REACH YOUR APEX

ben kanute - New Era, New Goals

A quiet reset with big stakes—Ben Kanute rethinks training, life, and legacy with a new coach and a fresh start. What happens when an Olympian decides to start over? In this episode, Neal sits down with long-course triathlete Ben Kanute, who recently relocated to Boulder and joined Neal’s coaching program. Together, they talk about what it takes to shift gears mid-career, rework your training from the ground up, and keep the fire burning while raising a young family and racing at the highest level. With Ironman Frankfurt on the horizon, this is a timely and honest look at the journey behind the jersey. In this episode: – Why Ben hit reset after over a decade of pro racing – The shift from chasing power numbers to training with intention – Life in Boulder and adjusting to altitude, parenting, and priorities – How Neal’s coaching approach is evolving with athletes like Ben – What to expect heading into Ironman Frankfurt and beyond Follow us: @apexcoachingco on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky apexcoachingco.com [http://apexcoachingco.com] | estranyoleft.com [http://estranyoleft.com] 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share to help more athletes find the show.

Taylor phinney

In this episode of The Reach Your APEX Podcast, Neal Henderson sits down with one of his most accomplished and most personal athletes — Taylor Phinney. From junior world championships, Olympic near-misses, Tour de France breakaways, and career-defining victories — to the hard realities that come after stepping away from professional racing — Taylor opens up about his entire journey. Neal and Taylor talk candidly about coaching, career pressure, reinventing your identity after racing, and finding new meaning in cycling outside of performance. It’s not just a conversation about results — it’s a conversation about what happens after the finish line, and how the bike can still serve a purpose long after the racing ends. For anyone navigating the highs and lows of high performance, this one delivers. Key Topics: Taylor’s early racing years and first connections with Neal Life as a young pro and rapid rise through the WorldTour Injuries, setbacks, and managing the mental toll of elite racing Redefining his relationship with cycling after retirement Building community, creativity, and adventure into riding today What younger athletes can learn from his career experience

# 8 RYAP Hotel, Motel, Holiday Win

If you’ve been listening from the start—thank you. This little podcast experiment with Neal Henderson started as a way to bottle up decades of coaching wisdom and turn it into something useful for anyone chasing a better version of themselves. But we’re stepping it up now. More guests. More real talk. More episodes that go beyond watts and whoop scores. This week, we’ve got Leah Van der Linden—pro cyclist, coach, and absolute road-trip ninja. She joins Neal for a deep dive on how to travel like a pro and still race like one, too. From busted bikes to burrito mistakes, this episode is equal parts goldmine and group therapy for anyone who's ever tried to fly with a disc brake bike and a dream. We’re making a point with this one: Reach Your APEX isn’t just about training plans and FTP. It’s about showing up, fully. Even if that means floor pumps, air tags, or dodging gas station roulette. 🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube—or wherever you tune in. 💡 And if you’ve got ideas or questions you want covered, hit us up. This is your ride too. 👉 Support the network: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mygirona #ReachYourAPEX #Estranyoleft #CyclingLife #GravelTravel #PodcastFuel

"Beyond the Miles: Mastering Long-Distance Gravel Races"

Long gravel races test more than just your endurance—they challenge your training methods, bike handling, strength, fueling, and mental toughness. In this episode, coaches Neal Henderson and Jeff Hubler unpack their experiences and insights on training smarter, not harder, for long gravel events like Unbound and Trans Cordillera. Key takeaways include: Why longer training rides aren’t always better (and how to optimize duration) Essential strength training to handle unpredictable gravel terrain Proven fueling strategies that prevent mid-race disasters Crucial bike-handling and mechanical skills every gravel cyclist must master Prepare strategically, train intelligently, and ride your best gravel event yet. Listen now.

Why Rest Days Make You Faster: The Science of Recovery with Andrea Devorak

Rest isn’t weakness—it’s where the real gains happen. In this episode of Reach Your APEX, coach Neal Henderson is joined by endurance athlete and coach Andrea Deak for a deep dive into why recovery is the most underrated performance tool in the game. They break down: The difference between rest, recovery, and overtraining How to spot the signs of burnout and emotional fatigue Why elite athletes plan rest first—not last Real-world stories from Andrea’s time as a pro cyclist, swimmer, and Unbound finisher What to do when life forces you off the bike If you’re stuck in a plateau, dragging through workouts, or just afraid of taking a day off—this episode is your permission slip to train smarter, not harder.