Info

Mile High Endurance Podcast

Mile High Endurance Podcast is recorded in the Rocky Mountain front range area in Denver, Colorado. 55 miles to the north is the triathlon 'Mecca' of Boulder, home of some of the most prominent pros in triathlon and related sports. 56 miles to the south is the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs is the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Olympic Training Center programs. The 110 mile stretch between Boulder and Colorado Springs is one of the fittest and athletic populated areas in the world. I share these statistics, not so much to brag but to give you the listener context for what the culture and vibe is here in the Mile High area. ​The objective of the Mile High Endurance Podcast is to connect you to the triathlon community and empower you to achieve your triathlon and fitness goals. Each month we will take subjects that you are interested in and connect your interests with news, expert interviews, and information about services and products in a way that inform your decisions to achieve your full potential in the sport.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
2022
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: December, 2017
Dec 31, 2017

Welcome

This is the New Year's Eve special and we have and we are closing out the year with a return guest, elite triathlon coach Jim Vance to talk about his book Triathlon 2.0.  We'll get into the interview setup in just a few.

Welcome to Episode #106 of the Mile High Endurance podcast.  Mile High Endurance is your weekly connection to coaches, experts and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance and triathlon goals. 

I'm your host Rich Soares and I'm glad you are joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.  Bill is with family this week and Khem is in Nepal and on excursion to Everest base camp and can't wait to hear about her adventures.

Hope you enjoyed the new intro music.  That was "Trip Like I Do" by Crystal Method

Health IQ

Our show today is sponsored by Health IQ.  Triathletes like you can get special rate life insurance with Health IQ because of your healthy lifestyle.  Health IQ has exclusive rates for those who qualify - you get additional savings by submitting actual data from race results.

We've partnered with Health IQ because we believe in their service and competitive rates.  They are sure to impress you with their customer service and rates.  They'll answer all your questions and help you get the rates you deserve. 

We've received our quotes which were 20-30% than other insurers.  Make a new years resolution to save some money and see if you qualify by getting your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.  It'll take less than a minute to put in your contact information and then Health IQ will guide you through the process in a way the respects your time and goals.

Last week's guest

Thanks to last week's guest, ultra and adventure racer Travis Macy who is the author of The Ultra Mindset: an endurance champion's 8 core principles for success in business, sports and life.  If you haven't heard the interview yet, go back and check it out on episode #105.

Discussion Teasers

After the interview I'll have some thoughts on the interview with Jim Vance, his book Triathlon 2.0, considerations for the self-coached athlete, and an offer to those who want to take their training to the next level or feel like they could use the partnership of a coach this season.

I also have some reflections on some of the show highlights this year and some of the interviews that were particularly memorable and informational.

Last, I have a funny Christmas triathlon gift story and a ask to see if any of you have good triathlon or gear Christmas stories that you would share.

That's it for the teasers, let's go to the interview.

Interview Setup

Jim Vance is an elite endurance sports coach, author, and sport technology and training consultant based in San Diego, California. He is the personal coach 2016 US Olympic triathlete Ben Kanute, guiding him to 2017 performances of victory at Escape from Alcatraz and Island House Triathlon, as well as a 2nd place finish at the 70.3 World Championships.

Triathlon 2.0 is an extremely useful book if you are a self-coached athlete.  It will help give you concrete information on how to use data to do baseline testing, guidelines for determining goal training stress, and concepts for how to create a periodized training plan.

After the interview, we'll go through a couple pages of the book to give you a practical example of how to determine goal CTL for each the bike and run using an hypothetical athlete and race distance.  As Jim emphasizes in the book, these will just be examples and do not apply to all athletes or all race situations.

Let's get into the interview now.

Interview

Jim Vance

Health IQ Ad

And we are back.  Thanks again to Health IQ for sponsoring today's interview.  The Health IQ advantage is their unique mortality model that enables lower rates for health conscious people.  Just like having a good driving record saves you money on auto insurance, Health IQ uses science & data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health conscious people including runners, cyclists, strength trainers, vegans, and more.

