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…

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…

The path of an endurance athlete isn’t always paved with perfect health and peak performance.  As dedicated athletes, we often face the frustrating dilemma of whether to lace up our shoes when our bodies are fighting off seasonal bugs.  While the temptation to push through illness can be strong –…

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…

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…

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….

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…

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…

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…

Let’s talk about chasing that feeling… the burn, the agonising soreness. Any session can be curated to make you feel burnt out, sore and sweaty but not every workout will actually be curated to make you better. Here’s the hard truth: You don’t need to destroy yourself in the gym…

Let me ask it another way… Are you truly acting like the person, and athlete, you want to be?   I work with a range of athletes across various endurance sports; Triathlon, Obstacle Course Racing, Hyrox etc. Every single one of them has a goal they are working towards. For…

Is it true that people who are working hard to become better athletes also become better people? In my experience yes, and a lot of it comes down to one thing – Integrity. Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. It means putting in the…

I completed 75 Hard for the first time in 2022 (https://differentbreed.io/75hard-this-is-what-discipline-looks-like/) and knew that come 1st Jan 2023 I would be doing it again. I opened it up to everyone I knew to see who, if any, would set up to the plate. The first time 6 of us started…

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…

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…

Grow Days are the new Rest Days and yes, you need them. A couple of weeks back I interviewed my good friend and fellow CrossFitter, Demi Stephens, about how she overcame her aversion to rest days – if you missed it, you can read it here: https://forzafitness.online/fitness-blog/grow-days-the-new-rest-day/ The response to…

Rest Days. For anyone that really cares about their performance they are as important as Training Days… so why do so many people struggle with them?  I’m one of the lucky ones as I have never really struggled with taking my rest days.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been involved in…

One of the things we have likely all seen a lot of during this lockdown period is unqualified Fitness Influencers (seriously, someone still needs to explain what this even is!) and even in some cases PT’s and fitness brands setting up crazy bodyweight challenges as a way to “help” people…

Back in December last year, after seeing my friend Hannah’s results, I decided to take on the 75Hard challenge. I’d looked at it earlier in the year but dismissed it as I didn’t understand it properly. 75 days of training without a rest day? No thanks! I don’t even do…

*As this was a Goggins event I thought I would use his suggestion in his book ‘Cant Hurt Me’ and file my challenge review as an AAR, After Action Review. 4x4x48 – After Action Report Establish the Intent: The 4x4x48 is a training tool that David Goggins (DG) has been…

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…

As many of you will know, I am an Indoor Cycling Instructor and over the last 3 years I have developed my skills and knowledge to become a Power Trainer. I am lucky to have done courses with two of the best Power Training Providers in UK Indoor Cycling; ICG…

Let me preface this by saying if you are already a Zone 2 convert then this post is not for you as you have already learned the secret and it would be a pretty safe bet to assume you are reaping the benefits.  However, it seems lockdown has pushed a…

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…

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…

Do you feel like you’re spending hours training but just not seeing the results you want? We all have different reasons for working out and all have different desired results.  It might be that you are just generally focused on being a bit healthier, keeping your heart healthy and keeping illness and disease…

Many of us use the start of a new year to refocus on our health, fitness and lifestyle choices. I know a lot of people hate the New Year, New You thing but for some it is an important time of year, to be able to put the past behind…

We all hear all the time that stretching is important, but do you really understand the benefits? When you’re time poor, there might be a strong temptation to skip the stretching in order to spend more time on cardio, thinking thats the best use of your time. Don’t. Whether you’ve…