At 28 years old Andrew Talansky has his whole road racing career ahead of him, but he’s changing gears. Listen in to find out why the most successful American pro cyclist in recent times is moving sports to triathlon. Andrew Talansky is one of the most successful American cyclists in history with a win at…
If you aspire to qualify for Ironman World Championship as an age-group triathlete, this interview with sub-10 Kona-qualifier Emmet Kelly will explain exactly what you need to do. In this episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach podcast, we talk with Emmet Kelly, a 35-year-old IT technician and father of two young boys who qualified…
Answer: If your workouts are challenging but doable, that’s one of the biggest indications you properly estimated your FTP. When your workouts don’t feel like this, it’s time to make some changes. When you first start your structured training with TrainerRoad, your first workout is a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test. The results of your…
Answer: Typically two weeks of recovery is recommended, but that timeframe could vary depending on your level of fatigue and motivation. Based on the amount of downtime you take, you can restart a Base or Build plan. Decide How Much Downtime You Need If you’ve just completed a Specialty plan and are focused now on…
Answer: Testing days aren’t always your best days. Muscle fatigue, unpreparedness for the discomfort of testing, poor pacing, or low motivation can all lend to a lower FTP result. When you test at a lower FTP, it commonly comes down to one, or a combination, of four things: 1. You weren’t sufficiently recovered following your…
Answer: The High-Volume Sweet Spot Base plan has a very specific training load, in both volume and intensity. This allows for a very high TSS relative to all other training plans. This high training stress score does not translate directly to other plans, including those in the Build Phase. High-Volume Sweet Spot Base is in…
Answer: FTP increases and applying different forms of training stress require small planned decreases in TSS to maximize training benefits. Reduce TSS Between Training Phases to Get Faster Within a progressively structured training plan, each new week sees a slight increase in the overall amount of stress (TSS), while each workout sees a similar bump…
Answer: Riding outside generally means a higher intensity and higher TSS than a plan’s prescribed structured workout. Depending on a rider’s goals, their outside ride could hamper later workouts. It’s really a question of what you want to get out of your rides and how much time you’re willing to dedicate … If you’re looking…
Answer: No. When climbing a hill, you may see differences in your body’s ability to express 100% of your FTP, but the experience is not enough to necessitate a different FTP. Why is My FTP More Impressive on Climbs Than Flats? This disparity in performance brought on by these different scenarios can be discouraging and cause…
Get faster with the elegantly redesigned TrainerRoad for iOS and Android. As the saying goes, “The details are not the details, they make the design.” Countless improvements — some so minor even the most veteran TrainerRoad athletes could miss — were made to enhance the way you train on your favorite iOS and Android devices.…