Podcasts Tips
A 20 Minute Power-Based Field Test
Podcasts, Training with Power
One key question we ask ourselves as coaches at FasCat, is if the athlete is responding to the training we have prescribed. Aka, are they getting faster? Our favorite “experiment” to answer this question is a good old…
How to Measure FTP Improvement with Normalized Power
Podcasts
We don’t always have to perform an FTP field test in order to measure our performance. We you may use normalized power during hard effort 20-60 minutes in length, or similar durations during group rides or races to…
Winning in the Kitchen: Snacks
Podcasts
One of the most popular topics we talk about on the podcast is nutrition, and specifically our philosophy of “Winning in the Kitchen”. We’ve podcasted about breakfast, dinner, on the bike nutrition, winning in the grocery store, weight…
Using Strava Live Segments to Perform “Strava-Vals”
Podcasts
This week, we discuss how Strava live segments can “hack” your interval performance by increasing motivation, positive reinforcement, and therefore your power output. A Strava-Val is going as hard as you can like an interval but using the…
Coaching USA’s Elite and Embracing Failure with Jim Miller
Podcasts
This week we sit down with Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sports Performance and coach to many of USA’s greats such as Tejay van Garderen, Kate Courtney, Kristin Armstrong, and Lawson Craddock to name a few. Jim…
Zwift as a Training Tool
Podcasts
This week Frank talks about the 3 ways he advises athletes to use Zwift as a Training Tool. They include: #1 Using Alpe Du Zwift #2 ERG Mode # 3 Group Rides and Races Save 25% on your…
Sweet Spot Training with Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D
Podcasts
We are honored to talk about sweet spot training with Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D on this podcast. Dr. Coggan is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Indiana University’s School of Health and Human Sciences. IU has a doctoral…
Ask FasCat #9 — FTP Indoors vs. Outdoors, Corona Nutrition, and Timing is Everything
Podcasts
The podcast this week is another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we answer listener questions! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions via our forum, and congratulations to the 3 question-askers we selected to win a…
Setting Intermediate Training Goals using Virtual Communities
Podcasts
The whole gravel team is here to check in with the FasCat community about setting intermediate goals using virtual communities to keep the motivation high and training moving forward for the next few months. You still have your…
COVID-19 Training
Podcasts
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade as the saying goes. With the cycling season put on hold until May (🤞) there’s now plenty of time to get faster. Two life situations dictate your training approach: do…
What to Do When Your Race is Cancelled
Podcasts
In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the timing of your training for the 2020 cycling season has changed. Races are in question, stress is high, and a lot of us are wondering how to proceed with our…
Announcing the FasCat Coaching Gravel Team
Podcasts
We’re starting a gravel team! That’s right, the FasCat Coaching Gravel Team will be a thing this year, and we’re here to tell you all about it! Coaches Frank, Jake, Isaiah, and Jackson will be traveling to six…
Frank and Jackson Talk Dirty Kanza and How to Go Plant-Based
Podcasts
This week Frank and Jackson sit down to help each other out and answer some questions. Jackson is training for his first Dirty Kanza, and asked Frank to coach him through the overview of the next 3 months…
The Big Cat’s 3 Go-To Interval Workouts
Podcasts
Coach Frank “BigCat” Overton drops some knowledge and watt bombs about his top 3 go-to interval workouts this week on the pod. Threshold, VO2 and Anaerobic Capacity/Zone 6 intervals. It’s that time of year to start thinking about…
Amity Rockwell
Podcasts
This week we’re excited to bring you a conversation with Amity Rockwell, the 2019 winner of Dirty Kanza and overall gravel hitter. Amity has a unique and interesting path into the sport of cycling after growing up in…
#FtFP Meets Winning In The Kitchen: Recipes!
Podcasts
Perhaps the two most important pillars of the FasCat Coaching ethos, following the plan and Winning in the Kitchen go very hand in hand. We’ve podcasted about them separately but realized that they fit together nicely, so we…
Peter Stetina on Dirty Kanza Power Data, Nutrition Philosophies, and Spirit Animals
Podcasts
WorldTour veteran and recent convert to the gravel scene, Pete Stetina, drops by the FasCat pod to share his wisdom and power data into some of the biggest races on the calendar like Belgian Waffle Ride, Dirty Kanza,…
Ask FasCat #8 — Dirty Kanza Training, Polarized vs. Sweet Spot, and More!
