Ok, this one is personally very exciting for me. I don't want to create false hype but it's a major development for me and the direction my triathlon aspirations are going, and it's going to be an incredible adventure.

After a year of working with award-winning coach Steve Lloyd of Absolute Tri, I have achieved above and beyond my goals and expectations in triathlon. If someone had said to me one year ago (before I even had a coach) that I would be where I am now, I would have dismissed them with the flippant assumption that they were suffering from a borderline mental disorder…

I recently spent the day with Steve discussing my goals for next year and the groundwork needed to get there, and it proved a very positive exercise. I've been incredibly happy with Steve, we have built up a great relationship over the past year and he (gradually!) earned my trust in him. I genuinely believe he can take me to great places in triathlon, but despite this, there was a looming realisation that in order to see significant improvement in my performance I might need to consider not having to drive a 250 mile round trip for my coach to see me train once every few months.

Things always happen for a reason, and I truly believe in grasping opportunities when they present themselves. So when I was recommended by the owner of my bike shop, Lovelo Cycles, to get in touch with a local guy who coaches triathlon who they had become acquainted with, I thought "why not?". However, wary as always, I proceeded with trepidation as there are many 'triathlon coaches' out there who aren't all they're cracked up to be. Knocking out generic online programmes for all their clients. I don't want to sound high maintenance but I don't want that – give me tailor-made plans please! It's not a big ask – everyone is different and coaching is fine-tuning an athlete's performance, looking at every detail of their life to make sure they are at their optimum.

Anyway, given that I live in a rural market town the chances I can find a triathlon coach 10 minutes from my house who is not only sufficient, but one of the BEST (see, told you I wasn't high maintenance 😮 ) is so slim it's anorexic. Not the case, apparently. Luck strikes my doorstep.

I will now be working with Rick Kiddle, former British Triathlon Champion and one of the first ever triathletes in Britain. After competing in the World and European Championships and Commonwealth Games he became one of the first National Triathlon coaches in Great Britain. Not only is Rick an established BTF Level 3 coach he is also a tutor and assessor for BTF, introduced spinning to the UK in 1996 and set up Heart Zones UK Ltd in 2002, now the basis of all heart rate zone training. In 2010 Rick launched the National Open Water Coaching Association (NOWCA) with legend Martin Allen, coaching the coaches!

So credentials-wise – Rick has it. A lot of it. He also has an endless pool on his premises and about 15 Wattbikes/Cycelops bikes, both of which will be instrumental in my one-to-one sessions with Rick. When I asked him if he could improve my swim, his response was unforgettable: "If I can't get your swim down to a sub-1 hour Ironman swim time there is something wrong with me." Confidence, we like that.

This new partnership is extremely exciting and we are both looking forward to working closely together to help improve my performance and take my training to the next level. As part of the partnership, I will also be helping Rick raise the profile of his businesses locally and nationally.

Having a coach who will work with me a number of times per week will not only be a bit of a shock to the system (no more slacking off in training!) but will also enable me to make ongoing improvements to my technique (much-needed!) and to constantly challenge myself mentally and physically under the watchful guidance of one of triathlon's greatest! 

Rick will pretty much become the most important person in my life as we work relentlessly towards my goals for next season and beyond. No over-exaggeration, even even if that sounds a bit sad!

I'm also very lucky to have recently partnered up with Triathlon Training Spain, run by Swim Smooth expert Martin Hill who owns Complete Fitness Coaching and created the Palm Paddle, which I'm using in training drills. Triathlon Training Spain will be supporting me with training camps next season in sunny Alicante, kicking off with a swim camp in January. Some intense warm weather training camps will be a welcome relief from the cold UK winters, I can't wait for a few "holidays" to really kick me into shape! Benefits also include coming back with an jealousy-inducing tan…

I'm over the moon with such amazing partnerships, I feel so lucky to be surrounded by professionals who are so enthusiastic about helping my progress and achieve my dreams. (Cheesy line was well overdue).

But honestly, I'm struggling to express how excited I am about this adventure, and I'm going to do everything it takes.

