
Developing Bike Power
01/25/25 • 61 min
Welcome
Welcome to Episode #475 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.
We hope you enjoyed last week’s interview with Coach Erin Carson of ECFIT. This week we continue our programming on strength with a focus on bike strength and the many ways to develop the strength and power that goes into the pedals, but also the considerations for how the bike beneath you plays a role in your best bike performance.
Plus, we have an all new segment called “Athlete Success Stories” that features an athlete, who through commitment, grit and courage, is finding breakthroughs and growth.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!
In Today's Show
- Announcements
- Feature Athlete Success Story: Laura Hammdorff
- Ask a Coach: What muscle groups to develop for the bike?
- Get Gritty Tip
- TriDot Workout of the Week - 3 Bike Power Building Workouts
- Fun Segment: “Transition Troubles: Winter Triathlete Edition”
Announcements:
FulGaz Virtual Group Ride Schedule - No change with the Rouvy announcement. If you hadn’t heard, Rouvy has purchased FulGaz and IRONMAN will continue to partner with Rouvy. FulGaz is going to continue offering the same services for the foreseeable future.
Our next group ride will be February 1st and we are riding the Pikes Peak ride on our FulGaz Virtual Group Ride.
303 Webinar Series Continues - February 4th 6-7 TriDot Pool School. Every 1st Tuesday of the Month
Announcing Talk Tuesdays (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.
Upcoming Programming - Our February focus will be on swimming.
Feb. 1 - FASST and essential pool equipment
Feb. 8 - Webinar with TriDot Pool School Director, Coach Brandy Ramirez
Feb. 15 - How to Read Swim Workout
Feb. 22 - Open Water Skills
Grit2Greatness Coaching Facebook Page Live - Come check out our new coaching Facebook page @grit2greatnesscoaching
Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance
Triathletes, ready to train smarter? At Grit2Greatness Coaching, we’ve teamed up with TriDot to bring you precision and progress. Sign up through either Coach April’s or Coach Rich’s TriDot links and enjoy seamless onboarding, personalized workouts, and cutting-edge analytics tailored to your goals.
Start with a 2-week free trial, then choose plans starting at $14.99 a month. With the right tools and support, you can achieve the extraordinary. Ready to see what’s possible? Click the one of the sign-up links in our show notes to get started today!
Athlete Success Story: Laura Hammdorff
Lead In (Rich): January continues our focus on strength. Last week we had Erin Carson of ECFIT Performance Strength talk with us about strength training programs for endurance athletes seeking to perform at their very best in triathlons, marathons, and cycling events.
This week we are steering the conversation to bike strength and mobility programming. If you think we have the magic bullet for developing strength and power on the bike, think again. It takes work, from lots of angles and there is not a straight line to success, ever. How do strength programs, workouts, fueling, physical therapy, bike fit, components, riding apps, threshold assessments and so on factor into your power to weight ratio?
Here to help us unpack developing cycling strength and improving power on the bike is an athlete who I believe embodies “grit2greatness” and is an example of the resilience and tenacity it takes to achieve a goal. Yes we all have goals that we are working toward and the journey toward that goal seems long and winding. Part of the reason we close each episode with the call to “enjoy the endurance journey” is because the journey, not necessarily the finish line, is where we realize the most growth.
Introduce Laura Hammdorff:
Laura Hammdorff is a competitive triathlete with an NCAA swimming and cross fit background. When we started working together last year we discussed her triathlon background and goals. Because we are focusing on developing bike power this week, this will be our theme to tell her story. Without giving too much away, it’s my hope that by listening to Laura’s journey you will find examples of how her grit and tenacity can give you a template for your journey
Discussion Questions to La...
Welcome
Welcome to Episode #475 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.
We hope you enjoyed last week’s interview with Coach Erin Carson of ECFIT. This week we continue our programming on strength with a focus on bike strength and the many ways to develop the strength and power that goes into the pedals, but also the considerations for how the bike beneath you plays a role in your best bike performance.
Plus, we have an all new segment called “Athlete Success Stories” that features an athlete, who through commitment, grit and courage, is finding breakthroughs and growth.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!
In Today's Show
- Announcements
- Feature Athlete Success Story: Laura Hammdorff
- Ask a Coach: What muscle groups to develop for the bike?
- Get Gritty Tip
- TriDot Workout of the Week - 3 Bike Power Building Workouts
- Fun Segment: “Transition Troubles: Winter Triathlete Edition”
Announcements:
FulGaz Virtual Group Ride Schedule - No change with the Rouvy announcement. If you hadn’t heard, Rouvy has purchased FulGaz and IRONMAN will continue to partner with Rouvy. FulGaz is going to continue offering the same services for the foreseeable future.
