Posts by Adam Mills
The Road to UCI Gravel World Championship
Hire a Source Endurance Coach This past month, Team USA’s Elite UCI Gravel World’s roster came out for said race taking place on October 5-6th in Leuven, Belgium. On that roster, two Source Endurance athletes were selected to participate in the Elite Women’s race. This is quite a big deal, as our small coaching company…
Read MoreTraining Consistency and Compliance: Fundamentals of Success
Hire a Coach Training Consistency and Compliance: The True Fundamentals of Success Across the vastness of the internet exist countless articles with lists that inspire athletes to improve FTP, increase VO2 max, sprint better. But what we rarely see from our consumer media sources is that success requires two fundamentals that aren’t flashy and…
Read MoreHow to Effectively Moderate Your Workouts and Why
Don’t ruin yourself in a single session only to have lesser quality for subsequent training. Optimize the whole training block. Learn to moderate your workouts
Read MoreExercise in Wildfire Smoke: Poor Decision?
Exercise in wildfire smoke can be an insidious threat to performance and health. Learn some practical health tips and how to protect yourself and keep training.
Read MoreCoach Zack Wins North South Colorado-Recap
The North South Colorado Bikepacking Race is a 610-mile adventure from Fort Collins to Trinidad. Coach Zack gives a recap of his winning adventure. Recap Featured in the Raddavist
Read More50+ Lifelong Competitor’s First Ever Season with Coach Taylor
The story of when a 50+ lifelong athlete on the road, mountain bike, track, time trials, gravel and criteriums hires a coach for the first time ever.
Read MoreIncorporating the Group Ride into Your Training Plan
Learn to incorporate group rides into your training to best benefit you and your goals.
Read MoreSofia Schugar: Tracka 360
Coach Taylor Warren discusses Coach Sofia Schugar’s stellar ride at the Traka 360
Read MoreBeyond Hydration: Heat Adaptation for Athletes
Beyond Hydration: Unveiling the Secrets of Heat Adaptation for Athletes
Athletes aren’t just battling opponents for summer cycling success; they’re also facing a formidable foe – heat. We’ll help you adapt and flourish this summer.
Read MoreThe Importance of a Well Timed Mid-Season Break
It’s believed that the emphasis of a successful training is the intervals, volume and improving FTP. Really, the key is well timed periods of rest.
Read MoreBalancing High-Carb Nutrition Needs with Dental Health
Available on Training Peaks!
Read MoreHow to Handle Illness During the Season
Almost everyone gets sick at some point during the calendar year, here are some tips to follow in order to bounce back to training
Read MoreNUTRITION CHALLENGES AT UNBOUND GRAVEL
Coach Kristen Arnold,MS, RDN, CSSD breaks down common nutrition challenges at Unbound Gravel.
Read MoreThe Art of Team Tactics
Team tactics help effectively apply assets to bring the best team result possible. Bike racing is also full of nuances that lead to a different race outcomes.
Read MoreCommon Nutrition Mistakes at Tour of the Gila
Coach Kristen Arnold, with her extensive background as a Registered Dietician and Director Sportif, brings a multifaceted approach to optimizing the performance of cyclists, evident in her insights on common nutrition mistakes at events like Tour of the Gila.
Read MoreCan Rider Support at Gravel Races be Pro, Grassroots & Safe?
Coaches Zack and Adam discuss an intricate dance at gravel races: Pro support (or even rider support) regarding mechanics and feeding while staying compliant to the varying rules of individual events while balancing rider safety and the ominous spectre of an influx untrained and unaware drivers on course.
Read MoreBraving the Elements: Racing BWR Utah Amidst Extreme Weather
The notorious Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) Utah kicks off this week, but alongside the usual challenge lies an extraordinary test: extreme weather with temperatures expected at the start to be a chilling 26F.
Read MoreAlex Hoehn: Grad School and Tour of Gila Defense
Alex Hoehn, the 2023 Tour of the Gila champion, is poised to make another powerful impact in the 2024 edition of the race
Read MoreCoach Taylor featured on “Fast Talk Podcast”
Trying to go pro is one of the hardest things we can do. Jack Burke and Taylor Warren share what they’ve learned and how that applies to the rest of us, too.
