Part 2 - The Hard Work

The “White Witch” is back to discuss the work required from the rider in order to get the most from their new bike position, and we come up against a familiar problem using the car analogy finally - when a sound engine is let down by poor bodywork!

Today's conversation also covers:

Scapula stability and its impact on rider comfort and run performance

Why you must take care of the Soleus muscle

The startling revelation that endurance athletes should spend 30-60 minutes per day on their strength, conditioning, and mobility

Further confirmation that reducing aerobic training and increasing conditioning work will give better overall results

How to produce your FTP power in the aero position

Breathing pattern disorder, why you probably have one and how it’s limiting your performance 

The compromise between your most aero tri bike position and the one which helps you to run fastest

You can find out more about the Cyclist's Full Body MOT here - www.cspc.co.uk/index.php/services/mot/2541-2/ 

To book your appointment with Louisa Edmonston please contact CSPC, phone 0113 2750606

Website - www.cspc.co.uk

Simon [email protected] Follow me on Facebook - simon.ward1

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Louisa Edmonston - How the “White Witch” performs a bike fit 

For anyone riding a bike competitively, a regular bike fit is a necessity. In the last few years there has been an explosion in the number of people offering a bike fit using a range of different methods, many employing the latest line of computer software and technology. 

Today's guest is a former professional triathlete turned physiotherapist, who uses nothing more than her trained eyes and hands to help a rider find the optimal riding position.

This conversation covers:

Why a bike fit must include a full head to toe muscle skeletal assessment and lifelong medical history 

How injuries that occurred when you were a child could impact your bike fit as an adult

When the information obtained from a bike fit can benefit your run performance

How a bike fit turned into a 10 minute examination of my jaw 

The reason why hip flexors are the most talked about muscles in my podcasts

How a single leg squat influences your bike fit

Why you should have a bike fit at least twice each year

You can find out more about the Cyclist's Full Body MOT here - www.cspc.co.uk/index.php/services/mot/2541-2/ 

To book your appointment with Louisa Edmonston please contact CSPC, phone 0113 2750606

Website - www.cspc.co.uk

Simon [email protected] Follow me on Facebook - simon.ward1

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Elite swim coach Robin Brew returns and the conversation turns to some specific training tips to help  triathletes become better swimmers covering topics such as:

Why consistency is so important to your development 

Frequency versus volume - which is best?

How “speed reserve” influences your race pace

The importance of pace control

Why you should be able to comfortably swim at 3 different paces

Kicking and why it has a place in every swim session

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

This week's guest is Robin Brew, the former Olympic 200m Individual Medley record holder, professional triathlete and head swim coach at Mount Kelly College.

In the first of 2 conversations Robin shares his philosophy on swim training for triathletes including:

5 general principles that apply to all swimmers

How a focussed 6-week mobility programme made a massive difference to his swim performance

Some simple pre-swim exercises that will help to set up your stroke

Why it's fine to use fins in your swim sessions

And much more

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

In this week's podcast there is a slight change of direction as Simon and Graham Brookhouse answer questions sent in by members of Simons Facebook group, “The Triathlon Coach Cafe”.

Simon and Graham provide answers to:

How to get over fear of open water swimming

Swim drills that improve breathing in freestyle  

Useful dry land exercises to improve your swim when you can’t easily/regularly get to a pool

Best training tips for a ridiculously busy working mum

The ONE piece of advice for a newbie triathlete

The answer to training smart

The best way to improve Ironman running time

How to get faster on the bike and not hinder your run

The best training for running faster

How to stay injury free

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Today we have another guest returning to the show. This week it's Dr. Tom Hughes and in this episode we revisit the current hot topic of low carbohydrate/high fat and provide some practical tips on how to integrate it into your daily routine. You’ll discover:

Sleep low: Why the elites do this anyway and how you can manipulate your training and nutrition to get the same benefits.  How a sleep low strategy can have the same effect as 2-3 hours more training.  What exactly is low energy status training?

