Coaches on Couches

BPC Performance Coaching
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Each week Coach D and Coach B-Fun share their 20+ years of endurance coaching, training and racing experience through less than serious conversations and interviews with other time crunched athletes, coaches, and experts within the endurance community. If you are a cyclist, triathlete, runner, or do-it-all athlete, this is made for you! We can't guarantee political correctness, but we can guarantee you will pull some great nuggets of information to help improve your own performance. We'll be talking: Cycling, Running, Triathlon, Duathlon, Cross Country, Aquabike, SwimRun, Mountain Biking, Cyclocross, Gravel Grinders, and any other sports we have the pleasure of working with.

  1. Dr. Melissa Puppa-Lasher, PhD - Elite Lupus Athlete

    FEB 12

    Dr. Melissa Puppa-Lasher, PhD - Elite Lupus Athlete

    Everyone has bad days. But when you wake up every morning not knowing how your body will cooperate, it brings a whole new set of challenges to training and racing at a high level. Our guest, Dr. Melissa Puppa-Lasher, PhD, knows this daily roll of the dice all too well. As an age group aquabike world champion and short course triathlon evangelist, Mel's journey as an endurance athlete living with lupus has been nothing but awe inspiring. There is no quit, and no excuses in this woman. She is by far the most mentally tough person we've had the pleasure of working with. But navigating this disease while improving performance has taken a lot of trial and error, data tracking, intention, communication, and a little tough love at times. Through all the hard work, struggles, and a second heart wrenching diagnosis, we're still hitting new bests 4 years later. And she's not done. Far from it. Mel's story can be a huge source of inspiration for others living with auto immune diseases, but if you don't get motivated listening to this one, we aren't sure you can be helped!

    1h 9m
  2. The Journey of Liz Hall

    12/17/2025

    The Journey of Liz Hall

    Our guest in this episode is none other than our longest continuously coached athlete, Liz Hall. Liz came to us as a pharmacy resident wanting to qualify for Boston over a decade ago. Since then, she has been married, changed jobs multiple times, qualified and ran the Boston Marathon, as well as the Ironman 70.3 and full distance world championships. But as we will discuss, her success has been anything but a straight line. We dive into her past NOT growing up as an athlete, the long but steadfast journey to her first BQ, and how that spun into a successful jump into triathlon. Liz talks about how the heck she stays motivated to train and achieve goals despite a demanding job and family life, as well as why she continue to work with a coach versus go at it alone with all of her experience. We could have easily talked for hours given all she has accomplished, and continue to accomplish (still hitting PRs over a decade into training with purpose). So if you're ready to go along on Liz's journey with us, enjoy another episode of Coaches on Couches.

    50 min
  3. Physiological Testing for Performance and Longevity

    11/20/2025

    Physiological Testing for Performance and Longevity

    In this episode, Coach D and Coach B-Fun explore the critical role of having a high VO2 max and lots of lean muscle mass for overall health and longevity and how it also translates to better race performances. Our latest podcast breaks down the gold standard tests and how to incorporate those metrics into your cycling, running, and triathlon training. We also give insight into how to use the test results as goals when racing isn't #1. For any cyclist, triathlete, or runner who is in it more for the health benefits than the medal count, this one is for you!

    52 min
  4. Marginal Gains Aren't For Everyone

    05/20/2025

    Marginal Gains Aren't For Everyone

    They are sexy. And it just rolls off the tongue. As coaches of runners, cyclists, and triathletes, we love chasing marginal gains to increase the performance of our athletes. But chasing marginal gains before developing foundational habits and routines is like tuning a race car before you know how to drive it. Long term, those habits will get you a lot farther than any 1% gain you can gey by smashing keytones every 8 minutes. So in this episode, the coaches break down the foundational items that make up 90-99% of your improvements, and explain who is best suited to start chasing marginal gains.  If we missed something, let us know in the comments! Takeaways Your body likes having a set sleep cycle. Nutrition is key; you can't out-exercise a bad diet. Daily movement beyond training hours is important. Consistency in training trumps all other factors. Stress management is vital for performance. Focus on foundational habits before marginal gains. Hydration is as important as nutrition. Sleep routines can significantly improve sleep quality. Small changes in nutrition can lead to big performance gains. Managing stress is crucial for optimal performance. Strength and flexibility are essential for longevity in sports. Injury prevention is linked to strength training and mobility. Building habits is more effective than seeking quick hacks. A clean and well-maintained bike enhances performance. Positioning on the bike can significantly impact efficiency. Focus on the fundamentals rather than marginal gains. Consistency in training leads to better results than sporadic efforts.

