Steve Neal of Steve Neal performance

This is the first guest episode of the Long Game Project, and it felt important to start with someone who really sets the tone for what this is all about.

Steve Neal is a coach with over 30 years of experience working with endurance athletes, from development level all the way through to high performance. He’s known for his deep understanding of physiology, testing, and how to actually apply that information in the real world. But more than that, he’s someone who has spent a long time figuring out what truly works—and what doesn’t.

In this conversation, we get into a few key ideas that come up again and again when it comes to training, especially as athletes get older.

We talk about what actually changes as we age—and what doesn’t. Why so many people end up training too hard, and how that can quietly hold them back. How to think about testing in a way that actually helps, rather than just collecting numbers. And what really moves the needle when you’re balancing training with work, family, and everything else that comes with life.

A big part of this conversation is around consistency—figuring out what you can repeat over time, rather than chasing short-term gains. We also get into the idea that you can’t train everything at once. There are trade-offs, and understanding what you’re actually trying to improve is key.

Steve shares a lot of practical insight from years of coaching, including how to avoid overtraining, why leaving something in the tank matters, and how to build fitness in a way that lasts.

This one isn’t about shortcuts or perfect answers. It’s about building a better understanding of the process, and finding a way to keep improving over the long term.

Topics Covered

What actually changes as we get older—and what doesn’t

Why most people train too hard (and how it backfires)

The “5% undertrained vs 1% overtrained” idea

How to use testing to understand your own physiology

FatMax, VO2, and why you can’t train everything at once

What really moves the needle for busy athletes

Consistency and repeatability in training

Strength, mobility, and staying in the sport long term

Connect with Steve

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenealperformance/⁠�

Email: steve@stevenealperformance.com

Connect with Me

Email: tuftcamps@gmail.com

If you have questions or topics you’d like covered in future episodes, send them through—I’ll do my best to get to them.

If You Enjoyed This Episode

Follow the podcast on your platform of choice, leave a review if you can, and share it with someone who might get something out of it.

That’s the whole idea—build something useful and pass it along.