If you’re training for a badass endurance event (Ironman, Ultra, Marathon, OCR or Hyrox to name but a few) you’re going to have bad sessions. Not just tired sessions or slightly off sessions—I’m talking about the ones where everything goes wrong. The bike interval where your power drops like a…

When injury strikes, it feels like your world is collapsing. Trust me, I get it. Having recently deferred my own Ironman—my A race for the year—I’ve been living this reality. But here’s the truth: injuries aren’t just setbacks; they’re opportunities in disguise. As endurance athletes, we’ll all face them sooner…

If you’re serious about improving your endurance performance, there’s one training metric that stands above the rest in importance: Training Stress Score (TSS). This powerful number can transform how you train, recover, and perform when it matters most. Now if you are lucky and working with a coach (like me)…

Tech has turned us into data junkies. Heart rate monitors, power meters, GPS trackers – we’re drowning in numbers. But here’s the real deal: sometimes your body speaks louder than any device. The Metrics Trap Most athletes – whether you’re tackling your first race or gunning for an age group…

The scenario is all too familiar: You’ve trained diligently for months. Your fitness is peak. Your equipment is dialed in. Your nutrition plan has been tested on long training days. Yet somehow, 3 hours into your Ironman or 10 miles into your marathon, your stomach revolts. Nausea sets in. Cramping…

As endurance athletes, we often approach training with unwavering dedication. The structured weekly hours, the carefully planned workouts, the progressive overload – these are the cornerstones of improvement in triathlon, Ironman, and ultrarunning. But what happens when life throws a curveball? Work deadlines pile up. Family emergencies arise. Travel disrupts…

When was the last time you truly took it easy on a run? And I mean genuinely easy – not “this feels comfortable” or “I could chat if I wanted to,” but properly, deliberately slow? The Overlooked Power of Zone 2 Zone 2 training – that deliberately slow, seemingly too…

With spring marathon season approaching in April, now is the crucial time to start thinking about heat adaptation. While we all dream of perfect 10°C race day conditions, the reality is that spring weather in the UK can be surprisingly warm – and unprepared runners often pay the price. Why…

You’ve completed multiple races, logged hundreds of training miles, maybe even tackled an ultra or an Ironman. Yet somehow, when someone calls you an “endurance athlete,” you feel like a fraud. Sound familiar? The Endurance Imposter Here’s a reality check: that elite runner you admire? They once stood where you…

When I kicked off our nutrition month challenge in my Private Facebook Group, the DB Endurance Zone, I wanted to prove something important: successful nutrition isn’t about perfection – it’s about consistency and balance. Our community members have been achieving amazing results by following these principles together. The Five Fundamentals…

As one of Team DB took on their first 100-miler of 2025 last weekend there was a lot of discussion about how you keep going during something like that. Let’s dive into one of the most powerful tools in an endurance athlete’s mental toolkit: self-talk. What you say to yourself…

Every mile isn’t measured by perfection, but by persistence. In the unforgiving world of endurance sports, a single bad run can feel like a devastating blow—a silent whisper that questions your entire athletic identity. But what if that moment of struggle wasn’t a setback, but a setup? What if each…

Do You “Need” a Coach? Obviously, the answer is no. No one strictly “needs” a coach. BUT if, as an endurance athlete, you have specific goals, the right coach will always be hugely beneficial. Anyone can do it themselves, just like anyone can cut their own hair, paint their own…

As endurance athletes, we pour our hearts and souls into training for our biggest races. The months of gruelling workouts, careful nutrition, and mental preparation all culminate in that one pivotal event – the “A” race we’ve been building towards. But once the finish line tape is broken and the…

Recovery is the secret weapon that many endurance athletes overlook in their quest for peak performance. While the thrill of pushing through tough workouts and logging long miles can be addictive, it’s actually during rest that your body adapts, rebuilds, and grows stronger. Think of recovery as the invisible training…

As runners, we’re bombarded with a plethora of technical terms and jargon that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or just lacing up your shoes for the first time, you’ve likely heard phrases like “running mechanics,” “running economy,” and “running efficiency” thrown around. But what do these terms…

Spark Your Endurance: Why Intensity is the Secret Ingredient Your Training is Missing I see so many athletes, including those that work with coaches logging endless miles without seeing significant improvements in their endurance performance, and often getting easily avoided overuse injuries. It seems it is still believed that volume…

