Episode 41: Transforming Your Coaching Skills with Guest Dr. Lara Pence

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host, Rick Prince chats with licensed clinical psychologist and founder of The Coaches Collective, Dr. Lara Pence. In her daily practice, Dr. Pence primarily works with elite athletes and executives to level up their performance. The Coaches Collective is a community of coaches that Dr. Pence works with to help to them transform their athletes into the best version of themselves. Below are the areas that Rick and Dr. Pence chat about during this episode: 1.       Could you please tell the listeners more about yourself and the Coach Collective?2.       What are some of the most common things that you have found that hold coaches back from reaching their potential?3.       Do you think that coaches often don’t recognize what truly is holding them back and associate their lack of growth to other things?4.       What are some of the most important traits for coaches to have?5.       How important is the role of community in the success of a coach?6.       In an age of so much information (right and wrong) being fed to us – especially on social media, how important is trust in the coaching relationship and what are some ways for coaches to build trust amongst their athletes and athletes possibly looking to hire coaches?7.       Imposter Syndrome is quite prevalent in new and seasoned coaches. Are there any strategies that coaches can implement to help overcome it?8.       On your website, you denote that you meet coaches where they are at. How important is this concept in both coaching and life?9.       What are some common traits of high performing coaches?To learn more about Dr. Pence and The Coaches Collective, please visit: https://drlarapence.com/coaches 

In this episode of the ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host Rick Prince chats with physiologist and diabetes researcher, Dr. Sam Scott – CEO and co-founder of Enhance-d (https://www.enhance-d.com/).As the CEO of Enhance-d, a platform aimed at making biomarker data easier to interpret and correlate for type 1 diabetics, Dr. Sam Scott is wealth of knowledge not just in respect to type 1 and 2 diabetes, but also how diabetic knowledge can be useful to non-diabetic athletes and coaches. Below are the areas that Rick and Dr. Scott chat about during this episode: 1.       Could you give the listeners a little bit of information about you and your background?2.       For our listeners that are not familiar with type 1 and 2 diabetes, could you give a bit of information about these types of diabetes, key definitions, as well as some basic physiology about diabetes?3.       For diabetics, what are the biggest challenges that they face while exercising that non-diabetics do not?4.       What are some of the biggest misconceptions that non-diabetics have about those with diabetes (type 1 or 2)?5.       What was the genesis for founding Enhance-d?6.       If a coach has an athlete with Type 1 or 2 diabetes, what would your advice be to them with respect to the athlete?7.       What can non-diabetic athletes and coaches learn about nutrition and physiology from diabetic information and research?8.       What are the biggest challenges that diabetic athletes face with respect to the collection and interpretation of physiological biomarker data?Below are links to Dr. Scott’s Book: ‘Empowered: The Science of Exercise with Type 1 Diabetes.’Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1068431717?tag=enhance-d-21Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2YjTdCVPCSbBJKkE5cLkpHFree eBook version: https://book.enhance-d.com/5/empowered

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host, Rick Prince chats with journalist and writer, ZoëRom and registered dietitian, Kylee Van Horn. Zoë and Kylee are co-hosts of the podcast, ‘Your Diet Sucks.’ This is the third and final podcast in a three-part podcast series with Zoë and Kylee. Previous episodes in this series include Episode 33: Why Athletes Fall for Pseudoscience and Fad Diets and Episode 38: The Truth About Racing Weight Below are the areas that Rick, Zoëand Kylee chat about during this episode: 1.       When it comes to endurance sports, often there is an emphasis on body weight from a performance standpoint. However, what is not discussed as often in endurance sports is body weight/image from an aesthetic point of view. Could you discuss how these two areas – performance and aesthetics interrelate?2.       While speculative, do you think that a fair amount of people get into endurance athletics for the primary purpose of losing weight and to improve their body image?3.       Could you explain what traditional body positivity is, and how it often misses the mark?4.       For our listeners that don’t know what body dysmorphia is, could you define it and how it shows up in endurance sports?5.       As we discussed in the previous podcast, there is often an obsession in endurance sports to reduce body weight, which often results in disordered eating. As such, do you think that some individuals get into endurance sports because as a whole, these sports normalize being underweight – often to a drastic amount?6.      If a coach suspects that one of their athletes may have body dysmorphia and/or disordered eating, what should their action plan be?7.      In your opinion, what are some steps that those in the endurance sports industry could take to reduce the overemphasis on low body weight and by association, disordered eating and body dissatisfaction? 

