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Training
Latest Blogs
It’s Not a (Training) Breakthrough If It Happens Everyday
Everyone loves to have those breakthrough moments in training: the new PB, the +10 watt FTP test, the KOM on the local climb. But... if every day is a new training breakthrough, that's actually not necessarily a good thing. It's sexy, it's exciting... and it's a good...
Have You Had Bloodwork Done Lately? A Case for Testing During Race Season
We talk about the idea of checking in on your bloodwork and doing those annual checkups in the offseason—usually around October and November—but we wanted to mention it now that the season is underway for many of us as well. The offseason is the best time for those...
Q&A – Spring Transition Outside + Too Much Cross-Training?
In this episode of the Consummate Athlete Podcast, Molly Hurford and Peter Glassford discuss 4 listener questions including Hardtail vs. Dual-Suspension, Packs vs. Vests Vs. Bottles Vs. Hip Packs, and then using Structured workouts outside (Spring transition for...
Training
It’s Not a (Training) Breakthrough If It Happens Everyday
Everyone loves to have those breakthrough moments in training: the new PB, the +10 watt FTP test, the KOM on the local climb. But... if every day is a new training breakthrough, that's actually not necessarily a good thing. It's sexy, it's exciting... and it's a good...
Have You Had Bloodwork Done Lately? A Case for Testing During Race Season
We talk about the idea of checking in on your bloodwork and doing those annual checkups in the offseason—usually around October and November—but we wanted to mention it now that the season is underway for many of us as well. The offseason is the best time for those...
What to Do When You Can’t Follow Your Training Plan or Do Your Planned Workout
Modifying workouts is tricky business—so much so that a question around it comes up almost monthly on the podcast. Should you skip, swap, shift, substitute or shorten your workout? Or forget about the workout altogether and just do something? We chatted about this on...
Racing
Eating for Training and Racing at a Hotel – While Staying Healthy and on Budget
If you're back to traveling for races or training camps, you may be wondering how to handle healthy (and filling) eating in a hotel. Here, we're digging into our best tips for those who want minimal muss/fuss (beginner), those who are willing to put in a minimal...
Homegrown Gravel Adventure Intel
We headed down to Georgia in February for the Homegrown Gravel Adventure Event. It is based about an hour outside of Atlanta in the town of Franklin. The vibes and the race itself were great—we highly recommend putting it on your list for gravel races that are worth...
5 Ways to Improve Your Race at Paris to Ancaster
Ontario's Perennial spring classic, Paris to Ancaster, always has excitement extremely high in Ontario and beyond as one of the biggest early season gravel races around. The demands of the race are tricky: It has a few highly technical bits, some potential for serious...
Cross-Training
How to Set Strength Training Goals
The best way to get into the strength training habit is to start strength training: especially if you haven’t done much in the past, you’ll start seeing results quickly, which will likely feed your desire to stick with it. Strength training is addictive when you start...
New 8-Minute Yoga for Anytime
Looking for a quick mid-day reset, an easy morning wakeup, or a post- or pre-ride flow to feel nice and limber? We’ve got you covered with this quick 8-minute yoga flow with Molly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiBJyC6PfwU
A Training Plan Matters—Even If You’re Not Racing
I know the idea of having a training plan when you don't have a race on the calendar might seem a little weird—but as a cyclist (or any endurance athlete!) there are so many benefits to having structured training, and a specific-to-cycling training plan. Trust me, as...
Mindset
It’s Not a (Training) Breakthrough If It Happens Everyday
Everyone loves to have those breakthrough moments in training: the new PB, the +10 watt FTP test, the KOM on the local climb. But... if every day is a new training breakthrough, that's actually not necessarily a good thing. It's sexy, it's exciting... and it's a good...
Have You Had Bloodwork Done Lately? A Case for Testing During Race Season
We talk about the idea of checking in on your bloodwork and doing those annual checkups in the offseason—usually around October and November—but we wanted to mention it now that the season is underway for many of us as well. The offseason is the best time for those...
Is Aspirational Clutter Slowing Down Your Training?
Whether we're talking about physical or mental aspirational clutter, you might be making your training harder—or at least, much more crowded—if you're not occasionally clearing out the gear or the goals that you've set for some idealized future version of yourself....