Visualization may sound like New Age mumbo-jumbo to skeptics, but the science backing its efficacy in endurance sports is hard to ignore. Far from being a mystical practice, visualization is a concrete mental technique that leverages the brain’s neuroplasticity to enhance athletic performance. When an athlete vividly imagines executing their…

Conditioning, a cornerstone of athletic preparation, extends far beyond mere cardiovascular endurance. It encompasses the holistic development of an athlete’s physiological systems to meet the specific demands of their sport or activity. So many PT’s will be claim to be Strength and Conditioning Experts, or tell you their specialism is…

Say Goodbye to RICE and Hello to PEACE & LOVE If you’ve ever twisted an ankle or pulled a muscle, you’ve probably heard the age-old advice: RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. For decades, this has been the go-to protocol for managing acute soft tissue injuries. But what if…

The Surprising Strategy That’s Boosting Speed for Runners at Every Level Running faster isn’t just about pushing harder – sometimes, it’s about knowing when to slow down. Enter the run/walk method, a training technique that’s revolutionising how runners of all levels approach speed improvement.  While it may seem counterintuitive to…

RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport is a serious thing and something all endurance athletes should have a little bit of awareness of, as well as anyone who is active and looking to shed some body fat and change their body composition. Low Energy Availability (LEA) discussed in a previous…

Cracking the Code: 8 Periodization Models to Revolutionize Your Training Ever wonder how top athletes seem to peak at just the right moment? The answer lies in a powerful training strategy called periodisation. This systematic approach to planning workouts isn’t just for Olympians—it’s a game-changer for athletes at all levels….

What is LEA? LEA occurs when an individual’s energy intake is insufficient to support the body’s functions after accounting for energy expended in exercise. It’s essentially an energy deficit that can occur in both athletes and non-athletes. It’s calculated as energy intake minus exercise energy expenditure, relative to fat-free mass….

When you are looking to achieve a body composition change and loose fat the one key thing is a Calorie Deficit, which means burning more calories than you eat. When we think calorie burn, most of us will immediately think “Exercise” but thats just a small part of the puzzle….

Carb-Load Like a Pro! Whether you’re lining up for a marathon, ultra-endurance event, or all-day sufferfest, proper pre-race nutrition can be the difference between bonking at the wall and unlocking next-level performance. While pretty much all endurance athletes understand the importance of staying fuelled during an event, I find that…

As we know, the human body has an incredible ability to adapt and become stronger in response to the physical demands placed upon it. This adaptive process, when done specifically, is known as supercompensation. It is a fundamental principle that underpins effective training for athletes across a wide range of…

Even endurance athletes with true mental grit and mental toughness will inevitably face dark moments when shit gets tough, motivation plummets and the prospect of quitting seems tempting. The ability to overcome these psychological slumps separates the middle-of-the-pack finishers from the podium contenders. While physical conditioning is paramount, having an…

As I approach a weekend with a DB Athlete undertaking another massive challenge (their second 100 mile Ultra in 6 weeks) the subject of managing your mindset during a BIG event is clearly on my mind. So… I’m sharing one of my favourite concepts, first introduced to me by ‘The…

Periodisation… a term every endurance athlete has probably heard but it is obvious from many conversations I have had recently that few actually understand what it is all about. Even if you have a coach who plans your training it is still beneficial for you to have a basic understanding…

Building on from the previous DB Conversation, All About Stress (https://differentbreed.io/the-relationship-between-training-stress-and-recovery/) I am going address the importance of monitoring and managing fatigue levels during endurance training. This topic aligns nicely with the discussion about balancing training stress and recovery, managing the body’s finite energy source, and optimising performance and adaptation…

To fully understand fitness and how to make lasting and meaningful changes to your endurance you really have to understand the key concepts of stress and recovery. Training is just a form of stress and training stress refers to the physical and mental demands placed on the body during exercise…

Last week I gave you some insights into why how you breathe really does matter if you want to take your endurance performance to the next level. If you missed it, you can read it here This week I am going to give you some practical tips and exercises to…

In short, Yes! Now for the longer answer: The more efficient your breathing the better you will perform. In endurance aerobic capacity is such a key element of your fitness. Oxygen is your primary energy source and your heart rate spikes when your brain doesn’t know when the next hit…

A thought-provoking question recently popped up in my Instagram inbox, courtesy of one of my athletes: “Is athletic success determined by genetics or mental toughness?” It sparked a lively debate, prompting me to delve into this topic for this week’s blog. Firstly, it’s crucial to acknowledge that opinions on this…

