The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast by CTS
Coach Adam Pulford delivers actionable training advice and answers your questions in short weekly episodes for time-crunched cyclists looking to improve their cycling performance. The podcast is brought to you by CTS, the leading endurance coaching company since 2000. Coach Adam pulls from over a decade of coaching experience and the collective knowledge of over 50+ CTS Coaches to help you cut through the noise of training information and implement proven training strategies.
Episodes
Why Crit Racers Need More FTP Than They Think
Does FTP actually matter for criterium racing?Coach Adam Pulford breaks down why your aerobic engine plays such a big role in an explosive race, how a higher FTP can reduce the cost of repeated attacks, and why sprinty "crit dawgs" and breakaway riders should approach their training differently.Plus, why none of those watts matter if you haven't developed the race craft to use them!
Stop Fearing The Recovery Week
Recovery isn't the break between training. Recovery IS training.In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explains how he structures recovery blocks with everyone from beginners to elite athletes. Learn why recovery doesn't always need to last a full week, how to know when you've earned one, and why the athletes who recover best often perform best.If recovery weeks make y
Behind the Scenes Before the Tour with Alison Jackson
Days before the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Coach Adam Pulford caught up with professional cyclist Alison Jackson to talk about the final phase of preparation.From altitude camp in Boulder and heat training to tapering, race strategy, joining a new team, and life behind the scenes, this conversation offers a rare look inside the final build-up to one of the biggest events in professional cyc
Are Your VO2 Workouts Training The Wrong System
With the Tour de France wrapped up, conversations about Tadej Pogačar's VO2 max are everywhere.But what actually increases VO2 max?In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the two interval strategies he uses with athletes to develop aerobic power. Learn the difference between long, sustained VO2 intervals and short on/off efforts, when to use each one, and how to seque
Fitness Isn't Performance: The Truth About CTL
Cyclists often treat CTL like the ultimate measure of fitness, but that's only part of the story.In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explains what CTL actually measures, why performance and fitness aren't the same thing, and how to use your training data to peak for races instead of chasing a bigger number.HOSTAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and
A Scalable Carb Fueling Plan Based On Effort
Fueling advice has never been more confusing. One expert recommends fasted rides, another says 120 grams of carbs per hour, and every nutrition brand seems to have a different answer.In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford introduces a practical fueling framework that scales carbohydrate intake to the demands of your ride. Using kilojoule output, ride intensity, and duration, you&apos
A Simple Framework For Raising Cycling FTP
Want to increase your FTP?Many cyclists assume the answer is simple: do more FTP intervals. While that can help, it's only one piece of the puzzle.In this video, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford introduces a simple coaching framework, Push vs. Pull, to explain how FTP is really built. You'll learn why aerobic training lays the foundation, how VO₂ max work raises your ceiling, and how
Everything Cyclists Get Wrong About Normalized Power
If you've ever wondered what Normalized Power is actually telling you, this episode is for you!Normalized Power has become one of the most common metrics in cycling, but it's also one of the most misunderstood.In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explains what Normalized Power was designed to measure, how it differs from average power, and why context matters when using i
The Masters Athlete Playbook
Do masters athletes really need more recovery, or are they simply balancing more life stress and responsibilities?In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the realities of training and racing as a masters athlete. We discuss recovery, consistency, intensity, strength training, race preparation, and how training priorities should evolve with age.The conversation explores bot
Can AI Actually Make You Faster?
AI is rapidly changing nearly every industry, and endurance coaching is no exception.In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explores where AI can genuinely help athletes improve, where it falls short, and why the future of coaching may be more collaborative than competitive.We discuss training data, prompting, bias, TrainingPeaks, Claude, ChatGPT, Vekta, Kristin Faulkner's use o
Active vs Passive Heat Training: Which Works Better?
