The Endurance Blog RSS

If you've entered a major event this summer, I'm sure you've already started to think about 'what time' is achievable. Maybe you're running a marathon, an ultra event or taking part in an Ironman triathlon, but at some point, you've probably considered a finish time you would like to achieve, should everything go to plan. Your finish time is the 'OUTCOME' but you must be careful not to allow that outcome to dictate your race strategy on the day of the event. You will have already started to put together a PROCESS which you will follow, in terms of pacing...

I know what you're thinking, this guys has too much time on his hands. Well... you're reading it, so don't be pointing the finger at me. Ok, 'reverse periodisation' is a popular training method at the moment. The theory is very simple, rather than the traditional 'winter base / aerobic miles' followed by higher intensity work in spring and building to a race peak (the classic pyramid), the reverse is applied. So reverse periodisation starts with the really short hard stuff in winter and then gets longer, so it is in fact a 'reverse pyramid' or 'upside down pyramid'... you...

This week I posted a tweet about a study which has been published recently, analysing the GPS data of 14,000 runners. The results of the study in simple terms were that those who performed best in long distance running events had completed the most miles and had done them at a slower pace. The take home message was to run more miles and do them slower, if you want to race faster. The tweet generated a lot of interest from athletes, coaches and sports scientists. Some agreed with the data and others questioned it's validity. There were lot's of comments about...

In recent years the use of power meters for cycle training has become commonplace. Power meters both on the bike and measurements of power using smart turbos are now widely used by both elite and amateur cyclists to measure and monitor training load and performance. Power meters can be great tools for both coaches and athletes, but here's some current thoughts which are based on a recent conversation with a coached athlete who was asking "what percentage of FTP is my Ironman pace?" Is it actually your FTP? Here's the first issue I have with FTP scores. Your FTP is...

Aerobic base training is one of most well known terms used in endurance sports and most athletes will recognise it as long slow mileage. It was founded in the 50's by Arthur Lydiard, who was the pioneer of running 100 miles per week at a low intensity, to establish a base. His methods were so popular, they were transposed to cycling, swimming and many other sports.  In recent years, people have questioned the need to such high volume and turned instead to higher intensity training sessions, reversed periodisation and other means of training. Many people simply don't have the time...