    53 min
  5. Heat Acclimation For Dummies

    04/22/2025

    Heat Acclimation For Dummies

    The heat is on! And your body is wondering what the heck is going on. As athletes and coaches living in some of the worst heat and humidity in the country, we know a thing or two about dealing with the heat. In this episode Coach D and Coach Bfun break down why heat acclimation is so important for everyone, and the most actionable things you can do right now to make sure you are ready to perform better in the heat and humidity.  So if you're already sweatin', join us for another episode of Coaches on Couches.  Show Notes: Key Takeaways Heat acclimation is crucial for performance in hot conditions. Core temperature regulation is vital during exercise. Humidity significantly affects the body's cooling mechanisms. Acclimation can be achieved indoors as well as outdoors. Physiological benefits of acclimation can be seen in 7-14 days. Increased sweat rate is a key adaptation to heat training. Training in heat can improve performance in cooler conditions. Perceived exertion decreases with acclimation. Passive heat exposure can enhance acclimation benefits. Hydration status is critical when training in heat. Training in heat requires specific strategies for acclimation. Monitoring heart rate is crucial during heat training. Athletes should not avoid training in hot conditions. Hydration is essential for performance in the heat. Preloading with electrolytes can enhance hydration. Clothing choice impacts heat performance significantly. Cooling techniques can improve race day outcomes. Ice socks and cooling sleeves are effective tools. Simulating heat conditions indoors is beneficial. Understanding individual sweat rates is key to hydration. Chapters 00:00 Welcome Back and Podcast Updates 01:37 Understanding Heat Acclimation 07:08 The Importance of Core Temperature Regulation 12:25 Acclimation Process and Benefits 20:14 Physiological Adaptations to Heat Training 23:00 Training in the Heat: Strategies for Acclimation 30:10 Hydration: The Key to Performance in Hot Conditions 38:57 Cooling Techniques: Enhancing Performance on Race Day

    47 min
  6. Unbound XL with David Ax

    06/25/2024

    Unbound XL with David Ax

    Straight off a top 15 finish in the 2024 Unbound XL Gravel race, we chat with our boy David Ax about his preparation, training, equipment, and how the goal of 24 hours in the saddle panned out for him. If you have any interest in ultra cycling, or are considering taking on the 350 mile XL event, you won't want to miss this!

    1h 5m
  7. Lose Weight the Proven, Hard, Not Fun Way

    01/30/2024

    Lose Weight the Proven, Hard, Not Fun Way

    In this episode, Coach D and Coach BFun give you the honest truth about losing weight...ready!? It's hard and it's not fun. But there are ways we can change our habits and low hanging fruit that when cut, can make a massive difference in your daily consumption. So if you're looking to drop a few pounds, lean out, get to race weight, or just stop some bad habits, join us for another episode of Coaches on Couches!

    47 min
  8. Your Expectations are Killing Your Performance

    06/13/2023

    Your Expectations are Killing Your Performance

    The typical avatar of an endurance athlete lends itself to having high expectations, and that is a dangerous thing. Most of the time, we put these expectations on ourselves, and they are like a weighted vest on race day. Expectations equal stress and stress kills performance. So we're on the couch today talking about how to rid yourself of this burden so that you can let your training and your fitness do the talking. No more complex race plans, no more worrying about the uncontrollables. Take what the day gives you and have fun again!

    39 min
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4.8
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36 Ratings

About

Each week Coach D and Coach B-Fun share their 20+ years of endurance coaching, training and racing experience through less than serious conversations and interviews with other time crunched athletes, coaches, and experts within the endurance community. If you are a cyclist, triathlete, runner, or do-it-all athlete, this is made for you! We can't guarantee political correctness, but we can guarantee you will pull some great nuggets of information to help improve your own performance. We'll be talking: Cycling, Running, Triathlon, Duathlon, Cross Country, Aquabike, SwimRun, Mountain Biking, Cyclocross, Gravel Grinders, and any other sports we have the pleasure of working with.

Information

  • Creator
    BPC Performance Coaching
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Coaches on Couches