Read MoreEffectively Implementing Strength Training for Cycling During Race Season and Off-Season
Get the most out of a strength training for cycling program.
Read MorePre-race Meeting: The Mid South Gravel Race
Coach Adam Mills of Source Endurance discusses how to prepare and ride the Mid South Gravel Race
Read MoreHow to PR the Fiesta Island Time Trial
Time Trials like Fiesta Island Time Trial is art and science. We will focus primarily on the technical details of time trialing that aren’t fitness related
Read More2024 Rock Cobbler Pre-Race Briefing
Coach Adam discusses best strategies for Rock Cobbler. Everything from course features to aid station strategy. Even equipment review like, “is there a tire that works equally well in both MUD and LIVING ROOM CARPET?” Find out those answers and more! How much can coaching help you improve? How much can coaching help you improve?
Read MoreEliel Factory Team, The Road Less Traveled and Source Endurance Partner to Empower Endurance Athletes
EFT/ TRLT Login Source Endurance Coaching EFT/ TRLT Login Source Endurance Coaching
Read MoreThe Truth About High Carb Nutrition Intake for Cycling Performance that you Wish you knew Sooner
Coaches Adam and Taylor discuss the sinister decay that lies beneath the shiny veneer of the high-carb 100g of sugar per hour with Dr. Sol Cantwell, DDS.
Read MoreTips for Successful SoCal Racing
Successful SoCal racing starts well before the gun goes off. Set yourself up for success by preparing before race day.
Read MoreSoCal Race Season: Are you ready?
January marks the beginning of SoCal race season. If you’re still riding base miles, it means you’re behind and it’s time to spice up your training with some higher intensity crit-specific workouts.
Read MoreCoach Nikki tapped as Assistant Coach for Reno Devo Nationals Program
In addition to being the Program Coordinator, Coach Nikki will also be assuming the role of Assistant Coach with the Reno Devo Nationals Program.
Read MoreCoach Kristen Arnold Featured on Fast Talk Labs
National Team Coach and Nutritionist Kristen Arnold helps us explore maximizing your nutrition as an athlete, gives advice for how junior women can reach the next level, and shares her experience managing national projects.
Read MoreCoach Adam, USA Cycling Coach Developer
Contributing to the USA Cycling Level 1 and Level 2 USA Cycling Coaching Clinic as an instructor/ coach educator/ coach developer was a fulfilling experience
Read MoreSource Endurance Welcomes Sofia Schugar
Sofia comes from a background of elite triathlon, road, and gravel racing. and is available now to work with athletes at all levels.
Read MorePRT Training Camp Recap
October 6th-8th marked the annual PRT training camp at beautiful Big Bear Lake during a perfect fall weekend.
Read MorePlanning Your Season
Start next season NOW The best part about planning your season for next year is that we get to plan our epic adventure(s). Many of these adventures involve travel to faraway lands which ultimately means you’re committing significant time, energy and funds to create a life enriching experience for yourself. You would be in the…
Read MoreA Guide to Choosing a Cycling Coach
Hire a Coach! Choosing a cycling coach is very important… and it can also feel very overwhelming! In my opinion, it’s as important as choosing a bike frame, wheelset, or drivetrain. A coach is someone who not only keeps you accountable, but works together with you to achieve your goals. If you choose to hire…
Read MoreGravel Aid Station Strategy for Racing: Interwoven Variables
Improving your gravel aid station strategy is key to furthering your success
Read MoreDehydration Drives DNFs at Gravel Races
The primary reason that athletes did not finish (DNF) gravel races was due to dehydration and complications that arise from it.
Read MoreCoach Kristen’s recap as USA Cycling Women’s Development Road Director
My first season working with the road National Team as the Women’s Development Road Director at USA Cycling was a fun, fulfilling, and healthy challenge for me.
Read MoreHow to Have a Successful Transition Season
Just like mother nature, training and racing has its own seasons: Offseason, pre-season, race season and transition season.