Podcasts
We’re back with our 8th edition of Ask FasCat, where we field listener questions to help you become a faster cyclist. This time, Coach Isaiah is in the house to help break down questions ranging from Dirty Kanza…
Inside Coach Isaiah’s Mind: Takeaways from USAC Level 1 Coaches Education
Podcasts
This week on the pod, Coach Isaiah returns to share his takeaways and lessons learned from his recent USA Cycling Coaches Level 1 Education Course, and how it applies to YOUR cycling training. Isaiah shares a lot of…
Transform your Cycling with a Next Level Approach
Coaching Advice, Podcasts
I wrote this four years ago in 2016 and have been living it since – cycling is a lifestyle and in this training tip I’ll share that lifestyle with you – Frank Overton Jan 9, 2020 Four year’s…
Build a Big Base with Sweet Spot Training
Podcasts
It’s December 31st, which means next year is upon us and thoughts are quickly shifting towards the race season. What are you doing to ensure an improvement over last year? What kind of training are you doing? Are…
Off Season Gravel Training
Podcasts
It’s late December and a mere 12 weeks out from the first major gravel race of the season :: LandRun 100. It’s time to get serious and make the most of the remaining months of the offseason to…
FasCat Holiday Buyer’s Guide LIVE from Excel Sports
Podcasts
We’re back at our favorite local bike shop, Excel Sports for a LIVE podcast sharing FasCat’s picks for the holidays if you or someone you know is a cyclist! Coach Frank breaks down everything from bikes to tires…
When to Hire a Coach or Follow a Training Plan w/ Coaches Frank, Jake, and Isaiah
Podcasts
The three musketeers of FasCat training plan and coaching design, Frank Overton, Jake Rytlewski, and Isaiah Newkirk stop by the studio to discuss an ever-important topic: When to Hire a Coach or Follow a Training Plan? This…
Thanksgiving Gratitude & Black Friday Show
Podcasts
It’s the week of Thanksgiving and Boulder is being covered in snow, so Coach Frank checks in with the podcast to share what he’s grateful for, share the details of our Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal, and how to…
Coach Isaiah Newkirk on the Transition from Pro Road to Pro Gravel and How to Train
Podcasts
Coach Isaiah is back to chat about his new transition from professional road cyclist into the gravel scene, and how his training and outlook on the sport has shifted. We talk about: cross training planning out a gravel…
A Conversation with Steamboat Gravel Founder, Mark Satkiewicz
Podcasts
In case you’ve been living underneath a rock, gravel racing is hot AF right now. It’s registration season for the 2020 calendar, and races are filling up faster than a Walmart on Black Friday. One of our favorite…
Coach Allie Legg : Life in the Pro Peloton, Gravel Racing, and Offseason Training
Podcasts
This week is a conversation with recently retired pro cyclist and FasCat Coach Allie Legg, who raced for the Twenty20 Sho-Air women’s professional cycling team after getting started in cycling at a young age in the sport of…
Grab Bag: Gamechangers, Zwifting, Principles, and Morning Routines
Podcasts
This week we are talking about the new Netflix documentary The Gamechangers, plant-based Frank, Zwifting, the Excel Sports discount, Ray Dalio’s book, Principles, and Jackson’s morning routine. We hope you enjoy! If you are a training plan customer…
How Much Sweet Spot Should You Do?
