Training Babble: Off-Road Insights for Mountain Bike and Gravel Cycling

Dave Schell
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Real talk on endurance training for gravel and MTB racing. Host Dave Schell coaches and races events like Leadville 100 and Unbound 200, and each episode brings in coaches, physiologists, and industry insiders to dig into the physiology, nutrition, tactics, and training science that actually moves the needle for off-road endurance cyclists. 

  1. 13. Aug.

    Everything you need to know about the Leadville 100 MTB Reroute with Kevin Goldberg

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary Dave sits down with ultra runner (and self-described "clueless cyclist") Kevin Goldberg to break down the newly released course changes for the 2026 Leadville Trail 100 MTB. If you've dreaded the Power Line hike-a-bike, wondered why the buckle cutoffs suddenly got 45 minutes tighter, or you're just trying to figure out how to pace a course you've never ridden, this episode is for you. What we cover: Why cutting Hagerman Pass, Sugarloaf, and Power Line from the course could make 2026 significantly faster than the new buckle cutoffs account forHow Kevin's winter of running the exact reroute miles around Turquoise Lake gives him rare insight into terrain most riders have never seenA segment-by-segment breakdown of the new course, from the fast road start through St. Kevin's, the new paved descent, and Turquoise Lake Road's punchy east-side climbsWhy the old Carter Summit-to-Outward Bound stretch could take up to an hour off riders' times by swapping Power Line's hike-a-bike for a rideable roadThe subtle Columbine change that adds a little time back onto the course after a few years without it, and why most riders end up hiking the goat trail anywayWhy traffic and congestion, not just grade, made Power Line one of the biggest bottlenecks in Leadville history, and how removing it opens up room to actually race your own racePredictions on whether the new buckle cutoffs undercorrect for the faster course, and why more buckles could be earned this yearWhat racers should know about the smoldering (but contained) wildfire near Leadville, and why seeing smoke doesn't always mean bad air qualityA timely heads-up about bears and moose showing up around Leadville this season, and how to keep your Airbnb and car secureWhere to find Kevin at the Leadville expo, plus a plug for his podcast, Distance to Empty

    Everything you need to know about the Leadville 100 MTB Reroute with Kevin Goldberg

  2. 22. Juli

    Nutrition Considerations for Leadville and other High Altitude Races with Uri Carlson

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary  Dave and Uri Carlson (Inner Wild Nutrition) break down how altitude and heat change the fueling and hydration game for high altitude and heat. If you've ever bonked at Leadville, chugged water at 10,000 feet and still felt awful, or wondered why your usual race nutrition falls apart on longer efforts, this episode is for you. What we cover: Why altitude hydration is about electrolyte and fluid balance, not just drinking more water, and how appetite suppression at elevation fights against your body's higher calorie and carb demandsHow to build up from your proven fueling baseline in small, testable increments instead of overhauling your whole strategyWhy you need a Plan A, B, and C for fueling, and how to use drop bags and aid stations so a failing strategy doesn't wreck your raceThe research on carb dosing: why total carbs per hour matters more than whether you take it in one big bolus or several small dosesHow heat adds its own physiological stress on top of altitude, shunting blood from your gut and shrinking your carb tolerance, and why cooling strategies are part of your fueling planSodium and hydration targets: what sweat testing reveals, and why most athletes only need 400-600mg of sodium per hour, not the "more is better" approachThe biggest mistake newcomers make at altitude: underfueling during travel and pre-race days because routine and appetite are disruptedStage race recovery: the 45-minute and 4-hour windows that matter most, and how to keep eating even after a brutal dayWhy ferritin, vitamin D, and iron status deserve attention three-plus months out, and why normal lab reference ranges don't apply to endurance athletes

    Nutrition Considerations for Leadville and other High Altitude Races with Uri Carlson

  3. 1. Juli

    Durability with Matti Rowe

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary Dave and Matty break down durability, the fitness quality that actually determines whether you finish strong or fall apart late in a long race. If you've ever wondered why your FTP keeps climbing but your race results don't, this episode is for you. What we cover: Why durability matters more than FTP for gravel and ultra-endurance events, and what race-winning efforts actually look like in a power fileThe kilojoule bucket rule: a simple way to know if your training volume is enough to actually race your event hardHow to measure durability without a lab, including the five-minute ratio test Matty uses with his athletesWhy the "yes, no, maybe" pacing framework is the most honest way to know if you're going the right speedThe dimensions of durability most athletes ignore: strength, mobility, riding positions, and technical skillsHow to train durability when you only have six hours a week (and why intensity is not the answer)Why volume adaptations take four to six weeks and why you need durable expectations to go with your durable fitnessBack-to-back long rides, mini volume blocks, and why doing work ugly is the whole point

