Coachinginterview

TOP 4 CYCLING QUESTIONS ANSWERED - VLOG #010

with Top 4 cycling questions answered

9:33·20 January 2020

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Key Takeaways

Commit to hard work and consistency in whatever goal you're pursuing—the discipline builds skills and brings unexpected benefits beyond the original objective
Start training for major events like NYC Triathlon now with a structured plan; you can't wing it by just riding hard in zone 3 all the time
Learn from people who've already succeeded in your target discipline rather than making all the mistakes yourself—get a coach or mentor to avoid wasting time
Racing is a skill and craft requiring years to develop, not just raw fitness; join your local club and start in beginner categories with low expectations
Your first race won't be as dangerous as you think if you use common sense, stay near the back of the bunch, and don't attempt moves beyond your comfort level

Expert Quotes

"Figure out what success looks like, figure out what successful people do, and learn from them—you don't necessarily need to forge this trail for the forest by ourselves"

"Racing has been one of the best turning points in my life when I started racing—it was the beginning of a journey which set me off traveling around the world and on a personal exploration"

"It's so much fun racing, and you're going to love it—it's not as dangerous as people believe if you take some precautionary steps and use basic common sense"

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

Each tagged with the strength of evidence behind it.

ANECDOTE
Anthony qualified to race tandem with Peter Ryan at the Tokyo Paralympics by targeting specific UCI-ranked qualifying events and accumulating ranking points.
Source: Anthony Walsh, host's own racing background discussed on the Roadman Cycling podcast
STUDY
Para-cycling tandem competition requires a visually-impaired athlete paired with a sighted pilot, with classification and ranking criteria set by the UCI.
Source: UCI Para-cycling regulations
OPINION
Anthony recommends modelling target outcomes by studying people who have already succeeded at the same goal, treating both successes and failures as data points.
Source: Anthony Walsh, Roadman Cycling podcast
PRO PRACTICE
Racing is a skill developed over years, not a direct expression of FTP or training load — Anthony argues most beginner mistakes come from racing on instinct without studying tactics.
Source: Anthony Walsh, coaching observation on the podcast

KEY QUOTES

“think to any target you want to achieve and work any target you want to achieve in life figure out what success looks like figure get around successful people and less now you can also learn from unsuccessful people take notes on both negative and positive on the negative the notes are called what not to do and you got to learn what not to do as well as what to do”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“race is a different dynamic it's not the fastest person wins court otherwise we wouldn't turn up the races we just lost it on the Swift it's a skill it's a craft and it's apprenticeship and it takes some years to hone this”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“join my club don't try and do this on your own it's like I said before could be people in the globe who have made all the mistakes you're gonna make you know you need to learn from mistakes but they don't need to be your mistakes”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT3 SECTIONS

Why I started vlogging

Okay so you have a section with a one show it was called ask a one it was a really nice way to get your questions answered it's not always possible to get back to all the emails I get and honestly I end up answering the same question over and over again it's a new idea where ask a one was to get a question like in school answer the question and the hope that it benefits the collective so here we go let's try it again good morning so honest jokes coming up early morning hearing cancer heading back to Dublin this morning I normally used Monday as my total recovery day total day off the bike so that means I do try and boil a heap or walk into Monday so I'm gonna see how interesting this makes for a vlog but you know what this is a real life I'm not always only Orca riding the bike sometimes it's just unglamorous Lee sitting at the laptop and build and trying to plants for you guys robot prostate one these business from the hats off let's get on this one pen paper start written down with questions no no here we go basket one was a monthly enjoyable section of the last anyone shall bring the back in the vlog let me know what you think in the comments down below first question that's my life called Andrew and it's him pointless that I didn't vlog and obviously I haven't really clarified in my head why exactly of committed to this madness committed to this you know intrusion into my personal life committed but with all my girlfriend October I haven't quite clarified that message as Gordo's I can't have it for an hour's I know in cycling when it's getting started in college going through law school when I got my head down and really stuck into a project when I do all the hired walk every time that hard work and ended up taking me from my big goal ambition at the start the actual law is not at the end and a load of different unsealer ebenefits that I never even imagined happened but completing that hard work yes the discipline the hard work this is also an emergency so it benefits and happy because it up I've always liked video maker I've always liked storytelling and the skill of the narrative you know the idea of this tree act sequence the set of a conflict resolution in each video have always both that wonderful learn about I'm looking to have this YouTube channel and this is the medium that I'm going to try and teach myself but it's also as far as second learn employ to you guys if you have a so I can goal this year this is the way to get done consistent quality hair at work it's not one-off episode of this blog it's going to make this channel successful and it's not a one-off try that section it's going to make you successful thank you Andrew for Ellen that was the training goal for a Tokyo so for anyone that doesn't know question is for element Ryan so for anyone that doesn't know on back on the boy

