Category: Training

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Training

From Trainer to Trail: Adapting Indoor Workouts for Outdoor Training

From Trainer to Trail: Adapting Indoor Workouts for Outdoor Training

As the weather transitions and the promise of spring beckons, it’s time to dust off your Sunday bests and get ready to ride outdoors. While trainer sessions have allowed you to develop key components of fitness, adapting to the dynamic conditions of outdoor cycling requires some adjustments. 

Understanding the Differences

Environmental Factors

For some climates, spring brings wind, rain, and fluctuating temperatures that can impact your ride. Unlike the controlled environment of indoor training, outdoor riding requires adaptability to changing conditions. Wind resistance can significantly alter your power output, making pacing more challenging. Rain can create slippery surfaces, requiring more caution in handling, braking, and cornering. Temperature swings might mean you need a dress change mid-ride.

Prepare for these factors by checking weather conditions before heading out. Plan your route with bailout options in case of worsening weather, and dress in layers to ensure you remain comfortable and safe.

Practicing riding in various conditions can improve your overall adaptability and confidence when faced with unexpected elements. Not to mention that you can’t control the weather on your target events. 

Bike Handling & Terrain

Indoor training limits your exposure to real-world cycling skills such as cornering, descending, and adjusting for varying road conditions.

Spring is the perfect time to refresh these skills. Outdoor cycling requires the ability to react to obstacles such as potholes, gravel patches, traffic, and even wildlife. In contrast to the predictability of an indoor trainer, your reflexes must be sharp and your bike control precise.

If a skills clinic isn’t available via your local bike club, a great way to regain handling confidence is to practice slow-speed maneuvers in an open area before heading onto the roads – closed parking lots are ideal.

Working on balance, braking control, and navigating tight turns will ease the transition back to outdoor conditions. Riding on mixed terrain, whether rolling hills or technical descents, will also help remind you of correct shifting, gearing, and weight distribution for optimal efficiency.

The Right Data

Indoors, your power and effort can be consistent, but outdoors, wind resistance, terrain changes, and traffic influence effort distribution. Learning to pace yourself accordingly is key. For instance, maintaining a set power output indoors is straightforward, but outside, you may have to surge on climbs, ease up in a tailwind, or push harder against a headwind.

One way to train for this variability is to use lap averages on your recording device rather than the total average. For example, if you are maintaining power/heart rate/perceived exertion on the flats but have to go above this on a hill, simply hit the lap button once you can maintain the right measure again. This helps you focus on the correct time in zone rather than chasing an overall average. 

How to Adapt Your Indoor Workouts

A Gradual Transition

Start by replacing one or two indoor sessions per week with outdoor rides. This allows your body to adjust to changing conditions while maintaining consistency in training. Sudden shifts to all-outdoor riding can lead to fatigue or even injuries, as your body is no longer supported by the controlled resistance of an indoor trainer.

  • Example: If you typically do VO2 max intervals indoors, find a steady climb or stretch of road to replicate these efforts. Uphill efforts are excellent for maintaining steady power output and simulating trainer-based efforts in real-world conditions.
  • Example: Swap an indoor endurance ride for a steady, long outdoor ride to build real-world endurance. Keeping your power, heart rate, or perceived exertion in line with what was prescribed as best as possible and practicing sustained efforts over varied terrain will make your long rides more effective.

Mimic Structure Outdoors

To retain the benefits of structured training, plan outdoor rides that match the goal adaptation of indoor intervals. Use a power meter or heart rate monitor to stay within target zones and replicate your trainer’s precision outdoors.

  • Threshold Intervals: Find a long, uninterrupted stretch of road or a moderate climb where you can sustain effort without frequent stops.
  • Sprint Workouts: Use road signs or natural markers to time your sprints. This keeps the workout engaging and sharpens acceleration skills. A benefit of sprinting outdoors is that you can work on your sprint technique. Have someone record you sprinting so you can compare against professional sprinters’ videos.
  • VO2Max Intervals: Shorter and steeper hills are perfect for VO2Max intervals. Find a hill where you can ride at the required output for the duration.

Refine Bike Handling Skills

Riding outside provides an opportunity to regain confidence in bike handling. Dedicate time to:

  • Practicing cornering and descending to rebuild fluidity and efficiency. A traffic-free (or traffic light) environment can be key to this, so timing rides when most people aren’t driving is sometimes important. 
  • Riding in different positions (on the drops, out of the saddle, etc.) to improve comfort and aerodynamics. Try to make a mental note of all the times you break from the position, then aim to best this next ride.
  • Navigating group rides to reintroduce drafting and pacing dynamics. This also gives you a much-needed social boost and a nice reminder of why you, almost certainly, started riding in the first place. 

Riding with others is a great way to practice real-world skills. Group rides can help you get accustomed to pack dynamics and riding closely with others, which is essential for any draft legal event or goal.

