In this episode of the CoachCast, host Dirk Friel sits down with Kristen Arnold, a registered dietitian, elite cycling coach, and former pro racer, to unpack the complex relationship endurance athletes often have with food and body image. Drawing from her coaching and clinical experience, Kristen explores how disordered eating patterns can quietly surface in training environments that overemphasize being lean, disciplined, or performing at any cost.

Kristen offers practical strategies for coaches and athletes to identify red flags, reframe food as fuel (not a reward or punishment), and prioritize long-term health alongside results. From race-day fueling to an off-season mindset, this conversation challenges outdated norms and empowers listeners to pursue performance with compassion, curiosity, and balance.

Resources discussed in this episode:

Environment and Language Guide for Discussing and Managing Physique

USOPC Sports Nutrition Resources for Young Athletes

Directory of Registered Dietitians

Sports Nutrition for Women E-Course

HEXIS App

Fulein App

In this episode, Dirk Friel talks with Alex Martin, a former professional motocross and supercross racer who spent over 15 years competing at the highest level, earning podiums and top-five finishes. After retiring from racing as a pro, Alex leaned into his passion for training and performance, co-founding Troll Training. His coaching company blends motocross performance with endurance sports methodologies.

Alex shares his journey from motocross to recently catching the “running bug” and how structured training, especially via TrainingPeaks, helped him transform his racing career and life after retirement. He just raced the 2025 Boston Marathon, finishing at 2:48:35, just shy of a PR, with plans to run several other big races in the coming months.

From building marathon fitness as a busy dad and coach to balancing strength, endurance, and recovery in high-risk motorsports, Alex shares an insider’s look at taking advantage of experience and science to advance the art of coaching unique athletes.

Matt Dixon shares his clear and simple approach to coaching, emphasizing the importance of purpose, consistency, and developing foundational habits over chasing the latest trends or technologies. Whether you're an ambitious amateur or a seasoned pro, this episode has valuable takeaways to optimize your training and life balance.

Matt is the founder and CEO of Purple Patch Fitness, a coaching company that caters to endurance athletes of all levels. Under his guidance, more than 1,500 Purple Patch athletes have qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships. He's an IRONMAN U master coach, a former professional triathlete, and a two-time Olympic trials finalist in swimming with a master's degree in clinical and exercise physiology.

Despite the common perception that high-volume training is essential for success, Matt demonstrated that a focused regimen, averaging about 10 hours per week tailored to fit an athlete's lifestyle, was just as effective. While running a large tech company, one of his athletes won an IRONMAN World Championship overall as an amateur on a 10-hour-per-week training plan.

We're diving deep into the world of professional cycling camps as we hear first-hand from some of the leading coaches and nutritionists in pro cycling. Reporting from the picturesque coastal climbs of the Costa Blanca in Spain, our host, Dirk Friel, brings you insights from performance coaches like Lieselot Decroix and Mattia Michelusi, who reveal the critical training techniques employed to enhance rider performance.

Learn how pro teams leverage lactate testing, hear what metrics WorldTour coaches focus on around functional reserve capacity (FRC), and background on the growing importance of heat training. Nutritionist Nicki Strobel gives us a taste of what meal planning looks like during grueling tours and how data from TrainingPeaks is used to tailor nutrition strategies. Plus, Stephen Barrett explains the significance of durability in today's WorldTour races, while Liam Holohan shares insights on hypoxic training.

Whether you're a coach, athlete, or enthusiast, this episode is packed with proven takeaways to help elevate your training to the next level.

Special thanks to  

FDJ-Suez — https://www.fdj-suez.fr/

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale — https://decathlonag2rlamondialeteam.com/

Team Cofidis — https://www.equipecofidis.com/uk/home

Israel-Premier Tech — https://israelpremiertech.com/

In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, we sit down with Fergus Crawley, the co-founder and head coach of Omnia Performance, to look into the world of hybrid athletes. Hybrid training, a blend of strength and endurance disciplines, challenges the traditional boundaries of athletic training.

Fergus draws from his rich background in rugby, powerlifting, triathlons, and concurrent training to explain how athletes can effectively balance opposing athletic goals. From his incredible achievement of squatting 500 pounds and running a sub-five-minute mile in the same day to working with military operatives, Fergus shares insights on biomechanical awareness, periodization, and the mental approach needed for such diverse training programming.

