From the Coach
Training philosophy, race breakdowns, and the science behind how we coach. Written for athletes who want to understand the why, not just the what.
Heat is the most underestimated variable in endurance racing. The fittest athlete in the field can still lose to the one who managed core temperature better. Understanding why changes how you race.
The off-season is the most valuable training phase on the calendar, but most athletes squander it with generic base phases that ignore their physiology. Your metabolic profile should dictate your off-season priorities, not the calendar.
Missing a week of training does not undo months of aerobic development. Understanding what you actually lose and what remains unchanged helps you make better decisions when life disrupts your schedule.
Two athletes with identical threshold numbers can produce wildly different race results. The difference is the shape of their fitness, not the peak. Growing the whole curve beats chasing a single metric.
Intensity discipline is the ability to train at exactly the right intensity for the purpose of each session. It sounds simple. It is the hardest skill in endurance sport, and the one most athletes never develop.
Aerobic development is a years-long project. Mitochondrial density, capillarisation, and transporter capacity build slowly through consistent sub-threshold training. There are no shortcuts.
Lactate is not a waste product and it does not cause the burn. Understanding what lactate actually does and what really drives fatigue changes how you think about training intensity and aerobic development.
Your body adapts to training at the cellular level long before your watch shows faster times. Understanding the lag between physiological adaptation and performance helps you trust the process when progress feels invisible.
Zone 2 training dominates endurance discourse but it is only part of the picture. The work between your first and second threshold is where most age-group athletes leave the biggest gains on the table.
FTP, VO2max, and threshold power are single numbers. Your fitness is not. The power-duration curve reveals what no single metric can: the shape of your engine and where it needs work.
Most age-group triathletes think more training hours is the only way forward. It is not. As your fitness improves, the same sessions produce more work. Here is how progression actually happens when your schedule is fixed.
Blowing up in a race is not random bad luck. It is a predictable physiological event driven by hydrogen ion accumulation, not lactate. Learn what triggers the cascade and how sub-threshold training prevents it.
Carbohydrate is the body's most efficient fuel. It produces more energy per litre of oxygen than fat. The only limit is how much your gut can absorb, and that is trainable.
Big training weeks feel productive but consistency drives adaptation. Learn why repeatable, well-structured weeks build more fitness than boom-bust cycles and how to find your sustainable training load.
Cardiac drift is not a fitness score. Learn what aerobic decoupling actually tells you about your training, why most drift comes from wrong zones rather than a weak aerobic base, and how to read it properly.
Most triathletes chase VO2 max but efficiency is the metric that decides long-course racing. Learn why oxygen cost matters more than your ceiling and how sub-threshold volume builds it.
The Norwegian method is everywhere but most athletes execute it wrong. Learn why precise, individualised thresholds are the key to making sub-threshold training actually work.
Your 20-minute FTP test gives you one number. Here is why that number is misleading, and how a heart rate normalised power and pace curve reveals the full shape of your physiology instead.
Most athletes train in the wrong zones. Learn why FTP tests, max heart rate formulas, and wearable estimates miss your real thresholds, and how a power and pace curve gives you zones anchored to your actual physiology.
Every athlete has a unique metabolic profile. Understanding whether you are high anaerobic, balanced, or high aerobic changes how your training should be structured.
The polarised 80/20 model avoids the most productive training zone for age-group triathletes. Here is why a pyramidal approach produces better results.
Traditional periodisation fails age-group triathletes. Here is why consistent year-round training beats seasonal phase shifts for athletes with limited hours.
Training by perceived effort works for elite athletes with years of calibration. For most triathletes, it leads to sessions that are too hard and results that stall.
Sub-threshold training is not easy running or Zone 2 plodding. It spans a demanding intensity range that delivers the best return on investment in endurance sport.
Strength training is widely recommended for triathletes but rarely justified. Here is why your limited training hours are better spent swimming, cycling, and running.
A practical framework for evaluating triathlon training claims. Five red flags to watch for and how to separate credible coaching advice from noise.
Training volume should match your lifestyle and ability level, not your race distance. Here is why an Ironman athlete and a sprint athlete may train the same hours.
The Norwegian training method is more than easy volume and lactate testing. Here is what their endurance ecosystem actually does and why it works for age-group triathletes.
More hours does not always mean more fitness. Why time at threshold and VO2 max matters more than total volume, and how to scale your training sustainably.
The one mindset shift that will improve your race-day consistency. Why negative splitting works, how pacing discipline prevents blow-ups, and why your race really starts in the second half of the run.