Read MoreAnnual Performance Evaluation in Cycling
The Annual Performance Evaluation in cycling, when paired with an athlete’s self-evaluation is a crucial tool for identifying areas of needed improvement, tracking progress, improving performance durability, advancing results, and achieving personal milestones.
Read MoreDr. Echo Dahl Rowe’s Leadville Trail 100 PR, 8 Years Later
Of all the athletes I’ve ever worked with, Echo’s drive to succeed in whatever she chooses is among the very best. This need to succeed is directly reflected in her work ethic and can be seen in everything she does.
Read MoreSan Diego Bicycle Club: Summer 2023 Recap
With the road season stretching from mid-January to early August, it can be a difficult balancing act to stay consistent and perform from start to finish. SDBC did an excellent job of representing the club during the late Spring and Summer months, racking up several wins and many podium finishes across multiple fields.
Read MoreBrody McDonald: U23 World Championship Road Race Prep
Brody McDonald is one of the favorites to win the U23 World Championship road race in Glasgow. In this article, we take a look at his training and preparation for the race. We discuss his focus on volume and zone 2 training, his on-the-bike nutrition, his racecraft, and his taper. We also give our predictions for how he will perform in Glasgow.
Read MoreIntelligentsia Cup Podium Finish After Injury
JP had not raced a proper high-level USA criterium since mid-2019, and was concerned about the caliber of racers at the Intelligentsia Cup. He was also still recovering from a double crash in April, which resulted in a broken shoulder blade and a month off the bike.
Read MoreCory Williams, Evolution of Excellence
I had heard about Cory prior to 2016 but in all honesty I didn’t know much about him. I knew he was one of the fastest and most explosive field sprinters in North America. But his Achilles Heel was that he couldn’t consistently reach the finish line with the peloton. As the Performance Director on the Elevate- KHS Pro Cycling Team there was a distinct need to see improvement from one of the team’s designated closers.
Read MoreTour of the Gila Recap- Alex Hoehn’s First UCI Stage Race Win
Alex Hoehn won the 2023 Tour of the Gila by a margin of two seconds over Óscar Sevilla. his win was the culmination of years of hard work. He has dedicated himself to the sport, to his training and becoming a 24/7 whole athlete.
Read MoreUnbound Gravel: Kelly Bastman Tells Her Kansas Experience Story
This was my first Unbound Gravel so I had no idea what to expect. This is a story of my adventure in the Flint Hills of Kansas.
Read MoreTulsa Tough’s FASTEST LEAD OUT
Tulsa Tough is the biggest and most prestigious weekend of criterium racing on the planet. It is a destination race for the best-in-class and the best criterium teams send their most valuable riders to vie for the glory at the races. But who has the fastest, and by proxy, the most dominant lead out?
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Group Ride
The group ride is an excellent training tool for criterium racing.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Heat Adaptation
Hot and humid weather is the universal foe that impacts every summer race. Being heat adapted is like having a superpower that allows you to conquer any climate.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Mid-season Zone 2
It’s mid-season and you’ve probably been racing lots and can feel that race form coming on strong but it’s probably time to some mid-season Zone 2 training
Read MoreBWR as Seen Through the NoFcks Given Gravel Lens
Source Endurance athlete Casey Cohenmeyer gives us her colorful recap of the Belgian Waffle Ride California
Read MoreCase Study: Taylor Kotwa, Sprinter, Increases FTP 7% in 4 months
I started working with Taylor in the fall of 2022 as he was coming back from time off the bike after a recent injury. He came to me with high expectations and lofty ambitions, so we set to work right away in preparation for the 2023 season
Read MoreLoren Krieger ROLLS at Moab Rocks Race
Moab Rocks is a great early season race to test the off-season preparations and see how my fitness is coming along. It’s hosted by Trans Rockies Series and was well done. I am planning to return next year and bring more people to experience this event.
