HOW TO KEEP TRAINING STRONG
Our band of experts share the gear, intensity and desk (!) advice to avoid a spell on the physio’s plinth this winter
“Though it may seem counter-intuitive to wear sunglasses at this time of the year, it’s critical for a number of reasons”
01 MANAGE TRAINING LOAD
“Increasing your training load quicker than your body can adapt is a common cause of injuries,” says former ITU world champion Helen Jenkins. “You might be okay for a week or two, but fatigue and stress will catch up with you. A well-thought-out training plan will help you to avoid overloading by keeping an eye on weekly volumes, while making sure there’s enough stress for progression.”
02 FORGE RESILIENCE
Building strength bulletproofs your body, according to coach and physiotherapist Nick Cutcliffe. “This comprises two key areas. Firstly, undertake strength-and-conditioning work. This should include core strength, plus work on proximal joints like the hips and shoulder. The second part of durability is by doing long, slow efforts. These need to be easy enough to recover and repeat consistently so when you’re far into a race, you don’t break down.”
03 GET A GRIP
“Autumn and winter traction is often reduced because of wetter surfaces, leading to instability and potential injury on landing,” says elite triathlete Tom Bishop. “That’s why it’s so important to wear the appropriate footwear. In the winter, I’ll often wear my Asics trail shoes, even for road runs when leaves and mud build up on paths and roads. With added winter mileage, swap those race flats for a heavier, more supportive shoe. In my case, that’s the Asics Gel-Nimbus.”
04 HOW DO YOU FEEL?
“In order to manage intensity over time, I write a quick RPE on a scale of 1-10 (rate of perceived effort) after each session,” Jenkins explains. “If I was registering many high numbers in a week, and some of the easy sessions were racking up higher marks than normal, I’d have to be careful and make sure rest is scheduled. Managing fatigue is important for immunity to avoid colds and illness.”
06 ALL-YEAR-ROUND VISION
“Though it may seem counterintuitive to wear sunglasses at this time of the year, it’s critical for a number of reasons,” says Bishop. “Firstly, it protects your eyes from the sun and wind, plus grit, mud and missiles that may bounce up from the road. Glasses can also provide better contrast to see uneven surfaces and so prevent a fall. For example, a yellow lens enhances contrast on a day where it’s likely to have variable conditions from rain to sun. Photochromatic lenses are also useful, ensuring you can always see clearly no matter how light or dark.”
07 MOBILITY IS KEY
Cutcliffe highlights the importance of mobility on not only performance but keeping injury-free, too. “If you want to run faster, a longer stride might help you achieve this but you’ll need hip flexibility. More aero on the bike (and to be able to hold it)? You’ll need shoulder and spinal flexibility. These