Train like a Monk

We put so much time, money, blood, sweet and tears into our training to improve our physiology, but how much do we work on our mindset? And how much does this impact our performance on race day?Shannon knows her way around this topic better than most, after pursuing her own career at the top of the sport and now helping many athletes better manage theirs.If you haven't had some filthy head noise going on mid effort or while you're dangling at the back of a race then you haven't been riding bikes very long. Shannon provides some great insight on how to manage these thoughts and turn them around to get the most out of yourself even when things aren't going your way.

Georgie packed a lot into a short stint at the top of the cycling world, but she's not done yet.Hear how Georgie transitioned into cycling from a rowing background and how the training differs (or doesn't) between the two sports.We also go into Georgie's battle with REDS. The steps she's taken to get healthy again and how she's looking to continue in the sport even after what it's thrown her way.This episode is brought to you by SUL Nutrition. Use the code MONKFUEL10 at checkout for 10% off your next bucketload of rocket fuel.Energetics of a World-Tour Female Road Cyclist During a Multistage Race (Tour de France Femmes)https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsnem/34/5/article-p253.xml

From Runner to World Tour Cyclist in less than 4 years. Now from Pro Cyclist to Pro Triathlete in a matter of months.Hear how Jimmy is taking the skills learned and experience gained from top level road cycling and applying it in the world of triathlon.Can he make it to the end of the pool yet without stopping?

Julian has rapidly gone from being a regular listener of the Train Like a Monk podcast to starring on it!Taking home the U23 National RR win in Perth at just 18 years of age, Julian has bucked the trend of having to sacrifice his schooling to fit in training time on the bike.We discuss how he has managed to go from making up the numbers at many junior races to riding for Australia's best domestic team and heading over to Europe in his first year U23.A must listen for all junior cyclists wondering what to do in their final years of school.

Keeper of The Fern, Kim Cadzow, has started the season on fire. She played a major role in EF-Education Oatly teammate Noemi Ruegg's TDU win and achieved her own personal goal of defending the National TT title and netting her first National Road Championships victory.We chatted in the middle of her build toward Kiwi road nationals so it was great to get an insight into her preparation for these events amongst a busy race schedule.Really enjoyed chatting with Kim, she skips the cliches and tells it like it is!In other big news for Train Like a Monk, we welcome Dan Jones to the team as editor. You've probably seen Jonesy's handiwork back in the golden days of the Greenedge 'Backstage Pass' Videos, or more recently as a host of 'The Social Distance Podcast'. He's very handy on the tools and we're happy to have him on board. That being said, any issues with the editing or finishing touches can now be directed his way!Music: Cyrus MonkEditing: Dan JonesThumbnail photo: EF-Education Oatly

Join Pat, Kerry and I in the team car for Duda Cycling at the Melbourne to Warrnambool."The Warrnie" is the second oldest bike race in the world. The parcours is by no means challenging but the conditions and length of the race mean anyone that completes this historic event has stories to tell for years to come.This year's edition was decorated by crosswinds, cramps and a healthy dose of carnage in the convoy.Sit back and enjoy a look behind the scenes of what many describe as the best race on the Australian Cycling Calendar and the pinnacle event of the new ProVelo SuperLeague.

He's defending his title later this week but it's fair to say, no matter the result, this title will still hold true. Gatey has a ridiculous palmares on both the road and track, the latest achievement becoming the oldest rider ever to join a World Tour Team for the first time (34 is ancient) and just recently reaching a World Tour Podium at Cadel's Road Race. I caught up with Gatey in The Hilton just before the start of TDU to discuss how his training has differed since changing coaches for the first time in 15 years and how he prepared to be in flying form for Summer Down Under. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail image: cyclingweekly.com

Maeve has represented Australia at two Olympic Games, won Commonwealth Games gold and countless National Championships. Alongside her exploits on the bike she has become a well renowned advocate for cycling in Australia and even more so in her home town of Adelaide. I sat down with her at her local beach to discuss how she has balanced training for top level track competitions and World Tour road racing and the learnings she has taken from these pursuits. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore

Noemi had a breakout season in 2024, turning heads at the Olympic Games Road Race and netting herself a National Championship. Those who didn't know her already certainly do now, after winning the Tour Down Under in dominant fashion with a memorable win up Willunga Hill. We sat down a few days after the victory to discuss her preperation for this event and how she managed to perform better than ever in 36 degree heat after training in a cold Swiss Winter. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail: Velomotion/Getty Images

Plappy has made the month of January his own, consistently finding form to start the year. This discussion took place just before his nationals campaign where he not only defended his TT title, but selflessly delivered teammate Luke Durbridge to victory in the road race. We discuss how Plappy prepared for these goals and, more specifically, for Tour Down Under next week. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumbnail image: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

