THIS MONTH'S COACHING PANEL
NIK COOK
Winter bike training
Cycling writer Nik is a competitive multisporter who's competed for Team GB in duathlon.
TAREN GESELL
Zone 2 running tips
Taren is a triathlete, coach and YouTube personality who hosts the show ‘Tri Taren’. He's also the founder of the MOTTIV training app.
ANDREW SHEAFF
Swim shoulder injury
Andrew is a swim coach at the University of Virginia, the reigning NCAA champions.
MAT BRETT
Bike speed wobbles
Mat is a top cycling journalist and former editor of 220 Triathlon magazine.
WINTER BIKE TRAINING
Q My seasoned cycling buddy says I should just be riding long and slow over the winter. Is this right? Phillip Brown
AStrict, steady winter base training can be effective for professional riders, who can log 30hr-plus weeks. The sheer volume they're able to do provides the training stimulus and gives them the deep base of endurance fitness they require for the heavy racing load they have to contend with in-season. However, even for pros, the concept of just doing steady work over the winter has largely fallen out of favour.
For non-pros, who are having to juggle work, family and other commitments and can only probably manage 5-15hrs weekly, sticking purely to low intensity is a waste of