Heat adaptation can improve performance, comfort, and recovery in hot conditions. But many athletes make the mistake of treating heat training as free fitness.In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the differences between active and passive heat training, how each method works, and why heat should be viewed as a training stressor in its own right.We discuss plasma volume expansion, sa
How to Climb Faster Without Increasing FTP
Climbing faster isn’t always about increasing FTP or producing bigger power numbers. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the pacing strategies, tactics, fueling, and key workouts that help cyclists climb faster with the fitness they already have.HOSTAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coache
Why Data Alone Won’t Make You Faster
Endurance athletes have access to more data than ever before, but data alone doesn’t guarantee better decisions. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the role of Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) in training and racing, and why internal awareness remains one of the most important skills an athlete can develop.We cover pacing, training zones, effort calibration, common mistakes athletes
These Habits Are Quietly Killing Your Recovery
Recovery isn’t just about what happens right after training, it’s about all the little things between sessions that add up. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the habits that quietly interfere with adaptation and leave athletes carrying more fatigue than they realize.We cover sleep, fueling, easy day intensity, stress management, post-workout recovery, and why the basics matter fa
What “High Quality Training” Actually Means
Quality training is often reduced to intensity, but that’s only part of the picture. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down what high-quality training actually looks like and why it’s often misunderstood.We cover the three pillars of high-quality training: the process, the result, and yes, the FUN! You’ll learn why pushing harder isn’t the answer, how to close the intention–execution
You Don’t Have a Fitness Problem, You Have a Durability Problem
Most athletes focus on how strong they are when fresh. But performance is defined by what holds up as fatigue accumulates.In this episode, we break down durability: what it is, how to measure it through fatigue resistance, and why it’s one of the most overlooked performance variables in endurance sport.We also cover how to train it effectively so you can maintain power, make better decisions late
Why You Shouldn’t Train Alone All the Time
Training alone might feel productive, but it’s not always the most effective way to improve. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford explores the concept of social facilitation and how training with others can enhance performance, motivation, and skill development.We also cover when group rides can backfire, how to find the right balance between solo and group training, and how to structure your w
Why You’re Overcomplicating Endurance Training
Zone 2 training has become increasingly complicated, with subzones like 2a, 2b, and even 2c being thrown around. But does any of that actually improve your training?In this episode, we break down what Zone 2 really is, why most of this added complexity is unnecessary, and how to organize your endurance training more effectively. The goal is simple: build aerobic fitness without overthinking it. Wh
Why Shorter Rest Periods Lead to Bigger Gains (#300)
Most cyclists think they need more volume or more power to improve. Coach Adam Pulford explains why that’s not always the case and how training density (doing the same work with less recovery) is one of the most effective ways to build durability, increase repeatability, and break through performance plateaus.Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welc
Is High Carb Fueling Bad for Your Health? (#299)
If you're fueling with high carbs during training and worrying about diabetes, weight gain, or gut issues, this episode will change how you think about sugar. Coach Adam Pulford breaks down why your body handles carbohydrates completely differently during exercise than at rest, clears up one of the biggest nutrition myths in endurance sports, and gives you a simple, practical fueling framewor
Build a Bigger Aerobic Engine With These 2 Workouts (#298)
Most cyclists think a massive amount of Zone 2 training is the secret to a bigger aerobic engine, but it's only part of the story. Coach Adam Pulford breaks down two workouts he uses with his athletes, from ProTour riders to time-crunched amateurs, to push aerobic fitness to the next level.Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/RESOURCESCy
Pro Teams Are Doing Zone 2 Intervals. Should You? (#297)
Zone 2 intervals are trending across pro pelotons and training apps, but are they actually superior to steady endurance riding, or just a complicated solution to a simple problem? Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the science, shares real athlete data, and gives you an honest answer on whether structured Zone 2 intervals are worth your time.Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cyc
Finding Your Training Rhythm: A Weekly Framework for Time-Crunched Cyclists (#296)