With other life insurance companies, you might be penalized for family history, BMI, and other attributes but don’t get rewarded for your health conscious lifestyle.  You put in the time to train consistently, have the discipline to get out there in the cold, in the dark, you eat well, and you get the rewards of greater energy, and you feel good about yourself.  Let's face it, you spend money on race registrations, gym memberships and gear.  See if you can reward yourself further and recoup some of those investments. See how much you can save.

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Host Discussion Topics

Practical example from Triathlon 2.0

  • As Jim and I discussed, there is no substitute for using hard data to assess and measure performance.  This is not to say that there is not a time and place for training or racing by feel.  I'll give you a couple of examples.  I like to do some rides and runs where I never look at a bike computer or look at my watch.  If I'm thinking about the data on my device, that part of my concentration that is on the device is not on the effort or form of the training itself. In this case performance might be limited by not being able to fully concentrate on the training.
  • Here's another example, there are times with the information on the screen might limit your performance because you curtail effort because the data is telling you are going harder or faster than your rate of perceived exertion.  Let's say your 5 minute peak power is 300 watts from previous training sessions.  You are doing a 5 minute Vo2 max effort on the bike and you look down and your average 20 second power has been 310 for the first minute of your interval.  You may not believe you are capable of carrying that effort for the remaining 4 minutes and end up backing off.  If you were training by feel and just going off RPE, you actually may have been on a breakthrough performance and could have achieved a new PR 5 minute peak power.  My daughter's high school cross country coach won't let the athletes race with watches because it can limit their competitive nature.  The concern that they may be in the heat of battle keeping pace with a team mate or a lead group, and they see that their pace is 10 seconds faster than they've trained to and they back off and let that team mate or group go.
  • So there is a time and place for going by feel.  Here's where you want some actual data - let's say you are doing your functional threshold testing for bFTP or rFTP.  You may do the effort without looking at a watch or power meter if you have a coach or lab tech doing your test, but you damn sure want to have data to record what the power or pace is, correct?
  • Here's another, when you work with a coach or go to prepare you periodized training plan, you need to assess your current training load and your goal training load based on your "A" race goal and "goal" for that race (meaning distance and planned result).  Just using hours of training or mileage is not a measure of actual stress because they don't account for intensity.  Plus, as we learned in the interview with Jim, preriodization is changing the type of training you are doing as you progress from phase to phase through your plan.  You start in the base phase doing general training and get more specific the closer you get to your goal.  Similarly, your intensity increases when you get into your build and peak phases altering the training load for a given duration or distance.  Having an objective measure of the starting CTL and goal CTL are critical to your plan. 
  • You can assess your baseline CTL by using TrainingPeaks as long as you are recording all of your bike and run workouts and are using power and/or heart rate.  As Jim mentioned, you want to track these seperately.
  • You should work with a qualified coach to help you determine what your target CTL is for your race goal and to know whether your ramp rate from the baseline to the goal given the number of weeks to your "A" race is appropriate.
  • If you want to learn more about this process or want help planning for next season, reach out to me at Rich@milehighendurance.com

 

Speaking of your 2018 season, if you are listening to this episode on the day of release then you are listening to this on New Year's Eve.  A lot of races have price increases at midnight tonight.  If you haven't done it yet, fulfill a resolution a day early and save few bucks by checking out your race registration sites today and register today.  Then go out and celebrate that you’ve already ticked the box on one of your resolutions!

