Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document deconstructs the key concepts discussed in the podcast, providing a detailed look into the methodology behind coaching an elite cyclist. The conversation serves as a practical case study in season review, future planning, and the complex interplay of physiology, psychology, and life logistics.
The entire conversation is framed by the process of reviewing the past season to inform the planning of the next one. This cyclical process is the cornerstone of long-term athletic development.
Season Review: The coach and athlete analyze what worked and what didn’t.
Successes: Ingvar achieved his best-ever aerobic fitness, capable of holding high power for longer durations than ever before (e.g., the 2-hour 40-minute solo race win). This confirms the effectiveness of the previous winter’s aerobic-focused training.
Challenges: The primary goals of improving sprinting and anaerobic power were missed. This was not due to a flaw in the training plan but an external factor: COVID-19 restrictions repeatedly closing gyms, preventing necessary strength training.
Season Planning: The review directly informs the structure of the upcoming season. The new plan prioritizes what was missed: a dedicated strength training block in the off-season, now that gyms are open.
Periodization is the strategic manipulation of training variables (volume, intensity, recovery) to bring an athlete to peak physical condition for their most important events (“A-races”).
The conversation outlines a classic periodization structure:
Off-Season / Base Building (Current Phase - Dec):
Focus: Lower riding volume, high focus on strength training in the gym. Ingvar notes this is a new approach for him, as he’s used to continuing to ride high volume through the winter. This phase involves an intentional loss of sport-specific fitness to build foundational strength and allow for mental and physical recovery.
Goal: Build raw strength and power that will be converted to on-bike power later. Address the weaknesses identified in the season review (sprinting).
Aerobic Build (Jan - Feb):
Focus: Increase riding volume significantly (e.g., 15-20+ hour weeks). The intensity is primarily low-to-moderate to build the aerobic “engine.”
Goal: Enhance the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently, improve fat metabolism, and build fatigue resistance. This creates the foundation upon which higher intensity work can be built.
Intensity Blocks / “Sharpening” (March - April):
Focus: Introduce high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The discussion centers around a potential two-week VO2 max block. This is mentally and physically demanding work.
Goal: Increase Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max). This is the work that creates race-winning speed and power. Ingvar’s experience from the previous year’s “insane” three-week VO2 max block, which brought him to peak-season form in February, is a key reference point.
Peaking & Racing (May onwards):
Focus: A combination of key races, recovery, and maintenance training. The training volume and intensity are carefully balanced to maintain fitness without inducing excessive fatigue.
Goal: Arrive at “A-races” (like the Belgian Mountain Bike Challenge and the World Championships) fresh, healthy, and in peak form.
A critical concept discussed is the timing of peak fitness. Ingvar felt he was at his best in April, not in June/July for key national championships. Coley identifies the cause: a heavy early-season race schedule led to a necessary reduction in training volume, causing his fitness to plateau and then decline. The plan for the new season, with fewer early races, is designed specifically to shift this peak to later in the year.
The podcast provides excellent insight into the balancing act between training stress and recovery.
Training Load (Volume x Intensity): Coley references Ingvar’s Chronic Training Load (CTL), a metric that represents an athlete’s rolling long-term training stress. He notes the year-over-year progression of Ingvar’s peak CTL, showing a consistent increase in his capacity to handle work.
The Detrimental Effect of Racing on Training: While racing is the goal, too much of it can sabotage fitness. Each race requires a taper (reduced training before) and recovery (reduced training after). A dense race schedule, like Ingvar’s in the spring, replaces valuable training blocks with a cycle of racing and recovering, leading to an overall drop in training volume and a subsequent dip in form.
Life Stress as a Factor: The discussion highlights that an athlete is not a machine. The birth of Ingvar’s daughter, while a joyous event, was a significant life stressor that impacted his ability to train and recover. This is a crucial, often overlooked, variable in any training plan.
Several key physiological concepts are illustrated with practical examples.
Aerobic Development: This refers to the body’s ability to produce energy with oxygen, crucial for endurance events lasting more than a few minutes. The long rides and “steady state threshold stuff” are designed to improve this system. Ingvar’s ability to “do everything for a longer period of time” is a direct result of a well-developed aerobic engine.
Anaerobic Development: This is the ability to produce energy without oxygen for short, high-power efforts like sprints or steep climbs. This was the missing piece from Ingvar’s season. The plan to use gym work (heavy lifting) is a primary method for improving this, as it increases neuromuscular power and muscle fiber recruitment.
This is perhaps the most dramatic and illustrative example in the podcast.
The Mistake: Ingvar was accustomed to winning local races while under-fueled. He applied this habit to higher-level, longer stage races, consuming as little as three gels for a multi-hour stage. This severely limited his performance as his body ran out of readily available carbohydrate fuel (glycogen).
The Intervention: Coach Coley identified this and prescribed a modern fueling strategy of targeting ~100 grams of carbohydrate per hour.
The Result: Two or three days later, Ingvar achieved his first UCI podium. This demonstrates that even for a world-class athlete, proper fueling is not a minor detail—it is a fundamental determinant of performance. Without fuel, the best-trained engine cannot produce power.
Fitness is only one part of the equation. The conversation explores the mental side of racing.
Confidence: Ingvar notes that his improved fitness gave him the confidence to race against top professionals like Pete Stetina, rather than just racing behind them. This mental shift from participation to competition is essential for reaching the next level.
Tactical Habits: Ingvar’s habit is to win races by attacking solo. While effective, it has prevented him from developing his skills in a bunch sprint. He recognizes this as a weakness and a “fear” of trying something different.
Experience vs. Engine: The discussion about Fabian Cancellara winning a monument from a small bunch sprint highlights the value of tactical experience. Even an athlete with a massive aerobic engine must learn the patience, positioning, and timing required to win from a group.
The podcast demonstrates that coaching is more than just writing workouts.
Feedback Loop: Coley emphasizes that his job is impossible without detailed feedback from Ingvar. Ingvar’s critical self-assessment after each ride provides the data Coley needs to adjust the plan.
Flexibility in Planning: Coley explains his evolution as a coach from planning months of specific workouts in advance to sketching out broad training phases. This allows him to adapt the daily and weekly details based on the athlete’s feedback, fatigue levels, and life events. This is a compromise between having a clear long-term vision and the flexibility to handle the unpredictable nature of training.
Trust: Ingvar expresses nervousness about the slow start to the season but ultimately trusts Coley’s process. This trust is vital, especially when the coach’s plan challenges the athlete’s old habits or instincts.
This analysis shows that training a professional cyclist is a multi-faceted endeavor that blends exercise physiology, nutritional science, strategic planning, and a strong, communicative relationship between the coach and athlete.