Adjust for Weather

Unlike winter, where you might train indoors to avoid extreme cold, spring weather is unpredictable. Be prepared by:

  • Dressing in layers to regulate body temperature and avoid overheating or chilling. Most jerseys are flexible enough to carry those layers if you need to take them off, but saddlebacks are also a good idea.
  • Checking forecasts and wind conditions before heading out to avoid getting caught in sudden weather shifts. Plan routes where you head into the wind at the start, this means a tailwind on the way home when you might be more fatigued. 
  • Planning routes that allow for bail-out options in case of rain, strong headwinds, or dangerous conditions. Let a family member or buddy know you’re heading out and opt for phone trackers so they can rescue you if you get a mechanical issue.

Being adaptable and prepared will allow you to enjoy outdoor riding without compromising your training quality.

Revise Your Fueling & Hydration Strategies

With indoor, controlled workouts, your fueling and hydration strategy is easy to implement, but outdoor rides demand more attention to this. The increased exposure to wind and sun, combined with longer durations, means that neglecting fueling can lead to energy crashes (bonking) or dehydration.

  • Practice consuming fluids and fuel at regular intervals to prepare for longer rides and races. Set up an alarm on your phone or recording device to go off at 15-minute intervals as a reminder.
  • Experiment with different fueling and hydration strategies, such as different carb or sodium intake per hour, to find what works best for your body.

Incorporate Terrain-Specific Training

Spring is a great time to explore new routes and adapt to different terrains, especially if you have a goal event that has a high degree of needed skill, such as mountain biking or gravel. 

  • Climbing Practice: Find hilly routes to rebuild climbing strength and work on pacing strategies. Correct technique and position are important. Again, ask someone to record you climbing so you can compare it against tutorial videos online.
  • Wind Management: Ride in various wind conditions to practice pacing, positioning, and drafting skills. Riding in heavy wind can be character-building, but opt for headwind in the first half of your ride.
  • Gravel or Trail Rides: If your goals include off-road riding, spring is the ideal time to start working on bike handling over loose surfaces. Just be mindful that after heavy rain, the trails might be in worse condition than the roads.

Mental & Tactical Adaptation

While riding for hours indoors is as much a mental workout as it is physical, spring riding requires situational awareness. Focus on:

  • Reading the road and anticipating gear changes to improve efficiency.
  • Developing tactical awareness for group rides or events, such as when to push efforts or conserve energy.
  • Mentally adjusting to longer, more variable rides after winter’s structured sessions.

Final Thoughts

Spring offers the perfect opportunity to take your winter fitness outdoors and reintroduce the joys of real-world cycling. By gradually transitioning, mimicking structured workouts, refining handling skills, and adjusting for weather conditions, you’ll ensure a seamless and effective shift from the trainer to the trail. Whether you’re preparing for an event, a sportive, or just eager to enjoy the fresh air, embracing the transition properly will set you up for a strong season ahead.

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Training

4 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Update Your Training Plan for a New Season

Do you want to improve your training?

The real key to improving your training lies in asking the right questions in the first place. To get the most out of your training this upcoming season, you need to be specific about the data points you are working with and have absolute clarity around where you are going to end up. By knowing the start and end points, you can fine-tune your training as the season progresses.

But first, how do you update your training plan for a new season? It all starts with asking the right questions.

Question 1 – What is my fitness?

Any athlete, regardless of their season goal, will benefit from knowing their current fitness. A robust training app like HumanGO will set your baseline, determined by how much training you have done in the previous 40 (or so) days.

Connect devices to set your current fitness

By connecting your wearable, HumanGO evaluates your training history and sets your current fitness. If you don’t have reliable data to reference, you can manually input key metrics, and Hugo (HumanGO’s virtual coach) will set it for you. Once you have this, you have your starting point.

Question 2 – What are my key metrics?

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Some may say Q2 should be, “What is my goal?” But this puts the cart before the horse—or the finish line before the work. Determining your thresholds, corresponding training zones, and capacity (fatigue tolerance) sets your training direction from day one and for the rest of the season as you optimize your training.

Test, test, test—for accurate data

Add a performance test to your training, ask Hugo to add one for you, do a lab test, take a known value from a recent training or racing bout, or even take a good guess using the “estimate threshold” feature in HumanGO. Get as accurate as you can—after all, it is the first big step in updating your training plan for the new season and making sure you start fresh with accurate data to drive every training session.

Question 3 – What is my goal?

Now, let’s talk about your finish line—your goal, your objective, your event. When updating your training plan for the new season, be realistic about how much time you can commit to your goal. If it’s a single-sport goal, consider cross-training or strength as part of the entire plan. If it’s a multi-sport goal, think seriously about how you can commit to each sport each week. Think holistically about how training fits into your life.

Your goal(s) can change and that’s okay

If things change, that’s okay! Hugo can recalculate training load and duration if things get a little wobbly—that’s the beauty of HumanGO. But it’s better to be realistic and set yourself up for success from the beginning.

It can also go the other way—you could excel and need to add more training! Wouldn’t that be great? The point is that data-driven decision-making is at the center of an optimized training plan. Give yourself enough time to train for your goal and consider adding a few shorter tests or supporting races along the way. Add these to your season and see Hugo put it all together.

