S2E16. Are You Training… or Just Exercising?

How should endurance athletes actually build a training block?How do you know when more training is helping versus simply adding fatigue? In this episode of Race Ready, Brian and Andy break down the logic behind structuring late-summer training, including how to balance volume and intensity, where to place key sessions, and why the purpose of the week should drive the plan. They also discuss the danger of becoming a “professional exerciser”: someone who is great at accumulating training but struggles to perform when it’s time to go fast.

The conversation then turns to overdistance training and the question every endurance athlete eventually asks: how long is too long? Brian and Andy discuss the physiological and mental value of massive training days, when those sessions become counterproductive, and how athletes can use different modalities to make long sessions more manageable. They also explore how flexibility becomes increasingly important as athletes progress, and why the best training plans are often the ones that can adapt to fatigue, travel, camps, weather, and changing priorities.

The episode finishes with listener questions covering junior ski technique, games and drills, pole-height rules, and fueling for training. Brian and Andy discuss why fueling isn’t just about avoiding a bonk, but also about improving training quality, recovery, and the ability to stack productive sessions day after day. Whether you’re building your own plan or trying to better understand the “why” behind your coach’s decisions, this episode is packed with practical ideas for training with more purpose.

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Episoder(75)

S2 E29: Adam St. Pierre on The Evolving Landscape of Skiing Development

What separates a good junior skier from a great collegiate athlete? This week on the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Adam St. Pierre, head coach of the Montana State U...

8 Nov 1h 7min

s2 e28: Why the Same Training Doesn't Work for Everyone

Why can two athletes follow the exact same training plan and get completely different results? In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan reflect on 30 weeks of training...

1 Nov 1h 9min

S2 E27: Will Koch on What It Really Takes to Become an Elite Athlete

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Will Koch, former U.S. Ski Team member, accomplished international cross-country skier, and son of Olympic medal...

25 Okt 1h 4min

S2 E26: Dr. Stephen Seiler on VO₂ Max, Polarized Training & the Perfect Workout

What does it actually take to become a faster endurance athlete? This week on Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with one of the most influential minds in endurance sports science, Dr...

18 Okt 1h 15min

S2 E25: The VO₂ Max Sweet Spot: Finding Your Perfect Intensity

Are you getting the most out of your high-intensity intervals, or are you going too hard? In this episode of Race Ready, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the science and execution of L4 traini...

11 Okt 1h 5min

S2 E24. Gus Schumacher on Training Smarter, Racing Faster & Olympic Silver

Olympic silver medalist Gus Schumacher joins Race Ready to break down the training, racing, and lessons that have shaped his progression into one of the best cross-country skiers in the world. Gus tak...

4 Okt 1h 5min

S2E23. The USSS Development Watershed w/ Lizzie Larkins

What does it actually take to develop the next generation of American cross-country skiers? U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Lizzie Larkins joins Andy to break down the current development system, from...

27 Sep 1h 9min

S2 E22: Dani Aravich's Unconventional Path to Elite Endurance Sport

Dani Aravich’s path to becoming a three-time Paralympian is anything but conventional. After walking away from Division I running, Dani built a career in professional sports before a conversation abou...

20 Sep 1h 16min