Author: Ruth Martin

The Busy Woman’s Guide to Tri Training

Posted on 11/05/2022 by Ruth Martin

Worried about how to fit triathlon training into your life without burning out? Read on for our top tips to smart training Get a Coach A good coach will help you to develop a realistic, flexible training plan that fits around you, supporting you to fit training into your life, not your life around training. Coaches do the hard work of planning for you so you can get on and enjoy the process of training without worrying whether you are doing too much or too little to keep you on track for race day success. Feel guilty about spending money

Three Ways to Build Mental Resilience

Posted on 11/05/202211/05/2022 by Ruth Martin

Always feel anxious about things not going to plan? Use these three tips to help build mental resilience in the face of adversity In the 1980’s, research psychologist Suzanne Kobasa and Salvatore Maddi followed a group of managers over the course of 12 years to better understand and define the notion of ‘hardiness.’ The study found that some managers suffered burnout and a decline in health while others fared much better despite facing the same challenges. So, what was the secret of those managers who fared well? “Those who thrived maintained three key beliefs that helped them turn adversity into

NUTRITIONAL DEMANDS OF FEMALE MIDLIFE ATHLETES

Posted on 10/05/2022 by Ruth Martin

How does your nutritional demands change as you enter midlife? And how necessary are supplements to support your training and performance or is it all just marketing hype? PROTEIN IS YOUR POWER SOURCE 40+ women need more protein to achieve the same training adaptations and to maintain healthy muscle mass. Aim for around 30 grams of protein per meal with an emphasis on foods rich in the amino acid leucine (essential in the building of muscle). Good sources include lean meat and fish, legumes, seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables and eggs. Ideally, you should try to consume protein within 30

Four Reasons Why You May be Bloated and What to Do

Posted on 04/05/202204/05/2022 by Ruth Martin

You are training strong, racking up miles but are still constantly bloated? Find out why and what you can do to avoid this Slow it Down In our go, go, go culture and the pressures of juggling family life, work and training, how many of you find breakfast is a grab and go affair, squeezed in on the commute or gulped down before your first meeting? ‘We are all rushing to eat, explains Siobhan McHenry, GRTW Functional Medicine and Integrative Nutrition coach. ‘We often eat without chewing but the mouth is where digestion begins.‘ Food is mixed with saliva, beginning

GRTW GUIDE TO WOMEN’S TRISUITS

Posted on 22/04/202220/04/2022 by Ruth Martin

Worried about whether to wear an all-in-one tri-suit or separates for your triathlon event? Read our guide to help you decide When it comes to running events, you can pretty much get away with wearing any clothes. But in triathlon, your tri suit is really important because it is the one piece of kit that you will wear for all four disciplines, swim, bike, run and transition. It needs to fit well, feel comfortable, particularly on the bike, and perform well in the swim and the run. And, you need to be able to get out of it and back

THREE SIGNS PERIMENOPAUSE IS AFFECTING YOUR TRAINING

Posted on 12/04/202212/04/2022 by Ruth Martin

Feeling constantly tired, aching more and slow? If you are in your forties, it could all be due to perimenopause and you CAN do things to improve how you feel and perform Perimenopause is the chapter in all women’s lives where production of oestrogen begins to fall, creating imbalance with progesterone and testosterone. Usually beginning in your forties, it can last for up to ten years before you hit the menopause. Menopause is the term given to the one day after you have not had a bleed for 12 months. If it was all just a case of hormones, we’d

Recovery Breakfasts For Midlife Female Endurance Athletes

Posted on 21/03/202222/03/2022 by Ruth Martin

You’ve nailed your long run or ride and are confident you’re one step closer to your race performance goal right? Not so fast. To maximise the training benefits pay attention to what you eat afterwards particularly if you’re a midlife woman So what should I eat? The three key components to think about are carbs, protein and fluids. Carbohydrates are vital in replenishing glycogen stores that will have become depleted during your run or ride Protein helps to repair micro tears and builds muscle Fluids and additional electrolytes will restore minerals lost through sweat and support rehydration Scientific advice often

Three Ways to Improve Your Trail Running Navigation

Posted on 21/03/202221/03/2022 by Ruth Martin

Put off hitting the trails because you are not sure where you’re going? Follow these three tips from GRTW writer and self-confessed ultra running lover, Ruth Martin Embrace technology There are now multiple GPS sports watches and devices on the market that allow you to create or upload routes to follow. I’m notoriously bad at navigation and this used to put me off attempting ‘self-navigated’ running events until I started using a Suunto 9 watch. It has a great navigation function that allows me to download GPX route files (national trails and routes usually have these types of files as

Why Midlife Women Can Benefit from Trail Running

Posted on 12/03/202208/03/2022 by Ruth Martin

Beautiful landscapes, adventure and escape, what’s not to love about trail running? But it could also be particularly suited to midlife female runners going through peri-menopause Boost strength and improved movement Ever heard the the old adage that running is bad for your knees? Well, what runner hasn’t! While research has proved that this is nonsense, road running does tend to cause increased stiffness because you only move in one plane. With trail running, every footfall is different. This engages more muscles, so you build core and glute strength and it improve proprioceptions. Not to mention better balance and co-ordination

Four Reasons Why Turbo Training is Perfect for Women

Posted on 10/02/202209/02/2022 by Ruth Martin

Whether you use a gym bike or you have a turbo, here’s why we believe you should hit indoor training during the winter It will save you time – lots of it! When you’re busy, fitting in a bike ride outdoors can just add to your stress levels so you end up resenting your training. That’s why turbo training is so useful; it’s in your home, and all you have to do is jump on it and get your session done. Plus it’s usually more effective in half the time as what you can get done on a wintry outdoor