2017 Show Highlights:

  • When I reflected on all of the interviews of 2017, I scanned through the inventory on the Content page on the MHE website.  Some of the interviews that really stood out for me:
    • The late Terry Laughlin from Total Immersion was such an amazing contributor to our sport and the sport of swimming.  Terry revolutionized swim learning and swimming techniques to help people swim faster with less effort.
    • Coach David Warden who was the host of Tri-Talk and a science-based coaching.  He was one of the inspirations for MHE and he consulted me as I researched starting the show.  He was a contributing author to Triathlon Science and is one of the smartest coaches in the business.
    • We have had legendary professional athletes like Amanda Stevens, Joanna Zeiger, Mary Beth Ellis, Rachel Joyce, Andrew Talansky, TJ Tollakson, Bek Keat, Siri Lindley, Ben Hoffman and Matt Chrabot
    • We have had our friends at USAT including Rocky Harris, Tim Yount, Jessica Welk, Meg Duncan and Barry Siff
    • Finally we have had some of the best coaches in the business including some of the legendary athletes plus Melissa Mantak, Ken Axford, Sara McLarty, Will Murray, and of course Jim Vance.
    • Of course there's also the Kona coverage and all of the special interviews we did on that trip including Bob Babbitt, Mike Reilly, Tim Hola, Chrissy Wellington, Andy Potts and Tim O'Donnell.
  • Among the highlights of 2017 is of course the partnership with 303Triathlon and the entire team.  Of course that includes Bill Plock and Khem Suthiwan.  It also includes Dana Willet, Jen Findlay, Todd Plymale-Mallory and Kim Welk.  I'd like to thank them for supporting MHE and welcoming me as a part of the 303 team.
  • Thanks to all of the people who have supported MHE.

Upcoming MHE Interviews

MHE upcoming interviews:

  • We are also going to have Joanna Zeiger back to talk about "train the pain away"
  • We also have coach Tricia Davis who recently authored the article on "neuro muscular training" in the latest edition of USAT Triathlon Magazine.

303 Triathlon

Our show is also supported by 303 Triathlon and 303 Cycling are your resource for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado.  303Radio is your news podcast. 

Affiliate Programs

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

Closing

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

Thanks again for listening to MHE.  Happy new year!  Talk to you again in 2018!  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Dec 24, 2017

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #105 of the Mile High Endurance podcast.  Mile High Endurance is your weekly connection to coaches, experts and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance and triathlon goals.  We're your hosts Rich Soares and Bill Plock and we are glad you are joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.  Khem is on her way to Thailand and then to Nepal to hike to Everest base camp.  We wish her safe travels.

Hope you enjoyed the new intro music.  That was Little Stereo by the Teddybears.

Merry Christmas to our listeners - we have an excellent interview as our gift to you this weekend!  We have ultra and adventure racer Travis Macy who is the author of The Ultra Mindset: an endurance champion's 8 core principles for success in business, sports and life. 

Health IQ

Our show today is sponsored by Health IQ.  Triathletes like you can get special rate life insurance with Health IQ because of your healthy lifestyle.  Health IQ has exclusive rates for those who qualify - you get additional savings by submitting actual data from race results.

We've partnered with Health IQ because we believe in their service and competitive rates.  They are sure to impress you with their customer service and rates.  They'll answer all your questions and help you get the rates you deserve.  Learn more and get a free quote at healthiq.com/milehigh

We've received our quotes which were 20-30% than other insurers.  Give yourself Christmas gift and see if you qualify by getting your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Last week's guest

Thanks to last week's guest, professional cyclist Jillian Bearden for candidly sharing her story about her journey through the pro cycling ranks, through her transition and trail blazing work with the International Olympic Committee and USA Cycling.  We received some great feedback.  If you haven't heard the interview yet, go back and check it out on episode #104.

I did have a fact brought to my attention that Michelle Dumaresq is a Canadian professional downhill mountain bike competitor and post-operative trans woman. She competes with other professional female downhill mountain bike racers and raced downhill as a pro in 2002.   It's hard to be sure, but that would make Michelle a pro cyclist some years before Jillian.

That said, if you simply type into Google "who is the first pro transgender cyclist?", my browser spits back Jillian Bearden - perhaps from my search history - perhaps the assumption is road cycling.  Regardless, Jillian is clearly the athlete who blazed the trail with IOC and USAC.  Great courage by Jillian!  Can't wait to see her race in 2018.

Thanks to our listeners for staying engaged and keeping information coming our way.  We want to make sure we have our facts straight and share additional perspectives or angles to our stories.

Discussion Teasers

After the interview we are going to talk about the power of smiling when going to the pain cave or when the going gets tough in endurance racing or training.

We also have a discussion on other activities that you can do in the off season to develop your gluteus medius, including rollerblading and skate skiing.

