In this episode of The Athletes Compass, Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and Dr. Paul Laursen discuss the revolutionary impact of Athletica, an AI-powered training program designed to optimize workouts for endurance athletes. Dr. Laursen shares the origins of Athletica, rooted in his own experiences as a triathlete and researcher. They explore how Athletica integrates sensor data, such as heart rate, power, and pace, to create personalized, adaptable training plans tailored to individual athletes’ needs. The hosts also delve into the nuances of adaptive training zones, workout variations, and how Athletica ensures athletes make steady progress without overtraining.

• Personalized Training: Athletica uses data from wearables and sensors to customize training plans, adjusting them based on individual progress and fatigue levels.
• Science-Based Approach: The program is grounded in research from the HIIT Science textbook, with workouts specifically designed to optimize endurance, strength, and recovery.
• Adaptation Over Time: Athletica continuously updates training zones and intervals, ensuring that workouts remain aligned with athletes' current capabilities.
• Avoiding Overtraining: The AI detects overexertion and adjusts future workouts to promote recovery, emphasizing a smart training approach rather than “no pain, no gain.”
• Diverse Workouts: Athletica offers a variety of workouts for cycling, running, triathlon, and rowing, and encourages switching up routines to prevent boredom and injury.

• HIIT Science Book - Application of High-Intensity Interval Training
• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode of The Athlete's Compass, hosts Marjaana Rakai, Paul Warloski and Paul Laursen continue their discussion with Andrea Zignoli to explore the importance of athlete profiling and how it can enhance your training approach. The discussion dives into the science behind profiling, explaining how Athletica automatically creates profiles based on your speed and power outputs. These profiles, which are like an athlete's "fingerprint," help tailor workouts and adjust load distribution, maximizing performance for any type of athlete—whether you're a sprinter, endurance runner, or a hybrid. Profiling also reveals insights into your recovery needs, making training more efficient and personalized.

• Personalized Profiles: Athletica creates unique athlete profiles based on power and speed metrics, helping tailor workouts to each individual's strengths and weaknesses.
• Performance Optimization: Understanding your profile helps adjust training intensity for different types of athletes, whether they are sprinters or endurance-focused.
• The Hybrid Athlete: Most athletes fall somewhere between fast-twitch (sprinter) and slow-twitch (endurance) profiles, making profiling even more important to balance their training loads.
• Training Zones: Profiles are used to define training zones for high-intensity and endurance efforts, allowing for better precision in workout planning.
• Recovery and Adaptation: Athlete profiles can give insight into how quickly you recover, guiding the frequency and type of high-intensity work you should engage in.
• Scientific Foundation: Athletica uses models like the anaerobic power reserve and critical power to accurately assess athlete capacities and adjust training as needed.

• Athlete Profiling Primer
• How Athletica Closes the Cycle: From Athlete Profiling to Training Prescription - Andrea Zignoli and Paul Laursen
• Athletica AI Endurance Training Platform

In this episode of The Athletes Compass, Dr. Andrea Zignoli, data scientist at Athletica, digs into the science behind the Workout Reserve, a revolutionary tool that aids athletes like Marjaana Rakai in performing at their best. Dr. Zignoli shares the story behind its development, how it calculates an athlete’s effort relative to their previous bests, and how athletes can use this data to optimize training and race pacing. The team also discusses its successful application in both professional cycling and Ironman competitions, showing how this AI-driven tool supports athletes in avoiding burnout and achieving personal records.

• Workout Reserve: Helps athletes measure current effort against their best historical performances, guiding optimal training and race pacing.
• Critical Power: Key metric for determining thresholds and training intensities in endurance sports.
• Real-time pacing: Athletes can use the Workout Reserve in real time on Garmin devices to manage exertion levels and avoid overexertion.
• Real-world impact: Featured in Marjaana Rakai’s Ironman World Championship preparation and applied in elite cycling races like the Giro d'Italia.
• AI-driven personalization: Adjusts to each athlete’s physiological characteristics and helps coaches focus more on strategy and athlete interaction.
• Versatility: The tool's potential to expand to other sports beyond running and cycling, such as rowing, is actively being explored.

• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode of The Athlete's Compass, Tenille Hoogland joins the discussion to share her expertise on training for women in perimenopause and menopause. With a rich background as a professional triathlete and coach, she dives deep into how hormonal changes impact performance and training. The episode covers practical tips for adapting workouts, the importance of prioritizing health, and how mindset plays a key role in thriving during this transition. Tenille emphasizes the need for women athletes to listen to their bodies, adjust expectations, and use training as a tool for empowerment, all while balancing life’s other stressors.