Podcasts
We’re back with another discussion of one of FasCat’s main training philosophies: Sweet Spot. A big question we receive by athletes is “how much sweet spotting should I actually be doing?” In fact, our training tip on the…
Ask FasCat #7 – the Cyclocross Edition
Podcasts
We’re back with another installment of our Ask FasCat series, where we take listener questions submitted via our forum and add our take to help make you faster. This time, the focus is cyclocross training, as the season…
Winning in the Grocery Store | Nutrition for Cyclists
Podcasts
We’re back with another #WinningInTheKitchen special, serving up a conversation about where this all begins: the grocery store. It doesn’t matter how dialed your kitchen is or how motivated you are to cook healthy food if…
Winning in the Grocery Store | Nutrition for Cyclists
Podcasts
We’re back with another #WinningInTheKitchen special, serving up a conversation about where this all begins: the grocery store. It doesn’t matter how dialed your kitchen is or how motivated you are to cook healthy food if you don’t…
Weight Lifting for Cyclists Training Plan
Podcasts
Since we talked about timing as it relates to training last week, this time is all about the timing of strength training/weight lifting for cyclists as it’s the perfect time to get started on that. In this episode,…
Timing is Everything: The What, When, and How of 2020 Training
Podcasts
As the age-old adage goes, timing is everything. As we’re winding down the 2019 season and beginning to look towards 2020, it’s a critical thing to consider when planning our calendar. Choosing A vs. B races, when…
Training for the Iceman Cometh MTB Race
Podcasts, Races
by Jake Rytlewski, September 2019 If you have ever heard of or been to Kalkaska, Michigan chances are you have done or heard of the Iceman Cometh. The Iceman Cometh is a 27 mile point to point mountain…
Everything Phil’s Cookie Fondo with Phil Gaimon
Podcasts
Phil returns to the FasCat Podcast to chat about his upcoming fondo happening in 6 weeks! Frank and Phil talk about his comeback from a terrible crash suffered earlier this year, what the vibe is like at the…
Reviewing Your 2019 Cycling Season to Get Faster in 2020
Podcasts
As the offseason for most cyclists (sorry, ‘crossers) and fall approaches, it’s time to look back and reflect on your season to see what worked and what didn’t, take stock of your nutrition and training strategies, and use…
Dirk Friel, Co-Founder of TrainingPeaks
Podcasts
This week, Coach Frank sits down with Dirk Friel, the co-founder and Chief Evangelist of TrainingPeaks…the essential software for athletes. It’s what we use to coach our athletes, and what is used by countless other coaches, athletes, and…
SBT GRVL Recap, Offseason Talk, and the Future of USA Cycling
Podcasts
It’s a busy time of year for cycling, so we’re back at it with a 3-part podcast covering 3 very different but interestingly related topics: Steamboat Gravel [SBTG], cyclocross prep and the importance of taking an offseason as…
Ask FasCat #6!
Podcasts
We’re back for a long awaited Q&A episode, answering questions about everything from weight loss to full gas intervals to altitude adjustment…it’s a good one (we even get a call from Mr. Gaimon)! Thanks to everyone for submitting…
Rebecca’s Private Idaho Race Analysis
Podcasts
Rebecca’s Private Idaho has quickly risen to one of the top gravel race weekends in the country. Based in the small ski town of Ketchum, Idaho, RPI was started by endurance mountain bike legend and Ketchum local, Rebecca…
Six Weeks till Cyclocross – how to train for cyclocross
Cyclocross, Podcasts
It’s August 1st, which means #crossiscoming in approximately 6 weeks. It’s time to get serious about training, honing cross-specific skills, and prepare the body for the demands of cyclocross. Have no fear our “oh shh*t six week cyclocross…
Steamboat Gravel (SBTGRVL) Pre-Race Course Recon, Training, and Equipment Tips
Podcasts
We’re about 3 weeks away from the inaugural Steamboat Gravel race, and Coach Frank recently pre-rode the critical 100 miles of the 140 race. From pacing and training to equipment and course conditions, we’re here this week on…
Time Trial Training & Racing w/ Coach Isaiah
Podcasts
This week on the pod, we have a special episode for you featuring our very own TT specialist, Coach Isaiah Newkirk! Isaiah races professionally for the 303 Project cycling team, and is a strong disciple of the time…
Summertime Nutrition for Cyclists
Podcasts
Summer is here, which means training and racing on the bike is being ramped up, goals are being achieved, and we can finally be outside more. However, it’s also a time to revisit our nutrition and maybe lose…
Cycling Coach’s Buyer Guide!
Podcasts
We are asked constantly about different pieces of gear, what’s the best bang for your buck, what kind of cycling computer to buy, which tires to use for X race, etc. With the cycling season in full…
Summer Cyclocross #secrettraining w/ Coach Brandon Dwight
Podcasts
Cyclocross is coming, and getting ahead of the curve this summer will set you up for success come the fall. Cyclocross racing legend and FasCat coach Brandon Dwight is in the studio this week to share some of…
The Origins of FTFP
Podcasts
This week we dive into the background of “FTFP”, or Follow the F@#%&^* Plan! Following the well designed training plan is paramount to success as a cyclist, and there’s many layers that go into it. Coach Frank…
Ask FasCat #5!
