Peter Glassford | Consummate Athlete https://consummateathlete.com Where busy athletes can find the tools to crush their biggest cycling goals. Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:05:13 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://consummateathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/cropped-CA-logo-32x32.png Peter Glassford | Consummate Athlete https://consummateathlete.com 32 32 How to Increase Your Cycling Threshold Power (FTP) https://consummateathlete.com/how-to-increase-your-threshold-for-cycling/ https://consummateathlete.com/how-to-increase-your-threshold-for-cycling/#respond Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:42:00 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=19085 If you’re on a quest to elevate your cycling performance, you’ve likely heard the term “Functional Threshold Power” (FTP) thrown around and wondered how you can increase it. This post will give you a quick definition of FTP, help you understand why you should care about it and guidelines for what a good FTP focused training plan would include.

What is Functional Threshold Power (FTP)?

We have a bigger post called ‘What is FTP and How to Set it‘ if you want to go deep on the theory. Since hte important thing is to get out and start training, we will cover it quickly here. Your Functional Threshold Power is the highest power output you can sustain for around an hour of all-out steady effort.  When you increase your FTP it means you can move faster without going into ‘the red zone’ and that your endurance pace will generally be faster. Mountain bikers may find their lap times or average speeds start coming up while road riders may notice they can stay in a group or that they can upgrade their group or category.

Follow our 8 week FTP Boost Training Plan to incorporate all of these concepts automatically into your training

The Consummate Athlete Approach to Elevating Your FTP

1. Structured Intervals for Specific Gains – Follow a plan

Random rides won’t cut it. Structure your training with purposeful intervals. We like to vary the workouts during the week to include shorter 5-10 minute efforts at or just above threshold and then longer (usually weekend) sweet spot efforts below threshold but held for longer durations (15-60min).  If you are new to sprinting or really short efforts it can be helpful to include some of those in the warmups or do a block of sprint or VO2 efforts prior  to focusing on threshold to help train that system and, most importantly, develop the skills and coordination to pedal hard at high outputs before working at threshold or ‘moderate’ loads and speeds.

2. Consistent Endurance – Don’t just go hard (or medium)

While threshold gets lots of attention the benefits consistent rides (even short ones) and a few longer rides 90+minutes each week are one of the biggest gaps in most programs. So if you aren’t drawn to threshold intervals or you have been trying to do hard intervals for a few months (or longer!) try reducing the intensity and focusing on steady endurance.

3. Mindset – reduce the stakes and expectations, focus on feeling

While its popular to debate the nuances of threshold training, the block for most athletes is mental. There is a lot that we put into the idea of threshold, hard, max, race pace and other associated terms and situations. Think of threshold training not as a test to rule them all ( or as ‘precious’ as we discuss in this post) but rather as a opportunity to practice sitting with discomfort. This is learning to put your hand in the fire and sitting with discomfort and using tactics like positive self talk ( You can do this, keep going!)  and focus-refocus ( what’s next rather than ‘I suck’ , why don’t I stop).  Start easier than you think both in terms of the threshold settings and zones and also in your expectations. If you think you can do 2 x 20 min at 200 watts , challenge yourself to ONLY do 175 watts this week and then come back soon and do a little more next time.  Regardless of power output on a given day focus on how you feel and sitting in discomfort more than breaking your personal best every time you train.

4. Measuring Progress and Setting Specific Goals

This post is about increasing threshold so if that is your goal then you will need to ‘prove’ the threshold at some point. We tend to take the approach of beating peak powers or time trial times (e.g. 40k TT) rather than setting goals to increase threshold since FTP can be modeled now and is complicated and contentious to pinpoint. All that to say, track your progress, regularly using a structured protocol, such as a 20-30 minute time trial. As your FTP improves, adjust your training zones accordingly, if not conservatively (e.g. lower).

Final Thoughts

Improving your cycling Functional Threshold Power is a journey that requires dedication, strategy, and a dash of grit. By adopting a Consummate Athlete’s approach you can work to achieve your goal of increasing cycling threshold power while also enjoying the training process.