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host, Rick Prince chats with journalist and writer, ZoëRom and registered dietitian, Kylee Van Horn. Zoë and Kylee are co-hosts of the podcast, ‘Your Diet Sucks.’ This is the second of a three-part podcast series with Zoë and Kylee. The future podcast episode will be: ‘When Performance Meets Appearance: Body Image in Endurance Sports.’ Below are the areas that Rick, Zoë and Kylee chat about during this episode: When it comes to endurance sports, the general theory is that lighter is faster and thus, being thin is paramount to performance. Could you provide some context to this theory?There are so many variables to human performance, why do you think that weight is so focused on?What are some of the most common things that athletes do to lose weight?How does too low of a body weight/body fat influence human physiology and performance?How have GLP-1 meds changed the landscape regarding weight loss in terms of athletic performance?Has an over emphasis on low weight increased the prevalence in disordered eating?What advice would you give to coaches that have athletes that are hyper-focused on weight loss/being thin?What role have professional athletes, as well as influencers had on the perception of racing weight?What does a healthy diet and outlook on body weight look like for endurance athletes? 

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance,’ host Rick Prince chats with podcast host, Jonathan Levitt. Jonathan is the founder of Long Run Labs, and ‘For the Long Run’ PodcastJonathan discusses his experience as it relates to leaving his full-time job and making the transition to being self-employed. More specifically, Jonathan discusses how he came to the decision to make this transition, as well as his advice to coaches looking to make a similar move.Below are the areas that Rick and Jonathan chat about: Please tell the listeners a little bit more about yourselfHow did you come to the decision to leave Inside Tracker after 10 years and go full-time into Long Run Labs?What were the main considerations that you factored in when making this decision?There is typically quite a bit of fear and trepidation when going full-time into a start-up situation. How did you handle this?Did you give yourself a time frame to ‘make it’ with the podcast?Starting and scaling a business or businesses takes playing the long game. How have you adopted this principle into your business strategy?If someone was thinking of quitting their current full-time job to start their own venture, what advice would you give them?What things do you wish you knew before going full-time with Long Run Labs?Do you think there is ever the perfect time to transition from a full-time job to doing your own thing?

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance,’ host Rick Prince chats with expert bike fitter, Chris Soden. Chris is the founder/owner of Strategic Fitting, a Colorado-based bike fitting company that uses cutting edge technology to attain the best bike fit results for his customers. With over 30 years’ experience in the bicycle industry as a bike shop owner, mechanic and bike fitter, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge to his craft to ensure that his clients are fit properly. As bike fitting is part art and part science, Chris discusses how he blends these two aspects of fitting, as well as a whole lot more! Below are the areas that Rick and Chris chat about:Please tell our listeners a bit more about yourselfWhat does a good bike fit process look like?How do you mesh the art of fitting and the feedback from technology – and what is some of the technology (ex: Retul, pressure mapping, etc…)?What are some mistakes that you see when people fit themselves?How do new bikes (ex: one-piece stem/bar) affect the fit process?What to look for in a fitter before hiring them?Do you integrate other professionals into the long term fit process such as physical therapists, strength professionals?Is the fit process a ‘one-and-done’ sort of thing, or is it a multi-step process?What are the most common reasons people come to see you for a fit? 

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance,’ host Rick Prince chats with former pro cyclist and co-founder of TrainingPeaks, Dirk Friel. As the co-founder of the first coach-specific platform for endurance coaches, TrainingPeaks, Dirk brings a well-informed, and seasoned perspective to the topic of AI in the coaching realm, the art of coaching and the future of coaching. Like a lot of other professions, coaches are not exempt from the fear that AI will in some way, shape or form, diminish their role as a coach. This topic and more (noted below) are discussed in this podcast episode. 1.       Please tell our listeners a bit more about your background.2.       With the influence of AI permeating most every industry, including coaching, do you ever see AI completely taking over the coaching industry?3.       How important is the art of coaching and why is the human element so important to the coaching process?4.       A lot of coaches are nervous that AI will replace them. Do you see AI as tool that coaches can use to enhance their business, or do you see it from more of an adversarial point of view?5.       What advice would you give coaches that are concerned about AI replacing them, or at the very least, minimizing their reach and influence?6.       What are some traits of coaches that exemplify what the art of coaching is all about?7.       In the same light as the last question, what are some other key aspects that make a great coach that you consider to be absolutely necessary for success?8.       What are some ways that TrainingPeaks puts the focus on the human element of coaching?9.       Where do you see the coaching industry 5-10 years from now?10.      Lastly, if you had to pick the key reason why an athlete would hire a human coach vs. using a template plan or a 100% AI-based program, what would it be? 

