Season 7 Ep 4 — Designing Optimal Training Load with Purple Patch's Matt Dixon
Matt Dixon shares his clear and simple approach to coaching, emphasizing the importance of purpose, consistency, and developing foundational habits over chasing the latest trends or technologies. Whether you're an ambitious amateur or a seasoned pro, this episode has valuable takeaways to optimize your training and life balance.
Matt is the founder and CEO of Purple Patch Fitness, a coaching company that caters to endurance athletes of all levels. Under his guidance, more than 1,500 Purple Patch athletes have qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships. He's an IRONMAN U master coach, a former professional triathlete, and a two-time Olympic trials finalist in swimming with a master's degree in clinical and exercise physiology.
Despite the common perception that high-volume training is essential for success, Matt demonstrated that a focused regimen, averaging about 10 hours per week tailored to fit an athlete's lifestyle, was just as effective. While running a large tech company, one of his athletes won an IRONMAN World Championship overall as an amateur on a 10-hour-per-week training plan.
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58:53
Season 7 Ep 3 — Inside WorldTour Cycling Camps: The Training, Testing and Nutrition
We're diving deep into the world of professional cycling camps as we hear first-hand from some of the leading coaches and nutritionists in pro cycling. Reporting from the picturesque coastal climbs of the Costa Blanca in Spain, our host, Dirk Friel, brings you insights from performance coaches like Lieselot Decroix and Mattia Michelusi, who reveal the critical training techniques employed to enhance rider performance.
Learn how pro teams leverage lactate testing, hear what metrics WorldTour coaches focus on around functional reserve capacity (FRC), and background on the growing importance of heat training. Nutritionist Nicki Strobel gives us a taste of what meal planning looks like during grueling tours and how data from TrainingPeaks is used to tailor nutrition strategies. Plus, Stephen Barrett explains the significance of durability in today's WorldTour races, while Liam Holohan shares insights on hypoxic training.
Whether you're a coach, athlete, or enthusiast, this episode is packed with proven takeaways to help elevate your training to the next level.
Special thanks to
FDJ-Suez — https://www.fdj-suez.fr/
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale — https://decathlonag2rlamondialeteam.com/
Team Cofidis — https://www.equipecofidis.com/uk/home
Israel-Premier Tech — https://israelpremiertech.com/
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37:00
Season 7 Ep 2 — Fergus Crawley on Training Hybrid Athletes and the Benefits for Endurance Athletes
In this episode of the TrainingPeaks CoachCast, we sit down with Fergus Crawley, the co-founder and head coach of Omnia Performance, to look into the world of hybrid athletes. Hybrid training, a blend of strength and endurance disciplines, challenges the traditional boundaries of athletic training.
Fergus draws from his rich background in rugby, powerlifting, triathlons, and concurrent training to explain how athletes can effectively balance opposing athletic goals. From his incredible achievement of squatting 500 pounds and running a sub-five-minute mile in the same day to working with military operatives, Fergus shares insights on biomechanical awareness, periodization, and the mental approach needed for such diverse training programming.
Learn how hybrid athletes can tackle the demands of multi-discipline sports and the benefits of open-mindedness in fitness. Fergus discusses several strategies he uses to coach and accomplish his many challenges that can help you pursue your athletic goals, whether you're a seasoned triathlete or a strength enthusiast curious about endurance.
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54:44
Season 7 Ep 1 — Inside Nell Rojas' Approach to Marathon Training and Athlete Development
Professional runner and running coach Nell Rojas shares her insights into racing and coaching athletes for marathons, including the Boston Marathon, using a balance of art and science.
She attended Northern Arizona University, where she studied exercise science and competed in cross country and track. Nell ran her first marathon in 2018 and became the top American finisher in the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, she finished 10th at the 2022 New York City Marathon.
Nell has achieved remarkable success as an American marathon runner, securing top American finishes at the 2021 and 2022 Boston Marathons, a top 10 finish at the 2022 New York City Marathon, and competing in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She has also claimed a 10-mile US Championship title and won Grandma's Marathon.
Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Nell advocates for inclusivity within the running community, focusing on empowering people of color and women. With 20 years of coaching experience, she is dedicated to helping athletes of all abilities achieve their own running goals.
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48:31
Season 6 Ep 14 — Optimizing Ultra Race Recovery with Scott Johnston of Evoke Endurance
Scott Johnston, co-author of "Training for the New Alpinism" and "Training for the Uphill Athlete," shares insights on recovery strategies for ultramarathon runners in this new podcast episode.
Johnston emphasizes the critical balance between rest and performance, outlining how factors like central nervous system fatigue, motivation, and age influence post-race recovery. The conversation highlights actionable strategies, including subjective feedback tracking, active recovery, and the importance of long-term planning for peak performance while avoiding overtraining.
Visit TrainingPeaks.com to see how it can help your training.
TrainingPeaks CoachCast is an endurance training resource for athletes and coaches. If you're a triathlete, cyclist, runner, ultra-endurance athlete, or one of the many other sport types, subscribe to learn how to train for success. Host Dirk Friel talks with expert guests focused on the elements of endurance training and racing that lead to better performance, prolonged athlete lifestyle and more enjoyment of your sport.
To learn more about how TrainingPeaks can help you achieve your training goals, visit us at trainingpeaks.com.
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