I feel like I’ve tried most things to deal with freezing cold toes on the bike in winter… and still haven’t found anything that actually works. Currently I have a pair of Fizik winter boots with Lake thermal insoles, and Lusso knee length socks. And I still had numb toes when I got off the bike this morning. What’s your solution?

What's your favourite enery gel?

I think some of you already know I have a blog that I update from time to time, as I enjoy writing and it helps me to process learning & progress with my training. It also seems to - happily- have provided a little bit of insight & inspiration to one or two others along the way, which is rather satisfying. So if you’re interested, have a read, and I’m more than happy to chat about anything you find on there that might be of interest. Also happy to take feedback! https://celtmancoffeecakeandacollie.blogspot.com

Our athletes Jack and Caitlin have been participating in Hyrox for a few years now. Both have background in strength training. Jack took to triathlon like a duck to water getting himself on podiums in short order. Caitlin debuts at the NYD triathlon 2026 and already has a strong run pedigree. They have competed in Hyrox mixed doubles and finished P2 at the Paris event, taking them to the world champs this summer. The following weekend Jack made his IM debut clocking up a 9:30! This time last year, I had to understand not only what it was but how it was possible to combine Hyrox with Triathlon. Caitlin set up a 3 way session for us and off we went for me to take a close up look. 20 mins later and I was literally on my knees. Hamstrings just shortened and there was nowhere to go. What fresh form of hell is this? Many triathletes, cyclists and runners do either zero strength, mobility or conditioning work or rely on in sport strength work. It's too hard to fit it in, it's boring or even..its not effective. There are even coaches who think that strength training is not beneficial for sport specific movements. Being strong and mobile isn't just about sport. If we look around there are people struggling to do simple things like lifting shopping bags or being unable to stand on one leg without holding onto something. So the curiosity then leads to participation and of course a well put together training plan from Caitlin was followed and in March mixed doubles with Maeve followed. As an event it was designed to allow participation at any level and as such in 2025 there have been over half a million participants with a 98% finish rate as there are no time cut offs. The Glasgow event was an experience with its own unique crazy vibe. Booming tunes, hype, razzmatazz, merch central and possible the epicentre of taps aff, fake tan and false eyelashes in the world. The event itself is hard, no question and it is clearly highly addictive so it has appeal for endorphin junkies for sure. It is a positive thing for sure ( ok as with everything some daft stuff). It is a runners race with some strength obstacles to negotiate so it looks like a good fit for endurance athletes. A great way to fall in love with being strong..and fast.

At this time of year, endurance athletes are encouraged to focus on their base training. But the base of what? Movement and performance are individual and complex so that what is a priority for base training for one person is unlikely to be a priority for another. An athlete may have several years experience and may need to focus on developing speed (in the context of endurance) to increase their performance. Another may need to build strength so that they can increase their power output for a hilly race. Yet another may need to focus on a run frequency block so that they can eventually do the longer run tempo sessions that they need to get to their marathon goal time. The base period is not just a time for long, slow movement. It’s a time to explore ways to make you faster.