Your training depends on your goal(s)

The specific requirements of your goal will determine your training. VO2 max workouts will show up more often in a short-course race plan than an ultra plan, for example—and these differences matter. Different races require different strategies.

Question 4 – How do I maintain my updated training plan?

Once you’ve cleaned up your training by establishing your fitness, performance metrics, and goals, Hugo will lead the way as you step into the new season.

But maintaining an updated plan means staying consistent and adjusting based on real-time data. Hugo will keep you in check, watching for anomalies in metrics, health, and subjective scores, ensuring your training remains on track and optimized.

Conclusion

Updating your training plan for a new season isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about ensuring that every session moves you closer to your best performance. By taking the time to reassess your fitness, define your key metrics, set realistic goals, and maintain consistency, you’ll start the season strong and keep progressing.

All the best with updating your training plan for the new season and fine-tuning your training strategy!

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Training

How to Transition from Indoor to Outdoor Training: Tips for Endurance Athletes

athletes running on sand

As the days grow longer and temperatures rise, endurance athletes look forward to transitioning from indoor workouts to outdoor training. Moving from the controlled environment of a treadmill, stationary bike, or indoor pool to the unpredictable elements of outdoor training requires a strategic approach. A smooth transition ensures optimal performance, injury prevention, and an enjoyable training experience.

If you’re looking for indoor to outdoor training tips to help you adapt safely and efficiently, follow this guide to make the shift with confidence.

Why Gradual Progression is Key

Jumping straight from indoor workouts to intense outdoor sessions can lead to burnout, overtraining, or injury. The key is to gradually increase exposure to outdoor elements so your body has time to adapt.

  • Runners: If you’ve been running on a treadmill all winter, start with short outdoor runs on softer surfaces like trails or grass before tackling concrete or asphalt.
  • Cyclists: Instead of immediately jumping into long road rides, ease in with shorter, moderate-intensity rides before increasing mileage or taking on hilly routes.
  • Swimmers: Moving from the pool to open water? Begin with shorter, wetsuit-assisted swims in calm conditions before progressing to rougher waters with waves and currents.

This gradual progression helps reduce shock to the muscles and joints, improving endurance and performance over time.

Adjusting to Outdoor Training Conditions

Unlike the controlled environment of indoor training, outdoor workouts come with wind resistance, terrain variation, and temperature fluctuations. Your body needs time to adapt:

Start with familiar routes and gradually introduce new challenges to build skill and confidence.

Preventing Injury with Strength & Mobility Work

Transitioning to outdoor endurance training puts new stress on your muscles, joints, and connective tissues. Strength training and mobility work should be a consistent part of your routine to prevent injuries like:

  • IT band syndrome (common in runners and cyclists)
  • Achilles tendonitis (common when switching to outdoor running)
  • Lower back pain (caused by poor cycling posture or lack of core strength)

Focus on core stability, hip mobility, and lower-body strength to maintain efficiency and injury resistance. Always include a proper warm-up and cool-down to support recovery.

Gear Checklist for Outdoor Training

Before heading outdoors, make sure your gear is in top condition to ensure safety and comfort:

  • Cyclists: Get a professional bike tune-up to check tire pressure, brakes, and drivetrain efficiency. Early season is a great time to reassess your bike fit.
  • Runners: Check your running shoes for wear and replace them if needed. Ensure proper traction for trails, wet conditions, or uneven surfaces.
  • Swimmers: Test your wetsuit fit, use tinted goggles for glare, and bring a safety swim buoy for visibility.

Well-maintained gear minimizes distractions and enhances outdoor training performance.

Use Humango’s AI to Guide Your Transition

Shifting from indoor to outdoor training requires smart adaptation, and Humango’s AI-driven training platform helps make the process seamless.

  • Adaptive Training Plans: Humango analyzes fitness data, recovery metrics, and training load to optimize workouts.
  • Real-Time Adjustments: If an outdoor session is harder than expected, Humango recalibrates upcoming workouts for proper recovery.
  • Fatigue & Readiness Tracking: By monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) and fatigue tolerance, Humango ensures you train efficiently without overreaching.

With AI-powered training guidance, you can confidently transition to outdoor training while reducing the risk of injury and burnout.

Embrace the Season with Confidence

  • Spring is the perfect time to take your endurance training outdoors. By progressing gradually, adapting to outdoor conditions, and using AI-driven training tools, you can train smarter, prevent injuries, and optimize your performance.
  • So lace up, clip in, and dive into the season—stronger, smarter, and ready for action!

Lance Watson is a world-renowned triathlon coach with over 30 years of experience, having guided athletes to Olympic Gold, Long Distance Triathlon victories, and World Championship titles. Watson is a holistic coach with a passion for training technology who guides both novice and professional athletes. Lance is the founder of LifeSport Coaching and is a coaching advisor with Humango, leveraging AI to enhance athlete training and performance.

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Training

When AI Meets Sports: A Story of Innovation in Training and Learning

Picture a typical Dutch winter evening – dark, cold, and not exactly inviting for a cyclist. As I looked out my window at the gloomy weather, I faced a familiar challenge: how to maintain fitness when outdoor cycling isn’t practical. That’s when my journey with AI-powered training began.

