Should you only use your small chain ring in winter?

“Only use your small chainring in winter”. This is a traditional piece of cycling advice, first suggested to me over 25 years ago. I’d joined my local cycling club and had been going on Sunday rides (usually just me and the ‘old boys’) for the autumn, and now winter was here. The main thing I recall was that at the same time as getting this nugget of wisdom, the frustratingly slow pace (for a 15-year-old) was getting even slower on these long rides. I’m sure the drop in pace was intentional on their part – and looking back, I suspect the advice was delivered with perfect timing.

So is it actually sound advice? Here are a couple of arguments why it might be worth listening to…

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Kevin SmithKevin Smith, Cycling, Training, Off season Comment
Can I do just bodyweight training for triathlon?

As Coach Tim continues this series around Strength & Conditioning for Triathletes, he looks into what else you can do with limited gym equipment or space. He's already discussed the dilemma regarding strength training trying to schedule into the weekly plan. He has also discussed the benefits of adding strength work into your training regime and the benefits of better technique, injury reduction and ultimately faster racing. At the same time, many triathletes still find it hard to strike a perfect balance with strength training.

The answer? Bodyweight conditioning is a great way to build muscular strength without adding muscle mass. Read on to find out more.

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Tim AnsellTim Ansell, Strength and Conditioning, Strength & Conditioning, TrainingComment
Carbohydrate Periodisation

In this final of three articles, Coach Kevin looks at reintroducing carbohydrates after becoming ‘fat'-adapted’ through a low-carb, high-fat diet. This is pertinent to those who are working in a low-carb environment but want to perform. Carbohydrate periodisation is all about timing your intake to facilitate bouts of higher intensity training or racing. Read on to find out more.

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Kevin SmithNutrition, Training, Kevin Smith Comment
Will a coach be able to help me as a beginner triathlete

Getting a coach at any point in your athletic career is a big deal. In triathlon, athletes can have access to coaches at an early point through the club system. New athletes are often reluctant to go to a club or coached sessions, fearful that they aren’t good enough or the stigma that coaching is for the “good athletes”. Coach Diogo looks specifically into how a coach will help a beginner athlete and how the very opposite is true.

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Diogo CustodioDiogo Custodio, Training, coachingComment
How to get the best night’s sleep before a race

In our recent blog, we investigated the effects of missing an entire night's sleep on race performance. We summarised that a complete lack of sleep the night before a race may alter your perception of effort and possibly slow down your reaction times on race day. In this blog Coach Jon gives us his tips on how to keep those pre-race nerves at bay and get the best night’s sleep before your race.

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Jon ReillyJon Reilly, Racing, racing, RecoveryComment
What is VO2Max and how is it useful for triathletes?

There are several different physiological tests and metrics that are available to athletes depending on their goals, ambitions and lifestyle choices. It can be confusing and conflicting at times without knowing how they influence and interact with each other, contribute to the different types of training sessions and overall structured plans.

One of these is the VO2Max test. Let’s look at the VO2Max, what it is, how it could benefit you and what it means to you as an athlete. To give you the knowledge to enable you to challenge yourself, if you want to!

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Tim AnsellTim Ansell, TrainingComment
Ketogenic Diet for Athletes

Coach Kevin recently wrote an article comparing high carbohydrate to high fat (or ketogenic diets). Hopefully, by the end, you had a better idea of whether you should stick with the norm (high carb), or consider trying out a high-fat option. This article is for those who are thinking about giving keto a go – Kevin will explain the potential benefits, downsides, and how to do it right from an athlete’s perspective using both his experiences and science.

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Kevin SmithNutrition, Kevin Smith Comments
How to make the most of open water swim sessions.

Often triathletes reach for the open water early season to get ready for their first race. Initially, this dive in may be more about braving the cold than anything that can resemble a decent training session. For time-starved athletes, there may be a questionable benefit of a short swim with travel and preparation/changing time) included. Read on to find out how to make the most of the open water swim sessions.

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Philip HatzisSwimming, Open Water, Training, Philip HatzisComment
What is Energy Availability?

In this article, we look at Energy Availability and get under the hood of what makes us healthy and what makes us strong. Performance correlates with consistency in training, so avoiding skipped training sessions through illness or injury is critical to success. How can we use Energy Availability and an understanding of our body’s needs to enable better performances and body compositions?

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Philip HatzisNutrition, Training, Philip Hatzis Comments