FasCat Coaching and Zwift recently announced a new level of integration via Zwift’s new Training API, making it easier than ever to execute the workouts found in FasCat’s CoachCat app directly in Zwift, while also automatically sending your Zwift activities back to CoachCat for processing.
Read about CoachCat + Zwift integration >
Manual Push… For Now
For now, CoachCat’s training calendar is not auto-syncing to Zwift. This is a temporary situation, much like when TriDot launched the first iteration of their Training API integration. FasCat tells me they’re shooting for auto-sync to be live by the end of the year.
This is worth mentioning up front since auto-sync is a big part of what makes these Training API integrations so handy. If I can just boot up Zwift and see my workout for the day, right on the homescreen, that’s a win. The fewer steps, the better.
So while your Zwift activities will automatically pop over to CoachCat once saved, allowing CoachCat to adapt your training based on what you just did in Zwift, getting your CoachCat workout into Zwift currently requires a simple button tap. I’ll cover that below, but first…
About FasCat Coaching
Frank Overton founded FasCat Coaching in 2002, and it’s been his full-time gig since 2004. A former pro-level cyclist, Frank was working with Andy Coggan and other sports scientists in 2003, back before Training Peaks or WKO existed. This group was looking for better ways to set optimal training targets and quantify training stress, and it was in this environment, while training for the Colorado State Time Trial, that Frank invented and formalized the concept of sweet spot training.
(He and this group of scientists would go on to create mainstays of cycling training like TSS, the Performance Management Chart, and normalized power. So if you’re looking for an impressive sports science palmarès, Frank’s got one.)
I sat down with Frank to learn more about his story, and what makes FasCat special. There’s a lot we could talk about here, but in the interest of keeping this post short, I’ll just say that Frank says people want three simple things from their coach:
- Tell me what to do
- Tell me if I’m improving
- Tell me what to do next
Frank and his team have been doing this for over 20 years, but things got really interesting when they built the AI-powered CoachCat app, which launched in March 2024. This app was trained on a proprietary data set made up of over 1 million hand-written power file analyses FasCat has performed over the years, as well as FasCat’s blog posts and YouTube videos. Because of this, Franks says, “CoachCat does what human coaches do, but faster, smarter, cheaper.”
Your CoachCat subscription gets you access to tons of training tools, including a library of training plans and workouts which can be easily customized using the natural-language text chat with CoachCat in the app. If you have questions or want to change an upcoming workout, just chat with CoachCat via the app:
If you are worried that the human touch is being lost with all this AI stuff, FasCat also seems to do a really good job of providing human interaction where needed. You can chat with a coach online via their website, anyone who creates an account also gets a 30-minute consultation with a real coach, and you can sign up for 1:1 coaching plans if you’d like.
Pricing and Signup
You can sign up for a 30-day free trial here, no credit card required. Ongoing subscriptions are $34.99/mo, discounted to $240 if paying annually. Or you can get access to the stripped-down “CoachCat Basic” plan for just $3.99/mo.
Connecting CoachCat + Zwift
All of your interaction with CoachCat is done via the CoachCat app (in Apple or Play stores). Install the app, create your account, then connect it to Zwift via Profile>Connected Devices:
Choosing Your Training Plan/Workout
Once you’re signed up and connected, you just need to get some workouts on your calendar! Tap “Library” to browse CoachCat’s huge list of training plans and workouts. You can have the app suggest a plan based on some minimal input from you. There are also two Zwift-specific plans on the list: “Zwift Training with Outdoor Rides” and “Zwift Racing Plan”.
Sending Workouts to Zwift
Once your calendar has some workouts on it, just tap a workout and tap “Send to Zwift” to send it over to your Zwift account:
Your workout will be available on your homescreen, and also under Workouts>Custom>CoachCat:
(Again, this manual step will be removed soon, so your scheduled workouts will automatically pop into Zwift each day.)
Questions or Comments?
Have you trained using FasCat’s CoachCat app? If so, what did you think? Share any related comments or questions below…
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