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/

Endurance athletes have access to more data than ever before, but data alone doesn’t guarantee better decisions. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the role of Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) in training and racing, and why internal awareness remains one of the most important skills an athlete can develop.

We cover pacing, training zones, effort calibration, common mistakes athletes make with RPE, and how to integrate subjective feedback with power and heart rate for better long-term performance. Wattage tells you what you did, RPE tells you what it cost.

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/rpe-rating-of-perceived-exertion-in-training-and-racing/
• https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2001/02000/a_new_approach_to_monitoring_exercise_training.19.aspx?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2017.00612/full?utm_source=researchgate.net&utm_medium=article
• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10422765/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2024.1341972/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021324932-RPE-Key-Explained

Recovery isn’t just about what happens right after training, it’s about all the little things between sessions that add up. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down the habits that quietly interfere with adaptation and leave athletes carrying more fatigue than they realize.

We cover sleep, fueling, easy day intensity, stress management, post-workout recovery, and why the basics matter far more than expensive recovery gadgets or trends.

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:

• Recovery Podcast with Christie Aschwandan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trainright-podcast/id1494799053?i=1000722793917
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/
• Loving What Is by Byron Katie: https://thework.com/loving-what-is-revised-edition/
• Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
• Sport Psychologist: Dr Justin Ross: https://trainright.com/mental-health-skills-sports-performance-justin-ross/
• https://www.drjustinross.com/
• Recovery Window & Nutrient Timing: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3577439/
• https://www.mysportscience.com/post/2015/06/30/nutrition-and-acute-recovery
• Infrared Sauna; Marginal Gains: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10286597/

Quality training is often reduced to intensity, but that’s only part of the picture. In this episode, CTS Coach Adam Pulford breaks down what high-quality training actually looks like and why it’s often misunderstood.

We cover the three pillars of high-quality training: the process, the result, and yes, the FUN! You’ll learn why pushing harder isn’t the answer, how to close the intention–execution gap, and how to structure rides that actually move your fitness forward.

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://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/18/5/article-p557.xml
• Alex Hutchinson Interview: https://trainright.com/elastic-limits-human-performance-alex-hutchinson/