As a Computer Science educator, I’ve always been fascinated by AI’s potential. What started as a winter solution became a revelation about the future of learning itself.

How it works:

🎮 Through Zwift, my indoor rides transport me to virtual worlds where I’m never alone. I climb digital mountains alongside cyclists from across the globe, each pedal stroke in my Dutch home moving me through stunning digital landscapes.

🔄 My Kickr Move brings these virtual worlds to life. Its floating platform sways naturally as I climb, sprint, or descend, creating an uncanny connection between the digital and physical. When I tackle a virtual Alpine pass, my body moves as if I’m really there.

🤖 Orchestrating everything is Humango.ai and its AI companion, Hugo. More than just a training plan generator, Hugo becomes a 24/7 coach who understands my goals, adapts to my progress, and explains the science behind each workout. It’s like having a professor and coach rolled into one.

This system proved transformative. After years away from serious cycling, it helped me return to the Dolomites last summer – a goal that once seemed daunting became achievable through structured, intelligent preparation.

But the most fascinating part? Watching how these same principles could revolutionize education. In my classroom, I see students struggling with abstract concepts, just as I once struggled with unstructured training. What if we could make learning as immersive and adaptive as my training experience?

Imagine students exploring historical events in virtual worlds, learning mathematics through interactive visualizations, or practicing languages with AI tutors that never tire. Picture a learning environment where every student receives personalized guidance, immediate feedback, and the perfect level of challenge – just as Hugo provides in my training.

The parallels are striking:
• Engagement through immersion
• Personalization through AI
• Progress through immediate feedback
• Understanding through experience
• Growth through adaptive challenge

Next week’s integration between Humango and Zwift represents another step forward – platforms working together seamlessly, just as educational tools could. It’s not about replacing traditional methods; it’s about enhancing them through technology and intelligence.

Curious about bringing AI into your training journey? Or perhaps you’re interested in exploring these innovations through an Erasmus+ project? Let’s connect and imagine the future of learning together!

Written by: Guido van Dijk, Humango Ambassador

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Training

Turning Training Into A Lifestyle With Process-Based Training Goals

Turning Training Into A Lifestyle With Process-Based Training Goals

Endurance athletes often focus solely on setting outcome-based goals. These might be a new personal best, a podium finish, or hitting a specific power target. While these goals can motivate you, they can also become sources of stress, self-doubt, and burnout. 

This is where Hugo-the AI powerhouse behind Humango-can help shift your mindset from chasing outcomes to process-based training goals, fostering a sustainable, enjoyable approach to training.

Why Outcome-Based Goals Can Hold You Back

Outcome-based goals are results-driven objectives like:

  • Completing a race in under a certain time
  • Achieving a certain threshold or other power/pace number
  • Placing in the top 10 of a race

While these goals can be useful, they come with drawbacks:

  • They create pressure: The constant focus on results can tie your sense of self-worth to the outcome. If things start to unravel (even if it’s not your fault), it can be hugely demoralizing.
  • They’re often influenced by external factors: Weather, competition, illness, or life events can all impact performance, making goal achievement uncertain.
  • They can lead to burnout: If you constantly chase bigger and bigger goals, you may lose sight of why you started training in the first place.

The Power of Process-Based Training Goals

Shifting focus to process-based training goals means valuing your effort rather than just the outcome. This approach breeds long-term success and, more importantly, makes training enjoyable (and less stressful). Some process-focused goals include:

  • Sticking to your planned training schedule
  • Improving sleep and recovery habits
  • Fueling better for training sessions
  • Learning to enjoy each workout, regardless of the numbers

By embracing the process, you take control of your day-to-day actions rather than being controlled by unpredictable race-day variables.

How Hugo Supports Your Long-Term Success

Humango’s AI-powered training system optimizes your process-based training based on your performance, recovery, and adaptability. More importantly, it keeps you engaged and consistent without becoming obsessed with metrics alone.

1. Personalized Adaptive Training

Hugo dynamically adjusts your training based on how you’re responding to workloads. Instead of fixating on a rigid plan built for an arbitrary goal, you can focus on the journey and allow your progress to unfold naturally.

2. Data-Driven, But Not Data-Obsessed

Hugo provides insights into your training without overwhelming you with numbers. Instead of chasing a specific threshold, wattage, or pace goal, it encourages you to train within sustainable zones that align with your long-term development.

3. Encourages Recovery and Balance

One of the biggest risks of being too outcome-focused is overtraining. Hugo’s advanced fatigue detection model helps ensure you balance effort with recovery, keeping training sustainable and enjoyable.

4. Gamification and Positive Reinforcement

By visualizing progress and providing feedback, Hugo makes training feel like a game—rewarding consistency and smart training decisions rather than just big race results.

5. Focus on Enjoyment

With groups and social features that build togetherness and camaraderie with your peers, you can focus on what it means to be an individual athlete and celebrate the successes in day-to-day training.

What is process-based training in endurance sports?

Process-based training focuses on daily consistency, effort, and long-term progress rather than only race-day outcomes.

