Do masters athletes really need more recovery, or are they simply balancing more life stress and responsibilities?

In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the realities of training and racing as a masters athlete. We discuss recovery, consistency, intensity, strength training, race preparation, and how training priorities should evolve with age.

The conversation explores both the physiological realities of aging and the habits that allow many athletes to continue improving well into their 40s, 50s, and beyond.

HOST

Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

​​Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/cycling/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4482301/
• https://joefrieltraining.com/
• Joe Friel: Science-Based Training Advice for Older Athletes - Part 1
• Joe Friel: Part 2 of Science-Based Training for Older Athletes
• https://trainright.com/masters-and-grand-masters-cycling-training-mistakes/

AI is rapidly changing nearly every industry, and endurance coaching is no exception.

In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explores where AI can genuinely help athletes improve, where it falls short, and why the future of coaching may be more collaborative than competitive.

We discuss training data, prompting, bias, TrainingPeaks, Claude, ChatGPT, Vekta, Kristin Faulkner's use of AI, and the areas where experienced coaches still provide value that algorithms struggle to replicate.

HOST

Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

​​Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/cycling/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• Best-ever 20-minute power and 3 Pan-Am golds: Inside the AI tech Olympic Champion Kristen Faulkner built, and is testing on, herself | Cycling Weekly
• Strava Launches MCP Connector, Allowing Athletes to Sync Training History to Claude
• Vekta

Heat adaptation can improve performance, comfort, and recovery in hot conditions. But many athletes make the mistake of treating heat training as free fitness.

In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the differences between active and passive heat training, how each method works, and why heat should be viewed as a training stressor in its own right.

We discuss plasma volume expansion, sauna protocols, heated trainer rides, hydration, recovery considerations, and how to integrate heat adaptation without compromising the quality of your training.

HOST

Adam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.

​​Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/

Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/cycling/

Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/

Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/

Resources:

• Beat the Heat – a hot bath after exercise boosts performance in the heat
• Exercise under heat stress: thermoregulation, hydration, performance implications, and mitigation strategies - PubMed
• Active vs. passive heat training: which is best?