Marko is to the Australian Cycling Scene what potato salad is to a Christmas Lunch. Always there, always a crowd favourite but usually not top of the rank, until this year. Marko bucked the recent trend by outstaying the young up-and-comers at this year's 270km Melbourne to Warrnambool. We discuss how he manages to stay at the front of any race he enters so deep into his own career and look at how he's helping the next generation make their own way to the top of the sport. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: TJ Hore Thumbnail photo: Wimmera Mail-Times

Sarah turned heads across Australia as soon as she left the junior ranks by taking a National Road Championship in her first race as an elite woman. She's turned heads across the rest of the world this year by winning the Tour Down Under and finishing seventh at the Tour de France Femmes. Despite these big ups, Sarah has had to navigate some downs along the way and her ability to bounce back from these setbacks is a testament to her resilience and perserverance. Find out what makes Sarah tick in this week's episode and don't forget to subscribe to hear from all of Sarah's guest requests in the coming months! Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore Thumnail photo: Dion Kerckhoffs / Cor Vos

Nick has a coaching Palmares any coach would envy: countless world and national champions across multiple disciplines and a healthy number of World Tour pros targetting races across the calendar. Nick's pathway into cycling is certainly an interesting one and a story I hadn't heard before, though I'm sure all his athletes are stoked he's found his place at the top of this sport. It was great to sit down and discuss Nick's coaching methods and see exactly why he's had so much success. Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore P.S. Huge apologies for my audio on this one, had an absolute shocker on the tech side from my end but lucky you can hear Nick's words of wisdom loud and clear.

Aidan was one of the first athletes I took on board as a coach and it's been incredibly rewarding to help him progress from kicking around at local crits in Melbourne to racing World Championships and landing a pro contract. He has forged a unique path to the top of the sport and in doing so has become the first Maltese rider to race at a professional level. This path certainly wasn't smooth and until very recently was no certainty of having a happy ending. We discuss the sacrifices Aidan had to make to achieve his goals and the training methods utilised along the way. Pay attention to the whole episode so you can find out how to get your hands on a free Train like a Monk lid! Music: Cyrus Monk Editing: Terance Hore

Stephen (or SLane as he's commonly known by those who find two syllables too long for a name...) has helped countless cyclists achieve their goals on the bike. Whether it be winning the local club series or making the step from the Aussie domestic scene to a fully-fledged pro. SLane has a unique skillset, utilising both the knowledge gained through his academic pursuits and his own experiences in racing and training to provide coaching that is not only backed by science but proven to work in a practical sense. We discuss not just his coaching methods but his own training and how he is now living most cyclists' dream of following the sun and riding his bike every day. It felt like we could've touched on many areas here in a lot more depth than we had time for today, so let us know in the comments what you'd like to know a little more about next time I cross paths with SLane. Editing: Terrance Hore Music: Cyrus Monk Thumbnail Photo: Con Chronis

David has had a career most cyclists would dream of. Spanning 14 years and counting and riding for some of the top teams in the sport, Quickstep, Team Sky and Team UAE. He shares some learnings from his time at the top of the sport and discusses how he has continued to improve in the TT discipline throughout his career.

When I see Joey's name on the team sheet for a race I'm travelling to, I'm always excited. He is the ultimate teammate both on and off the bike, drawing on his 15 years of racing experience to help the team in almost any race scenario and provide a calming figure on the team bus pre and post-race. We talk about what has changed in the time that Joey has spent at the top of the sport as well as what has worked well for him throughout his career and what he might have done differently. It was a pleasure to shake the race up with Joey in his last outing as a pro and great to sit down and share a beer with him to reflect on his career. Thumbnail photo: Sprint Cycling

Rory Patrick Townsend is a former Irish Road Champ and has been the most consistent rider on the Q36.5 Team this season. He excels in sprints at the end of a hard race day and we chat about how he prepares for these in his training (it's probably not what you'd expect). He has finished inside the top ten an impressive 14 times this season so far.Rory is also one of the very few pro cyclists to base himself in the UK throughout the season. He has some interesting answers to the standard training questions that are very relatable for listeners not fortunate enough to live in a sunny cycling hotspot year-round.What surprised you most about Rory's training?Thumbnail photo: Chris Auld

By now you're probably used to seeing Toms at the pointy end of all the biggest races from the Cobbled Classics to a Strade Bianche podium to the Tour de France. I managed to sit down with him during Deutschland Tour, a race not quite on the same level as the above but one he was certainly at the pointy end of. His team, Lidl-Trek, won all 5 stages along with the GC, the cleanest of clean sweeps. We chat about how he prepares for a race like this in between major goals of Olympics and World Champs. We also discuss the methods that have allowed him to steadily progress throughout his career and work on all aspects of his riding to become one of the best all-rounders in the World Tour Peloton. What surprised you most about Toms' training? Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

