Posted on 1 Comment

How to train through winter: 10 tips & tricks to keep your motivation high

Let’s face it, when it’s cold, or cold and raining, cold and snowing, and dark, we just don’t feel as motivated to train. It’s harder to put on your trainers and your kit inside in the warm, to then have to launch yourself into the harsh conditions. In the UK and Northern Hemisphere there are[…]

Posted on 1 Comment

How to push to a PB

How to run a PB or PR

Personal Best. Those magic words. Most of us love our PBs. Rightly so, we train hard for them. So what if you want your PB to be a bit faster? You’re sure you tried as hard as you could in your last race. Or did you? We all know the feeling of someone passing us[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

How not to forget anything for your race

Race checklist – what you need for your race, marathon or long run Most of us get nervous before a race. Even if I don’t think I’m nervous, my body usually is. Last week I was joking before we ran a low key race, that my friend was nervous. He pointed out I must be[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

Motivation and Inspiration: the chicken/ egg Venn diagram

Most of us want to be motivated, and most of us love to be inspired. But are they different, and do we need them both to get out and run? Do you feel any different when you say you’re motivated, to when you say you’re inspired? Or do you use them as two words for[…]

Posted on 1 Comment

How to love the Tour stage 4 – Tour Trivia

The Devil, stuffed lions, plastic squirrels and how do they go to the loo?!… You’ve seen how much there is to the Tour – the jerseys, the tactics, the super fast racing. Now take it to the next level and get fully submersed, with full-on fascinating and fun Tour trivia. The Devil There are millions[…]

Posted on 1 Comment

How to love the TdF stage 3 – racing fast

How teams work + time trials, lead-out trains & crashes So now we know about the different competitions for the jerseys & how racing works , it’s time to look at how the Tour riders do their fastest racing.   Who’s in a team? There are 22 teams of nine riders (that’s 198 total men[…]

Posted on 2 Comments

How to love the TdF Stage 2 – racing basics

Tactics, the peloton, drafting, breakaways and attacks So now you know all about the jerseys from Étape 1 of this guide, it’s easier to get to understand how the race works and what makes it exciting. TdF Structure – the stages The Tour follows a standard structure: It’s always 21 stages (1 stage per day[…]

Posted on 5 Comments

How to love the Tour: Stage 1 – The Jerseys

Why I love the Tour de France and how you can too On one of my early cycle trips, we cycled from London and finished by cycling up the legendary 21 bends of Alpe d’Huez, slightly surprised that there were so many cyclists, camper vans and writing all over the road the day before the[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

How to cycle faster (even without Wiggo’s torso and Hoy’s legs)

Efficiency is key: The first thing is to make sure your bike is properly fitted to you. Hopefully the bike shop did this when you bought your bike, or you can see a specialist for a more bespoke bike set up session. Comfort is key to cycling, and when you’re comfortable, you’re also more likely[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

Run commute: top tips for running to work

The alarm goes. I put on the kit I laid out the night before. Then I strap on my running bag, already packed. All I need to do now is run. The fact I’ll finish at work, feeling calm, and having saved money on travel, are all bonuses of the run commute. I’ve run commuted[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

Three Tough Truths About Running

Running is easy right? One foot in front of another.  Get fitter.  Build up the distance.  While out running, you see a poster of women smiling and laughing, advertising a running event, and decide to enter a 5k.  Run the 5k.  Awesome.  Time for the first tough truth – you’re now a runner! We all[…]

Posted on 1 Comment

Marathon Day logistics: what to expect at the start & finish

marathon logistics

Well done making it to the start line of a marathon! It’s not easy putting in the hours of training, through dark, wind and rain, and surviving injury-free. If you haven’t done a large race of 30,000+ runners before, it can be handy to know what to expect on the day. That way you don’t[…]

Posted on 1 Comment

Trust issues: managing your relationship with the taper

The marathon taper A runner’s relationship with the taper is an emotional rollercoaster, treated by many with suspicion, even some moodiness! The best way to treat it, as with any relationship, is to put your trust in it, and go with the love option! So what’s it all about anyway? Here’s my relationship advice for[…]

Posted on 3 Comments

Race Prediction: how fast should you run?

Predict how fast to run a race

Race Prediction – how fast should you run? We’ve done it, we’re committed. We’ve signed up for a race. Handed over cash, told friends and family. Asked for sponsorship. It’s definitely happening! The question you’ll be asked most often, (by others, and you will ask yourself too), is: “what time do you want to get?”[…]

Posted on 3 Comments

Use the Pros’ techniques to learn from your race + get better next time

Pro tips to improve your race

We’ve all watched Olympic athletes fall over a hurdle, tumble on a ski run, or not perform as well as expected and finish last, only to then talk about the positives in the post-race interview.  This can sound incredible to us, but they’re using techniques we can all use and benefit from.  I’ve put these[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

10 top tips to prepare you for a race

If you haven’t raced before, it sounds daunting.  If you have, you know it’s not easy.  So why do we do it? Because it makes us stronger, because it’s rewarding and because it can be fun! If you’re building to a big event, like a marathon or a sportive, it’s a good idea to have[…]

Posted on Leave a comment

CPR for your training

Want to improve your training, get faster and avoid injury? Give yourself some CPR! Consistency So you’re running or cycling regularly.  Good job (as they say in the US)!  You’re on the way to cracking a key secret of sporting success: consistency in training. Once you’ve got your training routine locked in, it becomes easier. […]