Interview Setup

Travis Macy summited glacial peaks in the French Alps, rappelled into vast limestone caves in China, and ran through parched deserts in Utah. Most famously, he won one of the country's marquee ultra-distance events: Leadman, a high-altitude series of super-long-distance races, culminating with a 100-mile mountain biking race and a 100-mile trail run. Macy accomplished it without exceptional strength, speed, or flexibility, and without high-tech performance labs or performance-enhancing drugs.

His secret? A precise and particular outlook he calls the "Ultra Mindset," principles for daily life that are neither mysterious nor the sole province of ascetics or elite athletes: embrace fear, rewrite stories we tell ourselves, and master the art of seeking help, among others. By applying the principles such as "It's All Good Mental Training," "When you have no choice, anything is possible," and "Never quit...except when you should quit" to other areas of life, anyone can find success that otherwise would have seemed impossible.

We're going to get into the interview right now with Travis Macy.

Interview

Travis Macy

Health IQ Ad

And we are back.  Thanks again to Health IQ for sponsoring today's interview.  The Health IQ advantage is their unique mortality model that enables lower rates for health conscious people.  Just like having a good driving record saves you money on auto insurance, Health IQ uses science & data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health conscious people including runners, cyclists, strength trainers, vegans, and more.

With other life insurance companies, you might be penalized for family history, BMI, and other attributes but don’t get rewarded for your health conscious lifestyle.  You put in the time to train consistently, have the discipline to get out there in the cold, in the dark, you eat well, and you get the rewards of greater energy, and you feel good about yourself.  Let's face it, you spend money on race registrations, gym memberships and gear.  See if you can reward yourself further and recoup some of those investments. See how much you can save.

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Host Discussion Topics

Travis Macy reflections:

Upcoming MHE Interviews

MHE upcoming interviews:

  • We are also going to have Joanna Zeiger back to talk about "train the pain away"
  • We are going to invite Jim Vance back to talk about his book Triathlon 2.0

303 Triathlon

Our show is also supported by 303 Triathlon and 303 Cycling are your resource for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado.  303Radio is your news podcast.  Here are some upcoming interviews coming to 303

  • Stryd interview is up
  • Interview with Lance Panigutti from Without Limits Productions on their 2018 race season
  • There will be interviews with race directors all over Colorado out there soon with updates about their races this coming year, so stay tuned and subscribe.

Affiliate Programs

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

Closing

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

Again Merry Christmas!  That's it for the show.  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Dec 17, 2017

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #104 of the Mile High Endurance podcast.  Mile High Endurance is your weekly connection to coaches, experts and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance and triathlon goals.  We're your hosts Rich Soares, Khem Suthiwan  and Bill Plock and we are glad you are joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.

We have a pioneer trans-athlete and professional cyclist Jillian Bearden to talk candidly about her transition and trail blazing work with the International Olympic Committee and USA Cycling.  This is an inspirational and insightful interview and a story of personal courage that I personally found very informative. 

Health IQ

Our show today is sponsored by Health IQ.  Triathletes like you can get special rate life insurance with Health IQ because of your healthy lifestyle.  Health IQ has exclusive rates for those who qualify - you get additional savings by submitting actual data from race results.

Health IQ will take you through the customer journey.  They'll answer all your questions and help you get the rates you deserve.  Learn more and get a free quote at healthiq.com/milehigh

We've received our quotes which were 20-30% lower - you should too. To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Last week's guest

Thanks to last week's guest CEO of USA Triathlon, Rock Harris, who joined us to share his vision for triathlon and USAT.  He has been on the job for a couple of months now and we want to get his assessment of the state of sport, where he sees opportunities and the path forward to implement some exciting changes.

Discussion Teasers

Before we get into the interview, let's say hi to Khem and Bill and tell you what we have for the post interview discussion.  Hey guys how are you doing this week?

