The Long Game Project

svein tuft

The Long Game Project There comes a point where things start to shift. You don’t bounce back quite the same. The numbers don’t come as easily. The body talks back more. And whether you like it or not, there’s this quiet narrative that creeps in—maybe this is where you ease off… maybe this is where you let it go. This podcast pushes back against that. The Long Game Project is built on a simple idea: getting older doesn’t mean you’re done. It doesn’t mean you stop chasing things, testing yourself, or seeing what you’re capable of. If anything, it means the opposite. It means you get more intentional. More focused. More connected to why you’re doing it in the first place. This is about continuing to do hard things. Not recklessly. Not blindly. But deliberately. It’s about asking: What am I still capable of? And then going out and finding out. Because yes—things change. You may not recover like you used to. You may not hit the same numbers. You may not be as robust. But that doesn’t mean you stop. It means you adapt. You evolve. You find a different way forward. And you keep going. At this stage, it takes more vigilance than ever. Not the kind you needed in your twenties, where you could get away with cutting corners. This is different. Now it’s about discipline at a higher level. Paying attention to sleep, nutrition, stress, recovery. Showing up consistently. Making the right decisions when no one’s watching. Because the margin gets smaller. And that’s not a bad thing. It sharpens you. It forces you to be honest about what matters. It forces you to train smarter, live better, and take ownership of the process. Discipline becomes the foundation—not as restriction, but as a way to keep doing the things you care about at a meaningful level. This podcast brings together stories from athletes and everyday people navigating that same space. Some are still performing at a high level. Some are rediscovering it. Some are just getting started. All of them are figuring out how to balance: performance and longevityambition and responsibilityfamily, work, and personal driveBecause life doesn’t slow down just because you want to train. So how do you make it work? How do you keep chasing meaningful goals while being present for your family? How do you stay sharp without burning everything else down? There’s a bigger question underneath all of this: What does a good life actually look like? For me, it’s always been about quality. About being able to move, push, and feel alive. About not arriving at the later years completely worn down from avoiding the very things that make life meaningful. This isn’t about self-destruction. It’s about intention. And it matters beyond just you. Because how you live sets an example—for your kids, for the people around you. Showing that you don’t have to give things up just because you hit a certain number. That you can still care, still commit, still go all in. About the host I’m Svein Tuft. I spent years as a professional cyclist, racing at the highest level—winning a stage at the Tour de France, competing in Grand Tours, standing on the podium at the World Championships, and becoming a national time trial and road champion. But this project isn’t about looking back. It’s about what comes next. These days, I’m still chasing that edge—through time trials, endurance challenges, and projects like FKT Challenges and bikepacking routes. Not to relive the past, but to see how far I can still go. Because the goal isn’t to hold onto who I was. It’s to keep evolving into who I am now. Welcome to The Long Game Project.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Geoff Kabush Legendary Canadian Mountain biker

    Geoff Kabush on Racing Longevity, Skill, Doping Era Survival, and Still Finding New Adventures Svein Tuft talks with mountain bike legend Geoff Kabush about building a decades-long career, from growing up in the Comox Valley and discovering cycling in his teens to racing internationally as a junior in 1995. Kabush describes the mid-’90s “glory days” of XC racing, his formative years in Victoria, and the long-term development approach shaped by coach Jürg Feldmann’s physiology-driven mentorship. He explains why he still races at 49—variety, adventure, and staying fit—while noting age-related changes in recovery and repeat intensity. They discuss modern athlete pressures, social media, development mistakes like rushing to Europe, and the importance of balance. Kabush reflects on equipment evolution, experimenting with 1x drivetrains and 32-inch gravel wheels, and speaks candidly about doping’s impact, why he spoke out, and his pride in winning the 2009 Bromont World Cup. 00:00 Welcome To Long Game 00:42 GripGrab Sponsor Shoutout 01:34 Meet Geoff Kabush 02:18 Home Base In Squamish 03:46 Early Sports And First Bikes 05:19 Solo Trip To Worlds 1995 08:01 Nineties MTB Glory Days 09:40 Victoria Years And Breakthrough 12:26 Coach Jurg Long View 15:11 Why Keep Racing 19:06 Aging And Recovery Changes 23:46 Experience Skills And Tactics 26:02 Training Week Now 27:27 Next Gen Pressures 31:07 Advice For Young Riders 38:49 Staying Motivated With Goals 43:13 Trainer Or Racer Mindset 44:05 Offseason Training Love 45:14 Racing Beyond World Cups 47:38 32 Inch Gravel Experiment 49:41 Bike Tech Evolution 52:51 Early Gear and Setup 55:10 One By and Wide Bars 57:48 BC Skills Advantage 01:00:15 Speaking Out on Doping 01:04:58 Exposure and Career Fallout 01:10:20 Truth Reconciliation Debate 01:19:17 Proudest Win at Home 01:25:10 Advice and Long Game 01:27:36 Semi Retired Adventures 01:29:34 Thanks and Sponsors