Struggling to fit training into your busy life? Coach Adam Pulford breaks down a simple weekly framework that helps time-crunched cyclists build real fitness — without burning out or blowing up their schedule.Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/RESOURCESTime-Crunched? Here’s the Training Week Framework That WorksHow to Build a Strong Week of
We're Leveling Up — Here's What's Coming
Should Cyclists Use Different Power Zones for Indoor vs Outdoor Training? (#294)
OVERVIEWCyclists almost always report a discrepancy between the power output and/or perceived exertion between indoor and outdoor cycling. Typically, this means struggling to achieve the same power output indoors than can be achieved outdoors for common workouts like FTP intervals or VO2 max efforts. Even easier Zone 2 rides can have higher RPE values (i.e., feel harder) indoors compared to outdoo
How to Build VO2 max Year Round! (#293)
OVERVIEWShould cyclists incorporate VO2 max work year round or focus VO2 max work on only select periods of the year? Coach Adam Pulford tackles this listener question in Episode 293 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast". Key ideas include the fact that VO2 max is influenced by training at several different intensities, so you can work on VO2 max without always doing high-intensity inte
Indoor Cycling: How to Prevent ERG Mode From Ruining Your Workouts (#292)
OVERVIEWERG Mode, or ergometer mode, is a feature on smart indoor cycling trainers that allows the trainer or connected app to set the resistance you experience as a rider. For interval workouts, for instance, ERG Mode will adjust the resistance so you stay at a constant target power output (e.g., 250 watts for 10 minutes). The downside to ERG Mode is that it can hinder your ability to conjure the
How Training VO2 max Also Increases FTP (and vice versa) (#291)
OVERVIEWIn Episode 291 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford answers a listener question about the relationship between FTP and VO2 max training, particularly how and why targeting training to improve either will typically raise both.TOPICS COVEREDThink of training intensities as a continuum, not as neat little boxesDescriptions of primary energy systemsHow FTP and V
How To Level Up With Volume, Recovery, Strength, And Community (#290)
OVERVIEWAlthough this is "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", we recognize that not everyone is time-crunched. In particular, we hear from lots of older cyclists who have more time to train now that they've retired or cut back their work hours, or their children have flown the nest. So, how do we apply some of the TCC methodologies for athletes who have some more time available? Coa
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Annual Strength Training Plan (#289)
OVERVIEWEndurance athletes are accustomed to building Annual Training Plans for the phases of their sport-specific training, but are less familiar with building annual training plans for strength training. If this is you, Episode 289 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast" features Coach Adam Pulford taking you through the steps of creating and managing your annual strength training plan
Step-by-Step Guide to Building An Annual Training Plan (#288)
OVERVIEWAnnual Training Plans are big-picture, long term plans that map out training phases to bring the athlete into key races, events, or time periods with peak form and freshness, which helps optimize performance. For some, these can be fun to map out, especially if you like spreadsheets and planning. Others find it boring, confusing, time-consuming. Either way, in Episode 288 of "The Time
Down to Earth New Year's Fitness Advice (#287)
OVERVIEWThe Holidays are just about over and the New Year is about to begin. If you had a ton of fun over the Holidays and you're feeling a bit soft around the middle and bit slower than you'd like, Coach Adam Pulford has some good news! You're fitness didn't disappear and those couple of extra pounds will likely melt away pretty quickly once you get back to normal training. If
How to Train Anaerobic Capacity to Go Fast and Win, with Coach Tim Cusick (#286)
OVERVIEWAnaerobic capacity is the work you can do above your lactate threshold. Another term for it is Functional Reserve Capacity (FRC), and it acts like a battery that contains a finite amount of energy that runs out quickly and must be recharged before a subsequent use. FRC is your high-intensity, explosive power for winning sprints, creating breakaways, closing gaps, and riding competitors off
How Quickly Can VO2 max Increase in Cyclists? with Tim Cusick (#285)
OVERVIEWVO2 max or maximum aerobic capacity is your performance ceiling, but it is trainable and you can not only increase your VO2 max, but also the power you can produce at VO2 max, how long you can sustain that power, and the amount of work you can accomplish between lactate threshold and VO2 max. In Episode #285 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", coaches Adam Pulford and Basecam
How Quickly Can Cyclists Increase Functional Threshold Power (FTP), with Tim Cusick (#284)
OVERVIEWFollowing their episode on aerobic training, CTS Coach Adam Pulford and Tim Cusick (Head Coach at Basecamp and TrainingPeaks WKO Product Leader) dig into Functional Threshold Power (FTP) training in Episode #284 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast". This is one of the clearest, accessible, and practical explanations of FTP training you'll ever hear. They talk about what&ap
