INSIGHTS FOR SMARTER ENDURANCE TRAINING

As a triathlete and coach, I spend a lot of time talking about training zones, pacing, heart rate and performance data. Like many athletes, I also wear a sports watch and use it to monitor my training and recovery. But how accurate are the numbers we see on our wrists? And how much more can we learn by testing our physiology directly? I recently visited Damini at The House of Misogi in Harrow for a resting metabolic rate (RMR) assessment and a VO₂ max test on the bike. I was

Cold-water swimming has become increasingly popular among swimmers and triathletes. From early-morning lake swims to post-training dips, many people report feeling refreshed, happier and better able to cope with stress after getting into cold water. But how much of this is supported by scientific evidence? Briganti and colleagues (2023), writing in Acta Physiologica, explored the evidence surrounding cold-water exposure and its effects on stress, cardiovascular function and p

If you’ve ever willingly got into freezing British water and called it “refreshing”… this blog is for you. And if you’ve ever stared at a black line at the bottom of a pool questioning your entire existence… this one is for you too. If you’re a swimmer or triathlete, you’ve probably wondered: "Should I be doing most of my training in the pool, or should I be swimming in open water because that’s where I race?" The answer is: both have a place — but they do different jobs. For

I may be biased but a well-run squad environment is hard to beat. The motivation, camaraderie, and shared energy lift your performance in a way that’s difficult to replicate alone. Time passes quickly, there’s a real sense of connection, and quite simply, it’s more fun. From a coaching perspective, my structured sessions can comfortably accommodate 8 to 10 swimmers per lane when speeds are grouped sensibly. Using shared CSS or Red Mist Cycle pacing, swimmers work together, ro

I'm currently studying a Masters in Sports Performance Coaching, and as such, am spending any spare hour I may have listening to course lectures or reading academic articles.....often disappearing down a rabbit hole in interesting coaching and sporting stuff. This is one such article, as I was searching for a paper from my sports physiology Tutor, Andy Kirkland, I came across an article he wrote for Training Peaks about Tapering for your A race. You can read it here I am happ

pull and paddles for swimming isn't always the answer

Our squads aren’t just about swimming faster. They’re about training smarter , building community , and tailoring coaching to suit every...

We all feel it.....have we lost fitness overnight?? That training session on a hotter, more humid day was a shocker, and you are ready to...

Hey swimmers, as a coach, one of the most common questions I get is: How much can I improve in a given time frame? Whether you're...

It's a common question asked by triathletes preparing for races which are usually in Open Water, but also by swimmers who still want to...

So, as the lakes are opening back up, and the mad ones are dipping in at 12'C, the full open water swimming and triathlon season is just...

Inspired by a video 1-1 I did this week with a very competent swimmer who can swim 1:35min/100m in the pool but feels gassed out when he...

When your coach design a session plan, the rest breaks between efforts have been carefully calculated to take into account the workout’s...

Very few novice swimmers exhale properly into the water and all intermediate swimmers think they are exhaling correctly - at least, that's

Have you thought that most triathlons (not all) have swims in the open water? It might be the sea, a lake or a river. Its a really good...

Are you a confident swimmer but still panic in open water, seemingly without any rational reason? You are not alone! Open water swimming...

As coaches, we have swimmers coming up to us all the time asking for advice on the best gear to improve their swimming. There are loads...

Based around the world-renowed Swim Smooth coaching methodology, adopted by World Triathlon and British Triathlon, this is what you...

As an endurance athlete you will have very specific nutritional demands, but are you maintaining a solid nutritional base layer to be a...

Triathletes that have successful race seasons consistently do two things very well: 1) Master their winter triathlon training 2)...