Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
The following is a detailed analysis of the coaching principles and physiological concepts discussed in the Empirical Cycling Podcast episode featuring Kolie Moore and Adam Pulford, the coach of 2023 Paris-Roubaix Femmes winner, Allison Jackson. This document breaks down their conversation, offering an in-depth look at the strategies behind elite endurance performance for an educated audience interested in the science and art of cycling coaching.
A central theme of the discussion was Adam Pulford’s observation that Allison Jackson’s winning power file from Paris-Roubaix looked, on the surface, “ordinary.” This seemingly counterintuitive point reveals a fundamental principle of bike racing.
Training vs. Racing: The coaches draw a stark distinction between the objectives of training and racing.
Training: The primary goal is to induce fatigue in a controlled manner to stimulate physiological adaptation and growth. It’s about pushing limits to get stronger.
Racing: The goal is the polar opposite—to conserve as much energy as possible for as long as possible, only expending what is absolutely necessary to win. It is a game of efficiency and tactical energy expenditure.
From Surviving to Racing: As an athlete’s fitness grows, their relationship with a race changes.
A less-fit athlete is merely trying to survive, hanging on to the group and operating near their physiological ceiling for the duration.
A world-class athlete with superior fitness operates well below their ceiling. This surplus capacity frees up cognitive and physical resources, allowing them to move from a survival mindset to a tactical one. They can actively “play the game,” make strategic decisions, cover moves, and position themselves, rather than just reacting to the pace.
“Just Do Enough to Win”: This mantra encapsulates the art of racing. The winner is often not the person who produces the most power, but the person who produces it most intelligently. The “ordinary” power file reflects perfect energy management—avoiding unnecessary hard efforts and saving everything for the decisive moments.
The foundation of Jackson’s success was a massive block of aerobic development during the off-season (from October to February).
Functional Threshold Power (FTP): Defined as the highest power output a cyclist can sustain for a prolonged period (often modeled as ~60 minutes). A higher FTP is the single most important physiological marker for endurance cycling success.
The Goal: The training strategy was to build the largest possible “aerobic machinery.” This allows an athlete to:
Handle the high base pace of World Tour races with less physiological strain.
Recover more quickly from hard, anaerobic efforts (like attacks or surging over cobbles).
Sustain a higher power output for longer durations late in a race.
A key data point mentioned was Jackson’s Chronic Training Load (CTL) reaching a peak of 160.
Chronic Training Load (CTL): A metric (from the TrainingPeaks Performance Management Chart) that represents an athlete’s training load over a rolling 42-day period. It’s a proxy for fitness, but more accurately, it reflects the accumulated training stress an athlete can handle. A CTL of 160 is exceptionally high and indicates a massive capacity for work.
The Periodization Strategy: The high CTL was not the goal itself, but a means to an end. The strategy was:
Build Phase (Off-Season): Push volume and training load to a very high peak (150-160 CTL). This builds immense fatigue resistance and a deep aerobic base. The athlete is very tired during this phase.
Freshening Phase (Pre-Season/Early Season): Strategically reduce training volume. This allows the immense fatigue from the build phase to dissipate, “uncovering” the fitness underneath. The CTL number will drop, but the athlete’s race-day performance potential skyrockets.
Maintenance Phase (Race Season): The high-intensity, high-stress nature of racing provides the stimulus needed to maintain top-end fitness (specifically anaerobic capacity or FRC). The goal is no longer to build fitness but to manage fatigue, recover, and arrive at key races as fresh as possible.
This approach is far superior to the alternative of trying to build fitness during the season, which is nearly impossible amidst the chaos of travel, racing stress, and recovery demands.
For a “time-rich” professional athlete, a high-volume week (25-30 hours) is structured around specific principles:
Endurance as the Bedrock: The vast majority of training time is spent at an endurance pace (Rated Perceived Exertion of 4-6 out of 10). This is the work that builds mitochondrial density, fat oxidation efficiency, and overall aerobic capacity.
Block Training: Rather than scattering intensity throughout the week, it’s often consolidated into “blocks.” A typical example given was:
Day 1: High volume (e.g., 5 hours) with the largest dose of intensity (e.g., 60 minutes of tempo/threshold work).
Day 2: Medium volume (e.g., 4 hours) with a similar dose of intensity.
Day 3: Lower volume (e.g., 3 hours) with a reduced dose of intensity.
Prioritizing Recovery: A high-volume program is only effective if matched with elite recovery.
Active Recovery: Dedicated easy days, like the “two-hour coffee ride,” are non-negotiable. They promote blood flow and mental freshness without adding significant training stress.
Sleep: 9-10 hours of sleep per night, plus naps, is essential for adaptation.
The podcast heavily emphasized that coaching elite athletes is as much an art as it is a science.
The “Life Stress Score” (LSS): A crucial concept introduced is that a coach must mentally add a “Life Stress Score” to the Training Stress Score (TSS). The physiological stress from training is compounded by the mental and emotional stress of travel, team pressure, media obligations, and personal life. A good coach constantly modulates the training plan based on this holistic view of the athlete’s stress load.
Communication and Empathy: The coach’s role is often that of a confidant and a psychological buffer, insulating the athlete from external chaos. Constant communication (via calls, texts, voice notes) is key to understanding the athlete’s state and building trust.
Managing the Type-A Athlete: Top performers are inherently driven. The coach’s job is often to hold them back and prevent them from overriding their body’s signals. The biggest mistake is to prescribe too much work, as these athletes will do it to their own detriment.
Happiness is a Performance Enhancer: An athlete’s mental state is a critical performance variable. A happy, motivated, and low-stress athlete is far more likely to perform at their best. Allison Jackson’s famous dancing videos were highlighted as a genuine expression of her personality and a positive outlet that contributes to her success.
Fatigue Resistance: This is the ability to produce power after already being fatigued.
Primary Training Method: The most effective way to improve it is by raising FTP.
Specific Workouts:
Long Threshold Intervals: Workouts like 3x20 minutes at FTP, or even longer extensive sets, done to the point of near-failure.
“Edge-Finding” Workouts: Pushing a single effort for as long as possible (e.g., a 30-40 minute all-out climb) to build mental and physical resilience.
Over-Geared/High-Torque Work: While not explicitly detailed, this type of work can build muscular endurance.
Racing: Using lower-priority races as training is one of the most effective ways to build race-specific fatigue resistance.
Racing to Your Strengths: Success often comes from targeting events that align with an athlete’s physiological profile. Allison Jackson is a prime example: she is not a pure climber, but possesses a powerful late-race sprint, excellent bike handling skills, and immense durability—a perfect combination for the demands of Paris-Roubaix.
Functional Reserve Capacity (FRC): This represents the amount of work an athlete can do above their threshold. It’s the “matchbook” for anaerobic efforts. While it can be trained with specific intervals (e.g., short, high-intensity repeats), the coaches agree that racing itself is one of the best forms of FRC training.