  • Team Colorado Event
  • IMKona Feature
  • Importance of strength work and rolling, plus a few hip and gluteous strengtheners

Interview Setup

It's not uncommon for us to talk to a professional cyclist on this show.  This is an interview that goes well beyond our traditional discussion of athletic background, racing highlights and tips to listeners.  Jillian opens up and allows us to discuss what is exceptionally personal experience and emotions that come with her transition experience and work with the IOC and USAC to create a path for trans athletes to compete at a professional level in cycling. She has become a hero to others who are on the same journey, showing others how cycling and endurance sport can change your life in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Interview

Jillian Bearden

Health IQ Ad

And we are back.  Thanks again to Health IQ for sponsoring today's interview.  The Health IQ advantage is their unique mortality model that enables lower rates for health conscious people.  Just like having a good driving record saves you money on auto insurance, Health IQ uses science & data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health conscious people including runners, cyclists, strength trainers, vegans, and more.

With other life insurance companies, you might be penalized for family history, BMI, and other attributes but don’t get rewarded for your health conscious lifestyle.  You put in the time to train consistently, have the discipline to get out there in the cold, in the dark, you eat well, and you get the rewards of greater energy, and you feel good about yourself.  Let's face it, you spend money on race registrations, gym memberships and gear.  See if you can reward yourself further and recoup some of those investments. See how much you can save.

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Host Discussion Topics

Jillian Bearden debrief topics:

  • First, I have a ton of respect for Jillian and the courage it took for her to not give up, turn things around 180 degrees, be a self-advocate and now an advocate for others.
  • I did not realize until we got into the interview that it was she that worked with the IOC and USAC to define the trans athlete path to professional racing.
  • I went into the interview being cautious to not push her to get more personal than she was comfortable - I totally underestimated her courage and willingness to share.
  • Rolling tips
  • Glute strengtheners
    • Glute bridge
    • Side plank abductors
    • Single leg step down
    • Single leg dead lift

Upcoming MHE Interviews

MHE upcoming interviews:

  • Travis Macy, author of the Ultra Mindset to join us to talk about his book, Ultra Mindset life skills, the Ultra Mindset Academy eCourse.  You can learn more and subscribe to his newsletter at www.travismacy.com
  • We are also going to have Joanna Zeiger back to talk about "train the pain away"
  • Sandra Villines - Transcontinental Run and record
  • We are going to invite Jim Vance back to talk about his book Triathlon 2.0
  • Coach Billy "The Kid" Edwards US Navy Tri team
  • Dr Nate Williams of Performance Sports Chiropractic

303 Triathlon

Our show is also supported by 303 Triathlon and 303 Cycling are your resource for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado.  303Radio is your news podcast.  Here are some upcoming interviews coming to 303

  • Stryd interview is up
  • Don Reichelt - from Highlands Ranch about Spartathlon, and the US Spartathlon team

Affiliate Programs

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

Closing

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

That's it for the show.  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Dec 10, 2017

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #103 of the Mile High Endurance podcast.  Mile High Endurance is your weekly connection to coaches, experts and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance and triathlon goals.  We're your hosts Rich Soares, Khem Suthiwan  and Bill Plock and we are glad you are joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.

We have the CEO of USA Triathlon, Rock Harris, joining us today to share his vision for triathlon and USAT.  He has been on the job for a couple of months now and we want to get his assessment of the state of sport, where he sees opportunities and the path forward to implement some exciting changes.

Health IQ

Our show today is sponsored by Health IQ.  Get your special rate term life insurance for triathletes like you with Health IQ.  Health IQ  is life insurance agency that has exclusive rates for those who qualify.  You can even get additional savings

by submitting actual data from race results, Strava, Runkeeper or other app data. 

When I spoke to them, I only had to provide….2 or 3 race results and I was able to get into a premium rate.  Khem?  What didn't they ask you for a couple of race results.

Our friends at Health IQ will take you through the customer journey.  They'll answer all your questions and help you get the rates you deserve.  Learn more and get a free quote at healthiq.com/milehigh

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Last week's guest

Thanks to last week's guests Andrew Talansky and Dr. Dan Chao from Halo Neuroscience.  If you didn't get a chance to hear why and how a former pro cyclist, who is at the top of his game, chose a career change in pursuit of competing at the Ironman World Championship in Kona 2018, check it out by listening to episode 102.

Discussion Teasers

Before we get into the interview, let's hear what Khem and Bill have on deck for the post interview discussion.  Hey guys how are you doing this week?