If you've watched any bike race from Australia you've likely had the pleasure of listening to Keeno's commentary. He's become the voice of cycling in Aus and has an unmatched encyclopedia of race results and cycling knowledge built into his hard drive. Matt may have used to his gift of the gab to build a career providing race commentary for the biggest races in the world, but his love of cycling has humble beginnings in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, and we take it right back to his hay day in this episode. Nowadays, cycling sits a little further down the list of priorities for Keeno but it's great to get an insight into how he continues to balance his training (not just on the bike...) with family and work commitments. Lots of tips for the everyday punter in this one. Being the superior interviewer of the two of us, Matt also manages to flip the focus onto me a few too many times, so you get a little extra personal insight from yours truly in this episode. A little different to the usual but let me know what you think! Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk Thumbnail: Signature Sport

Hard core fans will have noticed Loz putting in some strong rides in the harder one day races in previous years, but 2024 has been a breakthrough season where he has shown himself as one of the top contenders in the biggest races on the calendar. Laurence started the year with a win at Cadel's Race before having a Spring that turned many heads in the cycling world, highlighted by epic rides in Gent Wevelgem and Paris Roubaix as well as a stint in the Yellow Jersey at Paris Nice. Hear what's helped Laurence make this big step up this year and how he sets himself up to take on the big dogs in Belgium. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

Neve made the step into the pro cycling ranks as a teenager through the Zwift academy which she won in 2020. Fast forward four years and she's consistently finishing on the GC podium at the toughest climbing races on the women's calendar, taking some epic stage wins in the process. Find out which training methods have allowed Neve to take consistent results for Canyon SRAM racing at the highest level this season and come along for a deeper dive into what's required to take home a Giro d'Italia queen stage victory and GC podium. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk Photos: Neve Bradbury / Thomas Maheux

From first jumping on a road bike four years ago, to representing Ireland at the Olympics in Paris 2024, Megan has had a rapid rise through the pro cycling ranks. But a fast progression doesn't come without it's challenges and we discuss some of these as well as the different methods Megan has used to reach the top of the sport so quickly. Megan is currently racing for Team EF-Oatly-Cannondale and proudly paving the way for the next generation of Irish cycling talents looking to make it to the top level of the sport on the road. We also get to discuss some of the training I prescribe to Megan as her coach and dissect key sessions from both coach and athlete perspectives. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

The Olympics are almost here and it's time to talk training like an Olympian with Shannon McCurley. Shannon represented Ireland in the Keirin in Rio 2016 and then made the very uncommon (at least at such a high level) switch from sprint disciplines to track endurance to compete in the Madison in Tokyo 2021. We chat about the challenges involved in following this path while competing for a relatively underrepresented nation in the cycling world. Shannon also has some great advice on transitioning away from professional sport. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

Who's Coaching the Coach? This week I chat with my Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team Coach, Helmut Dollinger. The easy-going Austrian has worked with many top-level cyclists in the past and draws on his experience as well as the latest research in the field to help me and many of my teammates seek top results in 2024. I've made some big steps forward since commencing Helmut's coaching late last year and we discuss his training philosophies and methods including how he applies these to get the best from his athletes. Editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

Matt is an Aussie climber for team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL who turned enough heads in his first year as a pro to be selected for both the Tour de France and World Championships. His versatility and bunch skills also mean he's up there at the pointy end on almost any kind of parcours. Season 2024 hasn't gone quite so smoothly for Matt and we discuss this along with his usual training habits in today's episode. Thumbnail photo: Zac Williams Video editing: Odette Lynch Music: Cyrus Monk

Zuke is the reigning Canadian National Road Race Champion and a versatile teammate of mine on Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. He is one of those riders capable of impacting a race on any terrain from the mountains of Switzerland to the cobblestones of Belgium. He's had a bit of a rough trot of late with illness and injury and we discuss this along with his favourite training methods when things are going more smoothly.

Welcome to the Train like a Monk series where I discuss training with professionals at the top of the sport. To get things rolling I talk to Jensen Plowright about training in Nice, why Hawthorn Cycling Club crits are the best training on earth and how to perfectly execute the mid-ride bakery stop. Jensen is an Australian Sprinter for Alpecin Deceuninck who has already won multiple UCI races in his short career as well as Australia's most iconic one-day race, the Melbourne to Warrnambool. Let me know in the comments who you want to see on next and what extra questions you want thrown in. #cycling #cyclinglife #roadcycling #racing #training #nutrition #lifestyle #diet #athlete #procycling #procyclist