Tokyo Paralympic goals and race prep timing

For the last fool we're gonna save ten weeks trying to pretty hard the goal is to qualify you a good body you mine Peter Ryan took six months to get a diagnosis and even have two diagnoses like I was told the name of the condition though it's Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy give me don't get Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy and like I'm trying to try and set out for time spot sleepers hereditary not between her office yeah exactly and doesn't relieve your lho in tandem in tokyo and so far we've in a way in fact raised in manchester you know for twenty seven four four kilometers on the track the goal ultimately in tokyo will be to qualified for the individual pursuit the road race and the time trial qualification is reading really competitive now we're still hopeful the Olympic qualification period is open until genome so between now and then we have an opportunity to pick up points and then it gets kicked back to cycling on earth and so if they want to send this I'm gonna do a full vlog on that explain exactly what's going on how many ranks on the time those allowed on the back even paddle who knows all sorts of weird questions that I know I haven't got a clue about when I heard the race question tree and I'm targeting New York tree until when should I start training him I hope you're tired in New York a trivial to over 2021 because you should have been training already broke and yeah you should be trying to nail like we're just getting into start to the new year we like January 20th yeah you should definitely start think about trying to nail New Yorker tree onto is a bro dependent of my physical condition you're in now if you don't have a ton weight to lose and you can definitely get in condition by then but you need to follow a structured plan you can't just go around hitting hope startup go around coin too fast all the time in zone trade or doing what he's doing hope to get that tires so tink to any target you want to achieve and work any target you want to achieve in life figure out what success looks like figure get around successful people and less now you can also learn from unsuccessful people take notes on both negative and positive on the negative the notes are called what not to do and you got to learn what not to do as well as what to do who has achieved success in this discipline before run in marble their behaviors success with the exclus so we don't necessarily need to portage this trail for the forest by ourselves I know when I started outside Iceland internet wasn't around I did not have any friends or exercise when I made on these mistakes not know how to hydrate properly not knowing about the ease on the bike no know how to maintain my weight I'm also partly not knowing what session throws deal so it's basically going out swinging a lot of punches in the dark I'm told about one of the ladders it's often years before long the lumbers

First-time racing tips for beginners

You don't have years contact an expert for this because you know they're coaching home pieces like I don't know because we have done New York retreat volunteers here or points so our college is one-on-one with people to get them ready for such events so you're not wasting your time so you get the start line in optimum condition and and the last question of a day nice to mix it up there is a racing question and also likes to mix it up with the first female question of this game one from Amy and this will be my first year racing any tips any about salutely loads of tips ready to add it came and this is having a separate video number I'm not a corporate a couple of them to get started loading my club don't try and do this on your own it's like I said before could be people in the globe who have made all the mistakes you're gonna make you know you need to learn from mistakes but they don't need to be your mistakes that's the old countries so plugging mcclure you'll get people he'll informative mentor you watch what they do and start elves obviously in the beginner category and have like low expectations on resorts don't eat them our how our youth training when win races straightaway even field supervillains with straddie certain things race is a different dynamic it's not the fastest person wins court otherwise we wouldn't turn up the races we just lost it on the Swift it's a skill it's a craft and it's apprenticeship and it takes some years to hone this it's so much fun racing has been one of the one of the leads for no point in my life when I started racing it was it was the beginning of a journey which is set me off traveling around the world joining a personal exploration that I've been lost as well you're going to love it it's not as dangerous as ever you want to have you believe everything all beginner race and a fourth option encouraged it's not carnage it's safe if you take some precautionary some precautionary steps like right near from that bunch basic common sense the less people on frontier last chance there is a someone crashing on frontier most crushers are gonna help with you crush it into somebody who's already crushed parade adaptation don't do anything you're not comfortable with if it's your first race don't jump in a duel criteria just you know and royal owns it groups good Android and clover clover on let's get up Android and like north here in Ireland we have these reliability and trial certainly informal races get open do certain things support heaps governor we don't do them just religion point and a lot I'm not worried about a lot right on different surfaces right groups big group small groups and you will be fine you're a loyal bastard

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you qualify for the Paralympics in tandem cycling?+

Tandem cycling at the Paralympics requires a visually impaired athlete to compete with a sighted pilot, and the pair must meet classification and ranking criteria set by the UCI. Eanna and his partner Peter Ryan pursued qualification for the Tokyo Paralympics by targeting specific qualifying events and accumulating the necessary ranking points through international competition.

