Faster Category Upgrades, Saddle Discomfort, Blood Donation & More – Ask a Cycling Coach 130

How to upgrade categories faster, getting rid of saddle discomfort, and how giving blood affects fitness. All of this and more in this episode of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE • TrainerRoad Party at Cyclocross National Championships! • We're hiring software engineers! Apply here: trainerroad.recruiterbox.com/ • Why you should sync Strava and Garmin Connect to TrainerRoad • Everything you need to know about category upgrades in road racing • How many points do you need to upgrade to the next category? • Do you get more points for a road race than a crit? • How to upgrade road race categories faster • What is a good FTP? • How fit are professional motorcycle racers? • How to fit big weekend rides into your training plan • What to carry with you on long rides • Should you carry your spares in your jersey or saddle bag? • How to extend base training • How to extend your training plan • Why your saddle is uncomfortable • How to find the right saddle • Why your saddle isn't the cause of your discomfort • What makes a good saddle • What makes a good bibshort • Stretches and exercises to fix saddle discomfort • How to maintain cycling fitness while training for a marathon • Does giving blood make you slower? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET FASTER WITH TRAINERROAD Every indoor workout you complete using the TrainerRoad app is based on power and calibrated to your personal fitness level. Along with a vast library of structured workouts, you also get access to training plans that tell you exactly what to do to achieve your unique fitness and race goals. It’s power-based training in its most sophisticated and guided form. • Get started today: bit.ly/Get-Faster-TrainerRoad • Download the TrainerRoad app: bit.ly/Download-TrainerRoad • Browse training plans: bit.ly/TR-Training-Plans THE ONLY PODCAST DEDICATED TO MAKING YOU A FASTER CYCLIST Each week Coach Chad Timmerman, Coach Jonathan and TrainerRoad’s CEO Nate Pearson gathers to answer queries submitted from athletes around the globe, as well as dish about their latest training experiments, discoveries and tips. • Subscribe to the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast: www.trainerroad.com/podcast FOLLOW TRAINERROAD • Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrainerRd • Instagram: www.instagram.com/TrainerRoad • Twitter: twitter.com/TrainerRoad