Read MoreSDBC Spring Recap from Coach Taylor
With Tour de Murrieta wrapped up this past weekend, race season in SoCal is in full affect! For the rest of the country, racing may just be starting up but out here in California we are just about at our midway point in the season. Working with SDBC this Spring has been a pleasure. My…
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: FRC 40-20s
These Functional Reserve Capacity (FRC) 40-20s do an excellent job of providing a training impulse to your anaerobic capacity.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Over-Unders
The concept of over-under intervals is to work in a tight range over your FTP for a short period of time and then to alternate to a power target under your FTP and repeat.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: 30-30s
We like to use these 30-30s or Tabata intervals to really engage an athletes anaerobic system. The explosive efforts are short and unsustainable and coupled with a rest that’s incomplete this workout really quenches the big power thirst of criterium racing.
Read MoreMid South: Becoming Faster and More Spicy
The quality of the athletes at the pointy end of races like the Mid South has dramatically improved. Gone are the days where local heroes battle it out for glory amongst the rare traveler from far away lands. The time is now and the races resemble more of a Monument than they do a gravel race.
Read MoreOrucase Updates Airline Bike Fees Information to Help Travelers
Traveling with a bicycle can be a thrilling experience, whether you’re touring the countryside, exploring new trails, or competing in a race. However, when it comes to air travel, the cost of transporting your bike can quickly add up.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Film Study
Film study has always been an important tool for improving personal and team outcomes in competition. Teams and racers were late to the game but are catching up and now film study is just as important in cycling as it is in other sports.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Rest Days
Recovery days are often overrated but are crucial to criterium racing because of the repeated high-intensity efforts. These intense efforts can lead to muscle fatigue, soreness, and even injury if a rider doesn’t allow their body enough time to recover. Recovery days allow the body to rest and repair, reducing the risk of injury and improving…
Read MoreThe Right Auto Insurance for Cycling?
Auto insurance companies sure do a great job advertising their slick slogans and how inexpensive they can be. But they are terrible at explaining exactly how insurance coverage works and when it can be used.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Sprints!
Most criterium races require a high degree of skill and neuromuscular coordination and right in the middle of that Venn Diagram is sprinting.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: VO2 and Race Winning Intervals
This is a great workout to simulate establishing a breakaway or going for a last lap solo attack.
Read MoreAthlete Highlight: Dean Parker- the F.O.G.
I’ve worked with Coach Adam and Source Endurance for almost 11 years. I just turned 71 this year and it has been amazing to see how Adam has modified my training as I aged.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Sweet Spot All-Day- Long
Sweet spot training. Criterium racing is still an endurance event, despite our willingness to make it about explosive efforts. Any event lasting 30 minutes or even 90 minutes is definitely an endurance based sport. So how do we get better at riding for that long? Sweet spot training.
Read MoreCriterium Workout of the Week: Zone 2
Criterium Workout of the Week: Zone 2. What it is and is not.
Read MoreRock Cobbler Final Preparation Tips
Race Director Sam Ames of the Rock Cobbler and coach Adam Mills share some final tips
Read MoreWhich Training Methodology Best Improves Your Performance. Systematic Review
The general concept of leveraging different training methods to improve Functional Threshold Power (FTP), VO2 max and ultimately performance is immensely important to every endurance based performance athlete. Until now a direct systematic review comparing Traditional Periodization, Block periodization and day-to-day programming has been never conducted.
Read MoreSource Endurance tapped for USA Cycling Athlete Development Pathway
Source Endurance is proud to join USA Cycling in announcing the launch of the Athlete Development Pathway.
Read MoreEthan Doherty 2022: Road Racer Targets CX Nationals Podium
Ethan’s training emphasis has been on aerobic foundation and extending Time to Exhaustion (TTE) at threshold. This year, we decided to take a different approach that landed Ethan on the CX Nationals podium.
Read MoreEveryone Trains 28 Hour Weeks on Instagram
You’re scrolling the gram, you look up intermittently and look out your window. The weather is either absolute trash, or you’re feeling firmly imprisoned by your day job. You look back down at your phone and you see, yet another proud screenshot, of someone’s 28 hour riding week with 1520 TSS points, and they got a tan.
Read MoreGoal Setting in an Age of Social Media and Too Much Data
Goal Setting is both easier and more difficult than ever. Here are some guidelines to help you set your goals for the coming year.