How Quickly Can Aerobic Training Make You Fast, with Tim Cusick (#283)
OVERVIEW"How long is this going to take?!" Everyone wants to know how long it takes for the training you do today to result in performance improvements you can see and feel on the road or trail. To find out, we called upon Tim Cusick, an elite coach and one of the data gurus behind TrainingPeaks WKO product. Together, Coach Adam Pulford and Tim explain how training stress leads to physio
What's Happening In Your Body As You Recover From A Workout? (#282)
OVERVIEWWe all know recovery takes time, but how much time and what is going on internally while "recovery" is happening? How do factors like the duration and intensity of a workout affect the recovery process? What about nutrition and hydration during and after training, and finally, what about those fancy recovery tools and gadgets? Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the science of recover
Going Pro: The Data Behind Nathan Cusack's Journey From Juniors to EF Education-Aevolo
OVERVIEWNathan Cusack is an emerging talent in road racing, having won his first European race in 2025, racing for Team USA at Tour de l'Avenir, and ending the season by signing on with EF Education-Aevolo. Nathan has been a CTS Athlete coached by Adam Pulford for four years, and as he makes his transition to the U23 Elite ranks and a top international development team, it's time to take
Cycling While Deaf: How This CTS Athlete Trains, Wins, and Prepares for the Deaflympics
OVERVIEWCyclists rely on their sense of hearing more than you might imagine, to hear traffic coming, to communicate with fellow riders during group rides and races, to listen for gear shifts and labored breathing from competitors, and even to discern wind direction. Dmitry Rossoshansky doesn't hear any of that, nor does he hear your pleas for mercy when he's crushing it at the front! In
Creatine: What Cyclists Need To Know To Benefit From Creatine Supplementation
OVERVIEWCreatine is one of the most researched supplements available, it's safe to consume, and it has been receiving renewed interest in endurance cycling. Although it's not incredibly useful for improving low-intensity aerobic performance, it can be beneficial for high-intensity efforts in training and competition, may have cognitive benefits and some recovery benefits. In "Time-C
Before They Were Champions: Revisiting An Early Interview With A Young Christopher Blevins
In 2025, Christopher Blevins won 9 UCI World Cup races and was the first American Male to earn the UCI Men’s World Cup Overall Championship in 34 years. He raced for Team USA at the 2020 (held in 2021) and 2024 Olympic Games and won the inaugural UCI Short Track MTB World Championship in 2021. Before any of those accomplishments, in the summer of 2021, Blevins was an early guest on this podcast. W
Do What AI Can't: How To Adjust Your Workout In Real Time (#277)
OVERVIEWCan AI optimize your training by determining if you should do more or fewer intervals than prescribed today? Artificial Intelligence can do a lot of things, but it's not great (yet) at advising changes to your workouts in real time. Coach Adam Pulford details the factors he considers when deciding to scale up, maintain, or scale down an athlete's daily training. More important, h
Training, Strategy, and Demands of Timed-Segment Racing vs. Traditional Racing
OVERVIEWTimed-segment racing might be your new favorite competition format! Coach Adam Pulford and CTS Athlete Camilo Lopez discuss their experiences at Gran Fondo Maryland, which featured five timed-segments rather than a start-to-finish competition format. They reveal the key differences in effort level, physical demands, strategies, cycling skills, and even nutrition and pacing between timed-se
How To Leverage Late-Season Fitness For Big Gains
OVERVIEWThe end of the summer cycling season is the best time to leverage a season's worth of fitness and training without the pressure of upcoming goals. It's the time when you can go have epic adventures, work on performance limiters, go hunting for Strava PRs and KOM/QOMs, complete end-of-season performance tests, and much more. Coach Adam Pulford helps you decide whether to take a br
Scribble Outside the Lines: How Imperfect Training Makes Faster Cyclists (#274)
OVERVIEWFollowing a training plan is better than training haphazardly, but how closely do you need to follow the letter of the plan? In Episode 274 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford discusses the benefits and necessity of not following the plan to a T, when that’s ok, when it’s not, and how to adjust daily training sessions based on how you're feeling while
Smart Strength Training for Cyclists, with Sarah Scozzaro MS, NSCA-CPT, NASM-PES
OVERVIEW95% of the cyclists and runners coached by Sarah Scozzaro and Adam Pulford incorporate strength training. Scozzaro is one of our top strength and conditioning coaches and in Episode 273 she and Coach Adam discuss how cyclists should blend strength and endurance training throughout the year.Topics Covered In This Episode:How different endurance athletes leverage strength trainingHow strengt
Can Rucking With A Weighted Vest Make You A Stronger Cyclist?
