Fast Talk
Episodes
43: Race tactics and training with Rally’s Huffman and McCarty, part 1
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we take a deep dive into race strategy and tactics, and the necessary skills and training you need to excel at bike racing. In this tw...
42: The power training revolution, with Hunter Allen
23 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about power. We are lucky to have Hunter Allen, a veteran coach who, as our main guest; along with Dr. Andrew Coggan, wrote the or...
41: We answer your questions about training
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This is our first edition of “Ask Fast Talk.” Because we receive so many compelling questions from Fast Talk listeners, we will begin devoting fre...
40: Too much of a good thing? Heart arrhythmias in endurance athletes
16 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we take a deep dive into a subject that Case knows well, and that our guest, Lennard Zinn, has lived for the last five years: Heart ar...
39: The Secrets to Staying Strong as You Age with Ned Overend
01 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll look at the changes that have taken place in cycling legend Ned Overend, and how he’s been able to remain strong through th...
38: Why fatigue may be all in your mind
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Fast Talk, we’ll attempt to unlock the mysteries of fatigue. Is it just lactic acid pooling in your legs, as your high school coa...
37: Nutrition — sugar, wheat, paleo, and performance
01 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’re taking on the always-controversial subject of nutrition. Why is it so controversial? First, it’s very personal: Many people, trained or untr...
36: Inside the new science of climbing
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To start, we turned ourselves into mad scientists and convinced WorldTour pro Sepp Kuss (LottoNL-Jumbo) to join us. We rode several time trials up a ...
35: How to Train In the Cold
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast covers the physiological effects of training in the cold, from muscle damage to the increased caloric demands. We also discuss tips and t...
34: Become a climber (even if you live in a flat place)
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Fast Talk, we tackle the always-popular topic of climbing. A listener in Iowa asked if he could become a better climber. We’re jo...
33: Is FTP dead?
20 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, a big debate kicked up on the Internet. Some cycling experts stated that Functional Threshold Power (FTP) was dead. Many of the big names in...
32: A cyclist’s guide to the weight room
30 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We cyclists can get a little lost in the weight room. We are joined by Jess Elliott, who is the sports performance coach and biomechanist at the Unive...
31: How to avoid illness (or just cope with it)
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Illness can be a big setback for cyclists at all levels. What causes us to get sick, and how do we avoid it? If we train too hard, will it ruin our im...
30: Myth Busters: Why we can’t talk about lactic acid
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Coach Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz examine the chemistry that occurs in our muscles while riding and racing. They talk to Dr. Iñigo San Millán, who...
29: The future of bikes with Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in ...
28: Why we need an off-season with Dr. Andy Pruitt
27 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Taking tim...
27: Who can you trust for training advice?
07 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Who should you trust? How can you verify? There’s a lot of training advice out there, often contradictory, so what’s the best way for an athlete f...
26: Cramping myths debunked
25 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For decades (almost a century, in fact), we’ve been told that cramping is caused by electrolyte imbalance or bad hydration. But new science suggests...
25: A deep dive on tires and pressure
16 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The difference between a fast tire and a slow tire can be ten or more watts. So how should you optimize your tire selection and tire pressure? The sci...
24: Surviving a long season like a pro
25 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to stay fit and fast all year round? We talk to former pro and team director Mike Creed about the toll that cycling takes on a body. He...
23: How periodization works… for your nutrition
13 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Forget what you thought you knew about sports nutrition. We speak with Dr. John Hawley, one of the top experts in the world about the cutting edge tre...
22: Understanding Tour de France strategy
29 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever turned on a Tour de France stage and found yourself wondering what the heck is going on? Why are these riders off the front? Shouldn’t...
21: Managing Heat with the Illustrious Mr Pickels
07 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is the heat of summer getting you down? Fast Talk is here to help. Coach Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz are joined once again by Rob Pickels, a physiol...
20: Get better at sprinting
01 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You need to sprint faster. Everyone does, except maybe Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish. Though sprinting ability is largely a function of genetics, t...
19: Training as a numbers game
20 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What numbers do you use to describe your rides? Some cyclists keep it simple with mileage and time. Others delve into TSS, FTP, or kJ to quantify a da...
18: Top tips for pre-race prep
04 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Your body is ready to race, but is your bike ready? We are joined by VeloNews’s tech team of Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan to dig into the tech si...
17: The Art of the Breakaway with Toms Skujins
17 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The breakaway. It is perhaps the noblest form of victory, and the most difficult. Joining and then winning from breakaways is as much art as science, ...
16: Forget what you thought you knew about warm-ups
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has a warm-up routine, which is sometimes simple, and sometimes very complex. But what are we actually achieving with a pre-race routine? Is ...
15: Should you eat gummy bears like Sagan?
23 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Should you eat gummy bears like Peter Sagan? Maybe. In this episode, we are joined by Dan Cavallari and Stacy Sims, founder of Osmo who now works with...
14: Which is better, polarization or sweet spot?
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Which is better, sweet spot training or polarized training? To find out, we invited in proponents of each type of training — FasCat’s Frank Overto...
13: How to pick a power meter
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There is no training tool more powerful than a power meter, when it’s used properly. But which one you should buy? What part of your bike should it ...
12: Use tactics to your advantage
09 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s say you’re on an amateur team. A bunch of Cat. 3s with varying strengths and weaknesses. How do you use each rider effectively? How should a...
11: Busting the No Pain No Gain Myth
27 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is all about busting two commonly held and closely related training myths. First, should you always do precisely what’s written on...
10: Hit race weight the right way
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is the healthy way to get to race weight? We are joined by Dr. Philip Goglia, a nutritionist to the stars (and Phil Gaimon) to discuss safe and e...
9: Cycling Roundtable with Andy Pruitt and Rob Pickels
16 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Are top pro teams training differently from the rest of us? Can you replace lab testing with a power meter and field testing? What should you look for...
8: Stop your legs from fighting (themselves)
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Want some free watts? Your legs are fighting themselves, and we want them to stop. Episode 8 is all about neuromuscular training, decreasing what is c...
7: Cold, bare legs make you dumb, not tough
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why do you need to cover your legs when it’s cold? It’s not about comfort, it’s about getting the most out of your training. We dig into the phy...
6: Like it or not, you should be lifting
17 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Is it enough to just ride your bike for training? In this episode of Fast Talk, we explain why serious cyclists should be spending time in the gym, in...
5: How much speed can $2,000 buy?
04 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Can you buy speed? Yes, if you spend wisely. Fretz and Connor are joined by tech experts Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan, and they try to answer a sim...
4: The myth of the useless HR monitor
21 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You thought you could ditch that heart rate strap since you bought a power meter? Think again. In episode 4, coach Trevor Connor and editor Caley Fret...
3: How to structure your training plan
07 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 3 is all about execution of solid training program with limited time. The theme remains the same as episode 2, but the discussion moves from t...
2: High vs. low intensity
23 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in ...
1: Why you aren’t a pro
09 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The VeloNews Fast Talk podcast is your source for the best advice and most interesting insight on what it takes to become a better cyclist. Listen in ...