Tag: Training Adaptations
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Power Is Not Absolute
Why Watts Scale to the Athlete—and Why Cycling Still Gets It Wrong There’s a persistent myth in cycling that refuses to die: “Bigger riders are faster on the flats because they produce more power.” It sounds like physics. It isn’t. There is no law of physics—none—that says higher absolute watts make you faster without considering…
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The Long Ride Myth: Cost, Context, and Why Volume Isn’t the Same as Development
For as long as endurance sport has existed, athletes have been told that long rides are the foundation of fitness. Three, four, five hours at a time. Regularly. Religiously. The logic feels intuitive: more time must equal more endurance. But intuition isn’t physiology. And for trained athletes, that belief has quietly outlived its usefulness. The…
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Beyond the Zone: Why “Perfect” Metrics Can Lead to Fragile Fitness
The Standard Model: Why We Use Zones Most training is built on Output Zones—calculated as a percentage of your FTP or Max Heart Rate (mine is 203 bpm). We use them because they provide a repeatable, objective language for intensity: • Zones 1-2: Aerobic foundation and recovery. • Zone 3: Tempo and steady-state work. •…
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Zone 2 Cycling Guide: Why It’s a State of Adaptation, Not Just a Percentage
What is the true purpose of Zone 2 training? “Zone 2 training is a metabolic state where the body builds aerobic capacity without triggering a stress response. Unlike percentages, true Zone 2 is defined by parasympathetic dominance, allowing for mitochondrial growth and better fat oxidation.” Lab Notes: Quick Summary • The Content: • Zone 2…
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The FTP Mirage: Why the Number You Worship Isn’t What Makes You Fast
Parsing power, physiology, and what actually matters when the race gets hard Most cyclists can name their FTP as casually as their height. It has become the sport’s shorthand identity marker — a metric that promises to define how strong we are, and how fast we should be. It is easy to test, simple to…
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Fast Today vs Fast When It Matters
A Calpe Reality Check for Riders at Every Level If you want to understand how athletes really train, go to Calpe in November. The roads are full of every type of cyclist: It’s a living ecosystem of training philosophies — good, bad, and delusional. And here’s the truth I learned: Most riders swear they’re riding…
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The Science of Steady
How Real Endurance Is Built — SMART Rider Series, Part 2 Last time, in Base: Where Slow Becomes Fast, we explored why patient base work builds the foundation for every season that follows. Now, in Part 2, we move beyond patience and into precision — the difference between logging hours and creating adaptation. Ride Slow…
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BASE: Where Slow Becomes Fast
The Forgotten Art of Building the Engine — SMART Rider Edition Part 1 Most riders know how to train hard. Few know how to train smart when the season’s over. The base season — that quiet stretch between rest and rebuild — is where champions are made, even if nobody’s watching. It’s when the ambitious…
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Masters Misguided: Why Older Athletes Need More Rest, Not More Intensity
Every fall, the same message starts circulating through Masters cycling circles: “You can’t afford to take too much time off.” The reasoning sounds logical — “Older athletes lose fitness faster,” “it’s harder to rebuild base after 40,” or “you need to keep the engine running.” It’s become an accepted truth in modern endurance culture: that…
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Why the Smartest Cyclists Rest When Everyone Else Trains
Every fall, the same conversation starts circling through group rides and coaching groups: “Don’t take too much time off.” Some programs even claim the off-season is where you “get ahead,” or that you can only afford one real break a year if you want to keep progressing. It sounds logical. It feels productive. But it’s…