WHY YOU BLOW UP EARLY IN RACES | Pro Cyclist Ruth Holcomb | Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast 561

🚀Try TrainerRoad risk-free! 👉 ⁠www.TrainerRoad.com⁠ 🤝Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 https://trainerroad.cc/TRzwiftclub // SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST! iTunes: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/apple2⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/spotify2⁠ Google Podcasts: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/google⁠ // TOPICS COVERED (0:00:00) Intro – Ruth Holcomb on Balancing School, Training and Big Goals (0:14:42) Coaching Young Riders – Avoiding Burnout and Keeping Cycling Fun (0:25:37) How Ruth Learned to Pace Long Races vs Short, Punchy Efforts (0:27:16) Race File Analysis – Why This Athlete Is Blowing Up Mid-Race (0:30:40) Understanding “Matches” – How Every Spike Hurts Late Performance (0:33:01) How Lower Threshold Riders Should Pace Cyclocross Starts (0:40:43) Peaking, Rest and Why You Only Get Faster When You Recover (1:10:31) Warming Up the Right Way – Avoiding the “Cooked Before the Start” Trap Pro cyclist Ruth Holcomb joins Coach Jonathan to talk about what it takes to develop as a young rider without burning out, how to balance school with high performance, and what she learned transitioning from XCO racing to long gravel events. Together they break down an athlete’s cyclocross race files to show why so many riders blow up early, how pacing and power spikes drain your matchbook, and what smarter strategy looks like when your threshold isn’t the highest in the field. Ruth also shares practical advice on peaking, rest, warming up effectively, and keeping cycling fun for long term success. // RESOURCES MENTIONED Ruth’s’ Instagram:   / woofholcomb   Sign up for TrainerRoad! ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ Follow TrainerRoad on Instagram 📸   / trainerroad   Join the TrainerRoad Zwift Club 🚴 ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/trzwiftclub⁠ // TRY TRAINERROAD RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS! https://trainerroad.cc/GetFaster⁠ TrainerRoad is the #1 cycling training app. No other cycling app is more effective. Over 17,000 positive reviews, a 4.9 star App Store rating. // HELPFUL LINKS Have a question for the podcast? Ask here: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3HTFXNi⁠ Watch our latest Cycling Science Explained video now! ⁠   • Science-Backed Nutrition Plan for Cyclists...  ⁠ TrainerRoad on Instagram: ⁠  / ⁠   TrainerRoad Forum: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3uHvLnE⁠ TrainerRoad on Strava: ⁠  / strava   TrainerRoad on Facebook: ⁠  / trainerrd⁠   TrainerRoad on X: ⁠https://www.x.com/TrainerRoad⁠ Learn more about TrainerRoad: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LBb5Ur⁠⁠ Listen to the Successful Athletes Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3JmKrN5⁠ Listen to the Science of Getting Faster Podcast: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3LpuIhP⁠ Training Blog: ⁠https://trainerroad.cc/3gCdNdN