Learn how hybrid athletes can tackle the demands of multi-discipline sports and the benefits of open-mindedness in fitness. Fergus discusses several strategies he uses to coach and accomplish his many challenges that can help you pursue your athletic goals, whether you're a seasoned triathlete or a strength enthusiast curious about endurance.

Professional runner and running coach Nell Rojas shares her insights into racing and coaching athletes for marathons, including the Boston Marathon, using a balance of art and science.

She attended Northern Arizona University, where she studied exercise science and competed in cross country and track. Nell ran her first marathon in 2018 and became the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, she finished 10th at the 2022 New York City Marathon.

Nell has achieved remarkable success as an American marathon runner, securing top American finishes at the 2021 and 2022 Boston Marathons, a top 10 finish at the 2022 New York City Marathon, and competing in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She has also claimed a 10-mile US Championship title and won Grandma's Marathon.

Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Nell advocates for inclusivity within the running community, focusing on empowering people of color and women. With 20 years of coaching experience, she is dedicated to helping athletes of all abilities achieve their own running goals.

Scott Johnston, co-author of "Training for the New Alpinism" and "Training for the Uphill Athlete," shares insights on recovery strategies for ultramarathon runners in this new podcast episode.

Johnston emphasizes the critical balance between rest and performance, outlining how factors like central nervous system fatigue, motivation, and age influence post-race recovery. The conversation highlights actionable strategies, including subjective feedback tracking, active recovery, and the importance of long-term planning for peak performance while avoiding overtraining.

Visit TrainingPeaks.com to see how it can help your training.

Listen in as indieVelo creator George Gilbert and TrainingPeaks president Lee Gerakos break down the reasoning behind the acquisition of the virtual riding platform, now named TrainingPeaks Virtual, the opportunities for coaches and athletes and how the ethos of credible virtual racing is a part of the DNA of the merger. 

They share with Dirk the importance of community feedback in shaping the platform's development and commitment to creating inclusive and credible virtual racing environments. Plus, learn about the seamless integration of TrainingPeaks athlete accounts and TrainingPeaks Virtual and its impact on cycling training and community building. The options for creating group rides, races and training simulations are extensive for coaches and athletes. 

Gale Bernhardt's insights on effective coaching, balancing technology with human touch, setting long-term goals and tips for aspiring coaches.

With over 35 years of coaching experience, Gale Bernhardt has guided Olympians and World Championship athletes and played pivotal roles as the USA Triathlon Olympic and Pan American Games Triathlon coach. She shares her incredible journey from a mechanical engineering background to becoming one of the most respected figures in endurance sports as a pioneering endurance coach.

We explore her coaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of continual learning across exercise science, pedagogy, and other key areas of understanding. Gale also provides invaluable advice for aspiring coaches. She highlights the significance of setting long-term goals, addressing knowledge gaps, and balancing science and the art of coaching. 

Gale and Dirk compare and contrast coaching occupations in the United States and European countries. Plus, she touches on the evolving role of AI in coaching and why the human touch remains irreplaceable.

To learn how TrainingPeaks can help your endurance coaching, visit TrainingPeaks.com.

Understand the essentials of athlete fueling, including RED-S and the importance of tailored nutrition plans, with sports dietician Kylee Van Horn.

Kylee Van Horn, CEO of Fly Nutrition, specializes in helping athletes optimize their performance and manage eating disorders, including RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport). She's also an ultrarunner and running coach based in Colorado, looking to simplify nutrition for athletes and steer them away from fad diets. You can also hear her on the podcast "Your Diet Sucks" with Zoë Rom.

In this episode, Dirk and Kylee break down personalized nutrition plans, the role of micronutrient density, and the importance of understanding fuel requirements for different training sessions. Kylee shares helpful tips on fueling strategies for endurance and ultra-endurance athletes, addressing common fueling challenges, and the benefits of a team coaching approach to addressing nutrition and training goals. Plus, you'll hear her thoughts on addressing a few situations as an athlete, like overcoming nausea and the difficulty in recognizing eating disorders.

To help structure your endurance sports journey, visit TrainingPeaks.com.