Khem's post interview topic (suggestions - Kona broadcast premier experience in NY, coaching tip, or general gossip)

Bill's post interview topic (suggestions - training experience or tip perhaps from spin class, other?)

Stryd review on the Blog

Thank Travis Macy for the book and hat

 

Interview Setup

Despite triathlon participation rates being  somewhat flat or contracting, triathlon has a lot of positive things going for it.  One of the best things going for triathlon right now is the gentleman who just took over the CEO position at USA Triathlon.  We won't spoil it for you here, but believe you will come out the other end of this interview feeling "bullish" about the sport of triathlon.

We know there's a little bit of noise in the interview.  Apologies up front.  Let's get into the interview now.

Interview

Rocky Harris

Health IQ Ad

And we are back.  Thanks again to Health IQ for sponsoring today's interview.  The Health IQ advantage is their unique mortality model that enables lower rates for health conscious people.  Just like having a good driving record saves you money on auto insurance, Health IQ uses science & data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health conscious people including runners, cyclists, strength trainers, vegans, and more.

With other life insurance companies, you might be penalized for family history, BMI, and other attributes but don’t get rewarded for your health conscious lifestyle.  You put in the time to train consistently, have the discipline to get out there in the cold, in the dark, you eat well, and you get the rewards of greater energy, and you feel good about yourself.  Let's face it, you spend money on race registrations, gym memberships and gear.  See if you can reward yourself further and recoup some of those investments. See how much you can save.

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Host Discussion Topics

Welcome back…..

Rocky Harris debrief topics:

  • Rocky has met with several constituent groups in his first 90 days, which do you think presented the greatest opportunity based on what you heard?
  • Rocky mentioned several new ideas.  In your opinion, which have the most promise?
  • What impressed you the most?
  • My feeling is that triathlon is in the hands of someone that knows how to make an honest assessment of opportunities and has some really exciting ideas.  Ideas that I liked was the standardized "one stop shopping" for races, a Yelp-like rating platform.

Khem's topics:

  • Premier 

Bills topics:

  • Spin class promo

Rich's topics:

 To determine the actual effects of slow and fast pedaling on leg-muscle cells, scientists at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wyoming asked eight experienced cyclists to cycle at an intensity of 85 percent V02max for 30 minutes under two different conditions.

In one case the cyclists pedaled their bikes at 50 revolutions per minute (rpm) while using a high gear. In the second case, the athletes pedaled in a low gear at 100 rpm. The athletes were traveling at identical speeds in the two instances, so their leg-muscle contractions were quite forceful at 50 rpm and moderate—but more frequent—at 100 rpm.

As it turned out, the athletes' oxygen consumption rates were nearly identical in the two cases, and heart and breathing rates, total rate of power production, and blood lactate levels were also similar.

However, athletes broke down the carbohydrate in their muscles at a greater rate when the 50 rpm strategy was used, while the 100 rpm cadence produced a greater reliance on fat.

The greater glycogen depletion at 50 rpm occurred only in fast-twitch muscle cells. Slow-twitch muscle cells lost comparable amounts of their glycogen at 50 and 100 rpm, but fast-twitch cells lost almost 50 percent of their glycogen at 50 rpm and only 33 percent at 100 rpm, even though the exercise bouts lasted for 30 minutes in each case.

This rapid loss of carbohydrate in the fast-twitch cells during slow, high-force pedaling probably explains why slow pedaling is less efficient than faster cadences of 80 to 85 rpm.

Basically, as the fast fibers quickly deplete their glycogen during slow, high-strength pedaling, their contractions become less forceful, so more muscle cells must be activated to maintain a particular speed. This activation of a larger number of muscle cells then leads to higher oxygen consumption rates and reduced economy.

This scenario, in which slow pedaling pulls the glycogen out of fast-twitch muscle cells, may sound paradoxical but it isn't; after all, slow pedaling rates are linked with high gears and elevated muscle forces, while fast cadences are associated with low gears and easy muscle contractions.

Since fast-twitch fibers are more powerful than slow-twitch cells, the fast-twitch fibers swing into action at slow cadences, when high muscular forces are needed to move the bicycle along rapidly.

