Whether you're coaching cyclists, runners or nordic skiers, testing is essential in gauging fitness and progress. Make sure you don't miss these key steps.



Athletes tend to push themselves hardest during competition. The race atmosphere surrounds the athlete with other competitors, cheering spectators and encouraging volunteers. A finisher’s medal is donned around their neck at the finish line and their results, times and rankings are posted for all to see. 

So, the question remains, how do coaches facilitate a maximum effort for a field test when the athlete is completely alone? For many athletes, digging that deep for a workout presents challenges. It’s difficult to feel and sustain that kind of pain when you’re only self-motivated. Yet, this kind of hard work and suffering will consistently produce successful athletes. In this article, I will examine how best to prepare an athlete for an all-out field test effort.

Click here to read more from the Training Peaks blog on testing