Training

I often get emails from athletes asking me how they should train as if there is a single answer that fits everyone. There’s only one answer I can give that fits everyone: It depends. It depends on all … [Read more...] about How Should I Train? It Depends…

There was a time when athletes believed that in the Base period one should only do long, slow distance. And in the Build period we were to primarily do high-intensity interval training. Those … [Read more...] about Periodization of Intensity

I’ve posted a few times here on how you can use the Performance Management Chart to manage your training with topics on CTL (“fitness”), ATL (“fatigue”), and TSB (“form”). If you are unfamiliar … [Read more...] about Managing Training Using TSB

I received a question today regarding what appears to be a contradiction in some of my books--the Training Bibles and Fast After 50. I suspect other readers have had this same question. First of … [Read more...] about Aerobic Capacity Intervals Year Round?

High-performance training demands risk taking. The typical risks come in the form of breakdowns such as overtraining, injury, and illness. Mostly moderately hard workouts are what you should be … [Read more...] about Training Risk

I get a lot of emails from athletes who are frequently injured or sick and are frustrated. They can't seem to make any progress. There may be many factors that are at the root of such … [Read more...] about Training, Greed and Patience

In the last week I’ve been asked several times to comment about a recent article in VeloNews magazine regarding the connection between a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation and … [Read more...] about A-Fib and the Master Endurance Athlete

About once every month or so I receive an email from an athlete asking if overtraining may be the cause of his or her current condition that is nearly always marked by lingering fatigue. When after a … [Read more...] about Avoiding Overtraining

The following appeared a few days ago on the TrainingPeaks.com blog. It’s the last of three-part series on the Performance Management Chart on the TrainingPeaks site and on WKO software. This is … [Read more...] about Part 3: Training Stress Balance—So What?

This is a continuation of my posts related to TrainingPeaks’ Performance Management Chart. It appeared recently on their blog. If you don’t use the PMC then this post probably won’t make sense to you. … [Read more...] about Part 2: Training Stress Score—So What?

The following post appeared in the TrainingPeaks blog a couple of weeks ago. But since a lot of athletes don’t get that or may have missed it I’m reporting it here. If you don’t use TrainingPeaks or … [Read more...] about Part 1: Chronic Training Load—So What?

For some unknown reason I’ve recently received the same basic question three times in emails this week. The question has to do with using a heart rate monitor to gauge intensity. The email senders … [Read more...] about Question on Heart Rate

This piece also appeared last week in the TrainingPeaks newsletter. But since not everyone sees that I’m posting it again here. ---------------------------------------- If you use the Performance … [Read more...] about The CTL Ramp Rate

Today I received an email from a rower who had read my book, Fast After 50. In it I comment on the high-fat diet as one alternative to eating for high performance. I also mentioned it in this … [Read more...] about High-Fat Diet Questions

I originally posted on this topic back in 2010 (here). But I’ve seen a need to revise it  given some of the questions I’ve gotten from athletes who eat a high-fat diet. Along the course of … [Read more...] about How To Recover (Follow-Up)

I read a tweet a few days ago from @BenDrury1 that read: Wouldn’t it be great if we changed the terminology of ‘Recovery Strategies’ to ‘Adaptation Strategies’. Goal is to improve not maintain. He’s … [Read more...] about Supercompensation

I’m quite picky when it comes to working closely with companies in the sports industry. I learned to be that way several years ago when a business I supported performed so poorly that it reflected … [Read more...] about ADS Prescription Sports Sunglasses

I received a question from a coach this week which is common. The coach's athlete did a half-Ironman triathlon on a windy day and wasn't able to maintain his planned power and so slowed … [Read more...] about Train for Duration or Distance?

By now you may be aware of my latest book—Fast After 50—being in print. In February it will also be ready to go as an ebook. This project started out as a birthday present to myself. I was approaching … [Read more...] about What It Takes to be Fast After 50

Should the primary focus of your training be on volume or intensity? We get some help answering that question from a study by Gaskill and associates done in 1999. It’s now getting somewhat old, … [Read more...] about What’s Better for You: High Volume or High Intensity Training?

A triathlete asked me today what the best order of workouts is for swimming, biking and running if one does two or three in a day. Here's my answer... If all 3 workouts are of similar importance … [Read more...] about Order of Triathlon Workouts

Well, it’s December and time for the annual debate about whether endurance athletes (especially runners and cyclists) should do strength training, usually referred to as “lifting weights.” I’ve … [Read more...] about Should You Lift Weights?

I'm occasionally asked if I still use midsole cleats when I ride instead of the traditional forefoot position. The answer is "yes." I've been doing this since 2006, and it was the topic of one of my … [Read more...] about Midsole Cleats and Pedals