July is one of the most important months of the year for endurance athletes, but it's also one of the easiest times to make mistakes. In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive deep into the training concepts that matter most right now, from summer racing and roller ski time trials to strength training, technique development, and how elite athletes use the off-season to build long-term success.

The conversation explores why summer races aren't actually about results, why many athletes misunderstand the purpose of strength training, and how coaches can use July as an opportunity to develop race execution, pacing, technique, and mental skills. Andy shares why he intentionally ignores time trial results, Brian explains how his approach to strength training has evolved away from "gym bro" lifting and toward stability and movement quality, and both hosts discuss what separates athletes who continue to improve from those who plateau.

The episode also tackles listener questions about swimming and paddling as training modalities, the eternal debate over whether athletes should pause their watches during training sessions, and why young athletes may benefit more from mastering movement than chasing fitness. Whether you're a junior athlete, masters racer, coach, or aspiring elite competitor, this episode is packed with practical advice, coaching philosophy, and high-performance insights that you can apply immediately to your own training.

In this episode of Race Ready, Andy Newell sits down with one of the most fascinating minds in endurance sports: Fabian Stocek. A former NCAA standout at Dartmouth, Ski Classics champion, trail runner, neuroscientist, and newly appointed performance scientist for the Czech Biathlon Team, Fabian has built a career at the intersection of elite performance and cutting-edge science. From conducting brain research and building virtual reality environments for neuroscience experiments to racing some of the toughest endurance events in the world, Fabian shares the unconventional path that has shaped his unique perspective on training and competition.

The conversation dives deep into the science behind endurance performance, including heat training, drafting, biomechanics, GPS and motion tracking technology, and the concept of marginal gains. Fabian explains how modern sensors are changing the way athletes and coaches understand movement, pacing, and technique, and why the smallest details can make the difference between making a podium and missing it. Along the way, he shares practical insights on Ski Classics racing, double-poling development, and the lessons he's learned from years of balancing world-class athletics with a demanding academic career.

Whether you're a cross-country skier, biathlete, coach, or endurance athlete looking to gain an edge, this episode is packed with actionable ideas and thought-provoking discussion. From the "gas engine versus diesel engine" analogy for different types of endurance athletes to the importance of purposeful training and race-day decision-making, Fabian offers a masterclass on how science and sport can work together to unlock higher levels of performance. This is one of those conversations that will make you think differently about how you train, race, and pursue excellence.

SkiData Substack https://skidata.substack.com/

This week on Race Ready, Andy and Brian dive deep into one of the most overlooked aspects of endurance training: recovery. Why do so many athletes struggle to absorb training? How much should you actually reduce volume during a recovery week? And why can treating a recovery week like a vacation sometimes leave you feeling even more tired? Drawing from their coaching experience with athletes ranging from juniors to World Cup competitors, they break down what recovery weeks should look like, how to structure them effectively, and why adaptation is the ultimate goal of training.

The conversation also explores the growing world of lactate testing and threshold training. Andy shares lessons from a recent training session, including how respiratory rate can be a surprisingly powerful tool for monitoring intensity, why many athletes train their threshold sessions too hard, and whether amateur athletes really need a lactate monitor to improve. Along the way, they discuss continuous lactate monitoring technology, common mistakes athletes make during interval workouts, and how to recognize when your body is sending warning signs.

Finally, the duo revisit a topic from a previous episode after receiving feedback from listeners: blood volume, mitochondrial density, and why fitness can seem to "snap back" so quickly after your first hard workouts of the season. It's a fascinating discussion on the physiology behind endurance performance, adaptation, and long-term development. Whether you're a skier, biathlete, coach, or endurance athlete preparing for your next big goal, this episode is packed with practical training wisdom you can apply immediately.

Continuous lactic acid monitoring:

https://www.idro.world/?shem=rimspwouoe,rimspwouohe,

Jason Cork has spent the last two decades quietly shaping some of the most successful athletes in American cross-country skiing. As the longtime coach of Jessie Diggins and a key figure behind multiple Olympic medals, World Championship podiums, and Crystal Globes, Cork has built a reputation as one of the sport's sharpest minds. In this rare long-form conversation, he joins Andy Newell and Brian Halligan to discuss his journey from coaching juniors in Colorado to leading athletes on the World Cup stage, the lessons he's learned along the way, and why simplicity often beats complexity when it comes to endurance training.