On the other hand, "fast" pedaling rates of 80 to 100 rpm are not too hot for the slow-twitch cells to handle. Slow-twitch cells can contract 80 to 100 times per minute and can easily cope with the forces required to pedal in low gear.

Another possible paradox in the Wisconsin/Wyoming research was that fast pedaling led to greater fat oxidation, even though maximal fat burning is usually linked with slow-paced efforts.

Basically, the higher fat degradation at 100 rpm occurred because the slow-twitch cells handled the fast-paced, low-force contractions. Slow-twitch fibers are much better fat-burners than their fast-twitch neighbors.

Fortunately, there's a bottom line to all this: During training and competition, cyclists should attempt to use fast pedaling rates of 80 to 85 rpm, both on the flat and on inclines.

Compared to slower cadences, the higher pedaling speeds are more economical and burn more fat during exercise. Ultimately, the high pedaling rates also preserve greater amounts of glycogen in fast-twitch muscle fibers, leading to more explosive "kicks" to the finish line in closing moments of races.

Upcoming MHE Interviews

MHE upcoming inteviews:

  • Sandra Villines - Transcontinental Run and record
  • Travis Macy, author of the Ultra Mindset to join us to talk about his book, Ultra Mindset life skills, the Ultra Mindset Academy eCourse.  You can learn more and subscribe to his newsletter at www.travismacy.com
  • We are going to invite Jim Vance back to talk about his book Triathlon 2.0
  • We are also going to have Joanna Zeiger back to talk about "train the pain away"
  • Coach Billy "The Kid" Edwards US Navy Tri team

303 Triathlon

Our show is also supported by 303 Triathlon and 303 Cycling are your resource for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado.  303Radio is your news podcast.  Here are some upcoming interviews coming to 303

  • Nick Obletz from Boulder based Stryd
  • Jillian Bearden - pro cyclist from Colorado Springs and trans-athlete pioneer
  • Don Reichelt - from Highlands Ranch about Spartathlon, and the US Spartathlon team

Affiliate Programs

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

Closing

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

That's it for the show.  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

Dec 3, 2017

Welcome

Welcome to Episode #102 of the Mile High Endurance podcast.  Mile High Endurance is your weekly connection to coaches, experts and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance and triathlon goals.  We're your hosts Rich Soares and Bill Plock and we are glad you are joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.  Khem Suthiwan is still on vacation in Iceland, but will be back next week.

Would a triathlete be a national Time Trial Champion?  Sure.  Would a triathlete be a winner of the Critérum du Dauphiné?  I doubt it?  Would a triathlete be the winner of the Mt Baldie Stage of the Tour of California?  Not likely.  How about have ttop 10 and 11 GC standings at the Tour de France?  Well if you guessed those accomplishments belong to Andrew Talansky, you are correct.  We have Andrew joining us in just a few minutes.

But wait there's more.  You all know how much we like to talk about and emphasize learning proper form and technique.  We have Halo Neuroscience co-founder, Dr. Daniel Chao joining us with Andrew to talk about the way Andrew has used Halo as a professional cyclist to do specific strength and endurance training, and now how he is using it as a tool to continue to develop his swimming and running form and technique.  Dr. Chao will help us understand the science of electric wave stimulation of the motor cortex, hyper plasticity and how similar learning motor skills are to cognitive learning.

Health IQ

Our show today is sponsored by Health IQ.  Get your special rate term life insurance for health conscious people with Health IQ.  Health IQ  is life insurance agency that has exclusive rates for those who qualify.  You can even get additional savings

by submitting actual data from race results, Strava, Runkeeper or other app data.  The good folks at Health IQ will take you through the customer journey.  They'll answer all your questions and help you get the rates you deserve.  Learn more and get a free quote at healthiq.com/milehigh

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Last week's guest

Thanks to last week's guest coach Sara McLarty who joined us to talk about swill drills to that will help you swim like a pro next season.  If you missed it, go back and listen to last week's episode.  If you want to check out more from Sara McLarty, there are some YouTube videos that Sara has published on triathlon swimming drills, open water skills, and other drills.  Check them out on the Resource page at Mile High Endurance.

Discussion Teasers

Before we get into the interview, let's catch up with Bill and Khem. 

