Episode 27: Kevin Smith - Riding up the hills

In this episode, we have an interesting chat with coach Kevin Smith. Kevin is a cycling and triathlon enthusiast and a coach. He has worked with Tri Training Harder for the past couple of years and has been cycling coaching and guiding from his house in France for years before that. After living in New Zealand for four years, Kevin has moved to France and owns a B&B at the bottom of the famous Alpe d’Huez climb. Tri Training Harder has run some training camps there. It is also where Kevin hosts some cycling camps out of his B&B. he encourages anyone who loves cycling to come and join him and his family in one of the most picturesque places to train and enjoy outdoor activities in the world. His experience and attention to detail are fascinating, and we know you will love to hear about his coaching philosophy and approach.

If you would like to know more about our training camps in France, please visit this link, and if you would like to know more about Coach Kevin’s place, please visit his website.

Get to know coach Kevin a little bit more in this episode.

Diogo CustodioAugust 25, 2021triathlon, cycling, trainingcampsComment

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Endurance Athletes – Training Through the Menopause

Training through the menopause is often a confusing and difficult time. In this article, which was first published for the Castle Race Series, Coach Philip looks at the changes and how athletes can navigate them.

Are Training Plans Dead?

In this latest article, coach Philip explores whether a training plan is now dead. He also looks into the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on the sports industry.

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In this article, Coach Philip explores how athletes are often distracted by the enormity of the task and get excited about the headline sessions instead of ensuring that all the fundamentals are in place to improve their chances of success or, more importantly, reduce the probability of failure.

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How to be an endurance athlete post menopause?

In a recent series of blogs Coach Denise has looked at the impact of the menstrual cycle, contraception and perimenopause on the female athlete. In this article she looks at what athletes and coaches should consider in the postmenopausal phase of life.

Should we dial down our FTP after the off-season?

In this latest article, coach Philip Hatzis explores how much we should dial back our FTP after an off-season break, or even if we should!? Read on to learn how to adapt your training after taking some time off.

Perimenopause and the athlete

In earlier articles Coach Denise has looked at the impact of the menstrual cycle on the female athlete, and how to train effectively within the body’s natural rhythm. In this article, Coach Denise looks at the impact that perimenopause can have on the athlete, and how to continue to train effectively through this phase of your life.

How can I do better at test sessions?

As we look to the new season, testing is one of the first things many athletes will do. This will be the form of benchmarking to understand initial fitness levels, biomechanics or other areas. Various aspects of training and performance will be measured and improved upon in the coming months. Yet, often, athletes dislike “test week” and miss out on brilliant opportunities to improve. Coach Philip Hatzis explores the topic of improving your testing sessions in this article.

How do I know if I should train if I am not feeling 100%?

At some point in their athletic career, every athlete has a point when they’re unsure if they should or should not train. This is often a result of illness or fatigue or something similar. They are feeling a bit “yuck” but do not necessarily understand why, which makes deciding whether they should train a tough challenge. In this article, coach Philip Hatzis explores how athletes can decide whether to train or not.

Should Goals be Time-bound?

In this article, Coach Philip explores goal setting and the commonly accepted approach to goal-setting that may actually inhibit performance by forcing a time constraint on athletes where no time may be the best option.

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Are Coaches Sacrificing Health for Performance?

In this article, Coach Philip explores some trends we are starting to see with new athletes who have been previously coached by others. Though athletes often start working with coaches for performance, we are also responsible for ensuring that athletes are healthy and safe. This article looks at some examples and highlights some things that athletes and coaches can do to enable a better approach to athlete welfare.

How to plan for a triathlon season

Love it or loathe it, the topic of planning is central to all sports, none more so than multi discipline endurance sports. Helping to focus time, effort and energy, great plans can produce the best results on race day. In this blog Coach Denise looks at the topic of planning, why it helps within the sport of triathlon and how a coach can help you to help yourself.

How to become effective in swimming in the waves

Being able to swim in a pool is not quite the same as being able to swim in open water. In this latest article, Coach Rita explores her learning experience when she took an open water swim session with some British athletes and her surprise at the skills gap between their swimming ability and open water experience.

How simple mistakes in reflection can you stifle your athletic development?

In this latest article, Coach Philip looks at some common ways that athletes fail to reflect appropriately and lose an excellent opportunity to learn, grow and evolve between seasons. Have a read at how you can ensure you don’t make the same mistakes and build on each season.

How athletes should build up, not just back

Too many people strive without addressing the basics and miss the greater opportunities. Equally, some people never dream big enough. Both realities hinder performance and progression, but both can be fixed with genuine self-awareness and feedback. Read on to see what you can learn.

Episode 27: Kevin Smith - Riding up the hills

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