Read MoreAllan Schroeder: 2022 Men 30-34 CX Champion
Allan cruising in the lead Meet Allan Schroeder, your 2022, 30-34 men’s cyclocross national champion!! SE coach Kristen Arnold has been coaching Allan since 2016. This national championship title marks a breakthrough ride for him and a sign of many great things to come. Allan has worked hard for his successes as he’s raced road…
Read MoreFemale Cyclists: Hormones and Performance
Are there certain times of the month when you feel like you’re on fire and then other times you feel like a load of bricks? You are not alone! Most individuals who have female reproductive organs have a menstrual cycle. That menstrual cycle impacts many aspects of our physical and mental health and performance.
Read MoreStructuring 2023 for the SoCal Race Calendar
Most of us have already closed the book on our 2022 season. Perhaps you’re already in a transition phase and craving some much-needed soul riding. Once the season is finished in earnest, usually taking 2-3 weeks away from structured training can be one of the best things you can do for yourself to start to…
Read MoreHaving a Coach Holds You Accountable: Tales from an Endurance Mountain Biker
My name is Ray Landry. For work. I am a dental rep. I race mtn bikes and gravel mostly and a little road for fun. So many races. It’s hard to pick a favorite. But my favorite would be the event that got me into cycling to start and that would be the Leadville 100.…
Read MoreGravel Worlds: Comparing Jay Thomas’ Championship in 2012 to 2022
The year is 2012 and Jay Thomas is a young 43 years of age and newly minted Gravel Worlds Champion. Even though he is officially an “aging athlete” Jay was very much holding his peak form from his mid-30’s. Jay came home with a victory, brand new rainbow-ish striped jersey, a sabre* and the swagger of a Gravel Worlds Champion. The winning time was 9 hours and 6 minutes.
Read MoreAlex Hoehn: SBT GRVL 5th. A Closer Look at the Power of Fatigue Resistance
The legendary races of cycling all tell a similar story of overcoming adversity through beautiful suffering. At its core, this very romanticization is excellent at engaging fans while inspiring all of us to persevere through hard work. This suffering is universal across all competitors and it seems like the only difference is if one suffers…
Read MoreShake Your Money Maker: Helmets Protect Your Greatest Asset
Using science-based evidence to guide us when choosing a safe bicycle helmet
Read MoreZack Allison’s BWR North Carolina Race Recap
BWR North Carolina, for me, for my race day, actually started when we left Kansas after Unbound. It was a pretty crazy set of travel days with Whitney getting Giardia and massive lightning storms each night we stopped with the camper, causing a lack of recovery/body work going into North Carolina. Thank goodness for…
Read MoreTackling the Hell of the East (Coast)
Just six short weeks after the first Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego, the second stop of the Quadrupel Crown of Gravel took place. This time the traveling gravel circus took roots in the East Coast, somewhere about 30 miles south of Asheville, North Carolina along the border of South Carolina. BWR North Carolina was…
Read MorePreparing for the Hell of the North (Carolina)
It’s been about one month since Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR) California and now North Carolina is right around the corner. I thought I would have a solid window to prepare for what’s to come at the next BWR but honestly, I’ve been on a crit racing calendar, so the preparation is, well, being handled differently.…
Read MoreHow to Avoid DNFing the BWR
Many begin an epic adventure like the one you’ve just embarked upon expecting moderate discomfort and glory to await us, but only the most prepared will triumph over the Belgian Waffle Ride. Although the numbers are not public, we know a high percentage of riders never cross the finish line and get their own ride…
Read MoreAma Nsek: USAC Collegiate National Champion in the Criterium
Ama Nsek wins NCCA Criterium Championship
Read MoreTackling the Dubbel Header
For those of you uninitiated to the Dubbel Header, the concept is simple; race the Waffle ride on Saturday and turn around and race the Wafer on Sunday. Easy enough? Ha! The Waffle ride was 135+ miles long, sure to be my longest ride of the year and the Wafer was 75 miles, yet still…
Read MoreEpilogue and Epitaph of a Glorious BWR Finish
Epiligue an Epitaph of a Glorious BWR Finish Evolution doesn’t always occur incrementally. Sometimes change is sudden, surprising and painful. The Belgian Waffle Ride has always been different. Different is challenging; it’s new; it’s unique. Then, for 4 years the course did not change substantially. Yes, there were small tweaks but nothing that affected overall…
Read MoreThe Best Tire for the Belgian Waffle Ride CA (San Diego)
The Best Tire for the Belgian Waffle Ride CA (San Diego) Monuments are generally considered to be the oldest, hardest and most prestigious one day races on the professional circuit and winning one can immortalize an athlete in the annals of history. As such, Monuments define spring racing success in the professional ranks, dictating future…
Read MoreNat MacLean: Doctor, Mother, Athlete, Friend, Ambassador of Cycling.