Podcasts
Greetings, fellow bicycle nerds! We’re back with another installment of our Ask FasCat Q&A series, where we answer listener questions from our forum and beyond. Today we dive into questions about altitude, mid-season breaks, recovering from big events,…
Haute Route Asheville Preview Show!
Podcasts
We’re here in gorgeous Asheville, NC for the Haute Route Asheville, a 3 day event through the Blue Ridge mountains. In today’s episode, we do a live podcast from the event HQ and break down each stage, discussing…
How to Travel to Races Like a PRO
Podcasts
With the Haute Route approaching next week, we decided to sit down and talk about how to win at traveling to bike races, whether it’s via car or via plane. We discuss what to bring and how to…
Fatigue Dependent Training Plan Design
Podcasts
Carefully crafting the design of a training plan is a critical aspect of improvement and success as a cyclist. Coach Frank abides by the idea of “fatigue dependent” training plan design, which is the focus of today’s episode.…
The 4 Key Factors for Gravel Racing Success
Podcasts
Gravel racing season is in full swing, and this week’s podcast is all about helping you crush your next race. We believe there are 4 key components to successful gravel racing — pacing, hydration, nutrition, and equipment —…
Ask FasCat #4!
Podcasts
With another 4 weeks gone by in an instant, it’s time for another Q&A session! On this week’s show, we dive into listener submitted questions on topics ranging from fasting, avoiding cramping, using commuting as training, and…
What to Eat on the Bike During Training and Racing
Podcasts
With the racing season in full swing, a big area of consideration and confusion for many cyclists is on the bike nutrition. We’ve talked at length about Winning in the Kitchen, but it’s an entirely different animal to…
How to Leave Post-Activity Comments For Your Coach and Be “Coachable”
Podcasts
This week, Coach Frank outlines using the 4 components of monitoring training in his athletes to help you better provide feedback in the post-activity comments section of TrainingPeaks or other software so that you can communicate more effectively…
Plant-Based Nutrition for Cyclists
Podcasts
Happy spring! To shift gears a bit, Jackson and Coach Isaiah come to your ears with a special edition of the podcast while Frank is on vacation for spring break. We dive into the fundamentals of plant-based nutrition…
Ask FasCat #3 — Q&A!
Podcasts
Welcome to another regeneration week (AKA our monthly Q&A episode)! We field questions from the FasCat community to provide our best responses to questions about training, racing, nutrition, and more every 4 weeks. We’re back with answers to…
Intervals 101
Podcasts
Continuing with the progression in early season training periodization, we’re now getting into the real work of the race season and everyone’s favorite part of training: intervals. We did an episode way back in the beginning of the…
Switching From Base to Race!
Podcasts
It’s getting to be that time of year when the first races of the season are quickly approaching, you’ve been (hopefully) putting in some solid base training, and your A race is on the foreseeable horizon. It’s time…
Ask FasCat #2 – Q&A!
Podcasts
We’re back with another Q&A episode, taking questions from the FasCat podcast community to help you get faster! We answer questions ranging from the proper usage of sweet potatoes to building watts/kg and everything in between. It’s a…
How to Design Your Own Personal Training Camp
Podcasts
Training camps are one of the quintessential components of cycling. Putting in a highly focused and productive week of training in a warm place, combined with dialed recovery and nutrition protocols in the early season can pay off…
Chronic Training Load (CTL) for Masters Cyclists
Podcasts
There seems to be a lot of discussion about CTL, TSS, FTP, etc. as it relates to elite or world-class level cyclists, but what does this all mean for masters cyclists? Today on the podcast, we discuss the…
Everything You Need to Know About the Haute Route with Colby Pearce
Podcasts
This week we are talking about the Haute Route (‘oat root’). We’re joined by cycling jedi master Colby Pearce (also a Haute Route Elite Ambassador) to discuss the Haute Route culture, training, and experience. Both Colby and Frank…
Ask FasCat #1 – Q&A Podcast!
