FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

Mar 06 2025 315 ep. 58 mins 543

FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast artwork

The official podcast of FasCat Coaching, based in Boulder, CO. Coach Frank "Big Cat" Overton shares his extensive experience as a cycling coach to help you ride faster through training and racing tips, nutrition, and beyond.

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Training load and FTP: the relationship and how they work and don't work together

Mar 06 2025 69 mins

There is a linear relationship between training load and FTP but only up to a certain point. When you build your base with our 16 weeks of sweet plan your FTP goes up but then what? How do you get it to go higher? At that point, training load accounts for 75-90% of what your true FTP can be. The remaining 10-25% can be achieved by switching to interval training and this is where th

Why the 20min field test rules supreme, and how to do it

Feb 28 2025 58 mins

How do you know what your training zones are? And how do you know if you are improving? By FTP testing, of course! At FasCat, we have used all types of methods to test FTP over the years, including using various labratory equipment. After more than 20 years and thousands of athletes tested, we are big believers in the 20-minute field test. Doing the 20-minute test outside or on a

Overtraining, under-fueling, stuck in a rut? Lose the weight and get your mojo back!

Feb 21 2025 52 mins

This podcast was inspired by a recent athlete asking for help, and we think many of you can relate to the situation: "I've been cycling for nearly 20 years (now 44). I have a stressful job, two kids, and over the past few years I’ve gain 15 pounds that I can't shake, despite training 10-15 hours in the summer and 6-8 in the winter. What do I do?" Symptoms like low energy, inabil

Too Many Hours Too Soon? Don’t Be The Group Ride Hero

Feb 14 2025 62 mins

Instagram is a funny thing for cyclists: It can be inspirational to see what the pros are doing, but it can also be misleading as far as what we should be doing for training. Coaches Sierra Sims and Elliott Baring discuss what we're seeing in terms of 20+ and 30+ weeks from U.S. gravel pros. What does this do for the domestic riders as they prepare for their year? Is it even a go

How the pros are training now & what YOU should do

Feb 07 2025 56 mins

It's fascinating to study exactly how professional cyclists are training and why, but what are the takeaways for everyday athletes? Beyond the gee-whiz quotient, what about elite training translates to us, and what is irrevelant or even harmful to try to emulate? That is exactly what Coaches Andrew and Ricky dig into in this podcast. Both are uniquely positioned in that they are p

Strength training for cycling - what the latest research says

Feb 03 2025 49 mins

If you're a longtime FasCat podcast listener, then you know we're big believers in strength training in the offseason. The science has long proven the benefits for endurance athletes. But what's new? What's the latest science? That is exactly what Coaches Andrew and Sierra get into in this pod, as Sierra brushes up on her master's degree studies with the latest research. -- Wan

Come Sweet Spot with us on Zwift! Saturday group rides!

Jan 31 2025 41 mins

FasCat friends, we invite you to join us on Zwift for our Saturday Sweet Spot group rides, where Coaches Jake and Frank lead A and B groups and we chat on Discord. In this podcast, we talk about why so many riders love this wintertime format of getting high-quality, semi-structured work in with a social group. The time flies by, the kJs shoot up, and you can feeeeel yourself gettin

The Remco Effect: Junior development is completely different now

Jan 24 2025 69 mins

FasCat Coaching has been working with riders of all ages for 20 years, and while the fundamentals of training are the same, the science and technology and culture have changed tremendously. Nowhere are these changes more dramatic than what is going on with younger riders. In this podcast, Coaches Justin and Frank delve into what's changed and why, and what the best ways are for he

Train better by measuring with OTS: Optimized Training Stress

Jan 17 2025 45 mins

If you want to improve something, measure it. This applies in life and on the bike. Whether you're talking blood pressure, finances, or FTP, how can you know something is improving if you are not accurately measuring it? The same principle applies to training stress, a key summative metric that quantifies the total load of your training. As coaches and as athletes, we can measure

How to Plan the Perfect Race Calendar

Jan 13 2025 71 mins

So you're signed up for a couple big races this year - now what? Coaches Andrew and Ricky break down the planning process on this podcast, including: -how to set your A-race goal (process and power are usually better than time) -how to fill in B and C races -how to determine the optimal number of events -classic planning mistakes to watch out for (we've seen a lot of them! and don