THIS MONTH’S COACHING PANEL
NIK COOK
Pedal stroke tips
Cycling writer Nik is a competitive multisporter who’s competed for Team GB in duathlon.
ANDREW SHEAFF
Swim position
Andrew is a swim coach at the University of Virginia, the reigning NCAA champions.
JAMES WITTS
Heart-rate variability
Former 220 Triathlon editor James is a cycling and sports writer, specialising in sports science.
DR CATHERINE SPENCER-SMITH
Run training while pregnant
Dr Catherine Spencer-Smith specialises in musculo-skeletal therapy and sports medicine. She’s also a keen triathlete.
PEDAL STROKE TIPS
Q Can you learn a smoother/more efficient pedal stroke? Lawrence Jackson
A Pedalling technique is a big topic of debate among cycling coaches, with some advocating drill sessions, single-leg work and the use of pedalling analysis software. At the other end are those who say just get out, ride your bike and your pedal stroke will look after itself.
As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. If your training time is limited, it’s debatable whether purely technique-focused workouts would be an effective use of your time in terms of performance gains. That said, if you’re doing a ‘recovery session’, you might as well break up the monotony with some pedalling drills.
But it’s