Podcasts
You asked, we answered! Once a month, we will take questions fielded from the FasCat community (via email and social media) and spend the entire hour answering them! The entire purpose of this podcast is to help you…
How To Pair and Sequence Our Training Plans
Podcasts
We get a ton of questions about how best to pair and sequence our training plans to connect them through an entire season or a specific situation. With many permutations of how to combine plans over the course…
Collegiate Cycling: Perspective From Alums & former Coach
Podcasts
We’re back with Coach Isaiah to discuss the value and importance of collegiate cycling not only for the development as a cyclist, but creating more long term enjoyment in the sport of cycling. We chat about our experiences…
New Year’s Show! What’s Next for the FasCat Podcast
Podcasts
It’s officially 2019, and that means time for some reflection and some discussion about what’s next for the FasCat podcast. Frank and Jackson sit down to talk about some of their New Year’s resolutions and goals for…
Phil Gaimon (FasCat Athlete): State of the Cycling Union
Podcasts
Coach Frank sits down with FasCat athlete Phil Gaimon to discuss the current state of cycling, the gravel craze, training and racing, training with WHOOP, and the role of social media influence on cycling sponsorship and rider value.…
Sunny Gilbert: Cyclocross Success on a Different Path
Podcasts
photo: Snowy Mountain Photography FasCat Athlete Sunny Gilbert recently had the ride of her life at the 2018 USA Cyclocross National Championships, netting second place in one of the most technical and demanding races in recent years. But…
How I Invented Sweet Spot Training
Podcasts
Coach Frank drops a solo episode this week on the FasCat Podcast discussing how he “invented” Sweet Spot Training and how he integrates it into his coaching philosophy. Here is the training tip referenced in the podcast about…
Steamboat Gravel Podcast
Podcasts
Steamboat Gravel is shaping up to be 2019’s hottest new gravel event! This week on the podcast we sit down with Steamboat Gravel (SBTGRVL) founder Mark Satkiewicz to discuss 2019’s inaugural event, and what you can expect to encounter…
Thanksgiving Special!
Podcasts
A Thanksgiving gratitude podcast because we are thankful for our all awesome listeners! So we sit down and talk about how grateful we are for this podcast and for YOU, the audience! We also dive into a couple…
Making the End of Cyclocross Season Count with Coach Brandon Dwight
Podcasts
This week’s show is all about cyclocross. The final month of the season is upon us, so how can we make the most of it? What should we do to keep the momentum flowing into Nationals? Coach Frank…
Winning in the Kitchen Challenge, Coaching Pitfalls, and Field Testing | FasCat Grab Bag Pod
Podcasts
This week we’re doing something a little different, and hosting a sort of “grab bag” podcast, inspired by listener and athlete questions we’ve received in the recent days. Typically our conversation revolves around a central topic, but instead…
How to Make Indoor Cycling More Fun and Productive
Podcasts
It’s beginning to become that time of year where the clocks change, the days get shorter and colder, and we inevitably spend more time inside on the bike. We can hear the groans of dread for the…
Top 4 Ways to Use Your Powermeter
Podcasts
Training with power has become the norm in the sport of cycling. Objectively speaking, it’s probably the most beneficial tool we have at our disposal for quantifying our training so that we may train smarter. But as Uncle…
How to Plan Your Races For 2019
Podcasts
On this week’s podcast, we sit down to discuss how to plan your races for 2019. We break down all the races we are thinking about into A, B & C races and talk about what factors to…
Resistance Training for Cycling
Podcasts
Lifting weights this winter will make you faster! More strength = more power = higher FTP = riding our bikes faster. However this is not your high school weight lifting plan; its designed for cyclists! “Speeds specific to cycling” is…
Weight Loss for Cyclists
Podcasts, Weight Loss
On a follow up episode from our extremely popular Winning in the Kitchen podcast, it’s time to dive into the world of nutrition and weight loss yet again. It may sound counterintuitive, but the time to lose weight…
Tour of Utah Review + Offseason Tips with Coach Isaiah Newkirk
Podcasts
Following up after our last podcast with FasCat coach and professional cyclist Isaiah Newkirk, we bring him back to the show to discuss how Tour of Utah panned out, the major lessons learned, and what his favorite late…
