"The RED-S project is a club for sustainable performance. And sustainability to me brings up a few different words, I think about fueling and enjoyment. And no, no process is sustainable unless it's enjoyable. And for me, if I was to get close to a recreational race, and I started to think about race weight, that wouldn't tie in with enjoyment for …

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is gaining more traction in our lives. It's been here awhile, but the launch of Chat GPT has really accelerated our awareness of how it can simplify our lives. AI will be a part of our athletic lives as well, certainly for the way we plan our plan, analyse, and adjust our training to get the best results. Will this b…

A lifetime in sport inevitably leads to injuries, especially if you play contact sports. Rugby was my game until my mid-twenties, by which time I had dislocated both shoulders at least once and broken my collar bone once. Minor concerns compared to some players, but nonetheless it's these injuries that caused me to take up triathlon more seriously.…

As you continue your journey as an endurance athlete you might occasionally think that life is messing you about. There are always obstacles to be navigated - work and family challenges, illness, injury, world events beyond your control. It may even cross your mind that these only seem to happen to you and that other folks have smooth paths to thei…

Since we started the podcast, I've introduced many of the UK triathlon legends, ranging from our Olympic champions to coaches who helped them there, and the folks who were around right at the start of triathlon in the UK. Today's guest, Mark Kleanthous, competed in UK triathlons since the very first event in June 1983. And he has kept on going for …

Who says you can’t get stronger as you get older? Today, Strength and RunForm Coach Matt Pendola is back and this time he’s accompanied by one of his clients, Michael ’Stoke’ Stoker, one member of a small group who Matt affectionately refers to as 'The Silverbacks’. 73 year old Stoke joins us to speak about how his 20 years of work with Matt has en…

Our podcast guest this week is Menachem Brodie, the National Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Israel National Track Cycling Team. He has his own consultancy business, Human Vortex Training, and has also written two books, Strength Training for Cycling Performance, and Lift Heavy Shit (links for both are below). We've heard from numerous swim…

You may have wondered about my choice of the phrase High Performance Human. It doesn’t relate to athletes who perform at the top of their age group. The concept of high performance can be described as a measurable state where an individual consistently performs at a higher level of operational success compared with most of their peers within the sa…

LISTENER: There were some pre production audio issues. Apologies for this. Please stick with the podcast as the sound quality improves during the conversation. The name Dr Stacy Sims is probably familiar to many of you, especially if you are a female. She's written two very popular books. Her first was ROAR in 2016 (recently updated and revised). H…

Today's guest is Margaret Sills. I met Margaret about 20 years ago when she asked me to coach her. During the time we worked together she represented GB triathlon as an age grouper and also qualified for Kona twice. I can still remember waiting at the finish line for her to complete her first Kona (which she mentions in the conversation). She had s…

This podcast is called the High Performance Human podcast for a reason. It gives me the opportunity to showcase individuals who excel in their chosen sport, but also in many other areas of their life, while still focussing on basics such as sleep and nutrition. Next time you take a flight, think about what you would like to know about your pilot - …

You might have noticed a theme with some recent podcasts, as I've been searching out inspirational older athletes to share with you just what the future might hold if you have the enthusiasm and adjust your approach in the right way for you. I've struggled to find other coaches who specialise in working with older athletes, but that's corrected tod…

Today’s podcast guest is Dr Dan Plews. Dan is one of our most frequent and popular guests. He and ‘The Prof' Paul Laursen have an on going competition to be at the top of the list with most appearances on the show. It’s been a while since I chatted with Dan and since the last conversation he’s made a welcome and very successful return to racing, ha…

This week we're back with James Risley as we continue the conversation about riding Le Loop - 3,500km of riding with 55,000m (yes, FIFTY FIVE HUNDRED METRES) of climbing, including some of the toughest climbs in France and Spain. Last week we talked about the preparation for the event and navigating life challenges - work, relationships, sleep - in…

Have you ever thought about attempting a multi-day bike tour? Maybe the Raid Pyrenees (4-5 days) or Land's End-John o'Groats (8-10 days)?Those are both big challenges, but how far would you push it? What about the full Tour de France route including rest days? 3,500km of riding, 55,000m of climbing in 22 days. There is actually an event called Le L…

In the last 6 years I have chatted with many great coaches, and today's guest is right up there with them! Darren Smith is arguably one of the best triathlon coaches we have seen working with Olympic triathletes. I first met Darren when he was appointed as head coach for Scottish Triathlon, and our paths crossed at regular coaches meeting at Britis…

Triathlon is a metaphor for life. The challenges we encounter on race day are like the ups and downs of life squeezed into a few small hours. In reaching the finish line we often achieve what we once thought impossible. It helps us to grow. For some, triathlon can literally be a lifeline. My guest on this week’s podcast is Liam Colebrook. Liam is o…

Ok, it’s nearly Christmas and you know what that means? Yes, it’s time for a Grumpy Old Coaches Christmas get together! Last year we recorded our show live from the pub and it proved to be quite popular with the coaches and the listeners, so we’ve continued the trend this year. Last Friday we all went over to Wigan and recorded the show from Marc’s…

In a recent bite sized podcast I outlined the steps you could take to improve your swim performance. Today I'm discussing how to improve your cycling. Cycling is by far the biggest portion of any triathlon and so if you have a strong bike, that will enhance not only your overall time but also your ability to run well (as long as you don't push too …

Today we have the 2nd part of my conversation with Jack Maitland.Last week we talked about Jack's journey from orienteer to mountain runner to elite triathlete and then into coaching. We talked about our work together, his work in Leeds and then the development work with Alistair & Jonathan Brownlee finishing at the end of 2011 when Alistair was a …

This week, following a request from regular listener David Hill, I’m going to take a short dive into what is called breath work. So thank you David for a great suggestion! I’ve had several podcast conversation about this specific subject and there's no doubt in my mind that it makes a real difference to health and performance by managing anxiety, i…

Back in 2000, I decided to rebrand my coaching business as TheTriathlonCoach.com. I’d been coaching for 4-5 years and built up a good roster of age group athletes. I was having to turn folks away so I asked my friend (also a coach) if he’d like to join me and take on some clients. His name was Jack Maitland, and he's my guest on the podcast this we…

Is losing a few kilos one of your winter training goals for the next few monthsIf it is, you're probably not alone. At least once a month I get an email or have a phone conversation with an endurance athlete who tells me they need to lose weight to help them achieve their goals in the summer. As a coach I feel like it’s easy to get overly focused o…

Regular listeners will know that I’m a big fan of mobility and strength work, to the point where I have regularly recommended to athletes that they reduce their swim, bike, and run volume and use that time to work out in the gym (or at home). Several years ago I came across a book written by this week's guest, Brian MacKenzie. The book was “Unbreak…

Almost 34 years ago to the day, November 1989, I attended my first triathlon training camp. The venue was Eilat on the Red Sea in Israel and the host was a chap called Bernie Shrosbree who at that time was GB triathlon champion.I learned a lot on that course, but this lesson was one of the most valuable and which will always stand true: "Consistenc…