Meghan Kelley is a writer, MTB racer, and all-around fan of trails, rocks, dirt, and the desert. She's passionate about helping cyclists get faster and finding the best mid-ride snacks.
While every breakaway is going to be different, there are always things you can do to optimize your performance in a breakaway and increase the probability of a win. For more on race tactics check out our Race Analysis YouTube Playlist. Establishing a Gap Establishing a gap is the hardest part of a breakaway, both […]
Overall weight doesn’t tell the whole story for endurance athletes. Understanding Body Composition and its impact on performance is an important step in optimizing your training and racing. For more on Body Composition and other topics check out Ask a Cycling Coach Ep 231 What is Body Composition? Body composition is the proportion of fat […]
If you’re training for hours, whether long distance running, cycling, hiking, or another sport, there’s one fueling mistake you should be keenly aware of, and try to avoid: the mid-ride feast-and-bonk. Usually, the scenario goes something like this (this was sent to me by a potential client): This past weekend I did a road century […]
Believe it or not, you may have the perfect fuel for your next run or ride sitting in your pantry right now. A “regular” food. You may not have to search through the sports nutrition aisle at your local shop or market. It’s possible that you can take a “regular” food, add a bit of […]
Muscle cramps can bring the strongest of athletes to his or her knees in just an instant. One minute you’re running along at a race pace and the next, your leg is overcome with an intense, clinching and unyielding pain. Or, throughout a race, you can feel the sensation of a cramp coming on. You […]
When you think of training, do visions of health and fitness come to mind? Most likely they do, and for good reason. Consistent exercise and training obviously offer many health benefits. But for many athletes, it also carries the risk of going too far, actually damaging muscles and cells, and causing fatigue and chronic soreness.In […]
Only one week until your big race. You’ve made it. You’ve survived the training. You’ve started to taper. But what should you eat now? There’s plenty of conflicting advice out there to confuse most anyone. There’s “to carb load,” there’s “to carb starve,” there’s reducing calories, adding calories, and more. Clear as mud. Taper week […]
Do you have a favorite sports drink? If you’re one of the fortunate few who have found your match, the one that hydrates you well with fluids and electrolytes, without any stomach issues, and with a taste you look forward to drinking still in the fifth hour of a ride, you should congratulate yourself. The […]
When you think of training, do visions of health and fitness come to mind? Most likely they do, and for good reason. Consistent exercise and training obviously offer many health benefits. But for many athletes, it also carries the risk of going too far, actually damaging muscles and cells, and causing fatigue and chronic soreness. […]
Here’s an understatement: These days, you have a lot of options for training fuel. As in a bazillion. There are so many options, many athletes become overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated trying to make a choice. It seems like a distant past when only two or three commercial sports drinks were available, and there was one […]