Post-Season Break and Figuring Out Goals for Next Season
Off-Season Training, Podcasts
It’s that time of year when the racing starts winding down and all of our excitement and energy for the season begins to dwindle. Fall is nearing and we start thinking about other things than training and racing…
Cyclocross Cornering to Carry Your Momentum and Save Your Energy
Podcasts
Cyclocross season is upon us, so it’s time to start thinking about your cyclocross skills. Cornering is a HUGE skill that can take your cyclocross racing to the next level. Think about it: you take two dozen or…
How to Train with WHOOP — the Power Meter for Recovery
Podcasts
In this podcast we are talking about the wearable Whoop device. We consider the Whoop to be like a power meter for your recovery. The WHOOP is wearable designed for athletes that measures your sleep, strain, and cardiovascular parameters…
Ep. 13: Breaking Down the Crusher in the Tushar Experience
Podcasts
The Crusher in the Tushar brings the pain. We’ve had some time to process the pain and suffering of the 2018 Crusher in the Tushar gravel race, which was both Frank and Jackson’s target race for the season.…
Ep. 12: The Nike Breaking2 Project with Robby Ketchell and Brett Kirby
Podcasts
On May 6, 2017, Nike and a team of runners attempted to break the elusive 2 hour marathon barrier, which has never been done before. This was known as the Breaking2 Project, and Robby Ketchell played an…
Ep. 11: Coach Isaiah on Racing Tour of Utah!
Podcasts
This week, Frank and Jackson sit down with FasCat coach Isaiah Newkirk, a seasoned performance coach and professional cyclist for the 303 Project Cycling Team, to talk about his training leading up to next week’s Tour of Utah.…
Ep. 10: Race Tactics – TdF Rest Day Show!
Podcasts
It’s the third rest day of the Tour, so we’re back for the final installment of our Tour de France podcast series with Coach Robby Ketchell! This time, we’re talking race tactics and how to apply the race…
Ep. 9: Tour de France Rest Day Show with Coach Robby!
Podcasts
It’s Recovery Monday here at the FasCat HQ and a rest day in the Tour de France, so what better to do than record a podcast? We’re joined once again by Coach Robby Ketchell, who has spent time…
Ep. 8: How to CRUSH the Crusher in the Tushar
Podcasts
The Crusher in the Tushar, one of the premier mixed terrain bike races in the country, is a cruel, brutal yet beautiful event. It covers 70 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation gain in the Tushar mountain range…
Ep. 7: Tour de France Preview Show with Coach Robby Ketchell!
Podcasts
We’re excited to bring a bonus episode this week to your ears! We bring on a special guest, FasCat’s new coach, Robby Ketchell to talk all things Tour de France. Robby has worked at the highest level…
Ep. 6: Follow a Cycling Training Plan to Go Faster!
Podcasts
This week we’re diving into the rationale behind using a well-designed cycling training plan to pursue your goals as a cyclist. Training is both an art and a science, and having a professionally curated plan will ensure that…
Ep. 5: How to Perform Intervals for Your Races and Rides
Podcasts
This week we’re going an inch deep and a mile wide on the science of intervals for each of the primary disciplines of cycling so you can train smarter! Intervals are an essential component of a well-designed training…
Ep. 4: Recovery Tips for Cyclists
Podcasts
This week on the podcast, we’re diving deep into recovery for cyclists. Have you ever heard the mantra, “Train hard, recovery harder”? It’s true; recovery is an absolute cornerstone for performing as an athlete, and it must…
Ep. 3: Gravel Training and Racing
Podcasts
Welcome to the third installment of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! This week we’re pumped to bring you an episode on all things GRAVEL. Gravel cycling is so hot right now, and we felt like it would be…
Ep. 2: Winning in the Kitchen
Podcasts
Welcome to Episode 2 of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! This week we’re talking Winning in the Kitchen. Performing as an athlete extends far beyond training. In order to perform like a Ferrari, you have to put…
Ep. 1: FasCat’s 15 Year History
Podcasts
Welcome to the first episode of the FasCat Training Tips Podcast! We’re really excited to bring you a more in-depth look at our training tips and cycling experience through the podcast medium. Expect regular content covering everything from…