OVERVIEWAlmost anywhere you go these days, you're likely to see someone walking, running, or climbing stairs wearing a weighted vest. Popularized by Crossfit boxes, mixed martial arts gyms, and boot camp-style exercise programs, “rucking” is a new name for the old concept of an “overloaded training intervention”. The question we get is whether training with a weighted vest (off the bike) will
Is A.I. Coaching Ready for Prime Time? Hear What TrainingPeaks Says!
OVERVIEWCody Stephenson, the Education Program Manager at TrainingPeaks, is back on the podcast to talk about the current state of artificial intelligence in cycling coaching and how TrainingPeaks' developers are using models to improve the accuracy and usability of athletes' training data.TOPICS COVEREDA.I.'s current and future role in cycling coachingHow auto-updates of FTP work a
Is FTP Dead? Is Critical Power the Cyclist's Next Great Training Metric? (#270)
OVERVIEWCody Stephenson is the Education Program Manager at TrainingPeaks, meaning he teaches coaches how to properly utilize training data to improve performance. He's the perfect sports scientist to discuss the similarities and differences between Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Critical Power (CP), Functional Reserve Capacity (FRC) and W Prime, and how all these training metrics and m
Are "Recovery Scores" Accurate? Does Recovery Slow With Age? Find out from Christie Aschwanden (#269)
OVERVIEWChristie Aschwanden is an award-winning science journalist and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery. In Part 2 of her appearance on the "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast" we take a look at the evidence behind recovery scores from wearable fitness trackers. Christie also weighs in on the whether science supports the id
Science of Recovery with Christie Aschwanden: Do tart cherry juice, ketones, and ice plunges work? (#268)
OVERVIEWChristie Aschwanden is an award-winning science journalist and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery. With all the hype and marketing dollars being thrown at recovery modalities like tart cherry juice, ketone supplements, ice plunges, and the timing of post-recovery meals, we brought Christie back to "The Time-Crunched Cycli
Carbs, Climbs, and Descents: Coach Adam Pulford Answers Listener Questions (#258)
OVERVIEWWe receive a lot of listener questions, so we're batching a few of them together into one episode. In Episode 258 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford and co-author of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist" book, Coach Jim Rutberg, rip through questions about the fear of descending, how to increase carbohydrate intake, preparing for big mountain days, an
Tour de France Femmes Stage 9 Recap and Final Analysis From The Entire Race
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 9 PODCAST OVERVIE
Descents, Periods, and Power: Tour de France Femmes Stage 8 Podcast
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 8 PODCAST OVERVIE
TDF Femmes Podcast - Stage 7 & Physical Demands at the Front vs. the Grupetto
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 7 PODCAST OVERVIE
TDFF Stage 6 Recap, Bike Fit for Female Cyclists, and The Science Behind "Mom Watts"
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 6 PODCAST OVERVIE
TDF Femmes Podcast - Stage 5 & Alison Tetrick's Insights on Rider Salaries, Opportunities, and More
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 5 PODCAST OVERVIE
Tour de France Femmes Podcast - Stage 4 & Inside Look at EF Education Oatly's Nutrition Strategies
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS publishes daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They recap the stages, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 4 PODCAST OVERVIE
Tour de France Femmes Podcast - Stage 3 & Inside Look at Alison Jackson's Training
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS will publish daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They'll recap the stage, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 3 PODCA
Tour de France Femmes Podcast - Stage 2 Recap & The Science of Heat Training for Female Athletes
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS will publish daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They'll recap the stage, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 2 PODCA
Tour de France Femmes Podcast - Stage 1 Recap & The Science of Pre-Race Tapering