Embrace the lows, they’re the launchpad to your highs. The 5th Training Principle of Different Breed focuses on recovery and understanding that the highs and the successes are only possible due to the dips and the down time. This can be one of the hardest things for some athletes to…

The 4th Training Principle of Different Breed focuses on being consistent with your training, but also being adaptable and not letting life’s curveballs completely derail your progress. We all know that sometimes ‘life gets in the way” but having a solid plan in place and building commitment and discipline is…

Now, don’t get it twisted when reading that headline… I am not saying minimum effort as in you can sand bag your training sessions. What I am talking about it the Minimal Dose Response, the third training principle of Different Breed. Endurance training aims to improve the body’s ability to…

Your ability to sustain is your ticket to success and is the substance behind my second principle of training. You must adapt, endure and then you can conquer. Specificity develops the physiological capacities, technical skills and fortitude in the exact muscles, energy systems and movements needed to excel in your…

This week we are going to delve a little bit deeper into the first training principle of Different Breed: Strength Reigns Supreme in Endurance. To excel in your chosen endurance sport you obviously need to practise the disciplines of your sport and build an extraordinary level of fitness in all…

I had a great response to my New Year’s message email earlier this week and some of you shared some really inspiring “word for 2024” Better. Balance. Focus. Energy. Achieve. These are just a few. Hold on to your word and use it to shape and guide your year. As…

I was recently interviewed for a magazine and one of the questions I was asked was: Q: What are the biggest mistakes people make with their overall endurance training? As this is clearly such an important topic I thought I would share my answers with you here 🙂 A: People…

The SAID principle stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. It is a key training principle for endurance that states your body will adapt specifically to the type of training you do. Some key points about the SAID principle: Your body adapts to the specific demands and stresses placed on…

Over the past couple of weeks we have been discussing Lactate Threshold Testing and why using your Lactate Threshold is better for endurance training than Max Heart Rate. Now you know how to test and how to set your zones, here is some information about how to use those zones…

In short, Yes!  I’m currently 44 and for the last year or so I’ve been feeling like I’m suffering from some perimenopausal symptoms. Not enough to warrant talking to my doctor about HRT but enough to make me look for some answers and find some help.  Having opened up the…

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is everywhere. Gyms run HIIT classes, people can download a HIIT timer on to their phone… it’s a really popular way of training due to its efficiency and effectiveness but unfortunately the more popular it’s gotten, the less it actually looks like an actual HIIT…

We’ve been discussing how Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training (LT over Max HR) and in the last post I explained how to test your Lactate Threshold (Test your LT) Once you have done the two step test and properly determined your Lactate Threshold you will be…

In last week’s conversation I discussed why Lactate threshold is a better guide than maximum heart rate for heart rate run training.   In a nutshell it’s becuase it gives you a more personalized and accurate measure of your aerobic capacity. As promised, this week I’m going to lay out…

Lactate threshold is a better guide than maximum heart rate for heart rate run training because it gives you a more personalized and accurate measure of your aerobic capacity. As you exercise harder, lactic acid builds up in your muscles and bloodstream. Lactate threshold is the exercise intensity where this…

Previously I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules. I’m diving a little bit deeper in to each one in separate posts. So far I’ve discussed Rule #1 Control the Controllable, #2 Find the Positive, #3 Focus on You…

Previously I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules. I’m diving a little bit deeper in to each one in separate posts. So far I’ve discussed Rule #1 Control the Controllable, #2 Find the Positive and #3 Focus on…

Previously I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules. I’m diving a little bit deeper in to each one in separate posts. so far we have covered Rule #1 Control the Controllable and Rule #2 Find the Positive. Time…

First thing to remember: The very important rule:  If the race is important to you, nothing new on race day!  Do not be tempted to try that snack new bar in the vendor village. You have trained hard for this event so no point screwing up your chances by putting…

The Week leading up to your Race As you are heading into your race week your training phase will be Competition Phase.  During the Competition Phase your macronutrient intake will switch slightly to slowly increase your carbohydrates and fully build your glycogen stores.  During the Prep Phases you will most…

Why Eat after a workout Focusing on recovery is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of proper sports nutrition. An effective nutrition recovery plan supplies the body with the right nutrients at the right time. Recovery is the body’s process of adapting to the previous workload and…

