Anyone training with science will be using a heartrate monitor and power/ pace to most accurately guide their training. However, “instinct” and a “sense of effort” are also key skills to bring to your training and race pacing. The more information you have to hand, the better the process. There are also those times when your damn HRM won’t work for some unknown reason and it’s usually when you want it the most!!! In these cases, “RPE” (which is the Rate of Perceived Exertion) is a really useful fall back option….

Although Heart-rate monitors (HRM’s) are a common item in most athletes’ kit bags these days, very few people know how to get the best out of them. HRM’s are there to help guide the intensity of your workout. To train specifically and correctly, you’ll need to train in carefully defined “zones”. This article assumes that you already have your zones but need practical pointers on how to use your HRM out on the road. What follows is a brief discussion on some of the factors affecting heart-rate and the remedies you can apply.

One of my main goals is to slash your learning curve and get you training with maximum efficiency right from the start. Training correctly for an endurance sport requires attention in many different areas. In addition to the cardio training that you do there’s recovery techniques, strength work, injury prevention, gear prep plus nutrition and fueling to consider. Use these tips to optimize all that you do and watch your performance soar.

Once every 4-8 weeks as part of your program, you will be asked to perform a test session for your main sport(s). The purpose of this test is to check progress and to see how your performance has changed and also to set up your heart-rate training zones.

All Coach Gareth workouts (aside from swimming) are based on Heart-rate (HR). Heart-rate is an excellent guide to the stress created by a workout and also the intensity of the workout…

Interval training is one of the best ways to increase performance across all endurance sports. It is therefore a regular staple in all of Coach Gareth’s training programs. Here’s why and how to do them better…

Over the years, my coaching practice has developed with input from some of the best athletes and coaches in the world. During this process, I established a key set of rules that will ensure that you not only get the results you desire but also become a …..

“Periodization” is a science based system of putting the building blocks of training in the correct order, so that you can maximize your gains as you progress. It applies to endurance training and strength training equally.