Our next group ride will be February 1st and we are riding the Pikes Peak ride on our FulGaz Virtual Group Ride.
303 Webinar Series Continues - February 4th 6-7 TriDot Pool School. Every 1st Tuesday of the Month
Announcing Talk Tuesdays (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.
Upcoming Programming - Our February focus will be on swimming.
Feb. 1 - FASST and essential pool equipment
Feb. 8 - Webinar with TriDot Pool School Director, Coach Brandy Ramirez
Feb. 15 - How to Read Swim Workout
Feb. 22 - Open Water Skills
Grit2Greatness Coaching Facebook Page Live - Come check out our new coaching Facebook page @grit2greatnesscoaching
Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance
Triathletes, ready to train smarter? At Grit2Greatness Coaching, we’ve teamed up with TriDot to bring you precision and progress. Sign up through either Coach April’s or Coach Rich’s TriDot links and enjoy seamless onboarding, personalized workouts, and cutting-edge analytics tailored to your goals.
Start with a 2-week free trial, then choose plans starting at $14.99 a month. With the right tools and support, you can achieve the extraordinary. Ready to see what’s possible? Click the one of the sign-up links in our show notes to get started today!
Athlete Success Story: Laura Hammdorff
Lead In (Rich): January continues our focus on strength. Last week we had Erin Carson of ECFIT Performance Strength talk with us about strength training programs for endurance athletes seeking to perform at their very best in triathlons, marathons, and cycling events.
This week we are steering the conversation to bike strength and mobility programming. If you think we have the magic bullet for developing strength and power on the bike, think again. It takes work, from lots of angles and there is not a straight line to success, ever. How do strength programs, workouts, fueling, physical therapy, bike fit, components, riding apps, threshold assessments and so on factor into your power to weight ratio?
Here to help us unpack developing cycling strength and improving power on the bike is an athlete who I believe embodies “grit2greatness” and is an example of the resilience and tenacity it takes to achieve a goal. Yes we all have goals that we are working toward and the journey toward that goal seems long and winding. Part of the reason we close each episode with the call to “enjoy the endurance journey” is because the journey, not necessarily the finish line, is where we realize the most growth.
Introduce Laura Hammdorff:
Laura Hammdorff is a competitive triathlete with an NCAA swimming and cross fit background. When we started working together last year we discussed her triathlon background and goals. Because we are focusing on developing bike power this week, this will be our theme to tell her story. Without giving too much away, it’s my hope that by listening to Laura’s journey you will find examples of how her grit and tenacity can give you a template for your journey
Discussion Questions to La...
Previous Episode

Erin Carson ECFIT Strength and Mobility
#474 Erin Carson Strength and Mobility
It’s another exciting week in the 303 my friends. We had an amazing webinar with Coach Erin Carson of ECFIT. It was so wonderful to share this secret weapon with our athletes and the 303 listeners who joined us on Tuesday night. Having had Erin Carson on my TV in my home gym for the last 7 months or so, it was strange to see her sitting at a desk. I should have put out a betting pool on how many minutes she could sit in her chair without getting up to demonstrate something. Spoiler alert, it happens at 35:57 into the video.
Show Sponsor: UCAN
UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!
Announcements:
FulGaz Virtual Group Ride Schedule - Our next group ride will be February 1st and we are riding the Pikes Peak ride on our FulGaz Virtual Group Ride. I rode from mile 12 to the top last weekend and it took me 1:20ish to get to the top 5 miles. the 1st Saturday of every month. April, tell us what ride we are doing on February 1st.
Upcoming Programming - Our January on strength and mobility and we are super grateful to have Erin Carson as a part of this programming to share her expertise on strength, stability and mobility. Next week we will talk about which muscles you are recruiting through the bicycle pedal stroke and what you can do to build that strength.
303 Webinar Series Continues - February 11th 6-7 TriDot Pool School
Talk Tuesdays (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every Tuesday
Grit2Greatness Coaching Facebook Page Live - Come check out our new coaching Facebook page @grit2greatnesscoaching
Ask A Coach Sponsor: G2G Endurance
Triathletes, ready to train smarter? At Grit2Greatness Coaching, we’ve teamed up with TriDot to bring you precision and progress. Sign up through either Coach April’s or Coach Rich’s TriDot links and enjoy seamless onboarding, personalized workouts, and cutting-edge analytics tailored to your goals.
Start with a 2-week free trial, then choose plans starting at $14.99 a month. With the right tools and support, you can achieve the extraordinary. Ready to see what’s possible? Click the one of the sign-up links in our show notes to get started today!