How does Hugo adjust my training plan?

Hugo analyzes your performance, recovery, and life circumstances to create an adaptive training schedule that keeps you progressing.

Embracing the Joy of Training

When you shift from an outcome-based mindset to focusing on consistent effort, you rediscover the joy of training:

  • Every workout becomes an opportunity for growth.
  • You celebrate small wins, like completing a tough workout or sticking to your routine.
  • You feel satisfaction in the process, not just the result.

Hugo provides the tools to make this transition easier, helping you stay engaged, motivated, and in love with the sport.

Final Thoughts

Chasing big goals isn’t inherently bad, but if it’s causing stress or making you feel disconnected from the joy of training, it might be time to shift your focus. With Humango, you can embrace the journey, train smarter, and enjoy the sport for what it truly is—a lifelong adventure in self-improvement and discovery.

Try Hugo today and start training smarter!

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Training

How to Stay on Track with Your Training Plan (Even When Life Gets in the Way)

Ever feel like you’re the only one struggling to stay on track with your training plan?” Do you ever wonder if moving a workout around, swapping another in, or dare I say it, skipping a workout completely is a-ok?

Why Sticking to a Plan Feels Hard

In a constantly changing world, with competing demands, and conflicting circumstances, it can take everything you have to stick to (what I call) “the absolutes” of a training plan. For decades, I have heard of the angst that a busy lifestyle can place on competing goals as they apply to endurance sports training. 

In the past, sticking to the absolutes of a training plan has been challenging for many of us to manage. So, no, it is not just you.

The real question is, “How can I be flexible and still have the confidence I’m getting the most out of my training?” The reality is that we all need a solution.

And thank goodness, Hugo, our AI-powered training coach is the answer we have all been needing. 

Meet Hugo: Your AI Training Solution

Hugo, HumanGO’s virtual coach empathizes. It knows life can get “lifey.” Time warps (yes, folks, time warps are real), kids need attention, and work needs you more than ever. BUT you will go feral if you don’t get ”me time”—your precious training time.

Hugo has superpowers.

It creates adaptive training plans, can re-plan your training, and adjust your sports and time in zone while considering intensity, duration, and recovery so you remain confident you’re getting the most out of your training.

The list of excuses is long: “I don’t feel like it,” “my goal isn’t that important,” “the dog ate my goggles,” “my socks don’t match.”

You know, the things people say.

But for many of us, this is a serious conversation. Your goals are important, you want to build healthy habits, you want to back yourself, you want to be prepared for race day, you need training plan flexibility, and you’re willing to do the work.  

How to Adjust Your Training Without Losing Progress

A typical week may be unpredictable for some, and very predictable for others. The amount of predictability can be determined by the type of work you do, your family situation, health, injury, holidays/travel, location, sickness, new or changing races or events, other commitments, and so on.

We need our training to be flexible enough to manage all these scenarios. 

As recently as this past week, I took advantage of Hugo’s superpowers. I wasn’t able to get to the running prescribed on my calendar. Two things happened, and life got “lifey.” 

Is it okay to skip a workout in my training plan?

It was stormy (we are talking snow, ice, and sub-freezing conditions) and I was also traveling for 3 days and couldn’t access a pool. I moved the workouts around that I knew I could get to, made a slight adjustment to my availability, then set Hugo to work by selecting “re-plan.”

I knew that although my training was different from the initial prescription, it was optimized to my needs. I felt good I was still making the most of my available training windows and didn’t feel guilty I was missing out.

What is Hugo’s re-plan feature?

Hugo performs weekly analyses of your training and suggests a replan if it detects any fatigue or discrepancies from your training plan. Differences in fitness, fatigue, and training load are considered when regenerating your plan.

How do I adjust my training when I’m busy?

Humango allows you to manually and automatically adjust your training when life gets in the way. There’ll be many reasons why you might want to replan your training. 

Sometimes you might want to replan your training manually and sometimes you want Hugo to automatically replan for you. Manual replanning is when you initiate a re-plan, while automatic replanning is when Hugo notices a change in your training, your compliance, or changes in your availability or goals and automatically triggers a replan.

Take Control of Your Training with Hugo

Next time you wonder how to stay on track with your training, I hope you use Hugo’s re-plan feature. Let HumanGO give you training plan flexibility and allow Hugo to adjust your workouts so you can continue confidently towards your next goal knowing you are truly optimizing your training to your life.

Try Hugo Today – Get the Most Out of Your Training!

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Training

Psychological Strategies for Endurance Athletes When Things Don’t Go As Planned

Endurance training isn’t just about logging miles, hitting interval splits, or nailing nutrition. If it were that simple, we’d all be standing on podiums. But the real secret to top performance? It’s the six inches between your ears. Mental strategies for athletic performance separate good athletes from great ones. And the best part? You don’t need genetic gifts to master them—just a commitment to training your brain as hard as you train your body.

The Power of a Growth Mindset

When you’re deep in the pain cave, what’s your inner monologue? Are you telling yourself, “I’m just not strong enough,” or “I can’t handle this”? If so, it’s time for a mental upgrade. A growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can develop with effort—can transform your performance. Athletes who adopt a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to improve rather than threats to their ego.