Khem, how are you and will you give us an Iceland report after the interview?

Bill, what hippie haps do you have for us?

Interview Setup

We talked about some of Andrew Talansky's career accomplishments in the intro.  What we didn't mention was his goal to qualify as a professional triathlete and compete in Kona against the pro field in 2018.  Before he can get in the water in Kailua Bay with the pro field, he first has to qualify.

In the interview, we'll talk about his first Triathlon a little over a month ago at the Marin County Triathlon.  We all have our first tri story and Andrew is no exception.  You'll love to hear his first time tri experience. 

Let's get into the interview now.

Interview

Andrew Talansky and Dan Chao of Neuro Halo

Health IQ Ad

And we are back.  Thanks again to Health IQ for sponsoring today's interview.  The Health IQ advantage is their unique mortality model that enables lower rates for health conscious people.  Just like having a good driving record saves you money on auto insurance, Health IQ uses science & data to secure lower rates on life insurance for health conscious people including runners, cyclists, strength trainers, vegans, and more.

With other life insurance companies, you might be penalized for family history, BMI, and other attributes but don’t get rewarded for your health conscious lifestyle.  You put in the time to train consistently, have the discipline to get out there in the cold, in the dark, you eat well, and you get the rewards of greater energy, wearing the clothes you want to wear, why stop there? 

You spend money on race registrations, gym memberships and gear.  See if you can reward yourself further and recoup some of those investments. See how much you can save.

To see if you qualify, get your free quote today at healthiq.com/milehigh or mention the promo code Mile High when you talk to a Health IQ agent.

Host Discussion Topics

Welcome back.  Khem/Bill - what did you think about the interview with Andrew and Dan?

What did you think about the first time tri experience and mishaps?

What did you think about making such a big career change and the risk of the unknown for Andrew?

How about Andrew not knowing the names of the "guys" who got 1st and 2nd at Kona?  Patrick Lange and Lionel Sanders

Khem's Iceland recap and other topics.

Bill's Hippie Haps Topics

Rich's review of Stryd

 

Upcoming MHE and 303 Interviews

  • Rocky Harris, CEO of USAT about his vision for triathlon and USAT
  • Nick Obletz and Stryd
  • Sandra Villines on her run across America
  • Coach Erik Kenny on to talk about a couple of books he recommended to me - "the sports gene" and "talent is over rated"
  • Coach Ken Axford to talk about bike handling skills
  • We are going to invite Jim Vance back to talk about his book Triathlon 2.0
  • We are also going to have Joanna Zeiger back to talk about "train the pain away"
  • I'd like to invite Travis Macy, author of the Ultra Mindset to join us to talk about his book, Ultra Mindset life skills, the Ultra Mindset Academy eCourse.  You can learn more and subscribe to his newsletter at www.travismacy.com
  • Still in conversation with Don Reichart about Spartathlon, and the US Spartathlon team
  • Coach Billy "The Kid" Edwards

 

303 Triathlon

Our show is also supported by 303 Triathlon and 303 Cycling are your resource for news and events on triathlon and cycling in Colorado.  303Radio is your news podcast.

Affiliate Programs

Please support our affiliate brands that support the show and help you get faster!

  • The Halo Sport from Halo Neuroscience will help you learn the technique and form to get faster.  20 minutes of neural priming with the Halo Headset gives you an hour of neural plasticity to work and lock in the muscle movement that leads to strength, power and endurance.  Use code MHE150 to save $150.
  • Total Immersion -Use code MHETI10 to get 10% off items in your cart
  • Rudy Project has the helmets, glasses and gear to help you ride safe and look great.  Use code MHE30 to get 30% off your full price items.
  • TrainingPeaks Premium is the full featured version of the app.  Unlock the full featured app for 30 days using the code MHE30
  • All of these discounts can be found at milehighendurance on the Sponsors page. 

Closing

If you are enjoying the show, please let us know by going on iTunes or your podcast player and giving us a review.  Be sure you are subscribed in iTunes so you get the show automatically downloaded on Saturday evening and recommend Mile High Endurance to a friend. 

That's it for the show.  Stay tuned, stay informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!

1