Nat MacLean is coached by Zack Allison and has made many improvements in a short amount of time!
Read MoreJosie Fouts, Leader in the Off-Road Para-cycling Movement
Born in Korea with only a right hand, Josie is an Asian-American amputee that grew up in the midwest, always standing out. Her interest in metabolism research led her out to San Diego and the year-round great weather encouraged her to begin commuting by bike. Soon the San Diego cycling community discovered her potential and…
Read MoreJP Brocket, King of the Long Ride
SE athlete JP Brocket has been training hard in Taiwan: JP Brocket, a long-time Source Endurance athlete, has been living in Taiwan and sharing his journey with us on social media. He’s been climbing big mountains, completing hard intervals, and hopping into local races. JP just finished a big block of volume where he completed…
Read MoreLess Pain, More Gain: 6 ways for cyclists to reduce soreness from strength training and running
Get DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) every season you start working out in the gym? Can’t walk the day after going for an easy 2 mile jog? Tried doing a 15 minute HIIT workout once and now your arms feel like jello on the bike? Check out these strategies to reduce soreness from exercises that…
Read MoreAdjusting your training with the seasons
For just about every state in the country (sorry Arizona), daylight savings just went into effect last weekend. It’s officially that time of year where the days are quite short, the weather is brisk, on the decline and just about everyone is feeling a time crunch with the holidays fast approaching. What should training look…
Read More20 Minute Adaptation Workout to Get You Primed for Winter Strength Training
Can’t walk after day one of your strength training block. Having a hard time getting down to the toilet after too many squats in the gym? Complete this 20 minute adaptation workout to reduce soreness and get your body ready for the hard work in the gym. It’s easy for endurance athletes to overdo it…
Read MoreShadd Smith, Multi-Discipline Master
From long-time SE athlete Shadd Smith: Big shout out to Source Endurance coaches for keeping this guy in the mix. I am certainly a creature for training and riding so I can not stress enough how important the coaches are to properly keeping the sword sharpened. Cyclocross is in full swing now with racing every…
Read MoreTrey Harrison sets new course record at Cannonball 550
I thought I’d give a synopsis on the fun I ride completed a few weeks ago. I decided to partake in the 5th edition of the Cannonball 550 bikepacking race, which is a big old 550 mile loop that starts/finishes in Emporia, KS. The self-supported route traversed portions of the Flint Hills, the edge of…
Read MoreBWR Kansas: An Insider’s Guide to Lawrence
Make the most of Lawrence, KS Source Endurance owner and coach Adam Mills spent many years living in Lawrence, Kansas, and is a Kansas native. Here are some of his favorites from one of his favorite places: You registered for BWR KS and if you’re like many people, you’ve probably never been to Lawrence unless…
Read MorePower Analysis – Whitney Allison’s BWR Cedar City Win
Photo: JPov Photo Whitney Allison had a breakthrough ride at Belgian Waffle Ride Cedar City winning the climbing jersey, the sprint jersey and the women’s overall race. Here’s a power analysis of her race winning file. Setting the stage This edition of BWR Cedar City had a 10 minute separation between the men’s Waffle wave…
Read MoreSmoke & Training
Welcome to the tail end of the summer, or as we’ve come to know it as here in Seattle “Fire Season”. As I sit down to write this, I’ve just finished reading a message from our local velodrome alerting the community that Friday night racing will be cancelled if the Air Quality Index in the…
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