Cyclists often treat CTL like the ultimate measure of fitness, but that's only part of the story.

In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explains what CTL actually measures, why performance and fitness aren't the same thing, and how to use your training data to peak for races instead of chasing a bigger number.

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://trainright.com/what-is-chronic-training-load-ctl-and-how-to-use-it-to-improve-performance/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://www.instagram.com/p/CW9JtfcFodT/?img_index=1

Fueling advice has never been more confusing. One expert recommends fasted rides, another says 120 grams of carbs per hour, and every nutrition brand seems to have a different answer.

In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford introduces a practical fueling framework that scales carbohydrate intake to the demands of your ride. Using kilojoule output, ride intensity, and duration, you'll learn how to build a fueling strategy that's individualized, repeatable, and easy to apply for easy endurance rides all the way to race day.

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:

• Introducing Fueling Insights: A Smarter Way To Fuel
• The Importance of Carbohydrates and Glycogen for Athletes
• How much sodium do I need?
• Fueling Insights: Iñigo San-Millán on Optimizing Carbohydrate Intake for Cyclists
• https://trainright.com/coaching-consultation/
• Drinking to Thirst vs. Following a Hydration Plan, with Dr. Alan McCubbin

Want to increase your FTP?

Many cyclists assume the answer is simple: do more FTP intervals. While that can help, it's only one piece of the puzzle.

In this video, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford introduces a simple coaching framework, Push vs. Pull, to explain how FTP is really built. You'll learn why aerobic training lays the foundation, how VO₂ max work raises your ceiling, and how to combine both throughout the season for your strongest FTP yet.

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:

• How Quickly Can Cyclists Increase FTP?
• Pushing vs pulling up FTP - Training - TrainerRoad
• Tim Cusick: Periodization, Training Modalities, And Getting Your Training Rhythm Right - CTS
• How To Improve Your Cycling FTP (Functional Threshold Power) - CTS

If you've ever wondered what Normalized Power is actually telling you, this episode is for you!

Normalized Power has become one of the most common metrics in cycling, but it's also one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, CTS Head Cycling Coach Adam Pulford explains what Normalized Power was designed to measure, how it differs from average power, and why context matters when using it to evaluate training and racing.

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:

• What Is Normalized Power And How Is It Used In Cycling Training? - CTS
• What is Normalized Power?
• Understanding Normalized Power Calculations to Coach Cyclists
• Normalized Power®: What It Is and How to Use It | TrainerRoad Blog
• The Science of the TrainingPeaks Performance Manager
• Estimating Training Stress Score (TSS)

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?

Climbing faster isn’t always about increasing FTP or producing bigger power numbers. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the pacing strategies, tactics, fueling, and key workouts that help cyclists climb faster with the fitness they already have.

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.

The Problem with Chasing Data - RPE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsywx731ki0

​​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/