It's going to get serious now. And I'm ready for it…

Robert Twells November 25, 2013

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Ok, this one is personally very exciting for me. I don't want to create false hype but it's a major development for me and the direction my triathlon aspirations are going, and it's going to be an incredible adventure.

After a year of working with award-winning coach Steve Lloyd of Absolute Tri, I have achieved above and beyond my goals and expectations in triathlon. If someone had said to me one year ago (before I even had a coach) that I would be where I am now, I would have dismissed them with the flippant assumption that they were suffering from a borderline mental disorder…

I recently spent the day with Steve discussing my goals for next year and the groundwork needed to get there, and it proved a very positive exercise. I've been incredibly happy with Steve, we have built up a great relationship over the past year and he (gradually!) earned my trust in him. I genuinely believe he can take me to great places in triathlon, but despite this, there was a looming realisation that in order to see significant improvement in my performance I might need to consider not having to drive a 250 mile round trip for my coach to see me train once every few months.

Things always happen for a reason, and I truly believe in grasping opportunities when they present themselves. So when I was recommended by the owner of my bike shop, Lovelo Cycles, to get in touch with a local guy who coaches triathlon who they had become acquainted with, I thought "why not?". However, wary as always, I proceeded with trepidation as there are many 'triathlon coaches' out there who aren't all they're cracked up to be. Knocking out generic online programmes for all their clients. I don't want to sound high maintenance but I don't want that – give me tailor-made plans please! It's not a big ask – everyone is different and coaching is fine-tuning an athlete's performance, looking at every detail of their life to make sure they are at their optimum.

Lanzarote, where the journey began…

Anyway, given that I live in a rural market town the chances I can find a triathlon coach 10 minutes from my house who is not only sufficient, but one of the BEST (see, told you I wasn't high maintenance 😮 ) is so slim it's anorexic. Not the case, apparently. Luck strikes my doorstep.

I will now be working with Rick Kiddle, former British Triathlon Champion and one of the first ever triathletes in Britain. After competing in the World and European Championships and Commonwealth Games he became one of the first National Triathlon coaches in Great Britain. Not only is Rick an established BTF Level 3 coach he is also a tutor and assessor for BTF, introduced spinning to the UK in 1996 and set up Heart Zones UK Ltd in 2002, now the basis of all heart rate zone training. In 2010 Rick launched the National Open Water Coaching Association (NOWCA) with legend Martin Allen, coaching the coaches!

Rick Kiddle, triathlon legend

So credentials-wise – Rick has it. A lot of it. He also has an endless pool on his premises and about 15 Wattbikes/Cycelops bikes, both of which will be instrumental in my one-to-one sessions with Rick. When I asked him if he could improve my swim, his response was unforgettable: "If I can't get your swim down to a sub-1 hour Ironman swim time there is something wrong with me." Confidence, we like that.

This new partnership is extremely exciting and we are both looking forward to working closely together to help improve my performance and take my training to the next level. As part of the partnership, I will also be helping Rick raise the profile of his businesses locally and nationally.

Having a coach who will work with me a number of times per week will not only be a bit of a shock to the system (no more slacking off in training!) but will also enable me to make ongoing improvements to my technique (much-needed!) and to constantly challenge myself mentally and physically under the watchful guidance of one of triathlon's greatest! 

Rick will pretty much become the most important person in my life as we work relentlessly towards my goals for next season and beyond. No over-exaggeration, even even if that sounds a bit sad!

I'm also very lucky to have recently partnered up with Triathlon Training Spain, run by Swim Smooth expert Martin Hill who owns Complete Fitness Coaching and created the Palm Paddle, which I'm using in training drills. Triathlon Training Spain will be supporting me with training camps next season in sunny Alicante, kicking off with a swim camp in January. Some intense warm weather training camps will be a welcome relief from the cold UK winters, I can't wait for a few "holidays" to really kick me into shape! Benefits also include coming back with an jealousy-inducing tan…

Casa de Triatlo
I'm over the moon with such amazing partnerships, I feel so lucky to be surrounded by professionals who are so enthusiastic about helping my progress and achieve my dreams. (Cheesy line was well overdue).