    Durability with Matti Rowe

  4. 3. Juni

    Addressing Knee and Lower Back Pain with Martin Kumm

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary In this episode of the Training Babble Podcast, host Dave Schell and guest Martin Kumm discuss why cyclists get hurt and what to do about it. Martin, a sports chiropractor for Team EF Pro Cycling, breaks down the mechanics behind knee and back pain, explains why bike fit is only part of the equation, and introduces a framework for understanding how load, tissue capacity, and recovery all interact. They explore the creep principle, the kinetic chain, and why pain location is rarely the same as pain source. The conversation also covers the role of the nervous system in recovery, how life stress affects your ability to absorb training, and simple self-tests athletes can use at home to identify their own restrictions. Martin closes with a reframe that ties injury prevention and performance together as the same goal. Takeaways Too much load plus not enough capacity equals injury. Every overuse injury traces back to that formula.There are two injury mechanisms: acute overload and chronic accumulation. Knowing which one you're dealing with changes how you recover from it.The creep principle means tissue under constant load gradually deforms and loses capacity, often before pain ever appears.Bike fit matters, but body capacity matters more. The best fit in the world won't protect tissue that hasn't adapted to the demands of that position.Pain location is rarely pain source. A knee problem often traces back to the hip. A back problem often traces back to a restriction further down the chain.Hip mobility, specifically flexion range, is the single biggest predictor of long-term pain-free riding.Anti-rotation core work is more valuable for cyclists than rotational exercises, because what you need on the bike is the ability to resist rotation, not create it.Eccentric loading is the one category of training most cyclists are missing entirely.Your nervous system can be exhausted by life, not just training. A stressful day at work counts against your recovery.Injury and performance are the same thing. The longer you stay healthy, the more consistent work you do, and the better you perform.Cycling Clinic Booklet Instagram

    Addressing Knee and Lower Back Pain with Martin Kumm

  5. 20. Mai

    Two Weeks Out: Everything You Need to Know Before Unbound with the Gravel God Matti Rowe

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary In this episode Dave and Matti break down everything you need to know in the final two weeks before Unbound Gravel. Whether this is your first 200 or your fifth, the same mistakes show up every year. This episode is about not making them. What we cover: Why Unbound is still an adventure race, not a controlled event, and why that distinction matters for your expectationsThe mindset shift that separates athletes who have a good day from athletes who have a disasterWhat to do and not do at the expo (hint: stop tasting things and get off your feet)Tire selection, lube, and why the best tire is the one that doesn't flatLast-minute bike prep: what to replace, what to check, what to carryHow to handle the mud sections without destroying your drivetrain or yourselfPacing: why the first 100 miles will lie to you and how to ride smart anywayNutrition for a 15-plus hour day: the cyborg phase versus the animal phaseThe dark moments that are coming and how to ride through themHeat acclimatization tips you can still implement this weekWhy you deserve to be there and how to carry that into race day Links and references: How to pee off the bikeKaizen Endurance coaching If you found this episode useful, share it with someone who is two weeks out and spiraling. It might save their race.

    Two Weeks Out: Everything You Need to Know Before Unbound with the Gravel God Matti Rowe

  6. 6. Mai

    Do You Really Need to Fuel with 100 Grams of Carbs per Hour?! with Uri Carlson

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary A new review of 300+ studies claims athletes only need 10 grams of carbohydrates per hour during exercise. Dave and Uri dig into that claim, the history of carb recommendations, and the more important question underneath all of it: how do you figure out what's right for you? Key Takeaways The research saying 10g/hr is enough is almost certainly not applicable to you. Go test it and see.Most athletes are under-fueling, not over-fueling. Defining your actual baseline is step one.Fueling with intention, based on what you just did and what you're about to do, is where the real gains are.You do not need fancy supplements or unfamiliar foods. You need consistency and intentionality.Fueling is a skill. Practice it in training.@Uri_Carlson_Nutrition Carbohydrate Ingestion on Exercise Metabolism and Physical Performance

    Do You Really Need to Fuel with 100 Grams of Carbs per Hour?! with Uri Carlson

  7. 22. Apr.

    Sweet Spot Ain't That Sweet with Matti Rowe

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text!  Summary In this episode of Training Babble Dave is joined by Matti from Gravel God Cycling to take a hard look at sweet spot training, where it came from, why it became so popular, and whether it actually delivers on its promises. They cover the origin story behind the zone, why it appeals to the lizard brain in all of us, how inflated FTP numbers make the problem worse, and what sweet spot training is actually doing to most athletes physiologically. They also get into the TSS obsession it tends to create, the gray zone it traps athletes in, and where it does legitimately belong in a training plan. Plus Mattie debuts a new zone!  Key takeaways: Sweet spot wasn't born from research. It was a napkin sketch that became a marketing phenomenon.Most athletes are training at threshold when they think they're doing sweet spot, because their FTP is inflated and their legs aren't fresh.The TSS model rewards sweet spot, which is exactly the problem. Accumulating training stress is not the same as getting faster.The gray zone is real. Too hard to recover from, not hard enough to drive adaptation. Power quietly drops while RPE stays the same.If you've been sweet spotting for months and you're stuck, the answer is probably less, not more.It does have a place, specifically as race-specific work when the event demands that intensity. The problem is making it your default.Gravel God Cycling Slow Mid 38s - Substack

    Sweet Spot Ain't That Sweet with Matti Rowe

  8. 8. Apr.

    How to Develop Body Awareness for Better Performance

    Interested in working with a coach? Send us a text! Summary In this episode, Coach Dave Schell discusses the over-reliance on data and technology in training, emphasizing the importance of listening to your body and developing intuitive training skills. He shares personal experiences and practical tips for balancing technology use with body awareness to improve athletic performance.  Sound  Bites "The over-reliance on data is the real problem" "Listen to your body, it’s always giving feedback" "Internalize what certain efforts feels like"

    How to Develop Body Awareness for Better Performance
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Real talk on endurance training for gravel and MTB racing. Host Dave Schell coaches and races events like Leadville 100 and Unbound 200, and each episode brings in coaches, physiologists, and industry insiders to dig into the physiology, nutrition, tactics, and training science that actually moves the needle for off-road endurance cyclists. 

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