Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
The transition from a beginner to an intermediate cyclist is often marked by a significant shift in the training landscape. While beginners see rapid and consistent improvements—often referred to as “noob gains”—intermediate cyclists find that progress slows and becomes less predictable. This phase, typically defined as the period after two to five years of consistent training, is critical. It’s a time when athletes are still capable of making substantial gains (e.g., a 10-30 watt annual increase in Functional Threshold Power or FTP), but only if they adapt their approach. The mistakes made during this period can lead to frustrating plateaus, burnout, or even a decline in performance. This document synthesizes the key principles from the podcast, offering a detailed guide for the intelligent and educated athlete looking to overcome these common hurdles.
A fundamental error for intermediate cyclists is a misunderstanding of the nature of progress at this stage.
Non-Linear Improvement: Unlike the steady climb of a novice, an intermediate’s fitness journey is rarely a smooth, upward curve. It often involves periods of stagnation followed by breakthroughs. The key is to recognize that this is normal. Expecting last year’s peak fitness in the early season, for instance, is an unreasonable expectation that can lead to frustration. Fitness ebbs and flows with training cycles, rest periods, and life events.
The Psychological Game: A significant part of navigating this phase is managing expectations. When progress stalls or illness strikes, it’s crucial not to be overly critical of yourself. The fitness you’ve built can be regained. An experienced coach often provides the perspective that self-coached athletes lack, identifying the need for rest (like a mid-season break) where the athlete might only see a failure to improve. Holding onto peak fitness year-round is not only impossible but also counterproductive.
As training becomes more complex, it’s easy to overlook the basics that form the foundation of all fitness. Intermediate athletes can often make significant progress simply by refining these core elements.
Pacing and RPE: Many athletes who have been riding for years still struggle to pace efforts correctly, whether it’s a 5-minute interval or a 2-hour ride. Dialing in your sense of effort is crucial. This includes calibrating your personal Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. An endurance pace might be a 2/10 for one person and a 4/10 for another. Understanding your own body’s feedback is a skill that needs constant refinement.
Progressive Overload: The principle that got you fit in the first place—gradually increasing the training stress—is often forgotten. If you’ve plateaued doing 2x15 minute intervals, the logical next step is to try 3x15 or 2x20. Instead of seeking a “miracle interval,” first ensure you have exhausted the potential of basic progressive overload.
Off-the-Bike Basics: Sleep and Nutrition: When you’re a beginner, you can get faster despite suboptimal recovery. As an intermediate, recovery becomes a primary limiting factor. You can have the most advanced training plan in the world, but if your sleep and nutrition are poor, you will not adapt and improve. These elements must become a high priority.
A common pitfall is assuming that the training plan that gave you huge gains in your first or second year will work again.
The Problem: Your body has adapted. The stimulus that was once potent is now just maintenance. Returning to a beginner plan when you’ve hit a plateau will not trigger new adaptations. This is a form of insanity in training: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different (or in this case, the same revolutionary) result.
The Solution: You must evolve your training. This doesn’t mean a complete overhaul every year, but it does require introducing new stimuli. If you’ve always focused on aerobic development (Threshold, Sweet Spot, VO2 max), perhaps it’s time to incorporate a block of anaerobic capacity work. If you’ve never done strength training, introducing it could be the key to unlocking new potential. The goal is to challenge your body in new ways to force new adaptations.
Many intermediates approach racing with the mindset that they just need to build a massive engine (FTP) and they will dominate. This ignores the critical role of racecraft and technical skills.
Training Skills: This is an often-overlooked concept. It involves learning to read your own body. What are the signs of overreaching versus productive fatigue? How does off-bike stress impact your recovery? How much food do you really need? Learning to recognize when you need to rest, when you need to eat more, or when your brain needs to shut down for proper sleep are skills that directly translate to better performance. For example, recognizing that you need to turn off your alarm and get more sleep, even if it means missing a planned ride, is often the smarter long-term decision.
Race Skills: You can have the highest FTP in the field, but if you don’t know how to handle your bike in a pack, position yourself for a sprint, or pace a breakaway, you won’t be successful. The only way to learn these skills is by racing. Use early-season or less important races to experiment. Find out what you’re good at and what you enjoy. If you have a 1600-watt sprint but hate the chaos of a bunch finish, you need to learn how to use your fitness in other ways, like a late-race attack.
The structured nature of intermediate training carries the risk of turning a passion into a chore.
The Importance of Fun: Cycling should remain enjoyable. If your training plan is so rigid that it eliminates all the rides you love, like group rides with friends, your motivation will wane. It’s essential to communicate with your coach (or yourself) about the rides that are important for your mental well-being.
Periodizing Your Fun: This doesn’t mean abandoning structure. It means finding a balance. Perhaps the winter months are for focused, structured indoor training, while the summer allows for more group rides and less formal training. The goal is to maintain the mental energy required to engage with the hard, structured sessions when they are most important.
When watts-per-kilogram (W/kg) becomes the primary focus, many intermediates turn to aggressive dieting, which is often counterproductive and dangerous.
The Reality of Weight Loss: The performance gains from losing a single kilogram are often minuscule—equivalent to only a few watts over an entire race. The risk of compromising your power output and health through restrictive dieting is far greater than the potential reward.
Focus on Fueling, Not Starving: For many athletes, eating more is the key to getting faster. Proper fueling supports harder training and better recovery, leading to fitness gains without necessarily adding weight. Weight loss should be approached by eating as much as possible while still creating a small, sustainable deficit, not by eating as little as possible.
Timing and Health Risks: Attempting to lose weight in the weeks leading up to a goal race is a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, both men and women are susceptible to the severe health consequences of low energy availability (LEA), which can manifest as hormonal disruption, decreased libido, poor focus, and irritability long before more serious issues arise. If you experience these symptoms, the answer is to eat more, not less.
The intermediate phase is where the “art” of coaching and self-coaching truly begins. It requires moving beyond simple formulas and developing a deep understanding of your own physiology, psychology, and life circumstances. Progress is no longer about just adding more hours or more intervals. It’s about pulling the right lever at the right time—whether that’s adding a new type of training stress, prioritizing recovery, refining your race-day nutrition, or simply taking a day off to ride for fun. By avoiding these common mistakes and adopting a more holistic and patient approach, the intermediate cyclist can continue to find new levels of performance for years to come.