Train With Coach Rich:
Coach Rich Soares
TriDot Signup - https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares
RunDot Signup - https://app.rundot.com/onboard/sign-up/richsoares
Train with Coach April:
Coach April Spilde
Grit2Greatness Endurance Podcast Podcast Series - Apple Podcasts
TriDot Signup - https://app.tridot.com/onboard/sign-up/aprilspilde
Interview: Erin Carson
Erin Carson is Founder and Head Coach ECFIT Performance Strength. As the head coach for ECFIT she provides strength training programs for endurance athletes seeking to perform at their very best in triathlons, marathons, and cycling events. Her clients include world champions and olympians as well as everyday athletes seeking excellence.
Get Gritty Tip:
Embrace the Recovery (even when it isn’t pretty)
Resilience isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about how you recover. Every stumble in training, whether it’s a missed workout, a bad race, or a tough session that didn’t go as planned, is an opportunity to rebuild stronger. Reframe setbacks as stepping stones. Ask yourself: What did I learn? How can I grow? As triathletes, we build resilience by leaning into discomfort and using it to fuel our comeback. Remember, the path to greatness isn’t linear—it’s the grit to keep going that sets you apart.
Reflective Questions:
- What is one lesson I can take away from my most recent setback or challenge?
- How do I typically respond to adversity, and what small shift can I make to approach challenges with a growth mindset?
- What support or tools can I use to help me come back stronger the next time I face an obstacle?
Remember, the difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.
TriDot Workout of the Week:TriDot Workout of the Week - MAV Shuttles
Warmup~10 min @ Z2 wit...
Next Episode

Swim Stroke Secret
#476 What’s in a swim stroke?
Welcome
Welcome to Episode #476 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. We're your hosts Coaches Rich Soares and April Spilde. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance news, coaching tips and discussion.
February is our month to focus on swimming and I thought the highlight of today’s show should be the Ask A Coach section. The question everyone asks is - “How can I improve my swim stroke?” We are going to talk about what that is today and the answer is going to blow your mind!
Heck yes! I couldn’t agree more. The swim is oftentimes the barrier to entry for a lot of beginner triathletes and those who are interested in this sport. So, the timing of this topic couldn’t be more perfect as most of us are gearing up for our next season!
But first, I’m bringing back the Dad joke...What do a dentist and a swim coach have in common?
Show Sponsor: UCAN
UCAN created LIVSTEADY as an alternative to sugar based nutrition products. LIVSTEADY was purposefully designed to work with your body, delivering long-lasting energy you can feel. Whether UCAN Energy Powders, Bars or Gels, LIVSTEADY's unique time-release profile allows your body to access energy consistently throughout the day, unlocking your natural ability to finish stronger and recover more quickly!
In Today's Show
- Announcements
- Ask a Coach: What’s the most important part of the swim stroke?
- Get Gritty Tip: The Power of a Misogi Challenge
- TriDot Workout of the Week - CSS Assessment: What, how, and why?
- Fun Segment: Like It, Love It, Leave It (Pool Edition)
Announcements:
FulGaz Virtual Group Ride Schedule - We are riding February 1st and we are riding the Pikes Peak ride on our FulGaz Virtual Group Ride.
Link to FulGaz Ride: Quick Start - FulGaz
Group Code: 830238
Link to Teams:
Join us on this FulGaz Ride.
Start Here: https://fulgaz.com/quick-start/
1 JOIN & DOWNLOAD FULGAZ
Create an account to activate your 14-day FREE trial. Then download the FulGaz from your favourite app store. FulGaz is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, Apple TV or Mac. To see if your device is compatible with FulGaz check out our guide.
2 Connect your trainer
Simply open FulGaz, hit “Get Started,” and then connect your devices via the button at the top of the homepage.
FulGaz is compatible with most smart trainers and smart bikes, speed sensors, and heart rate monitors. To see if your trainer is compatible, check out our guide.
QUICK START GUIDE
3 Let's ride
With 2,000+ rides and new ones added weekly, there is something for every level of cyclist. Search for iconic rides or by country, time and difficultly. Our NEW and TRENDING collections are also a great place to start.
Be social and join us on Teams too - https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_ZjkyYjc2ZTktYTNmOC00OTliLWE5NTItMGM5ZGRiMzI1MWEx%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522b66709e9-1b6a-4649-a18d-017b8a4b8aa7%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522a731b547-aa9a-4990-a6bc-527e8ce60a7e%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=ed09915f-7770-4919-8ef2-058af0139cdf&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true
303 Webinar Series Continues - February 4th 6-7 TriDot Pool School. We have Coach Brandy Ramirez to take us though the program and where you can find a TriDot Pool School near you!
Announcing Coaches Corner (aka Office Hours) with Coaches April Spilde and Rich Soares. Every 3rd Tuesday of the month.
Link to Feb. 18 Coaches Corner - link
Upcoming Programming - Our February focus will be on swimming.
Feb. 1 - FASST and essential pool equipment
Feb. 8...
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