    Geoff Kabush Legendary Canadian Mountain biker
  2. Jul 1

    Metabolic cart testing and Respiratory training

    What does your body actually do during a long ride — and how do you find out? In this episode, Svein sits down with performance physiologist Steve Neal, who traveled to Nelson, BC with his full metabolic cart setup to put the Svein through a comprehensive testing session ahead of the BC Epic 1000 — a 1,040 km ultra-endurance race. This isn't a standard VO2 max test. Steve's protocol goes far deeper, measuring fat oxidation, carbohydrate crossover, ventilatory thresholds, muscle oxygen (via Moxy sensors), spirometry, and recovery response — all in a single session. The result? More actionable data than most world tour riders ever receive. In this episode, we cover: Why shorter ramp tests miss most of what matters — and why longer protocols reveal the full pictureFat max vs. metabolic efficiency: what they are, how to improve them, and why the difference matters for multi-day eventsVT1 and VT2: the ventilatory thresholds most coaches ignore, and what it means when they collapse together (hint: you're probably more tired than you think)The Moxy muscle oxygen sensor — what it shows on a working muscle vs. a non-working one, and why the bicep reading can be more revealing than the quadThe recovery test: why your heart rate recovering doesn't mean your respiratory system hasSpirometry and FEV1: how lung function testing on the bike reveals a limiter almost no one is trainingBreathing mechanics — nasal vs. mouth, diaphragmatic vs. chest, and how slowing your respiratory rate at a fixed wattage can change your metabolism in real timeRespiratory training devices: SpiroTiger, Breathe Way Better, AeroFit, and the Go2 mouthpiece — what each does and when to use themThe zone 2 problem: why training at your fat max wattage might actually make you worse if that number is too lowThe freediving connection: what elite breath-hold athletes know about thoracic mobility that cyclists are completely missingThe headline result from today's test: fat max improved from 280 to 320 watts compared to the previous test — while the athlete is two years older. That's the kind of data that changes how you train. Whether you're preparing for a 1,000 km bikepacking race or just trying to understand why long rides feel harder than they should, this episode gives you a framework for thinking about endurance performance that goes well beyond watts and heart rate. Guest: Steve Neal, performance physiologist and metabolic testing specialist based in British Columbia. steve@stevenealperformance.com Svein Tuft tuftcamps.com tuftcamps@gmail.com @svein.tuft on instagram

    Metabolic cart testing and Respiratory training
  3. Jun 9

    All about Fatmax with Steve

    Steve Neal joins the Svein to answer a listener question from Chris O'Leary (New Zealand) on FatMax: what it actually means, why it matters, and how to improve it. What You'll Learn FatMax defined: The highest fat oxidation rate with the least carbohydrate contribution — not just peak fat burning. On a metabolic cart, fat oxidation can stay flat across multiple power steps while carbs double underneath it. The precise crossover point is what matters. Fat-carb crossover point: Two athletes can share the same FatMax wattage but have crossover points 100+ watts apart. This — not FatMax alone — determines how long and comfortably you can ride. Target numbers for masters cyclists: FatMax at 175–200W is solid; 225W is exceptional. A healthy FatMax-to-FTP ratio is 70–75%. The crossover point should sit above FatMax. High FTP, low FatMax? Yes. From four recent tests, FatMax ranged from 53–82% of FTP among athletes with similar thresholds. FTP alone doesn't tell the metabolic efficiency story. What moves the needle: Nutrition likely drives the majority of FatMax improvement — roughly 90% of bodyweight (lbs) in daily protein, 1:1–2:1 carb-to-protein ratio, fat to satiety. On the training side, riding consistently 5–10W below FatMax is the key lever. One athlete's crossover point shifted from 110W to 210W in four months. Recovery data: After a 500K ultra, FatMax held steady post-race but the crossover point dropped sharply — and took 10–14 days of rest to fully recover. Most athletes restart too soon. Guest Steve Neal — Exercise physiologist, metabolic testing specialist, endurance coach. Listener Question "Everyone talks about FatMax but no one puts it into a useful context. How do we actually use it?" — Chris O'Leary, New Zealand The Long Game Project — performance for the long haul.

