Living on the Edge

For most of my athletic life, I lived on the edge. I was constantly balancing stress and recovery. Pushing my body as hard as I could but backing off just before I created long-term damage. I wasn’t always successful with this. I often crossed over the edge. Sometimes the repercussions …

How to find your training zones (VIDEO)

There are many ways to find your training zones. In this video, I explain two methods for finding training zones: laboratory testing and field testing. Visit this post for background on training zones. The take home messages from this are: Proper workouts/sets must be adhered to to get accurate, usable …

Georgia Death Race – Race Report

Ryan Lundin qualified for and raced the 2018 Georgia Death Race. This race is an insane 70+ mile sufferfest over 28,000 feet of elevation change. He finished in 17 hours, 29 minutes and placed 25th overall out of 169 finishers (259 started). Below is a great summary of Ryan’s experience: …

Want some ‘free’ speed? Here’s how!

We are all looking for ways to get faster. Whether you want to admit it or not, you probably want to get faster on as little work as possible! This is a wise strategy. Why would you want to do more work than necessary to reap rewards?

What is Metabolic Testing?

Metabolic testing gives a very accurate snapshot of your current fitness. Results from a metabolic test can help determine you resting metabolic rate, fuel usage at varying intensities, and training zones. There are four types of metabolic tests I administer Resting metabolic rate (how much energy you expend at rest, …

Why it’s important to collect (and re-collect) data! (VIDEO)

I’m a data geek, and I want you to be too! I’ve posted a couple of videos related to “what are training zones” and “how do you find your training zones” I build on this concept in this video. I discuss the value of collecting baseline data and follow-up data. …

My first 10k

Taggart VanEtten is an elite age group athlete. He shared his first 10k race report with us. Enjoy! When I drove into Canton on Saturday morning it was dark, raining and about 34 degrees outside, the winds were around 10 mph. I’ve come here many times to train with friends …

How you can quantify stress.

I’m going to start with the take-home message first, then go into the explanation. The take-home message from this article is this:  You are given a limited budget of ‘training stress.’ Think of it as a bank account. Every training session you perform has a ‘cost’ (training stress). These sessions withdraw a bit …

How to get the most from Joe’s messages. (VIDEO)

If you want to get the most from my messages, watch this. I often blend straight-up factual messages with philosophical messages. Some posts are more factual (“Here is how to do this workout…” or “This is the best way to find your threshold zone…”), while others seem abstract. Interestingly, my …

Training Zones Explained (VIDEO)

Training zones don’t have to be complicated. This video breaks down the critical values in determining your optimal training zones. The take-home messages from this video are: There are two training intensities: AEROBIC CAP and LACTATE THRESHOLD AEROBIC CAP is the intensity at which we are maximizing our aerobic capacity and …