• Adaptability in Training: Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause affect performance, requiring athletes to modify their approach to training.
• Prioritizing Health: Long-term health and well-being should be the foundation of any endurance training, especially in mid-life.
• Mindset Matters: Athletes should cultivate a growth mindset to navigate the unpredictability of hormonal shifts and physical performance.
• Nutritional Adjustments: Increasing protein intake and maintaining a balanced, colorful diet is crucial for women in this stage of life.
• Listen to Your Body: Being attuned to daily changes and knowing when to push or rest is key to successful training in perimenopause.
• The Importance of Strength Training: Incorporating strength and conditioning helps combat muscle loss and keeps athletes feeling strong.

• Hormones, Health and Human Potential: A Guide to Understanding Your Hormones to Optimise Your Health and Performance Dr Nicky Keay
• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode, Paul Warloski speaks with Dr. Mikki Williden, a nutrition expert and endurance athlete, about the unique nutritional and training challenges facing women over 40, particularly as they navigate perimenopause and menopause. They discuss how hormonal shifts can lead to insulin resistance, increased inflammation, and disrupted sleep, all of which affect endurance performance and recovery. Dr. Williden offers practical advice on optimizing nutrition, including increasing protein intake, adjusting carbohydrate timing, and adopting supplements like creatine. They also explore how training approaches may need to shift to accommodate the body’s changing needs without sacrificing athletic goals.

• Hormonal Shifts: Women in perimenopause experience hormonal fluctuations that impact insulin sensitivity, recovery, and fat storage.
• Protein Intake: Increasing protein to 2-3 grams per kg of body weight can help with muscle recovery, especially when combined with strength training.
• Carbohydrate Management: Adjusting carbohydrate intake, particularly post-training, helps manage insulin resistance and supports recovery.
• Sleep and Recovery: Prioritizing sleep is essential, and habits like reducing alcohol and using blue light-blocking glasses can help improve sleep quality.
• Supplements: Creatine is highly recommended, though some women may experience bloating; ashwagandha and magnesium are helpful for sleep and stress reduction.
• Training Adaptations: Endurance athletes should focus on auto-regulation, listening to their bodies, and adjusting training to meet recovery needs.
• Diet Quality: High-quality nutrition with an emphasis on fiber, phytochemicals, and healthy fats supports overall health and performance.

• Mikkipedia | Dr. Mikki Williden’s podcast, covering topics such as nutrition, fitness, and longevity.
• Jose Antonio, High protein consumption in trained women: bad to the bone?

In this episode of the Athletes Compass podcast, co-host Marjaana Rakai shares her exhilarating experience racing in the Ironman World Championships in Nice, France. She recounts the physical and mental challenges she faced, from pre-race preparations and jet lag to tackling the grueling 2400m bike climb and battling through the marathon. Marjaana emphasizes the importance of mental resilience, her mantra of embracing pain, and the critical role of pacing. Alongside hosts Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen, she delves into strategies for balancing intense Ironman training with the demands of family and work life, offering valuable insights for endurance athletes.

• Mental Resilience: Marjaana highlights the importance of mentally embracing pain and using it as fuel during endurance events.
• Pacing Strategy: Holding back early to conserve energy for the final push is essential in endurance racing.
• Nutrition Adjustments: Switching from solid food to liquid calories mid-race was a game-changer for Marjaana.
• Support Network: A strong support system is vital for balancing intense training with family responsibilities.
• Adaptability: Marjaana deviated from her pre-race plan but maintained mental strength to perform.
• Work-Life Balance: Ironman training requires sacrifices, and Marjaana speaks candidly about the challenges and guilt of balancing family life.
• Visualization and Mantras: Positive self-talk and visualization helped Marjaana push through tough moments in the race.

• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode of Athlete's Compass, Paul Warloski, Dr. Paul Laursen, and Marjaana Rakai discuss how to maintain mental focus during long endurance rides, strategies to manage fatigue, and the balance between training and recovery. Marjaana shares her approach to mentally preparing for 4-6 hour rides and the importance of progression and nutrition. The episode also dives into how fitness metrics like heart rate and power can guide training, but health should always come first. Finally, they address managing illness close to a big race, using Marjaana’s experience as she prepares for the Ironman World Championships after recovering from a head cold.