The conversation dives deep into the training philosophies that guided Diggins from a talented high school graduate to one of the most decorated skiers in history. Cork explains why consistency matters more than hero workouts, how he approached building training volume over the long term, the role of threshold training in elite performance, and why he believes many athletes make the mistake of training too hard too often. He also shares stories from Diggins' early years, her remarkable resilience, and the qualities that made her stand apart from the crowd long before she became an Olympic champion.

Andy and Brian also pick Cork's brain on some of the hottest topics in endurance sports today, including the Norwegian double-threshold model, speed development, training intensity distribution, and what a truly effective training week should look like for endurance athletes. Whether you're a skier, coach, or serious endurance athlete, this episode is packed with practical insights, thoughtful debate, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build championship-level performance over the course of a career.

This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Brian and Andy tackle one of the most common questions in endurance training: how should beginner athletes structure their intensity distribution when they only have three or four days per week to train? Drawing on both coaching experience and emerging research from Norway, they break down why low-volume athletes may actually benefit from a higher percentage of intensity than elite athletes, how to balance threshold work with easy distance, and why many masters skiers make the mistake of turning every workout into a moderate-intensity grind. If you've ever wondered how to get the most out of limited training time, this episode provides a practical roadmap.

The conversation then shifts into some of the hottest topics in endurance sport right now, including double-threshold training, ski-specific training percentages, and the growing influence of Norwegian training methods. Brian and Andy explain why elite-level training concepts often get misapplied by developing athletes, discuss when double-threshold sessions might actually make sense, and share their thoughts on how much roller skiing, ski walking, running, and cycling should make up your annual training volume. Along the way, they offer valuable insights for junior athletes, masters racers, and coaches trying to build smarter, more sustainable training plans.

The episode wraps up with an engaging Q&A covering fitness testing, max-strength training, and the value of incorporating other sports into your training program. From 3,000-meter running tests and VO₂ max assessments to soccer games, roller ski hockey, and strength progression, Brian and Andy explore how athletes can develop speed, power, athleticism, and long-term durability. Whether you're a beginner skier, an ambitious junior, or a seasoned masters racer looking for an edge, this episode is packed with actionable training advice and thought-provoking discussion to help you train with greater purpose this summer.

After stepping away from the World Cup circuit, missing the Olympic season, and disappearing from competition, Sophia Laukli sits down for an exclusive and remarkably candid conversation on the Race Ready Podcast. One of the most successful American cross-country skiers and trail runners of her generation opens up about the difficult decisions, physical struggles, and mental battles that led her to walk away from the sport she had spent years climbing to the top of. In this tell-all interview, Sophia offers listeners an unprecedented look behind the scenes of a career that seemed unstoppable from the outside.

From World Cup podiums and Golden Trail victories to chronic fatigue, missed goals, and the heartbreak of watching the Olympics from home, Sophia takes us through the two-year journey that ultimately forced her to hit pause. She reflects on the warning signs she ignored, the culture of high-performance sport, the realities of overtraining and under-fueling, and the lessons she learned while trying to chase success in both skiing and trail running. The result is one of the most honest conversations you'll hear from an elite endurance athlete about what happens when the pursuit of excellence goes too far.

But this isn't a story about quitting, it's a story about rebuilding! Sophia discusses her recovery process, the coaches and support system helping her find her way back, and how this experience has completely changed her perspective on training, performance, and what it truly means to be a professional athlete. Whether you're an Olympian, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who has ever struggled with burnout, this episode offers powerful lessons in resilience, self-awareness, and the courage to start over.

This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive deep into the realities of early summer training. From rebuilding training rhythm after spring downtime to understanding why your heart rate suddenly feels sky-high on roller skis, the conversation breaks down the physiology behind those frustrating “out of shape” feelings that almost every skier and biathlete experiences in May and June. The guys explore concepts like blood volume, sports anemia, fluctuating training zones, and why the transition back into structured training is more nuanced than simply “getting fit again.”

The episode also tackles practical training advice that athletes can immediately apply to their own summer preparation. Andy and Brian discuss when to use fast versus slow roller skis, why now is the best time of year to make technical changes, and how building speed and power early in the season can pay huge dividends later in the year. The discussion includes detailed coaching insights on technique progressions, ski-specific strength work, uphill power running, and how elite athletes use early summer to lay the foundation for efficient race-speed skiing months down the road. Whether you’re a junior athlete, masters skier, or coach, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways for smarter summer training.

