Category: TRAINING

Four Tips for Improving Your Cycling for Triathlon

Posted on 03/03/2021 by Rachael Woolston

Girls Run the World triathlon coach, Fran Bungay explains her simple tips for cycling improvement In terms of cycling for triathlon, there is a tendency to think that you have to ride with a cadence of 90-100, because that’s what pro cyclists ride at, right? Yet they only train in cycling and most of them have been riding all their lives and so they can sit comfortably at that cadence. For most mere mortals, this cadence will send your heart rate sky high, which is not a good recipe when you have to run a half or full marathon off

Three Reasons Why You CAN Run an Ultra

Posted on 22/02/202122/02/2021 by Elsa Smith

Women’s participation in trail and ultra running is renowned for being low. Here one of the GRTW ultra coaches, Lucja Leonard dispels the common worries that deter many women I could never run 50km Most runners, including the elite ultra runners walk or hike some portions of an ultra. It’s a proven method of tackling an ultra, particularly if it is a mountain one. ‘When I did the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc, which is 106 miles with 10,000m ascent, I walked about 60% of it,’ explains Lucja. By hiking, you conserve energy and have the time to take on much

Five of the Best Recovery Techniques

Posted on 15/02/202115/02/2021 by Elsa Smith

Want to progress in your running and triathlon? Give your body the chance to adapt to the training stress with these recovery tips recommended by every day female athletes in our Real Women Review series Coach Recommendation: Performance Naps We all know that sleep gives our muscles the chance to recover after running or triathlon training. But have you ever tried a short nap for recovery after a hard session? Give it a go, it works. ‘If I’ve done a long run or bike ride, or something very intense, the very best thing you can do is to sleep for

Changing the way you breathe can improve health and performance

How Nostril Breathing Can Improve Health & Performance

Posted on 09/01/2021 by Rachael Woolston

Increasing evidence is now beginning to point towards the benefits of nostril breathing for improved performance, health and emotional well being Buddhist and Hindu culture has focused on the importance of breath work to benefit both the mind and health. But it is only in recent years, with the popularity of the Wim Hof method in particular, that attention in the West has turned towards how we breathe and the impact on every aspect of our health and performance in running and triathlon. Five Benefits of Nostril Breathing Boosts mental well being According to studies by Dr John Douillard, author

Medals That Made Me: Lucja, GRTW Ultra Coach

Posted on 14/12/202013/12/2020 by Fern Pearson

In our latest series, Lucja Leonard from the GRTW Ultra running coaching team shares the lessons that she’s learned from each race to help her improve Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, October 2013 Lesson: Test out your nutrition I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I entered this self-supported multi-stage race of 250km over seven days though the Kalahari desert in South Africa. I’d chosen to enter it after seeing it in a book that my husband, Dion had bought me, called The Worlds Toughest Endurance Challenges.’ I had researched the event by reading blogs by other

The Marathon Medals That Have Made Me

Posted on 06/12/202006/12/2020 by Rachael Woolston

Starting our new series of articles, where we share the lessons learned from race experiences from the Girls Run the World coaches and community. First up, GRTW CEO Rachael Woolston shares her marathon experiences Lake Garda Marathon, October 2012 Be specific My first marathon, which I ran for the experience of it rather than racing. A beautiful road marathon, I learned that you need to be absolutely specific with your training. I trained purely off-road and so my body was not equipped for road running. Finish time: 3 hours, 50 minutes. Mumbai Marathon, January 2013 Watch what you eat Another

Do women get slower with age?

Posted on 14/09/202014/09/2020 by Rachael Woolston

As we hit our forties and beyond, how much does it affect our speed and how should we change the way that we train? Physiologically, there is no doubt that if you an elite female athlete you will get slower as you age. But for the majority of female recreational runners and triathletes, getting slower as you hit your forties and fifties is NOT a foregone conclusion. Why? Because most recreational female athletes don’t start running seriously until their thirties. As for triathlon, many of us don’t have the time or money to start training for a multi-disciplined event until

3 Ways to Boost Your Motivation to Train

Posted on 10/09/202022/09/2020 by Fern Pearson

We all know that we should be training, but sometimes it can be hard to find the time or the motivation. If you’ve found yourself in a rut here are three easy ways to help you get back out there and reaching your goals. Many of us couldn’t wait to get out there and train post-lockdown, then suddenly autumn hit and we’re busier than ever. Whether you’ve been preparing for the kids going back to school or just coping with returning to semi-normal life it can leave us feeling unmotivated. 3 Tips to Get Motivated to Train: Get enough sleep Making

Pelvic floor and the female athlete

Posted on 07/09/2020 by Rachael Woolston

Everyone knows that pregnancy and childbirth affect pelvic floor health. But there are other causes that can cause pelvic floor issues from incontinence to back pain Awareness, knowledge and access to specialist women’s pelvic health experts, thankfully, has improved loads in the last decade. When we recently interviewed a host of female runners and triathletes for our podcast series on Postnatal Performance (out in November 2020), it was great to hear that so many had sought rehab before returning to training (listen to our interview with Gill Bland, a sub 3 hour marathon recreational runner on her experience). Pelvic floor

Achieving Training Gains Through Adventure

Posted on 03/09/202003/09/2020 by Fern Pearson

With most races cancelled for 2020 and lockdown wiping out normal training methods, many have used adventures to train. Be inspired and discover the training adaptations gained through adventuring… Shaking your head and thinking that there is no way adventure training can really benefit your performance? Think again. Tour de France cyclist, Jerome Cousin was visiting his girlfriend in Portugal when the country went into lockdown, and all return flights back to his native France were cancelled. Once lockdown was eased, he bike paced with girlfriend on a 1,152km trip across Portugal. He described the experience as ‘total freedom’. Now, if