• Mental Focus on Long Rides: Use a variety of strategies such as music, audiobooks, or focusing on data like heart rate or power. Some athletes prefer to start rides without distractions and add them later as motivation wanes.
• Progression is Key: Gradually build up ride durations over time to avoid burnout and injury.
• Nutrition: Proper fueling is essential to maintain mental sharpness on long rides.
• Heart Rate vs. Power: Heart rate can be a better indicator of effort than power output during long endurance rides.
• Managing Sickness: When sick, prioritize rest over training. Your body’s recovery should take precedence, and signs like fatigue and lack of motivation are cues to back off.
• Fitness Metrics: While tracking fitness numbers like Training Stress Score (TSS) and chronic training load (CTL) is useful, the most important factor is overall health and consistent training.

In this episode of the Athletes Compass podcast, hosts Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and Dr. Paul Laursen dive into listener questions about optimizing VO2 max, understanding the differences between training protocols like 30-30s and 4x4s, and adapting nutrition strategies for altitude. They discuss the benefits of fat adaptation, the importance of training consistency, and the use of ketone supplements for recovery. With insights on how to enhance running economy and manage energy more efficiently, this episode is packed with expert advice for endurance athletes looking to improve their performance.

• Understanding VO2 Max: It's crucial to distinguish between VO2 max as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness and the power output or pace at VO2 max.
• Training for VO2 Max: Incorporating both high-intensity interval training (like 30-30s or 4x4s) and low-intensity zone 2 training can lead to greater improvements in VO2 max.
• Altitude and Nutrition: Nutrition strategies at sea level may not work at altitude due to differences in energy demands and oxygen availability.
• Ketone Supplements: These are best used for recovery rather than during high-intensity activities.
• Fat Adaptation: Becoming fat-adapted can improve performance in endurance sports, especially in stressful or extreme conditions.
• Improving Running Economy: Incorporating plyometrics, hill reps, and strength training can enhance running efficiency and performance.

• Rethinking the role of fat oxidation: substrate utilisation during high-intensity interval training in well-trained and recreationally trained runners - PubMed
• Understanding Ketone Science & Supplementation | Dr. Chiel Poffé
• Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity - New Book by Peter Attia
• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode of the Athletes Compass podcast, hosts Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and Dr. Paul Laursen are joined by endurance sports expert and author Matt Fitzgerald. They explore the intricacies of pacing in distance running, discussing why it’s the defining characteristic of the sport. Fitzgerald shares insights from his book, How to Run the Perfect Race, emphasizing the importance of pacing as a tool for optimizing performance and avoiding common mistakes. The conversation also delves into the role of technology in training, the psychological aspects of endurance, and the ways everyday athletes can achieve pacing mastery.

• Pacing is Crucial: Pacing is the defining characteristic of distance running and is essential for optimizing race performance.
• Technology as a Tool: While technology can aid in pacing, it should be used as a tool rather than a crutch to avoid dependency.
• Psychological Elements: The mental aspect of pacing, including self-regulation and emotional control, is as important as physical training.
• Pacing Mastery: With practice, any athlete can improve their pacing skills and better realize their full potential.
• Gender Differences: Studies suggest that women are generally better at pacing due to a more cautious and calculated approach.

• Do we really need a central governor to explain brain regulation of exercise performance? - PubMed
• How to Run the Perfect Race | Book by Matt Fitzgerald | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.

In this episode of the Athletes Compass Podcast, hosts Paul Warloski and Marjaana Rakai discuss the critical relationship between arousal levels and athletic performance. They explore the Inverted U Hypothesis, which suggests there's an optimal level of arousal for peak performance, and share personal stories and expert insights on managing anxiety and excitement in both endurance and team sports. The conversation covers practical strategies such as mental rehearsal, breathing techniques, and maintaining routines to help athletes stay calm and focused. Listeners are encouraged to embrace stress as a source of energy and to cultivate mindfulness for better race-day execution.

• The Inverted U Hypothesis explains that moderate arousal leads to optimal performance, while too much or too little can hinder it.
• Personal anecdotes highlight the importance of managing anxiety and excitement in sports.
• Practical strategies to manage arousal include mental rehearsal, breathing techniques, and maintaining consistent routines.
• Embrace stress and nervousness as they can provide extra energy and focus.
• Use mindfulness and visualization to prepare mentally for race day challenges.
• Environmental factors, like crowd noise and race conditions, can impact arousal levels and should be managed thoughtfully.
• Gratitude and a positive mindset contribute to a successful performance.

• Kelly McGonigal, Joy of Movement
• Paul Warloski - Endurance, Strength Training, Yoga
• Marjaana Rakai - Tired Mom Runs - Where fitness meets motherhood.