To wrap up the show, the guys answer a listener question about balancing training with physical work and outdoor activity such as dog walking, yard work, shoveling gravel and landscaping. It sparks a thoughtful conversation about cumulative stress, recovery, fueling, and the realities of integrating endurance training into everyday life. Along the way, the episode keeps the classic Race Ready feel: high-level coaching insights mixed with trail running stories, mountain adventures, practical advice, and plenty of honest discussion about what actually works in endurance sport development.

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, we sit down with rising American cross-country skier Emma Albrecht to unpack one of the most unique development stories in U.S. skiing right now. From elite-level gymnastics and career-threatening back injuries to becoming the 2026 SuperTour overall leader and qualifying for the World Cup, Emma shares how she went from barely skiing as a teenager to racing against the best athletes in the world. Her story is a powerful reminder that there’s no single path to success in endurance sports.

Emma opens up about the realities of navigating college skiing, transferring schools, dealing with overtraining, and learning how to build confidence after years of setbacks and self-doubt. The conversation dives deep into mindset, goal setting, race evaluation, technique development, and the importance of finding the right coaching environment. Whether you’re a junior athlete dreaming big, a college skier trying to break through, or a masters athlete chasing improvement, Emma shares practical lessons on how to stay motivated and continue progressing in the sport.

We also explore the training philosophy and habits that helped Emma make the leap from a “mediocre college skier” to a national champion and World Cup athlete. Topics include training progression, recovery, nutrition, technique work, strength from gymnastics, balancing a professional career alongside elite training, and the mental strategies that keep her improving year after year. This episode is packed with insight for anyone passionate about endurance sports, long-term development, and unlocking athletic potential.

In this episode of Race Ready, Brian Halligan and Andy Newell answer listener questions centered around one of the most important times of the year for endurance athletes: the transition into summer training. The conversation focuses heavily on building the right foundation for long-term development, including how athletes should approach equipment, strength work, training structure, and recovery during the early offseason months. The hosts break down why proper gear matters more than many athletes realize, discussing roller skis, poles, boots, running shoes, watches, and heart rate systems. The proper equipment is not just for performance, but critical for injury prevention and training quality.

Brian and Andy also dive deep into ski-specific offseason training strategies, including bounding, roller skiing, speed development, and strength training for both elite and masters athletes. They explain how athletes can create highly effective home gyms without expensive setups, using tools like kettlebells, TRX systems, pull-up bars, roller boards, and plyometric work to build ski power and durability. The episode also explores the importance of training specificity during the offseason, why ski walking and bounding remain underrated tools for developing classic technique, and how athletes can manipulate roller ski speed and training environments to improve both technique and group training quality.

One of the biggest themes of the episode is managing stress and training load intelligently during the month of May. Responding to a listener question from a college athlete navigating finals week, Brian and Andy discuss the concept that “stress is stress,” emphasizing that academic pressure, work, and life responsibilities must all be considered when planning training. Rather than obsessing over hitting huge training volume immediately on May 1st, the hosts advocate for consistency, smart recovery, and maintaining ski-specific movement while gradually building fitness. They also explore the idea of introducing speed and neuromuscular training earlier in the offseason than many traditional endurance programs typically recommend, arguing that spring can be one of the best times of year to improve athleticism, power, and movement quality before summer volume ramps up.

Video of young Andy on the Roller Board: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvFHIn4IUas

This episode of the Race Ready Podcast dives deep into the journey of rising U.S. cross-country skier Zak Ketterson, fresh off a breakthrough season that included a top-10 World Cup finish and Olympic qualification. Zak opens up about the mental side of high-performance sport, particularly the imposter syndrome that can follow major results, and how learning to trust his fitness and execute “normal” races at a high level was key to his success. His perspective offers a powerful reminder that breakthroughs aren’t always about doing something extraordinary, but rather doing the basics exceptionally well.

The conversation then explores Zak’s development pathway, from a humbling college experience at Northern Michigan University to becoming one of the top American distance skiers. He reflects on the influence of teammates, especially Norwegian athletes, in reshaping his understanding of training, moving away from the “just work harder” mentality toward a more calculated, sustainable approach. Listeners will gain valuable insights into training progression, the importance of controlled intensity, and how long-term consistency, not big swings, drives elite performance.

Finally, Zak breaks down the evolution of his training philosophy, including the role of threshold work, double sessions, terrain specificity, and the balance between strength and aerobic development. He shares practical takeaways for athletes looking to improve, from managing early-season intensity to building race-specific strength through terrain and technique. Whether you're chasing World Cup starts or just trying to train smarter, this episode delivers a masterclass in modern endurance training from one of the sport’s most thoughtful athletes.