Training and Performance

For years, we’ve been told that getting older means getting slower. And, physiologically, there’s some truth in that. As we age, factors such as maximal aerobic capacity, muscle mass and power tend to decline. That can make short, fast running increasingly challenging. But here's the interesting bit: The longer the distance, the less straightforward the relationship between age and performance becomes. Research looking at ultramarathon performance has found that the age of th

You don't need a degree in exercise physiology to understand energy systems. But understanding the basics can help you make better decisions about how hard to train, how long to recover between efforts, what to eat before and after training, and how to structure your week. How your body creates and uses energy ATP-PC system – stored energy for explosive effortsYour muscles keep small amounts of ATP and phosphocreatine (PC) stored and ready to use. This system can regenerate A

Jumping isn't just for kids or gymnasts If you're a runner plyometrics may be one of the most useful — and most overlooked — additions to your training. And no, I'm not suggesting you need to start doing endless box jumps or trying to recreate your school sports day. Plyometric training is about teaching your body to produce and absorb force quickly. That's highly relevant to running, where you're repeatedly landing, loading and pushing off the ground in a fraction of a secon

Have you noticed that your body doesn’t always respond to cold-weather running in quite the same way it used to. For me, now it's starting to get colder (and dark) over recent weeks I've had a few reminders of that. I’ve had niggly tendons flare up when I haven’t warmed up properly — and I’ve even started experiencing the occasional stitch in colder conditions, something I rarely used to get. That doesn’t mean we should avoid running in the cold. It means we need to train sma

Whether you're chasing a PB, pushing your body to its limits or simply hoping to get around in one piece, how you fuel an ultramarathon can have a huge impact on how you feel during the race — and how quickly you recover afterwards. The problem is that there is no single perfect fuelling strategy. Your pace, race distance, weather, terrain, sweat rate, gut tolerance and previous experience all make a difference. What works brilliantly for one runner can leave another feeling

My ultramarathon success didn't come from running more. It came from getting smarter about how I prepared. After a few years of marathons, I decided it was time to dip my toe into the world of ultramarathons. Even before I became a PT and performance coach, I was slightly obsessed with researching my own training, looking at what had worked, what hadn't and what I actually needed to be able to get through the challenge. One of the biggest lessons I learnt at the start is that

One of the questions I get asked quite often is, “How much training do I actually need?” And the honest answer is probably less than you think. Not because training doesn't matter. It absolutely does. But because more training isn't automatically better training. This is something I've become much more aware of as I've got older and taken on some fairly big challenges myself. When I was younger, I could get away with doing more. More sessions. More intensity. More late nights

One of the easiest traps to fall into when you're training for an event is assuming that being fit means you're ready. It doesn't always. You can be strong. You can have a good aerobic engine. You can run a fast 10K and train four or five times a week. And still not be ready for the event you've entered. I've learned this through my own training as well as coaching other people. Fitness is general. Race readiness is specific. Fit for what? That's usually my next question. You

You've done the training. The long runs are in. You've done the intervals, the strength work and the miles. You're fitter than you were three months ago. So you're ready to race. Aren't you? Well, perhaps. One thing I've learned from doing my own marathons, ultras and other events is that fitness is only one part of being ready. You can be very fit and still have a terrible race. Pacing matters One of the easiest mistakes to make is going out too quickly. You feel good. Every

I don't think runners need a complicated strength programme. In fact, I think that's one of the reasons strength training gets pushed to the bottom of the list. It gets presented as another whole training discipline to learn — three gym sessions, twelve exercises, different programmes for different phases. If you're already running four times a week, it's easy to think, “When exactly am I supposed to fit all this in?” The good news is you don't need to but you do need to do e

I see this a lot with new clients. Someone wants to get stronger, run faster, lose a bit of weight, improve their endurance and perhaps train for a marathon or HYROX. None of those goals are unreasonable. The problem is trying to achieve all of them at the same time. I've done this myself. You get enthusiastic about a new challenge and suddenly everything becomes a priority. More running. More strength. More intervals. More conditioning. Clean up the diet. Lose a few kilos. A

There's something I really like about taking on a new challenge later in life. Maybe you've always wanted to run a marathon. Perhaps a HYROX, ultra, obstacle race or multi-day adventure has caught your attention. Or maybe you simply want to do something that feels like a proper challenge. The first question I would ask isn't, “What's the training plan?” It's “What am I actually going to have to do?” Because the challenge itself should determine how you prepare. A marathon isn

If you're a runner or endurance athlete, there's a good chance strength training has been sitting on your “I really should do more of that” list for a while. I see it all the time. The running gets done because that's what you're training for. The strength work gets squeezed in when there's time — and when life gets busy, it's usually the first thing to go. I understand why. If you're training for a marathon, you want to run. If you've got an ultra coming up, you need time on

I've always found the idea that getting older means you should simply “take it easier” rather frustrating. Of course our bodies change as we get older. Recovery can take longer. We don't maintain muscle and power as easily. We've probably accumulated a few more niggles along the way. But none of that means we have to stop challenging ourselves. I'm in my fifties now and I'm still running marathons and ultras, doing functional fitness events and strength training. Whats change

I don't train less because I'm getting older. I train differently. Ten years ago, I was a very different athlete. I trained hard. I was motivated. I loved having a challenge to work towards. But I was also much more likely to believe that more training was better training. Another run? Why not. Training on an empty stomach? Fine. Big night out? I did my best runs on a hangover. Bad night's sleep? Crack on. A niggle? It'll probably be alright. If a session was in the plan, I

Let's be honest. A lot of runners hate the gym. You'd rather be outside. You'd rather be running. You'd rather be exploring trails, chasing a PB, getting your long run done or heading out for that Sunday morning run with your mates you've been looking forward to all week. The last thing you want is to spend an hour inside lifting weights. And I get it. But here's the thing. You probably hate not being able to run even more. That frustrating period when a niggle turns into an

I'll admit it. I used to think walking during a run was something you did because you couldn't run the whole way. Then I got injured. And suddenly, I had a very different perspective. During Covid, while recovering from an injury, I decided to try the Jeff Galloway Run-Walk-Run method. And I ended up completing a marathon in around 4½ hours. That experience completely changed my view of run/walk training. I'm a convert and it is very much part of my running tool-kit to help m

The Fuelling Mistakes I Often See in Masters Athletes You’re running more. You’re training harder. You’re adding strength work. So why do you feel exhausted? If you’re training for a marathon, half marathon, ultra or another endurance event, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about your training. Your long run. Your intervals. Your pace. Your strength sessions. Your recovery. Your race shoes. Your gels. Your hydration. But there’s one thing I regularly see recreationa

You don't always have to train harder to get fitter. In fact, sometimes the smartest thing you can do is slow down. If you've spent any time reading any fitness content recently, you'll probably have heard the term Zone 2. Zone 2 training has become something of a fitness buzzword, with claims that it is the secret to better endurance, improved fat burning, healthier mitochondria and even longevity. But what actually is Zone 2? and is it really the magic bullet that social me

Most of us don't think much about sweat. We wipe it away during a workout, complain about it during a heatwave and celebrate it as evidence of a "good session." But sweat is far more important than many people realise. In fact, understanding how and why you sweat could help improve your exercise performance, recovery, energy levels and overall health. The problem is that hydration advice is often oversimplified. We're told to "drink more water." Yet for active people, hydrati