Instead of thinking, “I’ll never be able to hold this pace,” try reframing it: “Holding this pace is tough now, but the more I practice, the easier it’ll get.” Research shows that athletes with a growth mindset persist longer, adapt faster, and handle setbacks better. So next time your coach throws a brutal workout at you, remember: struggle means you’re getting stronger.

Psychological Skills Training: Your Secret Weapon

If you lift weights to build strength and do intervals to increase speed, why wouldn’t you train your mind to optimize focus, resilience, and emotional control? Psychological skills training (PST) is the structured practice of mental techniques to enhance performance. Think of it as strength training for your brain.

Here are three PST techniques to start using today:

1. Visualization: See It to Believe It

Elite athletes don’t just train their bodies—they train their brains to anticipate success. Before your next race or key workout, take a few minutes to close your eyes and mentally rehearse. See yourself executing the plan perfectly, feeling strong, and crossing the finish line with power.

Science backs this up: studies have shown that mental imagery activates the same neural pathways as physical practice. If you’re mentally prepared for success, your body is more likely to follow suit.

2. Self-Talk: Your Inner Coach

Would you tell your best training partner, “You’re slow, you’re weak, and you should just quit”? No? Then why say it to yourself? Self-talk is one of the most powerful mental strategies for athletic performance, and the good news is you’re already doing it—whether you realize it or not.

Start replacing negative thoughts with constructive, empowering ones. Instead of “I can’t do this,” try “I’ve trained for this.” Instead of “I’m dying,” say “I’m working hard, and that’s a good thing.” A well-trained inner dialogue can keep you focused and resilient when the going gets tough.

3. Emotional Awareness: Control the Chaos

Emotions are like wild horses—if you don’t learn to rein them in, they’ll run the show. Emotional awareness in endurance training means recognizing how your emotions impact performance and developing strategies to manage them.

Feeling nervous before a race? That’s not a bad thing—nerves mean you care. Instead of trying to suppress them, acknowledge the feeling and reframe it: “This energy will help me perform.” Frustrated mid-race? Use it to fuel a surge instead of spiraling into self-doubt.

Building Mental Resilience: How to Handle Setbacks

Every endurance athlete, from weekend warriors to world champions, faces setbacks. Injuries, bad races, missed workouts—it’s part of the game. But what separates those who come back stronger from those who crumble is mental resilience.

To develop resilience:

  • Embrace adversity. Hard days make strong athletes. Instead of fearing failure, see it as part of the process.
  • Control the controllables. Weather, competition, race-day mishaps—many factors are out of your hands. Focus on what you can control: your effort, preparation, and mindset.
  • Have a short memory. Dwelling on a bad race won’t make it better. Learn what you can, then move on.

The Mind-Body Connection: Training Smarter, Not Just Harder

Mental toughness isn’t about grinding yourself into the ground—it’s about knowing when to push and when to back off. Endurance training is a balance of stress and recovery, and your brain plays a crucial role in managing that equation.

Listen to your body and trust your training. Feeling fatigued beyond normal? It’s not weakness—it’s information. A smart athlete knows that proper recovery is just as important as the hardest training session.

Put It All Together: Mental Training for Peak Performance

Now that you have these mental tools, how do you implement them? Start small. Pick one or two psychological skills training techniques and work them into your routine. Maybe it’s a pre-workout visualization, a self-talk mantra during tough intervals, or a daily check-in on your emotional awareness.

The goal is consistency. Just like physical training, mental training requires regular practice. But the payoff? A stronger, more resilient athlete who can handle whatever the road, trail, or race course throws at them.

So go ahead—train your brain, embrace the challenge, and unlock your full potential. Because endurance isn’t just a test of the body—it’s a test of the mind. And now, you’re ready to ace it.

This article was inspired by our webinar with Dr. Scott Frey. Dive deeper into these principles with the webinar here:

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Training

Turn Habits into PRs: Building an Endurance Training Routine That Works for You

Endurance athletes dream of achieving personal bests, but consistency is the key to long-term progress and achieving those personal records (PRs). The best way to reach your goals isn’t through short bursts of intense effort—it’s by developing sustainable training habits that integrate seamlessly into your lifestyle. When training becomes a habit rather than a chore, improvement follows naturally. With the help of AI-driven coaching and feedback from Hugo, Humango’s Virtual Coach, athletes can receive personalized and adaptive routines that make progress inevitable.

The Power of Habit in Endurance Training

Success in endurance sports doesn’t come from occasional big efforts but from the small, consistent actions you take every day. Forming habits around training, recovery, and skill development ensures that your progress is steady and sustainable. However, building these habits can be challenging when life’s responsibilities—work, family, and social commitments—compete for your time. This is where AI coaching steps in to help.

How Hugo Helps Build Training Habits

Hugo, Humango’s AI-powered Virtual Coach, creates an adaptive training plan that fits into your life rather than forcing you to fit into a rigid schedule. By analyzing your workload, training history, fatigue levels, and time availability, Hugo ensures that your training remains both effective and realistic.