    All about Fatmax with Steve
  4. May 4

    Steve Neal of Steve Neal performance

    This is the first guest episode of the Long Game Project, and it felt important to start with someone who really sets the tone for what this is all about. Steve Neal is a coach with over 30 years of experience working with endurance athletes, from development level all the way through to high performance. He’s known for his deep understanding of physiology, testing, and how to actually apply that information in the real world. But more than that, he’s someone who has spent a long time figuring out what truly works—and what doesn’t. In this conversation, we get into a few key ideas that come up again and again when it comes to training, especially as athletes get older. We talk about what actually changes as we age—and what doesn’t. Why so many people end up training too hard, and how that can quietly hold them back. How to think about testing in a way that actually helps, rather than just collecting numbers. And what really moves the needle when you’re balancing training with work, family, and everything else that comes with life. A big part of this conversation is around consistency—figuring out what you can repeat over time, rather than chasing short-term gains. We also get into the idea that you can’t train everything at once. There are trade-offs, and understanding what you’re actually trying to improve is key. Steve shares a lot of practical insight from years of coaching, including how to avoid overtraining, why leaving something in the tank matters, and how to build fitness in a way that lasts. This one isn’t about shortcuts or perfect answers. It’s about building a better understanding of the process, and finding a way to keep improving over the long term. Topics Covered What actually changes as we get older—and what doesn’t Why most people train too hard (and how it backfires) The “5% undertrained vs 1% overtrained” idea How to use testing to understand your own physiology FatMax, VO2, and why you can’t train everything at once What really moves the needle for busy athletes Consistency and repeatability in training Strength, mobility, and staying in the sport long term Connect with Steve Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenealperformance/⁠ Email: steve@stevenealperformance.com Connect with Me Email: tuftcamps@gmail.com If you have questions or topics you’d like covered in future episodes, send them through—I’ll do my best to get to them. If You Enjoyed This Episode Follow the podcast on your platform of choice, leave a review if you can, and share it with someone who might get something out of it. That’s the whole idea—build something useful and pass it along.

    Steve Neal of Steve Neal performance

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

The Long Game Project There comes a point where things start to shift. You don’t bounce back quite the same. The numbers don’t come as easily. The body talks back more. And whether you like it or not, there’s this quiet narrative that creeps in—maybe this is where you ease off… maybe this is where you let it go. This podcast pushes back against that. The Long Game Project is built on a simple idea: getting older doesn’t mean you’re done. It doesn’t mean you stop chasing things, testing yourself, or seeing what you’re capable of. If anything, it means the opposite. It means you get more intentional. More focused. More connected to why you’re doing it in the first place. This is about continuing to do hard things. Not recklessly. Not blindly. But deliberately. It’s about asking: What am I still capable of? And then going out and finding out. Because yes—things change. You may not recover like you used to. You may not hit the same numbers. You may not be as robust. But that doesn’t mean you stop. It means you adapt. You evolve. You find a different way forward. And you keep going. At this stage, it takes more vigilance than ever. Not the kind you needed in your twenties, where you could get away with cutting corners. This is different. Now it’s about discipline at a higher level. Paying attention to sleep, nutrition, stress, recovery. Showing up consistently. Making the right decisions when no one’s watching. Because the margin gets smaller. And that’s not a bad thing. It sharpens you. It forces you to be honest about what matters. It forces you to train smarter, live better, and take ownership of the process. Discipline becomes the foundation—not as restriction, but as a way to keep doing the things you care about at a meaningful level. This podcast brings together stories from athletes and everyday people navigating that same space. Some are still performing at a high level. Some are rediscovering it. Some are just getting started. All of them are figuring out how to balance: performance and longevityambition and responsibilityfamily, work, and personal driveBecause life doesn’t slow down just because you want to train. So how do you make it work? How do you keep chasing meaningful goals while being present for your family? How do you stay sharp without burning everything else down? There’s a bigger question underneath all of this: What does a good life actually look like? For me, it’s always been about quality. About being able to move, push, and feel alive. About not arriving at the later years completely worn down from avoiding the very things that make life meaningful. This isn’t about self-destruction. It’s about intention. And it matters beyond just you. Because how you live sets an example—for your kids, for the people around you. Showing that you don’t have to give things up just because you hit a certain number. That you can still care, still commit, still go all in. About the host I’m Svein Tuft. I spent years as a professional cyclist, racing at the highest level—winning a stage at the Tour de France, competing in Grand Tours, standing on the podium at the World Championships, and becoming a national time trial and road champion. But this project isn’t about looking back. It’s about what comes next. These days, I’m still chasing that edge—through time trials, endurance challenges, and projects like FKT Challenges and bikepacking routes. Not to relive the past, but to see how far I can still go. Because the goal isn’t to hold onto who I was. It’s to keep evolving into who I am now. Welcome to The Long Game Project.

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