Follow our 8 week FTP Boost Training Plan to incorporate all of these concepts automatically into your training

]]> https://consummateathlete.com/how-to-increase-your-threshold-for-cycling/feed/ 0 Stretching, Shifting, Sprinting, Average or Normalized Power, Western States 26 https://consummateathlete.com/stretching-shifting-sprinting-average-or-normalized-power-western-states-26/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:32:45 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987519036 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer listener questions on:

  • Western States 100 Mile Run race observations 2026
  • What’s the point of ‘Unremarkable workouts’ that aren’t really hard or really long ?
  • How to deal with Shifting in cycling sprints or accelerations
  • Should I stretch ?

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]]> Slow Recovery in 50s, Training By Feel, Ruff Mudder https://consummateathlete.com/slow-recovery-in-50s-training-by-feel-ruff-mudder/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:41:04 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987519027 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer listener questions on:

  • The Ruff Mudder Event near Collingwood, Ontario – DW the Dacshund’s first event ! 
  • Dealing with slower recovery in 50s, is two days off in a row required?
  • Training by feeling vs. structured workouts outdoors
  • What Molly’s training by feeling looks like versus using HR or pace. 

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]]> How to Ride Down Steep Hills and Drop-offs https://consummateathlete.com/how-to-ride-down-steep-hills-and-drop-offs/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:44:00 +0000 http://bouncy-wrench.flywheelsites.com/?p=13098 Peter did a series of mountain bike skills videos with Canadian Cycling Magazine. This video is on one of the most commonly coached skills, roll downs. Riding down rollins, steep rollable drops or down steps is a super important one for any mountain biker because it helps develop and test your ability to stay in position and to move the bike over terrain effectively.

Ride Drop Offs with Confidence

It’s not as scary as it looks but does have some risk so start with smaller ditches or slopes. It can really help to try a drop you are comfortable on and use video to check how your position looks before and after the drop. If you can be in a good position before and after then often the drop will take care of itself!

With your video, check that you are able to stay centered (nose over stem approximately) with your arms and legs bent as you approach the drop and as you roll away. If you see your arms going straight or your hips being way back for an extended period of time that is a good sign you could be lower and wider (centered), and using the extension for just a brief moment as the bike rolls down the steep section to help keep your head (and body) upright.

A cyclist rides a yellow mountain bike over a small wooden bridge crossing a stream in a dense, green forest. The cyclist is wearing a helmet and biking attire, and the scene is filled with lush vegetation and trees.

Step by step for rolling down steep sections of trail

  1. Assume your centered, low and wide, ‘ready position’. Resist the urge to get way back.
  2. Approach with a little less speed, anticipating you will speed up as you go down the drop
  3. When you get to the edge of the drop, forcefully push the front wheel down the slope, put the front wheel where you want it, while keeping your head up and focused on where you want to go.
  4. As you approach the bottom use your body suspension to absorb the impact and re-gain your centered ready position.

Need Coaching Feedback?

Need more personalized help? book bike skills sessions with Peter here.

]]> Gravel Racing, Unbound 2026 – Gee Schreurs https://consummateathlete.com/gravel-racing-unbound-2026-gee-schreurs/ Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:27:00 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987519007 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer interview top gravel racer Gee Schreurs, in person, during her recent visit to Collingwood area. They discuss:

  • The exciting weather and racing at Unbound 200 mile gravel race in 2026
  • Trends in Gravel Cycling: teams, technology and, of course, lots about tires
  • Gee’s interesting career from road racing to soigneur and back to elite level gravel racing for Specialized Factory
  • Insight into Gee’s training for Unbound and recovery after a big endurance event

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]]> Setting up Data Screens, Racing the Short Race, BunnyHops https://consummateathlete.com/setting-up-data-screens-racing-the-short-race-bunnyhops/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:06:45 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987519003 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer listener questions on:

  • Whether to use Power, Heart Rate or Feeling to guide workouts
  • Setting up your bike computer data screens for your best workout results
  • Racing the short race as a good training experience
  • Some ideas to help progress your bunny hops and getting air generally for adult cyclists

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This Episode is Brought to You By:

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]]> Unbound 2026, Cramping, 90 year old Sprinter https://consummateathlete.com/unbound-2026-cramping-90-year-old-sprinter/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:25:25 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987519000 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly discuss:

  • The Unbound 2026 race
  • key takeaways from the 3 athletes we coached at Unbound who Raced the Sun (and won!)
  • A listener question about ‘why am I cramping’
  • how to avoid cramps, how to make cramps less likely
  • how to deal with cramps when they happen
  • A recent case-study on a 92-year old sprinter