Here’s how:

  • Personalized Adaptation: Whether you’re a busy professional or managing family commitments, Hugo continuously adjusts your training based on your real-time availability and performance trends.
  • Data-Driven Adjustments: Using AI, Hugo monitors key metrics like Heart Rate Variability (HRV), sleep quality, and training load to suggest modifications, ensuring you train at the right intensity while preventing burnout.
  • Habit Reinforcement: By delivering structured workouts that align with your daily routine, Hugo helps you build consistency, reinforcing positive training behaviors over time.
  • Motivation: Hugo delivers real-time feedback and motivation tailored to an athlete’s training data, helping refine performance and maintain engagement.

Creating a Habit-Driven Training Routine

  1. Set a Realistic Training Schedule – You can adjust your availability according to life demands and training facility access, and Hugo will plan around these parameters. With Hugo’s AI-driven scheduling, you can create a routine that works for you instead of feeling forced into a one-size-fits-all plan.
  2. Make Training Automatic – Consistency is easier when workouts become a natural part of your day. Linking training sessions to existing habits—like running right after your morning coffee—can help make them automatic.
  3. Track Progress and Adapt – With Hugo analyzing your performance data, you’ll receive real-time feedback and training adjustments, keeping you on track while minimizing the risk of overtraining.
  4. Prioritize Recovery and Skill Development – PRs don’t just come from hard training; recovery and skill refinement are equally important. Hugo incorporates these elements into your plan to ensure balanced improvement.
  5. Stay Motivated with Small Wins – Celebrate improvements beyond PRs, such as better pacing, improved technique, or increased training consistency. Small victories reinforce habits and lead to long-term success.

Conclusion

Turning training into a habit is the secret to unlocking your best performance. Hugo can develop a sustainable and personalized endurance training routine that not only fits into your life but also leads to real improvements. When training consistency meets intelligent adaptation, PRs become a natural byproduct of the process.

Lance Watson is a world-renowned triathlon coach with over 30 years of experience, having guided athletes to Olympic Gold, Long Distance Triathlon victories, and World Championship titles. Watson is a holistic coach with a passion for training technology who guides both novice and professional athletes. Lance is the founder of LifeSport Coaching and is a coaching advisor with Humango, leveraging AI to enhance athlete training and performance.

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Training

The Powerful Secrets of Women’s Endurance with Daniela Ryf & Ruth Edwards

Endurance sports have long been seen as a test of physical and mental grit, and women have continually shattered expectations. From ultra-distance cycling to Ironman triathlons, women athletes are proving that their physiological and psychological strengths make them uniquely suited for endurance competition. In a recent discussion featuring world-class triathlete Daniela Ryf and national champion Ruth Edwards, professional cyclists for Human Powered Health Cycling, the conversation highlighted the power of women’s endurance, the role of physiology, and the mental strategies that drive success.

The Science Behind Women’s Endurance Performance

Research increasingly shows that women have unique advantages in endurance sports. Their ability to metabolize fat more efficiently, sustain steady energy output, and demonstrate greater resistance to fatigue makes them well-suited for long-duration efforts.

Hormonal fluctuations, however, can also present challenges. Tracking the menstrual cycle and understanding its impact on performance can help athletes optimize their training and race-day strategy.

Ruth Edwards emphasized the value of tracking her cycle to anticipate changes in energy levels, anxiety, and recovery needs. By planning around these fluctuations, she maximizes her performance rather than letting her cycle be an unpredictable variable.

Pushing Through Adversity: Training and Racing on Tough Days

Another compelling part of our women’s endurance conversation was Daniela Ryf’s approach to racing, even when her body wasn’t at 100%. When asked if she ever considered not starting a race due to her cycle, she responded with an emphatic no. For her, once she commits to a race, she follows through—regardless of how she feels that day. While some days require taking painkillers to manage discomfort, she focuses on giving her best in whatever capacity she has in the moment.

Edwards shared a similar mindset, noting that as a professional road cyclist, racing 40-70 times a year means that some races will inevitably fall on difficult days. Rather than allowing discomfort to derail her efforts, she embraces preparation and awareness. She highlighted that knowing her hormonal cycle in advance allows her to adjust expectations and strategies accordingly—whether that means fueling differently, managing race-day anxiety, or setting realistic goals based on her body’s needs.

The Importance of Training Partners and Community in Women’s Endurance Sports

Endurance sports often seem like an individual pursuit, but Ryf and Edwards both emphasized the deep connections forged through training and racing together. Ryf recalled how her early years in triathlon were shaped by training with an older athlete, which motivated her to push beyond her limits. Having someone to chase and learn from helped her evolve more rapidly as a junior athlete.

Training partners not only provide motivation but also create a sense of accountability. The camaraderie built through shared suffering and success fosters friendships that extend far beyond the finish line. Edwards reflected on how even if she doesn’t see certain training partners often, their influence on her career and mindset remains strong. The relationships built in endurance sports last a lifetime.

