# How to Know If Your Training Is Actually Working (The N of 1 Experiment)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125/how-to-know-if-your-training-is-actually-working-the-n-of-1-experiment
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125/how-to-know-if-your-training-is-actually-working-the-n-of-1-experiment.md
Podcast: [The MicroCast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-microcast-3510125)
Published: 2026-05-27T12:51:08+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/microcosm-coaching/episodes/How-to-Know-If-Your-Training-Is-Actually-Working-The-N-of-1-Experiment-e3jvcod
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/481f5098/podcast/play/120615117/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-27%2F424987460-44100-2-5168708330398.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-microcast-3510125/episodes/how-to-know-if-your-training-is-actually-working-the-n-of-1-experiment
Duration seconds: 4052

## Resource

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: microcosmcoaching@gmail.com .

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## Transcript

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