But honestly, I'm struggling to express how excited I am about this adventure, and I'm going to do everything it takes.

It's going to get serious now. And I'm ready for it…

Robert Twells November 25, 2013

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Winter. Not a word that is particularly welcomed by any British Isles-dweller, and certainly not by a triathlete. For a triathlete it means two things: 

1. Race season is over
2. Cold, wet, dark training sessions

Hardly an advertisement for the sport. But it's a reality that we all have to face – if we want to actually achieve stuff next season, that is. Many people assume that 'out of season', people start to tone down their training a bit, ease off, get back on it in the Spring. Some people do. But for most of us, this period is crucial for getting the miles in.

Cold/damp. Not even sunny, despite sunglasses.

It's pitch black outside, mind-numbingly cold, with a pervading dampness in every molecule of the atmosphere. You're in bed, warm, dry, cosy and cocooned in the comforting glow of semi-consciousness. Exactly what motivation is there to get outside and train? It's miniscule, trust me.

But even for me, a motivational monster, it's tough. It's really, really tough, and I don't think there's a person on the planet that doesn't find this kind of thing tough on some occasions. But you can't escape it (well, maybe you can, maybe you spend Winters basking in equatorial sunshine), but for the mere mortals among us, who have to train in the dark before AND after a full working day, this takes real mental fortitude (or maybe if you're just a bit mental).

I was in Stuttgart last weekend and although it was dark, about 3 degrees and I was there on a social visit, my 1.5 hour run around a huge landscaped park in the city was actually quite rewarding. The motivation to start it was almost non-existent. The sense of satisfaction when completed? Immeasurable.

Stuttgart. Cold, dark but enjoyable run!

Winter is all about base training. My coach recently said to me that over Winter, 90% of my training needs to be EASY. Like music to my ears. But it's true, this period is all about building endurance and it needs to be done at low intensity to make your body aerobically efficient. If you keep hammering out speed sessions all Winter you'll be wrecked and/or almost certainly injured by race season. 

Turbo time. Painful but at least it's not cold!
 
Acclimatisation. That's what it comes down to. Muscular and aerobic endurance, and don't forget the strength and conditioning too – perfect for this time of year. Obviously I'm no triathlete sage being relatively new to the sport, but I am aware of the gains I have made and to be honest, I think a substantial part of triathlon training is mental. And if you have to drag yourself out of bed or away from sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, in order to indulge in a prolonged period of self-torture and a full-on war against the elements, then what better mental toughness can you get than that?!

Appreciate the UK and all its weather flaws for what it is, and actually give it credit for making us FEARSOMELY STRONG. That's the positive slant on it anyway. Essentially, we all want to achieve our goals next season and this is not time for slacking off! (*whip cracks*) But in all seriousness, Winter can be beautiful too and provide a positive training mecca for hardened triathletes.

Pretty Winter skies – make it all worthwhile?
 
My training levels have now been upped, much to the surprise of some others who are taking it slightly more easy. But I am very conscious of the fact that I have to work immensely hard to achieve my goals for next year, and six months really isn't a very long period in which to improve. This kind of stuff takes years. But if you're as impatient as me, then you don't have years to relax and just tick along and see what happens naturally…

"If you only do what you've always done you'll only get what you've always got."

Get out there, challenge yourself. Let's make this happen. 

Robert Twells November 13, 2013

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Triathlon is a pretty hardcore sport, let's be honest. You don't just have to train for one discipline – you have to train for three. I may be stating the obvious here, but in terms of being time-consuming, triathlon is up there. 

We all know Winter is about base training. Getting all the miles in at low intensity – this is where you really build your endurance ready for a tough season the next year. This is the perfect time to up your strength and conditioning work. Perfect for when it's raining (so all the time, then).