Not all carbs are bad! Why you should consume whole grains. The true meaning of “metabolic flexibility”.

Why a chicken breast is processed food

The hidden benefits of nutrient dense foods and how they help you avoid injuries and illness, and why your best performances come when you are healthiest

To find out more about Dr. Tom Hughes go to his website www.trimechanics.co.uk, Facebook at TRI-mechanics, or Twitter @trimechanics.  You can also find his Trimechanics podcast on iTunes.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Most triathletes train in the pool to swim in the open water. And yet the opportunities to train in open water for most UK triathletes is limited.

Today's guest is Lanzarote based, open water swim expert Paul Cardwell-Hounam.

He trains lifeguards, teaches surfing and stand up paddle boarding, runs a regular swim clinic in Lanzarote, and he’s an Ironman University coach. 

Basically, if you want some help with being a better open water swimmer Paul is the man to listen to as we talk about:

Bilateral breathing and why it's a critical racing skill for all triathletes

The key Open Water drills that you can practice in the pool in readiness for your race season

Why a faster cadence is better in open water

Why you should arrive at your race venue at least 4-5 days in advance so that you can gain experience with the local water conditions

How swimming 20-30 minutes every day before your race can be of more benefit on race day than 1-2 big swims

What exactly is the “sweet spot” for the number of strokes between every sighting stroke

Why, if you are racing at Ironman Lanzarote, you should definitely attend the SwimLanzarote workshops in race week 

To find out more about Paul, please visit his website http://www.swimlanzarote.com/, visit his FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/Swim-Lanzarote-1394545770852172/, or email him with questions about training opportunities when visiting Lanzarote [email protected].  You can also join his swim groups at 9am every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at Playa Grande, Puerto del Carmen (the beach where the Ironman starts from).

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Sarah Pitts likes to do things differently. an injury reversal specialist who eschews traditional foam rolling and stretching for her very own SMARTT mobility system.

In the last 18 months, Sarah has been helping me to work on my mobility and reduce my injury count as I get to that age where it important to stay injury free.  In today’s conversation we discuss…

How movement reverses injuries

When the repetitive nature of the training you do to become better swimmers, cyclist and runners could actually be harming your progress

The hidden benefits of off road and trail running

Why muscle fibres are spiralled, why training tightens the spiral and why you should move in different directions when you are stretching to ondo this

The simple way to find 20-30 minutes to fit SMARTT movements into your daily routine without noticing 

Why SMARTT movements are just like brushing your teeth

Why Sarah longs for the day when someone thanks her for an injury they didn’t get

To get a free copy of Sarah’s SMARTT head to toe video with 12 movements that you can use for a warm up or a cool down and develop your mobility just visit www.MostMotion.com/super12.

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

This week triathlon journalist Tim Heming returns to chat with Simon about some of the recent events in the world of triathlon including:

A sensible, no bitching discussion about the recent doping incidents to hit the sport

Should we even have the Commonwealth Games, never mind a triathlon event?

Indoor vs outdoor training - is athlete safety becoming higher priority than enjoyment of the fresh air?

The new Kona qualifications for pro athletes

Simon calls Tim out about his failure to predict even a top 10 finish for Lionel Sanders in Kona

How to maintain training motivation during the short cold winter days

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].

Britain’s top running coach Malcolm Brown returns for part 2 as we discuss the role of athlete mindset and psychology in the success of a long term training plan and racing, as well as topics including:

Training

Why endurance sports requires a long term (several years) approach to training

Why it's important for athletes not to get too worried about the outcome of any particular single session

The paradox that means no session is critical, but every session is critical, and why training matters but it doesn't matter

How reading the book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” can help your training

Why you must be equally enthusiastic about recovery as you are about training

Racing

Why you should aim to peak a maximum of 2 times per year

How the best performances come when you are committed physically, mentally, and emotionally

For more information please go to www.SimonWardTriathlonCoach.com, or www.TheTriathlonCoach.com, or email [email protected].