FasCat Cycling Training Tips Podcast

Are you a master's cyclist trying to get faster but feel like something is missing from mainstream advice? Train this way FREE for 1 Month https://fascatcoaching.com/app
In this video, Coach Frank breaks down the 5 most important training rules for cyclists over 40, 50, and 60+ , and more importantly, what Bicycling Magazine didn't have space to tell you.
Frank was recently featured in their article on coaching older cyclists, and while they nailed the headlines, there's a lot more nuance that can make or break your performance. Today, Coach Frank is giving you the full coaching perspective.
🚴‍♂️ What You'll Learn:
- Why more miles ≠ more fitness (and how to balance training with recovery)
- The truth about high-intensity (Zone 6) work for older athletes
- How to strength train the right way (without sabotaging your riding)
- Why you don't need a race to train with purpose
- The #1 mistake masters cyclists make: taking extended breaks
⚠️ Stick Around for Rule #5
If you take winters off, skip riding on vacation, or think breaks help you reset… this could be holding you back more than you realize.
📖 Read the Original Article https://www.bicycling.com/training/a70723113/older-cyclist-training-rules/
🤖 Want Help Applying This?
Try the CoachCat AI Coach:
✅ Personalized training plan
✅ Feedback on your workouts
✅ Built specifically for masters athletes
👉 Start your FREE 30-day trial (includes coaching consultation): https://fascatcoaching.com/app or Hire a FasCa Coach: https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/hire-a-coach
💬 Let Us Know: Which of these 5 rules are you already following—and which one surprised you the most?
👍 If this helped, hit like and subscribe for more training tips for masters cyclists. Work Hard. Ride Fast. Have Fun. FtFP.

Coach Frank describes a 3 month Unbound training plan that you can follow FREE for 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/app
Develop your Diesel Watt power by knowing how to train it in March, April, and May to arrive in Emporia fresh, fit, and ready to send it.
Whether you're lining up for the 200, 100, or XL, this video covers the training concepts that have helped thousands of FasCat athletes finish strong,from sweet spot base building to full gravel simulation rides to the art of a proper taper.
You'll learn:
the Gravel Power Workout (the single best workout for gravel racers)
how to build your long ride from 2.5 hours to 5+,
why Flint Hills repeats matter, and
what race-winning power data from Ian Boswell, Pete Stetina, and Cam Jones tells us about pacing Unbound.
📱 The CoachCat app gives you a custom Unbound training plan, AI coaching to adjust on the fly, and nutrition guidance — all free for 30 days.
🚴 Let us know what distance are you riding at Unbound 2026? 
#UnboundGravel #UnboundGravel2026 #GravelTraining #FasCatCoaching #CoachCat #SweetSpotTraining #DieselWatts #GravelSimulationRide #FlintHills #EmporiaKansas #GravelPowerWorkout #HowToTrainForUnbound #GravelRacing #CyclingTraining

Are you making this gravel pacing mistake? It could be costing you 30 minutes or more — and you won't even feel it happening until it's too late. 
 In this video, Coach Frank breaks down the #1 pacing mistake I see in gravel race power files, why it happens, and exactly how to fix it. I'll show you the one tactical decision you need to make in the first hour of your next gravel race that could save you 30 minutes — without being any more fit than you already are.
What you'll learn:
- Why gravel racing is really a time trial (and why that changes everything)
- How to use Intensity Factor (IF) as your real-time pacing gauge - The art of "self-dropping" — and why the tortoise always beats the hare
- A 4-step process for finding the right group without blowing up
- First-hour IF targets for every race duration from 2 to 8+ hours
Want course-specific pacing instructions in watts for YOUR next gravel race? CoachCat's AI can give you section-by-section wattage targets so you always know what's too hard and what's just right.
🚀 Start your free trial: https://fascatcoaching.com/app

Learn how not to be the Group Ride Hero and Train the Right Way, Free for 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/app
One of the most common mistakes cyclists make is piling on high-intensity intervals before they've finished building their aerobic base. It feels great in February. You're flying on the group ride. You're winning town line sprints.
But by May, when racing and big events actually matter, you're flat, stale, and wondering what happened.
In this video, Coach Frank Overton from FasCat Coaching shows you how to bridge the gap between base season and race season the right way.
You don't need to live in Zone 2 forever. But you also shouldn't be smashing yourself with full-gas workouts every week.
The answer?
A smart, controlled progression that introduces just enough Zone 4, 5, and 6 intensity to wake up speed while still building durability and aerobic strength.
 Inside, Frank walks through four proven winter workouts from the CoachCat training system:
🐆 The Cheetah Pounce – Sweet Spot control with explosive attacks. Practice commitment and fast-twitch recruitment without blowing up recovery.
🎯 Sprint → Stalk & Catch – Learn how to handle the surges that drop riders in real races and group rides.
📊 The Three 8's – A powerful combination of testing and training that reveals your true ability and builds fatigue resistance.
💳 The AmEx Ride – FasCat's signature terrain-driven session. No timers, no ERG, just smart execution and a mission: don't come home without your prescribed OTS.
These workouts help you:
✔ build the engine
✔ touch high power
✔ improve repeatability
✔ arrive in spring ready for true interval work
 Instead of peaking early, you'll keep stacking fitness when it counts.
If you're following a structured plan, this is the step many athletes miss.
Try These Workouts Yourself They're available inside the CoachCat AI app, where you can follow your training plan, track OTS and LEVEL, and get guidance based on your real data.
👉 Start your free 30-day trial https://fascatcoaching.com/app
Have questions about winter training or how to balance intensity with base work?
Drop them in the comments. And tell us:
Which workout looks the hardest?
Which one would you skip if you could? 😈

Getting sick or injured during a training block doesn't have to ruin your season.
Try Coaching (AI or 1:1) Free for the 1st 30 days → https://fascatcoaching.com/ 
In this video, Coach Frank breaks down how to use your coaching in the event of sickness or injury without making things worse and without losing weeks of fitness to a preventable layoff.
You'll learn a simple 6-step process used with real coached athletes to:
✅ decide when to rest vs train
✅ adjust intensity and volume
✅ avoid overdoing it
✅ revise your training plan
✅ rebuild day by day
Most athletes don't lose fitness from missing a few workouts — they lose it by pushing through pain or sickness and turning small issues into multi-week layoffs. This video shows you how to avoid that mistake.
We'll also show you how CoachCat, our AI Coach, handles illness, injury, and "something feels off" situations by revising the training plan automatically when life happens.
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Try CoachCat Free for 30 Days: https://fascatcoaching.com/app
Work with a 1:1 Coach Free for 30 Days (limited offer)
https://fascatcoaching.com/pages/hire-a-coach
What is CoachCat? CoachCat is an AI Coach that builds custom training plans, analyzes your power files, revises workouts automatically, and helps you train smarter all year round.