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This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

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]]> Dealing with DNF, Sulphur Springs https://consummateathlete.com/dealing-with-dnf-sulphur-springs/ Tue, 26 May 2026 11:46:59 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987518988 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly discuss

  • Molly’s race and DNF at Sulphur Sprin
  • 3 things to consider before a big race like Unbound 200 mile gravel coming up this weekend
  • Brief preview around Unbound week and weather
  • Listener mailbag/ feedback from the ‘what not to do on race day’ episode last week

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This Episode is Brought to You By:

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]]> Check Out Our New Services Form Powered by Payable https://consummateathlete.com/check-out-our-new-services-form-powered-by-payable/ Wed, 20 May 2026 13:10:00 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987518979 At Consummate Athlete, we work with busy people, from athletes who have limited time and money to CEOs with limited energy and even more limited interest in overcomplicating things. That was a big reason we started working with Payable a few years ago: It was a way to make collecting payments simple, especially for the busy person who doesn’t have time or inclination to build out an entire website (or pay monthly hosting fees) just to sell a simple service or product.

We worked with the company to develop templates for different uses, like team registrations, jersey sales, and donation drives, but we also use the Payable Addon for Google Forms ourselves because it’s simple, affordable, and does exactly what we need without the bloat or fees that eat into what we’re trying to build.

Why We Use Payable

Over the years we’ve hosted cycling camps, skills clinics, book talks, and worked with clubs on everything from event logistics to sponsorships. We’ve watched coaches, athletes, and organizers get frustrated with bloated software that charges 5-10% on top of credit card fees. For a small coaching business or small clubs, that math doesn’t work. The extra cost either gets passed to participants or the organizer’s margin shrinks until it’s not worth doing anymore.

Payable was created it to solve exactly this problem. Google Forms makes it easy to collect information, but they don’t handle payments. Payable bridges that gap without the overhead of enterprise tools built for companies that don’t exist yet.

We started using it for one-off jersey orders for our coaching clients. Now, we also use it to route all of our services into one handy form we can share with athletes who want to work with us. They use the link to signup for multiple services and choose the right option for them. It’s the tool we recommend to other coaches and one we have put in place with our local MTB club. Payable Forms is a great option for those who are just getting started and don’t want to deal with expensive platforms or complex integrations. If you’re testing the waters of selling a digital or physical product, collecting donations for a nonprofit, or you are starting a simple club and don’t want to mess around with a website, this is a fantastic easy option.

For us, we like that we can have a one-stop shop for service payments: whether you’re interested in a training plan, booking a coaching call, joining one of our bike skills clinics, or signing up for ongoing coaching, we put together one form that collects everything we need and lets you pay securely. Try Our Services Form and feel free to poke around: You can explore what we offer without committing to anything. If you have questions about which option fits your goals feel free to book a call and we can chat about your training (or about Payable Forms!)

What Else You Can Do with Our Payable Google Form?

The beauty of this setup is flexibility. You can use the same form to:

  • Sign up for a training plan tailored to your event and schedule
  • Book a coaching call to discuss your goals
  • Register for a live bike skills lessons (or three! )
  • Join our ongoing coaching program

All of it happens in one place, with one payment, one form, no surprise fees. You fill it out, submit your info and payment, and we get back to you.

Try Our Services Form if you want to try out a Payable Form and/or to book a service with Consummate Athlete!

This post is powered by Payable view Payable in the Google Workspace here

]]> Race Day Do Nots! https://consummateathlete.com/race-day-do-nots/ Tue, 19 May 2026 11:39:37 +0000 https://consummateathlete.com/?p=987518975 In this episode of The Consummate Athlete Podcast, Peter and Molly answer discuss things to avoid on race day drawing from a recent local race that Peter did.

  • Pre-Riding
  • Warmups
  • start time, staging and cautions for parents and supporters
  • Intentions and goals for races – especially when you are new!
  • Feeding and aid stations
  • Skills like no-handed riding
  • reflection after the event

💬 Have a question for a Future Episode?Submit it anonymously here

This Episode is Brought to You By:

🛠️ Try the Payable Add-On for your next event, project or order-form to get paid in a google form:  PayableApps.com/ATHLETE – No app fees for 6 months! 

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Similar Episodes and Posts to Check Out Next!

Steve Magness,

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