Nutrition
Weighing Your Food as an Athlete: A Portion Size Example + Challenge (and Not for the Reason You Think!)
As someone who grew up in a house that had a single Pyrex measuring cup that handled all liquid and solid food measurements, and as someone who's never been great about keeping food journals for more than a day or two, I'm a fan of eyeballing portion sizes. I'm lazy,...
Eating for Training and Racing at a Hotel – While Staying Healthy and on Budget
If you're back to traveling for races or training camps, you may be wondering how to handle healthy (and filling) eating in a hotel. Here, we're digging into our best tips for those who want minimal muss/fuss (beginner), those who are willing to put in a minimal...
Spring Clean Your Nutrition: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Food
You all know that I loved The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, and it's sparked a lot of joy in my life in recent years. I've decluttered the crap out of my gear closet, worked through easy ways to sell...
Lifestyle
Eating for Training and Racing at a Hotel – While Staying Healthy and on Budget
If you're back to traveling for races or training camps, you may be wondering how to handle healthy (and filling) eating in a hotel. Here, we're digging into our best tips for those who want minimal muss/fuss (beginner), those who are willing to put in a minimal...
6 New Things I’ve Learned About Van Life
Van life is still intriguing for a lot of people, cyclists and runners in particular. On one hand, it's a great way to get to new trailheads and explore places, and a way to go to races and be fully self-sufficient. There's something really nice about bringing...
Things We Learned from Camping–That We’re Taking Home with Us
We're finally heading home after a few weeks doing the vanlife + camping thing. As you may have read a couple weeks ago, nothing is quite as idyllic or "simple" as it seems. It's hard to balance work, training and regular life while living out of a van at a...
Women Specific
Are You Buying Gear or Buying Time?
I had to laugh a few months ago. I was riding with a time-strapped friend and we were chatting about the latest pair wheelset that promised to give you an extra 10 watts (or rather, save you 10 watts). She had a big race on the schedule in a few months, and she was...
Why You Need a Post-Race Ritual—Even 20 Minutes!
I wrote this thinking about the women in my life that I know. I've seen my friends cross the finish line, and before they've even caught their breath, they're back into real life, making sure the kids have snacks and are ready to get home, all while still...
![Dr. Stacy Sims – Weight Lifting, Protein, Menopause [Rebroadcast]](https://consummateathlete.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/podcast-cover-photo-1-2-400x250.jpg?x66528)
Dr. Stacy Sims – Weight Lifting, Protein, Menopause [Rebroadcast]
This is our most popular episode in 2023 so we are rebroadcasting this important interview with Dr. Stacy Sims. Her mission is to help women better understand their bodies and elevate them in research, science, sport, and ultimately, in life. The ideas that that...
Gear
Best Bib Shorts for Every Body, Every Budget, Every Season
When I did a women’s night chat on Zoom a couple weeks ago, we ended up spending 15 minutes on my favorite topic, bib shorts. If you’ve never tried a pair, I 10/10 recommend making the switch from regular shorts to bibs—much more comfortable!! Bib Shorts: Velocio Luxe...
Is Aspirational Clutter Slowing Down Your Training?
Whether we're talking about physical or mental aspirational clutter, you might be making your training harder—or at least, much more crowded—if you're not occasionally clearing out the gear or the goals that you've set for some idealized future version of yourself....
Your Athletic Gear Spring Cleaning Checklist
It's that time of year, spring cleaning! I love a good spring cleanout, putting away my deep winter stuff and ski gear and prepping for warm weather. It makes me feel a little like new year's is happening again, right around the time when I've typically forgotten many...
Videos
New 8-Minute Yoga for Anytime
Looking for a quick mid-day reset, an easy morning wakeup, or a post- or pre-ride flow to feel nice and limber? We’ve got you covered with this quick 8-minute yoga flow with Molly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiBJyC6PfwU
Short Strength + Stretch Routine – Video
Since we were talking marginal gains on the podcast this week and mentioned my morning routine (still going strong after 9 years… longer than our marriage!), I wanted to make a new video walking you through a 10-minute version. You may need to modify it at first,...
How to Ride Down Steep Hills and Drop-offs
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...