Welcome to the Tour de France Femmes Podcast, from the producers of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast"CTS will publish daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They'll recap the stage, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. STAGE 1 PODCA
How Respecting Your Body, Emotions, and Competition Improves Performance
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTStarting Saturday, July 26, CTS will publish daily Tour de France Femmes podcasts with Coaches Adam Pulford and Renee Eastman. They'll recap the stage, but the unique aspect of these podcasts will be coaching insights about how athletes prepare for the demands showcased in that day's stage. EPISODE OVERVIEWRespect is a touchy subject, but this is not a touchy-feely, w
How to Find Hidden Training Hours in Your Busy Life (#257)
OVERVIEWTime-Crunched Cyclists have to get creative to integrate training into their busy lives. We get plenty of listener questions about various options for adding training hours to a busy schedule. In Episode 257 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford and co-author of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist" book, coach Jim Rutberg, discuss how and whether to integrat
Do Time-Crunched Cyclists Need a Mid-Season Break or Mid-Season Volume? (#256)
OVERVIEWLots of endurance athletes take a mid-season break following a big goal event or a substantial training block. Some Time-Crunched Cyclists don't need a mid-season break because they don't accumulate enough training stress to benefit from a prolonged period of reduced workload. Rather, some Time-Crunched Cyclists benefit from an increase in training volume during the middle of the
Training After Illness: A Practical Guide For Returning to Training (#255)
OVERVIEWGetting sick sucks, any time of year. When athletes are in the middle of the season, like they are now, they get anxious about losing fitness and they get impatient about returning to training. In Episode 255 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford details the practical steps he uses to guide athletes back to training following common illnesses like cold and fl
Best Heat Training Strategies for Time-Crunched Cyclists (#254)
OVERVIEWHeat acclimation is a big topic this summer, especially because heat training has been shown to also improve oxygen-carrying capacity in the blood - similar to altitude training! But, heat training can be tricky, especially for Time-Crunched Cyclists. What if you can't train in the hottest part of the day because of work? What if you spend your workday in a cold, air conditioned offic
Sprint Training for Time-Crunched Cyclists (#253)
OVERVIEWSprinting is something a Time-Crunched Cyclist can be very good at, because it doesn't take a lot of training time to develop a strong anaerobic kick. Yes, you still need an aerobic engine to reach the finale with enough energy left to sprint, but a strong sprint can be a Time-Crunched Cyclist's secret weapon! DJ Brew wins Masters and Pro/1/2 criteriums in the Washington DC area
Training and Development Tips for Junior Cyclists (and Parents!)
OVERVIEWIf you or your child is interested in racing bikes (road, mountain, cyclocross, track) as an under-18 competitor, this is the podcast for you! CTS Coach Adam Pulford is one of the top coaches to Junior and U23 Cyclists in the United States. Much of this work is through the DC Devo Cycling Team in Washington, D.C. In Episode 252 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Adam is join
Rest Day vs Recovery Ride: Making Smart Recovery Choices (#251)
OVERVIEWIs there a real benefit to a recovery ride or would you be better off just taking the day off completely? Both recovery rides and complete rest are beneficial, but the choice between the two depends on how fatigued you are, your mood, and what else you have going on in your life. Sports science says they accomplish the same thing and are essentially interchangeable. But there are absolutel
How to Train for Long Hill Climb Finishes (#250)
OVERVIEWHow do you climb fast at the end of a race? Many road, gravel, and mountain bike events finish at the top of extended climbs. In Episode 250 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist", a listener asks how to prepare for a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) finishing climb at the end of a 2-3 hour race. Everything comes into play: aerobic fitness, power at lactate threshold (LT2), anaerobic capacity, VO2
Power vs Heart Rate vs RPE: Which Metric is Best?