In the realm of endurance sports training these days, there isn’t a much hotter (or controversial) topic than Zone 2 training. Zone 2 training has long been a training staple for many endurance athletes as it’s historically been touted as the best intensity to train at to induce specific physiological adaptations such as mitochondrial and capillary density.However, recent specific research into Zone 2 training has largely debunked this long-standing narrative. More specifically, it turns the narrative on its head as higher intensities have been found to have a greater impact on mitochondrial and capillary density as compared to low intensities.This new research will undoubtedly shift athletes’ perceptions of training intensity and therefore how to  structure training programs.In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance,’ host Rick Prince discusses the Zone 2 topic with Dr. Brendon Gurd, Professor of Muscle Physiology at Queen’s University. Dr. Gurd discusses the science behind different exercise intensities with respect to physiological adaptations. In short, zone 2 as it pertains to being the ideal zone for enhancing physiological adaptations such as mitochondrial and capillary density is a myth.Whether you’re an athlete or coach, consider this myth busting podcast a must!Here are 2 resources related to this podcast we'd like you to have: Dr. Gurd's Zone 2 Presentation Slide deck (as a PDF), and a very new research article (April 2025) reviewing the efficacy of Zone 2 training for improving mitochondrial capacity and cardiovascular fitnessDownload Here: https://uesca.com/download/zone-2-podcast-resources/Below are the areas that Rick and Dr. Gurd discuss:Could you tell our listeners a bit about your background?Zone 2 is a really hot topic these days, specifically in regard to increasing one’s aerobic fitness and overall health. How did this become such a focal point recently?From an athletic performance standpoint, it seems that the main rationale for Z2 training is that it has the greatest effect on increasing mitochondrial and capillary density. Is there any truth to this? Is there any intensity which increases mitochondrial and capillary density the most?As there is often a trickle down effect from what professional athletes do to what us mere mortals do, do you think that the fact that a lot of pros do high volume at relative low intensity has factored into the popularity of Z2?Are there any overall aerobic training trends that you would recommend to most endurance athletes?For a time-crunched endurance athlete, would you recommend an overall higher intensity level for a good portion of their training sessions (vs. a lot of time in Z2)? As one of the basic aspects of adaptation is that you need to have stress to elicit gains, should athletes that predominately do only Z2 training expect to plateau without increasing bouts of intensity?Aside from recovery days, is there such a thing as going too easy where little to no physiological adaptations occur? If so, what is what level/intensity?Lastly, should all endurance athletes incorporate all levels of intensity into their training?

In this episode of ‘All Things Endurance Podcast,’ host, Rick Prince chats with journalist and writer, Zoë Rom and registered dietitian, Kylee Van Horn. Zoë and Kylee are co-hosts of the podcast, ‘Your Diet Sucks.’This is the first of a three-part podcast series with Zoë and Kylee. The future podcast episodes will be: ‘The Truth About Racing Weight,’ and ‘When Performance Meets Appearance: Body Image in Endurance Sports.’Below are the areas that Rick, Zoë and Kylee chat about during this episode:Could you tell our listeners a bit about yourselves?A lot of endurance athletes are type-A and intellectual by nature. So why is it that so many endurance athletes fall for biohacks, detoxes and other nutritional misinformation?How can an athlete tell if a diet is a ‘fad’ diet and is there a correct approach to getting accurate information about nutrition?A lot of individuals will agree that quick fixes in most areas are likely crap, but that doesn’t always translate to nutrition. Why do you think this is?Myths die hard… if at all. What are some common nutrition myths that won’t seem to die that continue to get passed on?What are some of the more common fad diets currently?A lot of athletes assume that data is the end all, be all of training information. While data is important, could you explain how data can be misinterpreted with respect to training and nutrition?In the age of influencers and social media where it seems that almost everyone has an opinion on nutrition, who are some people or websites that you recommend athletes check out for fact/science-based nutrition information?How much of a role does athletes seeking out perfection influence their likelihood of falling for misinformation and the latest nutrition trend?

We're glad you joined us for this episode! Use code ATE75 to receive $75 off any UESCA certificationIn this episode of ‘All Things Endurance,’ host, Rick Prince chats with elite cycling coach, Ben Sharp. Ben is the co-owner of Sharp Coaching and has coached all levels of cyclists from amateurs to Olympic gold medalists. Ben himself is a masters track cycling world champion and former US masters national road race champion. In this episode, Rick and Ben discuss the rise of gravel and more specifically, how to train effectively for gravel racing and how it differs from training for other cycling disciplines. Some of the areas discussed are:·       Key differences between road and gravel cycling·       Importance of sustained power·       Role of volume in training program·       How to train for bike handling skills of gravel riding/racing·       Different tactics based on the goal of a gravel race·       How to properly warm up for a gravel raceIf you participate in gravel riding/racing, you won’t want to miss this one!Talking Points for this Episode1.       Could you tell our listeners a bit more about your background?2.       As road racing has been on an unfortunate steady decline over the years in the US, gravel riding and racing has largely taken its place. What are some things that you attribute the rise of gravel to?3.       Do you now see gravel replacing road racing as a means for US riders to get noticed and possibly, land pro contracts in Europe?4.       What are some of the key differences with respect to training for gravel versus road?5.       We hear about power training a lot with respect to cycling, how important is sustained power during gravel racing?6.       What are some key bike-specific considerations with gravel riding/racing?7.       A lot of gravel races cover long distances, would you say that for the average gravel rider/racer, endurance is one of the biggest success factors?8.       Following up on the prior question, for the average gravel rider/racer, do things such as sprint training and high-intensity intervals still have a place in training?9.       How important are bike handling skills for gravel riders/racers and more specifically, what are some of the more important bike handling skills to master?What, if any tactics are different in gravel racing versus road racing?