In this episode of The Athlete’s Compass, hosts Paul Warloski and Marjaana Rakai, along with special guest Dr. Paul Laursen, delve into the concept of Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and its critical role in training for endurance athletes. They discuss the evolution of RPE from a simple subjective measure to a sophisticated tool used...

Summary: In this episode of the Athletes Compass, hosts Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen, along with guest Marjaana Rakai, discuss the significance of testing for endurance athletes. They cover various tests for cycling, running, and swimming, such as the Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test, critical power test, and MAF (Maximal Aerobic Function) test. The...

In this episode, hosts Paul Warloski and Dr. Paul Laursen, along with guest Marjaana Rakai, delve into the intricacies of training female endurance athletes. They discuss the importance of understanding female physiology, the menstrual cycle’s impact on training, and the need for individualized approaches. The conversation also touches on the importance of communication between coaches...

In this episode of The Athletes Compass, hosts Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and Dr. Paul Laursen dive into the topic of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its practical applications for training and health. They discuss the principles of HRV, how it reflects the body’s response to stress and training, and how athletes can use it...

In this episode of the Athletes Compass podcast, hosts Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and Dr. Paul Laursen dive into the 80-20 training model, a popular method for organizing training time among endurance athletes. They explore the origins of the model, its application in preseason training, and how it can be adapted for different training volumes....

Summary: Dive deep into the functionality and training philosophy of the Athletica training platform in this engaging episode of the Athletes’ Compass Podcast. Hosts Paul Laursen, Paul Warloski and Marjaana Rakai tackle a range of listener questions, shedding light on how Athletica tailors athletic testing, adapts training plans, incorporates rest days, and integrates strength training...

In episode 11 of the Athletes Compass, hosts Paul Warloski, Marjaana Rakai, and expert Dr. Paul Laursen explore the concept of training thresholds and their significance in setting effective training zones for athletes. They delve into the physiological underpinnings of exercise intensity, including VO2 max, economy of movement, and the critical role of thresholds in...

Summary: This episode of the Athletes Compass podcast features hosts Paul Warloski and guests Marjaana Rakai and Dr. Paul Laursen discussing how athletes can measure their training progress without participating in races. The conversation revolves around various methods and tools athletes can use to track improvement in different aspects of their training, including endurance, strength,...

In Episode 9 of the Athletes Compass podcast, hosts Paul Warloski and Marjaana Rakai, along with Dr. Paul Laursen, discuss the short-term and potential long-term effects of extreme endurance events on the body, addressing a question from listener Janice Campbell. The episode delves into various stressors athletes face during such events and the time frame...

This episode of the “Athletes Compass” podcast (part 3 of 3 on recovery) focuses on nutrition and other modalities of recovery for endurance athletes. Paul and Marjaana Rakai discuss the fundamentals of nutrition, emphasizing the importance of macronutrients and micronutrients, and the detrimental effects of sugar and processed foods. The conversation also covers the role...