Adapting to the Realities of Women’s Endurance and Physiology

One of the key takeaways from the discussion was that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing endurance performance as a woman. Each athlete must learn how their body responds to different phases of their cycle, how their energy levels fluctuate, and what strategies work best for them.

Some women, like Ryf, push through pain and discomfort without hesitation. Others, like Edwards, use tracking to plan and adjust expectations in advance. Neither approach is superior—the key is self-awareness and strategic adaptation.

Moving Forward: The Future of Women in Endurance Sports

As more conversations like this one take place, the stigma around discussing menstrual cycles, hormonal changes, and endurance performance continues to fade. Women are learning to harness their physiology rather than fight against it. More research, coaching resources, and technological advancements in cycle tracking will continue to empower women athletes to perform at their best.

For endurance athletes looking to optimize their training, the key lessons from Ryf and Edwards are clear:

  • Track your cycle to understand how it affects performance.
  • Embrace discomfort and adjust expectations without losing sight of your goals.
  • Lean on your community—training partners and teammates can be invaluable sources of motivation.
  • Trust your resilience—women’s endurance is not just a biological advantage but also a mental strength developed through consistent effort and adaptation.

By adopting these strategies, athletes of all levels can maximize their endurance potential and redefine what’s possible in the world of endurance sports.

If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here:

If you’d like to start training with an intuitive program that can adjust based on how you’re feeling, try out Humango.

Categories
Training

Dear Doubt: I’m an Athlete Now (And Here’s How)

I used to believe that being an athlete was reserved for people who never wavered—those who spring out of bed, lace up their shoes, and charge into a workout without a second thought. The ones who sign up for races with total confidence because, well, they’re athletes. Yet here I am, planning my own race calendar for 2025 and still flinching every time someone uses that word to describe me.

But old habits die hard, right?

For most of my life, “athlete” felt like an ill-fitting label. I wrestle with endometriosis; some days, I wake up fine, and others, I’m on the floor in pain, robbed of every ounce of energy. That unpredictability convinced me I couldn’t commit to any athletic goals. Consistency felt foreign, so I stopped trying. Why set myself up for disappointment when my body might “fail” me?

Then, in my early 30s, I was sexually assaulted, and anything that pushed my heart rate to its threshold triggered flashbacks. Fear took hold. I avoided every challenge that might jolt my mind or body into dangerous territory. 

I truly was at rock bottom when a tiny spark inside of me lit up at the idea of From The Ground Up. From the Ground Up (FTGU) is a program that pushes beginner cyclists toward some of the toughest races in the country. For 2024, that meant SBT GRVL’s Black Course—125 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing. I submitted my application video—but my nerves got the best of me, and I deleted it. I actually had to call Vimeo to have it restored once I decided to face my fears and go for it. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt when I was accepted. I truly never thought I could do this, but sometimes we discover our hidden reserves of strength at the exact moment we need them most.

Falling in Love with the Uphill

When I first started training for SBT GRVL, everything felt impossible—every climb, descent, and flat section exposed new fears. That fear hit hardest during a climbing-focused ride in Boulder, Colorado. It took me over three hours to ride (and walk) up ten miles, and a mile and a half from the summit, I almost quit convinced I didn’t have what it takes. By the time I reached the top, my body swelled with awe. The view was gorgeous, but it was realizing I’d powered myself there—two legs, one pounding heart—that brought me to tears. I was witnessing a new version of myself I never knew existed. Once I leaned into the burn, uphill battles—literal and metaphorical—became less like ordeals and more like invitations to see what I’m really capable of.

Enter Humango

That’s where Humango comes in. I was nervous to dive into any kind of training plan because of my history: my body could betray me at any moment, and my mind was still fragile from trauma. But Humango felt different. On days when endometriosis reared its vicious head, the plan shifted with me instead of berating me. It adapted to my body, my pace, and my reality.

Day by day, I saw small changes in my strength and endurance. More importantly, I saw changes in my confidence. Slowly, that shaky fear of pushing my heart rate started to subside as I realized I was in control—supported by a tool that truly recognized my needs.

Before I knew it, I was on the start line of SBT GRVL. All 125 miles, 10,000 feet of climbing, and one ever-beating heart inside a person who once believed “athlete” would never describe her. Crossing that finish line wasn’t just about the miles behind me. It symbolized every moment I’d spent quietly doubting myself. It was the final exorcism of that voice in my head saying, You can’t do this. It turned out I could. 

So, Am I an Athlete?

It took a long time to say it out loud, but yes—I think I am. Being an athlete isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up despite the doubts, pain, and past. Each time you show up, you chip away at old narratives, making room for something new and powerful to unfold. In 2025, I’ll keep relying on Humango as I reach for bigger goals. Some people train for medals and podiums; I train to remind myself I’m still here, still fighting, and still capable of astonishing things.

If you’re wondering if Humango really works, I can only speak my truth: it worked for me. It took me from feeling powerless to finishing one of the toughest gravel races in the country. It built my strength and confidence gradually, on my terms, in this body that comes with flare-ups, panic attacks, and all. And for me, that’s everything.

Written by: Brandilee, Humango Ambassador

Photos by: Robert Barranco