OVERVIEW
Time-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 integrate bicycle commutes and indoor cycling desks into your training.

TOPICS COVERED

• Question 1: How can I use my 30-60 minute commutes to improve my cycling training?
• Question 2: I can potentially add about 5 hours of low intensity training to my program by pedaling at a cycling desk in my office. Are these hours beneficial and worth the effort?

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Guest
Jim Rutberg has been an athlete, coach, and content creator in the outdoor sports, endurance coaching, and event industries for more than 20 years. He is the Media Director and a coach for CTS and co-author of several training and sports nutrition books, including Training Essentials for Ultrarunning with Jason Koop, Ride Inside with Joe Friel, and The Time-Crunched Cyclist with Chris Carmichael. He writes for trainright.com and his work has appeared in Bicycling, Outside, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Velonews, Inside Triathlon, and on numerous websites. A graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology, Jim resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his two sons, Oliver and Elliot. He can be reached at jrutberg@trainright.com or @rutty_rides on Instagram.

HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

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OVERVIEW
Lots 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 season! Coach Adam Pulford explains how to tell the difference between needing a break and benefitting from adding volume to your mid-season training.

TOPICS COVERED

• Benefits of a mid-season break
• What does a mid-season break look like?
• Who benefits from a mid-season break?
• Which athletes shouldn't take a mid-season break?

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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

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OVERVIEW
Getting 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 flu. Note: Adam is not a physician and this is not medical advice. His guidance is based on standard cold/flu treatment recommendations and practical experience working with athletes as they return to training.

TOPICS COVERED

• Identifying the type of illness
• Using "The Neck Rule" to determine next steps
• Training recommendations if symptoms are above the neck
• Training recommendations if symptoms are below the neck
• When to reintroduce intensity
• Will you lose fitness?
• What does a "sick week training schedule" look like?
• How to know you're ready to resume normal training

LINKS/RESOURCES

• Seasonal Flu and Colds - Child Care Aware® of America
• Common Cold (Rhinovirus): Symptoms, Cold vs. Flu, Treatment
• The Stages of the Flu: Timeline and Recovery - GoodRx

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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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OVERVIEW
Heat 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 office building? Should you sit passively in a sauna or hot bath, or exercise with extra layers and no fans? For how long, at what temperatures, etc.? Coach Adam Pulford provides actionable, pragmatic heat training guidance for amateur and everyday cyclists so you can perform better in the heat and reduce your risks for heat illness.

TOPICS COVERED

• Why should you get heat adapted
• How long does heat adaptation take?
• Native heat vs. Added Heat
• Training Schedule for Native Heat Training
• Air conditioning and "global heat stress"
• Training Schedule for Added Heat Training
• How do you know you’re heat adapted?

LINKS/RESOURCES

• Heat Adaptation for Females: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Physiological Adaptations and Exercise Performance in the Heat - PMC
• Going one step further with altitude training or heat training
• Heat training 101: A comprehensive guide for athletes
• How much do you sweat? - Asker’s Sweat Rate Calculator
• Heat training guide for cyclists | EF Pro Cycling
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6422510/

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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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OVERVIEW

Sprinting 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 with a strong kick and smart sprinting tactics and skills. In Episode 253 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast", he and his coach, Adam Pulford talk about key workouts, strength training, sprint practices, and even the differences between 10-, 20-, and 30-second sprint efforts.

TOPICS COVERED

• The basics of how to sprint on a bicycle
• The best cadence for sprinting
• Can you train for sprints on an indoor trainer?
• Neuromuscular drills for high cadence sprinting
• How 10-, 20-, and 30-second sprints differ physiologically
• Key Sprint Workouts
• Strength training for powerful sprints

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LINKS/RESOURCES

• Analysis of standing vertical jumps using a force platform
• Anaerobic Power Assessment in Athletes: Are Cycling and Vertical Jump Tests Interchangeable? - PMC
• DJ Personal and Music: SoundCloud
• Bike Doctor Race Team and Bike Fit:

GUEST

DJ Brew races Masters and Pro/1 on the Bike Doctor Team and has been a regular on the local group ride and race scene in Washington D.C. and surrounding areas. A true time-crunched cyclist, he is a father, husband, and works long hours as a Maryland-National Capital Park Police officer. More than 10 years ago he started racing as a Category 5, progressing to Category 3 within a year and Category 1 the following year. Competing primarily in criteriums and supplementing his training with fast, competitive group rides, DJ’s developed a reputation for having an explosive sprint.

HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
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OVERVIEW

If 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 joined by Chris Hardee, Justin Mauch, and Ryan McKinney of DCDevo to answer listener questions on how the development pathway works in cycling, how to get started, and what to look for in a development program.

TOPICS COVERED

• Age-specific aspects of training junior cyclists
• How many hours should junior cyclists train?
• How do you find a good junior program?
• What to look for in a junior development program
• Cyclocross and High School Mountain Bike as entry point
• Should your kid be riding/racing with grown men/women?

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LINKS/RESOURCES

// General Recommendations by Age (hours per year):
- Under 12 (U12):
Volume: ~100-150 hours/year
Weekly Average: ~2-4 hours/week
- Ages 13-14 (U14):
Volume: ~150-250 hours/year
Weekly Average: ~4-6 hours/week
- Ages 15-16 (U16):
Volume: ~250-400 hours/year
Weekly Average: ~6-10 hours/week
- Ages 17-18 (U18/Juniors):
Volume: ~400-600 hours/year (competitive juniors)
Weekly Average: ~10-12 hours/week
Elite or highly competitive juniors could range up to ~600-800 hours/year

• Training for Junior Cyclists: How LUX Cycling Trains Juniors to Join World Tour Teams - CTS
• Case study: A Finnish junior’s eight-year road to cycling’s World Tour
• Building An Annual Training Plan For Cycling
• Training Periodization, Intensity Distribution, and Volume in Trained Cyclists: A Systematic Review

GUESTS

Chris Hardee, Justin Mauch, and Ryan McKinney of DCDevo

HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete

OVERVIEW
Is 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 absolutely times when Coach Adam Pulford recommends active recovery (easy ride, walking, yoga, etc.) and other times when he advocates for complete rest. Learn to make the right choice when it really matters in Episode 251 of "The Time-Crunched Cyclist Podcast".

TOPICS COVERED

• Active vs. Passive Recovery
• When to choose complete rest or passive recovery
• When to choose a recovery ride or active recovery
• Off-the-bike active recovery
• Research on active vs. passive recovery effectiveness

LINKS/RESOURCES

• Passive vs Active Recovery on Peak Sprint Power Production: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0032-1331717
• Passive vs Active Recovery on MLSS Performance: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/h2012-105
• Passive vs Active Recovery:
  • Passive Recovery Is Superior to Active Recovery During a High-Intensity Shock Microcycle
• Good to Go Book: Christie Aschwanden

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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
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OVERVIEW
How 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 max, durability, and tactical savvy. Coach Adam Pulford breaks it all down, tells you how and when to focus on specific aspects of fitness and conditioning, how to test durability, and finally, how to tactically take advantage of your fitness on race day.

TOPICS COVERED

• Physical demands of hill climb finishes
• "Edge-finding" or fatigue resistance workouts
• How to test your durability with a workout
• Train "performance first"
• Train specificity last
• Workouts: OverUnders, Front Loaded Power Intervals, Speed Intervals,
• How to execute an effective taper
• Racing tactics on uphill finishes

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HOST
Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform

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Join our weekly newsletter

CONNECT WITH CTS

Website: trainright.com
Instagram: @cts_trainright
Twitter: @trainright
Facebook: @CTSAthlete