Your training numbers look great but race day falls apart. The problem is almost never fitness - it is a mismatch in how your body produces energy.
Structured training changes more than your fitness. From mental clarity to race day confidence, here is what shifts when your plan actually works.
No natural talent. No athletic pedigree. Just a few simple training changes that made all the difference - including heart rate training and sub-threshold work.
The run is where races are decided. Here are five common mistakes that are holding back your run off the bike - and the straightforward fixes.
Self-coached triathletes often repeat the same errors without realising it. Here are five common mistakes - from skipping sessions to poor periodisation - and how to fix them.
A 61-year-old triathlete improved his 70.3 time by 28 minutes in just 12 weeks. Here is exactly what changed - from training model to race execution.
Heart rate training is powerful but most athletes use it wrong. Learn why heart rate caps beat averages and how to structure your sessions for better results.
Overtraining and under-recovering are two sides of the same coin. Learn why calories, sleep quality, and smart volume progression matter more than you think.
Social pressure from Strava is driving chronic overtraining in endurance athletes. Learn how to break the cycle and take back control of your training.
Outdoor cycling based on average power is misleading. Learn why time spent above target on hills is sabotaging your training and how to fix it.
Thinking about hiring a triathlon coach but not sure if it is right for you? Here are the most common concerns athletes have - and honest answers to each one.
Kyle went for a fasted run despite hating fasted training. Sometimes breaking your own rules is the smartest thing you can do for your performance.
The single most effective performance enhancer is not a supplement or a training method. It is sleep. Here are practical tips to finally get it right.
The only four pieces of swim equipment you actually need. How to use fins, snorkels, paddles, and pull buoys correctly - plus product recommendations.
Most triathletes either eat too clean and not enough, or eat enough but poorly. A simple framework that covers your micronutrients first and backfills calories.
A chronic drop in sex drive may be a sign of overtraining. How cortisol disrupts hormonal balance in endurance athletes and what to do about it.
Saddle sores can cost you weeks of training. The real causes - from bike fit to saddle choice - and a post-ride maintenance routine that actually works.
The workout on paper does not make the athlete - execution does. How the same 1km rep session can target VO2 max, threshold, or sub-threshold.
Too many A races can cost you weeks of productive training. How to structure A, B, and C races with smart taper strategies.
Base training does not mean exclusively zone 2. Why including VO2 max intervals builds a stronger aerobic ceiling for race-specific training.
Training in carbon plated shoes offers no physiological benefit and may increase injury risk. When to use them and why saving them gives you an edge.
Swim workouts do not need to be complicated. Why tight-interval aerobic 100m reps are the most effective set for building endurance and technique.
Most 70.3 athletes over-train the bike, under-train the run, and overdo nutrition. The three biggest half Ironman mistakes and how to fix each one.
The myth of 180 steps per minute debunked. Why cadence depends on speed, when low cadence becomes a problem, and three ways to fix overstriding.
The secret to better training is not the workout - it is the execution. Why you should negative split every rep, every session.
Stuck in a plateau? The fix is simple: change something. Practical ways to break through stagnation, from micro-cycle adjustments to cross-distance blocks.
Rushing to ultra distances before developing speed leaves performance on the table. Why building short-course fitness creates a stronger endurance foundation.
Low cycling cadence causes more muscle damage over long rides and wrecks your run. Why 80-100 RPM is ideal and a simple session to fix it.
Stroke rate barely matters in the pool, but in open water it can make or break your performance. Why higher cadence wins and how to increase yours.
Train physiology then physics, and build speed before endurance. The two core principles that underpin every training plan I write.
Most triathletes waste time on swim drills. Why intent and drill selection matter more than volume, and the one drill that addresses nearly every stroke fault.
Should you train when sick before a triathlon? The answer depends entirely on how far out your race is. A practical framework for every scenario.
You do not need a $10,000 TT bike to ride fast. Budget-friendly upgrades and aero optimisations that can save you 30 to 40 watts.
The 7-day taper is not gospel. How to find your ideal taper duration and arrive on race day fresh without losing hard-earned fitness.
Three Ironman execution mistakes that cost age groupers hours: fearing race pace, flat nutrition strategies, and over-biking.
When should triathletes train on the TT bike versus the road bike? Why off-season road riding builds more fitness and aero testing is critical.
Three sprint triathlon mistakes that cost age groupers time: not training hard enough, going out too fast, and under-tapering.
Reading is a good start. A program built for your physiology is better.