Chris Case

Chris Case

Cofounder and Content Director of Fast Talk Labs, Founder of Alter Exploration
Chris is a lifelong endurance athlete, journalist, editor, explorer, and photographer. He cofounded Fast Talk Laboratories and founded Alter Exploration.

Chris is a lifelong endurance athlete with a diverse academic and professional background. He has degrees and experience in neuroscience, clinical psychology, art, documentary photography, and journalism, and has decades of professional experience in the cycling and travel industries. Most recently, he founded Alter Exploration, which crafts challenging, transformative cycling journeys in some of the world’s most stunning destinations.

Chris was born and raised in southeastern Connecticut. He took up running in elementary school, and it quickly became his sole competitive outlet. Ultimately, he won multiple state championships in cross-country and track.

Chris attended Colgate University and graduated with degrees in neuroscience and art. He spent the next three years at the National Institute of Mental Health conducting research on patients with schizophrenia. After another year researching a stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease, he decided to pursue his second passion. This led him to the graduate journalism program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he concentrated in documentary photography. This is where Chris rediscovered his love of cycling, joining the collegiate team before expanding into categorized racing.

In 2012, Chris became the managing editor of VeloNews magazine, a position he held for nearly eight years. It was during that time that he became co-host of Fast Talk.

His cycling pursuits took him around the world to race on the road, mountain, and in cyclocross, to places like Taiwan, Costa Rica, Israel, and throughout Europe. He has stood on the podium at several cyclocross national championships, and is a silver medalist at master’s cyclocross worlds.

Chris is the author of The Haywire Heart, a groundbreaking and critically important guide to heart care for athletes, and the first book to delve into the relationship between long-term endurance athletics and heart health.

He is a cofounder of Fast Talk Labs, with Trevor Connor, and was the COO of Fast Talk Labs and The Paleo Diet until January 2022.

Latest: Page 15

Fast Talk Podcast Q&A

Is FTP Dead?

We take on a controversial subject: FTP or functional threshold power. Is FTP dead?

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 33
Athlete putting a collar on a weighted barbell

A Cyclist’s Guide to the Weight Room

Cyclists can get a little lost in the weight room. Strength expert Jess Elliott helps us understand the fundamentals of strength workouts and how cyclists will benefit from time spent in the gym.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 32
Bearded cyclist resting inside a velodrome

Who Can You Trust for Training Advice?

We are joined by pro cyclist Sepp Kuss and the founder of FasCat coaching, Frank Overton, to dig into dealing with contradictory advice.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 27
Cramping runner

Cramping Myths Debunked

Why do athletes cramp? New science suggests that it isn’t about electrolyte imbalances or dehydration as we’ve been told for decades. We explore.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 26

A Deep Dive on Tires and Pressures

The science behind fast tires has evolved rapidly in recent years, so Trevor Connor and Caley Fretz called in tech writer Kristen Legan to dig into the latest research.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 25

Surviving a Long Season Like a Pro

Is it possible to stay fit and fast all year round? We talk to former pro and team director Mike Creed about the toll that cycling takes on a body.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 24
flame

Managing Heat, with Rob Pickels

Physiologist Rob Pickels joins our hosts to talk about how heat affects athletic performance and the different strategies you can implement to manage it.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 21

Get Better at Sprinting

We discuss the ins and outs of sprint technique and training, and are joined by two-time national criterium champion Eric Young for some pro tips.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 20
Wooden number blocks

Training As a Numbers Game

We talk to Dirk Friel of TrainingPeaks to explain how cyclists can use data to make their workouts more effective and productive.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 19

Top Tips for Pre-Race Prep

Your body is ready to race, but is your bike ready? We are joined by VeloNews’s tech team of Dan Cavallari and Kristen Legan to dig into the tech side of proper race preparation.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 18

The Art of the Breakaway with Tom Skujins

We are joined by Cannondale-Drapac’s escape ace Toms Skuijns, winner of two breakaway stages of the Amgen Tour of California, as well as Chris Case, to discuss the tips, tricks, and tactics needed to make a breakaway move stick.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 17

Forget What You Thought You Knew About Warm-Ups

We go in-depth on the science behind warm-ups and provide tips on how to get the most out of your next race by tailoring your routine to the event and your own needs.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 16