OVERVIEWPower, heart rate, or RPE (rate of perceived exertion or how you feel)? Which data point is best for gauging intensity during training or a race, and which is best for monitoring training progress? Coach Adam Pulford tackles these frequently asked questions in Episode 249 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast". Although ALL THREE metrics have their place, Coach Adam reveals the h
Trust Before Training: The Value of Human Coaching in an AI Era (#248)
OVERVIEWColin Izzard and Adam Pulford have more than 45 years of coaching experience between them. In this casual conversation between two old friends and colleagues, they pull back the curtain on how the coaching process works, how it differs from a training plan or AI-generated program, and how coaching has changed for the better with the introduction of new technologies - including artificial i
Finding the Perfect Tire Width and Pressure For Your Cycling Adventures
OVERVIEWWheels and Tires and Tire Pressure. These are the subjects of endless debates among road, gravel, and mountain bike racers. Wheel and tire technologies continue to change. Internal rim widths allow for wider tires, as do modern frames. In Episode 247 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Coach Adam Pulford and Velosmith's Tony Bustamante discuss how cyclists can narrow in
The 12-Week Rule: Guide to Dialing In Your Equipment Before Important Cycling Events (#246)
OVERVIEWWhen it comes to the equipment choices and mistakes athletes make before big events, Tony Bustamante has seen it all. The founder of Velosmith Bicycle Studio, which specializes in customized builds for discerning cyclists, and a second-generation bike shop owner, Tony has been that guy you implored to fix your brakes last minute or install that super-important part the afternoon before you
Beyond Intervals: How to Get Fast Without Interval Training
OVERVIEWInterval training works, but there are ways to get stronger, ride faster, and win races without interval training. There are even aspects of performance that are better suited to no-interval training blocks. In some cases, the structured intensity with planned recovery breaks hinders an athlete's flexibility to use power and fitness spontaneously. Coach Adam Pulford breaks away from t
Best Race Day Foods, Drinks, and Fueling Strategies, with Stephanie Howe, PhD (#244)
OVERVIEWStephanie Howe, PhD is back for Part 2 of the sports nutrition podcasts she recorded with Coach Adam Pulford. An elite ultramarathon runner who won Western States, CTS Coach, and the provider for CTS Nutrition Coaching services, Stephanie works with cyclists, runners, triathletes, and more. In Episode 244 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", Stephanie and Coach Adam Pulford la
What To Eat and Drink To Fuel Your Best Training Days, with Stephanie Howe, PhD (#243)
OVERVIEWStephanie Howe, PhD is our go-to source for no-nonsense, evidence-based nutrition guidance. She doesn't abide fads or pseudoscience and has no allegiances to sports nutrition or supplement companies. An elite ultramarathon runner who won Western States, CTS Coach, and the provider for CTS Nutrition Coaching services, Stephanie works with cyclists, runners, triathletes, and more. In Ep
DATA MINING TO MANAGE FATIGUE AND SUPERCHARGE TRAINING (#242)
OVERVIEWHow much fatigue can an athlete accumulate without hurting recovery and hindering progress? That's the million dollar question for all coaches and athletes because it reveals how much training you can do in a given time, what type of workouts to use, and even what goals are within your reach. Coach Adam Pulford delves into the software tools he uses to analyze athlete data, monitor fa
Which "Zone 2"? Comparing 7-Zone and 3-Zone Training Systems
OVERVIEWSo many athletes are focused on training in Zone 2, but they don't realize "Zone 2" means different things depending on which training system you use. There is a 3-Zone system, a 5-Zone system, a 7-Zone system, and even more! Two of the most popular are 3-Zones, championed by researcher Dr. Stephen Seiler, and a 7-Zone system used by CTS and many other coaching groups. In Ep
The Best Mountain Bike for Leadville Trail 100 for "Regular Racers", First Timers, and Fast Finishers (#240)
OverviewWe love checking out what the pros are riding, but "normal" riders aiming to finish the Leadville 100 MTB in under 9 hours or under 12 hours have different needs on race day. Ten-time LT100 finisher, coach, and author Jim Rutberg talks with 3-time finisher Adam Pulford about the best bikes, equipment choices for the 2000+ riders behind the race leaders. And, since they're bo
Recommended
Harmonize Your Life: Conversation on Self-Care for Women of Color
Lighting the Legal Career Path
High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset
Pintastic® Pinterest Podcast
Learn 50 English Phrases While You Sleep | Everyday English Phrases & Vocabulary
The Daily
The Joe Rogan Experience
World News Tonight with David Muir
Talk About Talk - Executive & Leadership Communication Skills
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
Stand In The Circle
Conspiracy Files with Paige Carter
