Episode
How to Know If Your Training Is Actually Working (The N of 1 Experiment)
- Podcast
- The MicroCast
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4052
- Processing state
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Summary
Sign up for our free open house here! (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0KnmFGBxZNYqTAZDNFSRUL86UXK7gCIVDDlLtWJBp5WoVvQ/viewform?usp=header) How do you know if your training, supplements, or recovery hacks are actually working — or if you're just fooling yourself? Zoë and TJ break down the science of the N of 1 experiment and how to self-coach intelligently in a world flooded with biohacks, miracle protocols, and "this one weird trick" content. Borrowing Feynman's first principle — you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool — they walk through six cognitive biases that trick endurance athletes into believing something works when it doesn't: regression to the mean, the placebo of the shiny new toy, confirmation bias, the novelty honeymoon, comparison traps, and sunk cost. Then they get practical: how to actually test an intervention, change one variable at a time, define success before you start, and ask the question that cuts through the noise — compared to what? Plus a coach spotlight on James Nance, TJ's road back to Leadville, and Zoë's day-by-day approach to managing an Achilles flare-up. If you've ever overhauled everything after one bad race or wondered whether your $80 ketones are doing anything at all, this one's for you. Reach out anytime: [email protected] .