Smashing up the gym

I'll apologise in advance if I'm preaching to the converted and I'm telling you something that every triathlete, novice or elite, knows already. Hopefully, if this is the case, it will help reinforce the fact. Plus I'd like the opportunity to tell you how S&C has changed me as an athlete and how it forms a big part of my training. (Here is the relevance to my opening paragraph, in case it looked a bit lost!).

So, fitting in strength and conditioning sessions into what is already a mind-numbingly busy week dedicated to training for three disciplines is a challenge in itself. But vital. If you do it already, brilliant. If you don't, do it now. Now!

Last year, I did absolutely no strength work. I though it was all about swimming, biking and running as much as possible and then I'd be cruising triathlons. Yeeaaah! Or not. S&C forms a fundamental part of training;there's probably tons of articles on this  out there, and they are probably much more technical than mine, with much more scientific weight behind them or written by someone who is a professional. But you can hear it straight from the horse's mouth here!

As I was saying, I didn't know gym work was really relevant to triathlon. It's all very well bashing out hundreds of miles on the bike, running all over the place like a nomad, and turning up to every swim session ready to crush a good few laps in the pool, and because this is all cardiovascular, you will build aerobic strength, technique and endurance. But will you build power? To some extent, but you can catalyse this. 

I, of course, didn't do any, so when I met my coach last year and he introduced the gym into my life (which I had quite happily had a formal separation from, after realising that I was far more appropriately settled in a training relationship with the great outdoors!) it was a bit of a shock to the system.

Oh god, I'd have to watch all those puny teenagers desperately trying to get buff, and all the buff guys kissing their biceps in front of the mirror. Gyms are not for me. I don't want to sound like a training elitist but I don't really like training in a sweatbox full of machines, full of people who are only their because they either want to compensate for their binge-drinking or so they can waltz around flexing their muscles trying to impress onlookers. Argh! Give me a lonely forest and a pair of running shoes please!

I'm very lucky to not only work with a fantastic award-winning triathlon coach, Steve Lloyd of Absolute Tri, but I also have my own strength and conditioning coach. James Drabble is a personal trainer and S&C coach, heading up a partnership businessTrojan Training which also runs bootcamps to get people fit. 

Now I've met lots of people who claim to be personal trainers/strength and conditioning coaches and they give you the same old stuff you could get off some blog off the internet (ahem!) or from some fitness magazine. Their knowledge is limited to some 8 week training course. I don't want to demean the industry, it's great there are so many fitness professionals out there, but you have to be choosy, because you want someone who doesn't just understand how to introduce S&C work into your training programme, but how to make it compliment your training programme.

James Drabble, my S&C coach

I had a full body assessment. Scary! I was kindly enlightened on how weak my core was, my non-existent glutes, how my left side was much more stiff than my right, my posture was a bit shite, and lots more…! Of course, some say this so they get business out of you, but everything he said had already been mentioned by the physios who were working on me through Bupa, so I knew it was legit. Oh, and the fact that I knew my core was rubbish anyway.

James devised me a programme which involved 'back to basics' core work. He said there was no point in working on the major muscle groups if my core was weak, because the wrong muscles would be firing. We needed to get my core strong-ish before we even contemplated anything else. So, a 20 minute core session, EVERY SINGLE DAY for 6 weeks. Woah, come on! I have to train three disciplines! Yes, but it needs to be done, because it's crucial to performance.

My programme changes every 6-8 weeks. Once the body gets used to a routine, it will plateau, and you will stop improving. It is important to keep challenging the body by changing what you are doing, even if you are just upping the reps or the number of sets. So I'm now on my second phase of 'Mission Get My Core Strong', and it feels great. I get some weird looks in the gym because of some of the stuff I'm doing, but I can definitely notice a difference.

Not only does S&C help prevent injuries during the tough race season, but you also build POWER. And who doesn't want more power?! I have to say, despite the monkies in the gym weighing each other up with sideways looks like some kind of alpha male 'buff-off', I am actually loving my S&C programme. I feel monumentally stronger than I did this time last year and I just know that it is strength building from the inside out, paving the way towards invincibleness… 

(Okay, not quite, but you know what I mean…!)

Robert Twells November 4, 2013

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