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Motivation Monday: Gravel Q&A

It's been said that there's no such thing as a stupid question.  And whoever said that is right.  Chances are if you have a question about something, someone else is wondering the same thing.

Gravel questions are one of the most common questions I get these days.  So since a lot of you probably have similar questions, it's time to answer some of them and spark your stoke for slaying some groad.

It's time for the Guru of Gravel to answer your questions!

It's no secret that gravel riding and gravel events have become one of the hottest and fastest growing segments of the cycling world.  Gravel bikes are everywhere and new events are popping up all the time.  But with all the new tech and new events out there, how do you know what bike or event is right for you?

Most of my listeners know that I've been riding dirt and gravel for years.  Hell, it wasn't even a THING when I was riding it and writing about it.  But here we are, and getting dirty is the popular choice for a lot of riders.

That being said, I've got a bunch of questions that my listeners and readers have asked me.  And because I'm sure a lot of you have similar questions, I'm going to answer some of them in today's episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast.

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Keys to Effective Cycling Interval Training

Many training plans allude to “high intensity interval training” in their descriptions.  The big question is always “what is interval training and how do I know it'll work for me?”

Sometimes, interval training is well balanced and effective.  More often than not, though, it is overly difficult and non-specific.  You see, designing an interval training program is an art as much as a science.  You have to consider the ultimate physiological goal and figure out how to best get there.  What durations work the best?  What intensities work the best?  How many repetitions are optimal?

These questions are all part of the keys to effective interval training.  Click through the jump and I'll break down the 3 keys to building your own interval program.  At the end, I'll even give you some tips that I use to build interval programs for my athletes so you can build your own interval training programs.

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How To Return To Cycling After Illness

Returning to riding after an illness can be tough for the best of us.  But returning to training after an illness can be even harder.  Should you be getting back to where you were as fast as possible or just work through it slowly?  How do you go about planning your workouts in order to get the most out of them?  What can you do to avoid getting sick again?

On this episode of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I'll tell you how to get back in the saddle and start your cycling training again after you've been down and out sick for a while.  Click through the jump to listen and get a few helpful tips and tricks on how to get your fitness back fast.

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New Zwift Workout: The Early Base Grab Bag

If you're looking for a way to kickstart your fitness this year, or you want to try something different, Zwift might be the thing for you.  If you don't know what it is, Zwift is an online social media style cycling platform.  You ride through virtual worlds, tackling KOMs, sprint points, chasing your friends and completing mileage goals to unlock virtual gear and new routes.

One of the most valuable aspects of the Zwift experience is their workout builder.  This allows you to complete pre-built workouts in the game environment.  During these workouts, it provides you guidelines for power, time, heart rate, cadence and all other data you'll need to know to target specific fitness parameters.  And while Zwift comes loaded with its own sets of workouts, you can easily add your own workout files to the program and create your own workouts.

Just like my previous Zwift Workouts, you can download this one and add it to your library to use any time.  Click through the jump to get the details and grab the new Early Base Grab Bag workout!

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Planning Your Cycling Season Effectively

Planning Effectively For Next Season

It's the end of the cycling season once again, and that means it's time to start thinking about what you're goals for next season are.  In past episodes of the Tailwind Coaching Podcast, I've talked about setting effective goals and how to plan your season.  In this video, I'll answer a lot of the questions I've gotten recently about planning your season's training and show you how to use my Season Planning Worksheet to build your season.  I'll walk through setting your events into the program and setting up your training blocks.  I'll even show you how to modify and rearrange the training blocks as you add more events during the season!

If you've got any questions for me after watching the video, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll help you get your season sorted out!

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