Training

 and Prescription Cycling Sunglasses  It's been quite a while since I posted here. I used to think I was simply too busy due to travel, but now that I'm on vacation in Boulder for … [Read more...] about Aging: My Eyes…

Earlier this month I reported on a study of block periodization that found it superior to a traditional (linear) periodization model. This study lasted 4 weeks with well-trained cyclists in the … [Read more...] about Another Block Periodization Study

I was asked twice this week how I taper athletes for their A-priority races, once by an athlete and also by a coach. I told them that I would write about it in my blog, but later realized I had … [Read more...] about Tapering and Peaking Review

One of my favorite pastimes is reading sports science research. Most days start with me grabing an abstract from the top of my to-be-read list and seeing what’s new. I know, I’m weird that way. … [Read more...] about Updates on Compression Clothing and Block Periodization

There have been some big gaps between my posts here this winter. This is my busy season with lots of travel. It seems there is never enough time. I’m sure you know the feeling. In my last blog as an … [Read more...] about Keep It Simple – Bike Skills

Training for peak performance in endurance sport does not need to be complicated. I came to understand that only recently. More than 30 years ago I earned a masters degree in exercise science while … [Read more...] about Keep It Simple

I get lots of questions from athletes in my email. Here are three recent ones. Pedaling Technique Q: While riding this weekend and working on my form, I recall you saying not to lift on the backstroke … [Read more...] about Pedaling, Tri-Novice and Runner’s Trots

The following are the five most read posts on my blog in 2012. There is only one that is new to the list. The others are perennials. 1. A Quick Guide to Setting Zones (November, 2009) This one moved … [Read more...] about My Most Read Blog Posts of 2012

This is the time of year when most endurance athletes are starting to think about and perhaps even plan for the coming season. That makes it a good time to remember what’s most important when it comes … [Read more...] about Five Fundamentals of Training

Some time ago I wrote about recovery on demand. This is a method of training in which recovery is not planned in advance, but rather done when the need arises. For the athlete who is good at … [Read more...] about Periodization on Demand

“Training is principally an act of faith.” –Franz Stampfl For serious athletes, the purpose of training is to improve performance relative to a specific event – an A-priority race. Throughout the Base … [Read more...] about That Which Is Measured Improves

I spoke at a cycling camp offered by Aspen Sports Performance this past weekend in Moab, Utah. The riding was spectacular and the athletes were all quite impressive, especially given that it was the … [Read more...] about Seriously?

I’m often asked where I’ll be doing clinics and camps. Here’s my current schedule for the next few months. Some are subject to change. Click on the event link to find more details. Moab, Utah - Nov … [Read more...] about My Clinics, Camps, and Talks

Question Hi, I thought I would contact you via email since you are unable to answer on your blog page. I have a couple questions and am hoping you can help me with your expertise. I have to share I … [Read more...] about How Can I Do a Faster Ironman?

Question Hello Joe, I am a 58 year old male cyclist and recently took part in a Vo2 max testing, my question is how reliable are these test? My question to you is, does the test differ from type of … [Read more...] about Question: Is Testing Reliable?

I've got a new book out – The Power Meter Handbook. I wrote it this past spring and it just hit the shelves. Here is a sample from it. This is Chapter 3 along with the Table of Contents and the … [Read more...] about A Sample from My Newest Book

The readers of this blog always manage to get to the heart of the issue. I received this question by email a few days ago. It’s a good one which many aging athletes ponder, I'm sure. The … [Read more...] about The Aging Athlete – The Key Question

For the last 30-some years of the 68 I've been on the planet my training has been pretty consistent. There have been the usual breaks of a week or two due to illness or other normal lifestyle … [Read more...] about The Aging Athlete – More About Me

(The following first appeared in my interview with Performance Conditioning for Cycling Newsletter.) Old athletes are old for many diverse reasons. But the primary one is due to their relatively slow … [Read more...] about The Aging Athlete – Getting Older, Getting Faster

Defining the “aging athlete” is difficult, especially in the conventional way with a number representing age. But more importantly, this is a highly personal matter--when am I going to be an old … [Read more...] about The Aging Athlete – My First 68 Years

I was recently asked how it is that athletes can drag themselves through unrelenting physical and mental suffering in events such as the mountain stages in the Tour de France. This topic came up when … [Read more...] about Mental Toughness

In my last blog post I offered the observation that all of the experienced triathletes I've coached over the years typically had lower cadences in Ironman-distance than in Olympic-distance … [Read more...] about Research on Bike Cadence and Run Pace in Triathlon

The two accompanying charts are the cadence distributions for a pro triathlete I once coached (click to enlarge). As labelled, one is from an Ironman and the other from an Olympic-distance race. … [Read more...] about Bike Cadence and Triathlon Race Distance