Zach Calton joined us to answer listener questions about training mistakes that hold cyclists back from getting faster! Zach is one of the more astute pros in the LTGP field and has a ton of training knowledge to share. Hope you enjoy!
// TOPICS COVERED
(0:00:00) Welcome!
(0:07:21) How Zach Calton won Crusher in the Tushar
(0:11:12) Polarized Training for Racing
(0:22:04) How Individual is Training Volume?
(0:25:41) What a Pro Thinks Amateurs Misunderstand About TSS
(0:32:59) Should Every Cyclist Train Their Sprint?
Great Episode Johnathan. Loved the race file analysis.
I have been using trainer road coming up two years. I used it to prepare for the Whaka100 Marathon XC race last October (100km + 3500m climbing) which is all single track descents and 50/50 single track vs fire road climbs. I am doing this event again this October.
Last year I finished in a time of 7:45 and this year I am hoping to break the 7hr mark through another year of (and better) structured training on TR, combined with a better bike setup (Yeti ASR vs SB100 which i know you are familiar with), feed strategy and starting wave position.
I would be interested in having you review my last years prep vs this year and also an analysis of my performance in the event itself on the podcast.
Note I started in a wave to slow last year, passed 70 odd people in the first 1.5 hrs which I think burnt me with too many big efforts to pass on single track or trying to catch and pass groups before the next single track section . Starting a wave higher this year.
Would be interested on your thoughts on pacing strategy (negative split, IF on the climbs etc)
Last year I felt my AI FTP was too high going into the event. This year feels bang on. Not sure if you can run a retrospective detection dated just before the event last year?
Great episode and really interesting comparing the Leadville files. I had finished just ahead of you (7:35) and had said hello to you afterwards when I noticed you in the finish area.
A big mistake I would also add is coasting or soft pedaling on downhills. This really stuck out between our files and the others you showed in percent of time coasting and active recovery zone. I agree on pedaling out of corners but also a lot of time can be given up coasting/soft pedaling on downhills. Our percent of time coasting/recovery were pretty similar compared to the other two files. On all downhills I tried to keep my power in the Endurance zone at all times. Anytime you can put pressure on the pedals you have to be pedaling at Leadville. Very easy way to gain timeâŚ.or give up time!
My big mistake in my race was I put in too big of an effort from Twin Lakes to Powerline due to the headwind and very few to work with. This cost me on the Powerline climb and my power was about 10-15 watts lower than what it should have been.
Good episode! Also good to hear that even the pros suffer from that limbo of âdo i still need to recover or am I just now detrained and ready to start againâ
I have some thoughts re: the sample FF athlete, and his decrease in training volume with an increase in FTP. You didnât mention these points, and I too had a similar experience/ outcomes when I promoted. The biggest change that is being described is going from 24 hour shifts (about 9/ month) to 8 or 10 hour days/ 4-5 days per week.
What I first found was that the quality of my ride time increased a bunch. Because I had less time to train, I made the time I did have more productive. I also bike commuted to work when I was on 24s, which was awesome, but did not serve my fitness goals directly.
The next big thing I found is how much better my sleep became, how my nutrition improved, and how much less stress I carried all the time. This had the biggest impact on my fitness goals, in my opinion!
â https://trainerroad.cc/trzwiftclubâ 