altitude responder,” why timing and duration matter, and how to maximize gains without overloading the body.

From there, the discussion shifts to the role of cycling in modern ski training. The hosts compare philosophies from international coaches—some favoring running for its ski-specific benefits, others increasingly turning to cycling as a lower-impact way to build volume. Drawing from their own coaching experience, they explore how athletes can strategically add cycling into their plans, whether as early-season base work or as a recovery tool during interval-heavy training blocks.

The episode rounds out with listener questions on fall training topics, including how to adjust workouts when sick, best practices for strength phases, and creative solutions for athletes without access to long training hills. Andy and Brian emphasize practical, real-world advice: prioritize recovery when illness strikes, focus on technique before heavy lifting, and adapt training creatively to your environment. Packed with actionable takeaways, this conversation offers both athletes and coaches tools to fine-tune their approach heading into the race season.

Linked study about Max Strength

In this episode of Race Ready, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan welcome three-time Olympian and World Championship medalist Susan Dunklee for a wide-ranging conversation about her journey from Vermont ski racer to international biathlon standout. Susan reflects on her early days growing up in a skiing family, her transition into biathlon through the early days of "Project X", and the pivotal advice from her father that set her on the path to competing at the highest level. She shares stories of racing in front of massive European crowds, breakthrough performances on the World Cup, and the psychological challenges of balancing ski speed with precision shooting.

The discussion also dives into Susan’s training philosophies and the adjustments she made throughout her career to remain competitive over 11 seasons on the World Cup. She explains how she tackled weaknesses on the shooting range, developed resilience through process-oriented racing, and found balance by embracing her community at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. The hosts highlight her 2017 World Championship silver medal performance as a career-defining moment and explore what it meant for American biathlon to achieve international success. Susan also offers perspective on longevity in elite sport, emphasizing the importance of keeping training fun and building supportive team cultures.

Now serving as the Director of Biathlon at Craftsbury, Susan reflects on her transition into coaching and mentoring the next generation. She shares insights on teaching fundamentals, fostering a learning mindset in young athletes, and even creating lasting traditions like the “silver bib” for older competitors. The conversation rounds out with Susan’s work supporting para athletes and her passion for growing inclusive communities in sport. This episode is both an inspiring look back at a decorated career and a forward-looking exploration of how one athlete’s legacy continues to shape the future of biathlon.

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Chris Grover, longtime U.S. Ski Team coach and current program director for cross-country skiing. Grover shares his perspective on what it takes to bring more World Cup events to the United States, the financial and logistical hurdles behind them, and how climate change and global economics are shaping the international race calendar. From Lake Placid’s 2026 World Cup Finals to new race formats at the Tour de Ski, listeners get a rare look at the forces shaping the future of World Cup skiing.

Grover also reflects on his journey from an Anchorage high school skier to Dartmouth racer, to decades of coaching at Stratton, Sun Valley, and the U.S. Ski Team. Along the way, he highlights the mentors who shaped him, the shift toward a “servant leadership” coaching philosophy, and the importance of building strong support networks for athletes. The conversation dives into the growth of American skiing over the past two decades—from early podium breakthroughs to the U.S. becoming a top-five nation on the World Cup circuit.

Finally, the discussion turns to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Grover shares insights into managing Olympic quota spots, the evolution of national team staffing, and the collaboration between U.S. Ski Team and club coaches across the country. With the looming retirement of Jessie Diggins and the push to develop the next generation, Grover explains what it will take to keep U.S. skiing moving forward. It’s a candid and inspiring conversation about leadership, culture, and the ongoing journey of American cross-country skiing.