How should a beginner approach their first cycling race?+

In your first race, position yourself conservatively in the bunch, conserve energy in the early laps, and avoid surging to the front unnecessarily. Eanna's core advice is to study riders who have already succeeded at your target event and follow a structured plan rather than racing purely on instinct.

How do I train for the New York Gran Fondo as a beginner?+

Start with a structured, periodised training plan that builds your long-ride capacity progressively in the months before the event. Eanna recommends identifying cyclists who have completed the New York Gran Fondo, studying how they prepared, and replicating a proven programme rather than relying on unstructured training.

How often should cyclists post content on YouTube to grow a channel?+

Consistent, regular uploads are more important than occasional high-production videos, as the discipline of frequent content creation builds both audience trust and your own skills over time. Eanna treats content creation like training, applying the same structured, habitual approach he uses for coaching athletes.

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

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Key Takeaways

Commit to hard work and consistency in whatever goal you're pursuing—the discipline builds skills and brings unexpected benefits beyond the original objective

Start training for major events like NYC Triathlon now with a structured plan; you can't wing it by just riding hard in zone 3 all the time

Learn from people who've already succeeded in your target discipline rather than making all the mistakes yourself—get a coach or mentor to avoid wasting time

Racing is a skill and craft requiring years to develop, not just raw fitness; join your local club and start in beginner categories with low expectations

Your first race won't be as dangerous as you think if you use common sense, stay near the back of the bunch, and don't attempt moves beyond your comfort level

Expert Quotes

"Figure out what success looks like, figure out what successful people do, and learn from them—you don't necessarily need to forge this trail for the forest by ourselves"

"Racing has been one of the best turning points in my life when I started racing—it was the beginning of a journey which set me off traveling around the world and on a personal exploration"

"It's so much fun racing, and you're going to love it—it's not as dangerous as people believe if you take some precautionary steps and use basic common sense"

KEY QUOTES

“think to any target you want to achieve and work any target you want to achieve in life figure out what success looks like figure get around successful people and less now you can also learn from unsuccessful people take notes on both negative and positive on the negative the notes are called what not to do and you got to learn what not to do as well as what to do”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“race is a different dynamic it's not the fastest person wins court otherwise we wouldn't turn up the races we just lost it on the Swift it's a skill it's a craft and it's apprenticeship and it takes some years to hone this”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

“join my club don't try and do this on your own it's like I said before could be people in the globe who have made all the mistakes you're gonna make you know you need to learn from mistakes but they don't need to be your mistakes”
Anthony Walsh — Roadman Cycling podcast host

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you qualify for the Paralympics in tandem cycling?+

How should a beginner approach their first cycling race?+

How do I train for the New York Gran Fondo as a beginner?+

How often should cyclists post content on YouTube to grow a channel?+

TOP 4 CYCLING QUESTIONS ANSWERED - VLOG #010

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Why I started vlogging

2.Tokyo Paralympic goals and race prep timing

3.First-time racing tips for beginners

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

ULTIMATE CYCLING TIPS - YOUR MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED - VLOG #016

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HOW TO FIX “LOW BACK” PAIN WHILE CYCLING

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TOP 4 CYCLING QUESTIONS ANSWERED - VLOG #010

Key Takeaways

Expert Quotes

CLAIMS FROM THIS EPISODE

KEY QUOTES

1.Why I started vlogging

2.Tokyo Paralympic goals and race prep timing

3.First-time racing tips for beginners

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

READ THE GUIDE

RELATED EPISODES

ULTIMATE CYCLING TIPS - YOUR MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED - VLOG #016

HOW TO MAKE CYCLING FEEL EASIER? | RIDER SUPPORT

HOW TO FIX “LOW BACK” PAIN WHILE CYCLING

RELATED CONTENT

TEAM VISMA’S NEW SECRET TRAINING TECH THE UCI MIGHT BAN

13 YEARS OF COACHING PROS: WHAT AMATEURS DON'T KNOW

ALEX WILD OPENS UP ON POWER & RIVALS AT SEA OTTER 2025

Why I started vlogging

Tokyo Paralympic goals and race prep timing

First-time racing tips for beginners

Why I started vlogging

Tokyo Paralympic goals and race prep timing

First-time racing tips for beginners