Why Eat before a workout The main goal of eating before a workout is to replenish your glycogen, the short-term storage form of carbohydrate.Glycogen supplies immediate energy needs and is especially crucial for morning workouts, as the liver is glycogen depleted from fuelling the nervous system during sleep. The muscles,…

Previously I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules. I’m diving a little bit deeper in to each one in separate posts. Last week was Rule #1 Control the Controllable This week it’s Rule #2 Number 2) Find the…

In a previous blog I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules. I’m going to dive a little bit deeper in to each one, starting here with Rule Number 1 Number 1) Control the Controllable Only certain things are…

My personal ethics and belief system are a mixture of Buddhism and Stoicism and this heavily influences who I am, both as an athlete and a coach. As an athlete, I hold myself accountable to same 5 rules that I apply to my coaching, and I try and instil these…

Creatine has been a popular supplement in the UK for a few years now but just recently it seems to have blown up and I get a lot of my athletes asking me “ Should I be taking it?  In short, my answer is usually YES! Male or Female… just…

Hitting this period of life, regardless of the age you go through it, can be so tough. Some women are lucky and feel very few, if any, effects. The more common story is one of weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, crazy body temperatures and frustration. There are 4 things Perimenopausal…

First up – let’s be really clear about what Menopause is.  It’s the end of a woman’s fertility and therefore, her menstrual cycle.  Menopause is one moment in time which signifies the absence of periods for 1 full year. It happens naturally with age but can also stem from surgery,…

Isn’t that an Oxymoron? I have been programming active recovery sessions once a week for one of my athletes for the last couple of months, since he completed his B race, and is building to his A race. Last week I received a message from said athlete, asking (in their…

There’s something we don’t often talk about but it can have a major effect on our training and our results and that thing is our menstrual cycle.  Do you really know what happens during your 28 day cycle? Do you understand which hormones are spiking when and what that means…

A few months ago I decided to try the bio hack that Dr Stacy Sims talks about in her book ROAR. (Side note – if you are female and care about your athletic performance, you really need to read this book!) I got pretty decent results so thought I would…

This is a question I hear a lot! Usually it means the person asking the question is only focussing on the number on the scale and that is not something I’m a huge fan of (but you can read all about that in my next blog!). Hopefully you know by…

The last in this series of three (the other two being 1:Understanding Protein and 2: Understanding Carbs) and it’s time to get to grips with fat. Fat is essential to our diet. We need to consume some fat as it contain important nutrients and essential fatty acids. Vitamins A, D,…

Following on from my last post about Protein (Understanding Protein-the basics) now lets look at the next macronutrient – Carbohydrate or Carbs. Now, Carbs get a really bad rep and a lot of fad diet trends will preach the virtues of removing carbs from your diet. The true fact is…

If you are trying to change your body composition then you need to get to grips with calorie deficit (you can read more about that here in a previous blog; Calorie Deficit ) AND balancing your macros. Calorie deficit will equal weight loss. Balancing macros will ensure fat loss. When…

PLEASE, Please stop giving your hard earned money to lazy bloody Herbalife distributors! *This was originally a facebook post but deserves a space here 🙂 Yes, learning about nutrition and how to successfully manage your diet (which just means your daily intake of food and drink) may take a little more…

One of the things I have noticed lately in various conversations with some of my athletes lately is that some are unfortunately willing to say some of the meanest things… about themselves. Endurance events are tough enough, without making things harder for ourselves. Why are some people willing to make…

I get asked by my PT clients all the time about macro’s (macronutrients; carbohydrates, protein and fats) but we don’t really talk about the micronutrients, those all important vitamins, minerals and trace elements. FACT: No matter how hard you train, you cannot out-train a bad diet. So yes, you should…

No! I hear you cry indignantly… and maybe thats the truth but something I see all the time is people sabotaging their chances of success and the reason boils down to ego. Ok, what do I mean… You know that person in your fitness class or on the gym floor…

You’ve probably heard the term Calorie Deficit. It’s almost like its the new topic topic for the fitness world but it has long been know that when it comes to losing fat, it is the only real way to go.  It’s not new, it’s not even that exciting (apart from…

One of the first things I knew I had to do as part of my IM journey is lose a bit of fat and get as lean as possible. I am by no means big but by making myself as lean as possible I give myself another key for success,…

So many of my clients either have started or want to start running. Those that have still will not refer to themselves as a “Runner”. When I ask why, they invariably tell me things like “well, I’m a jogger really”, “I’m not that fast” or “I’m not good enough to…