Common Newbie Running Mistakes

Often, the most common mistake beginner runners make is too much mileage, too fast and too soon. They go from nothing to relatively high-volume training in a short period of time. They get so excited and enthused about their running that they mistakenly think more is better. The results are injuries, loss of interest, and burn-out too quickly.

Elastic Interface Palm Technology

You’ve got to hand it to Elastic Interface, literally – you really have to. This dynamic and forward thinking Italian technological fabric solution brand have done it again. I mean, how do you reinvent a cycling glove? After all, it’s just a glove isn’t it; with bits of fabric stitched together in the shape of a hand and then pads sewn into the fabric. Well, as the saying goes: ‘the past is another country – they do things differently there!’

Taking a break from training

It’s lockdown again, although due to circumstances I didn’t really leave it earlier. With a wife working at the hospital, elderly parents-in-law and kids at university I had to stay safe, to semi-isolate. Thankfully I’m a solitary person, but at times it’s been demotivating. I need to refocus and the rollers are an excellent way to achieve this.

Elite Indoor Cycle Training

I like a challenge – I’m still a competitor at heart. But the distance involved in travelling to practice and, the onset of colder weather means my training has to be adapted. Yes, I can go out into the smaller hills in my local National Park, the Dales. They’re truly beautiful, but the winter is coming. Yesterday we had snow! My wife’s parents sent a picture of it.

Yes, I’ll be back onto the rollers again I guess, spinning away and wiping away the sweat, as I try to retain my legs in readiness for spring or a crisp winter day. It won’t give me the strength though, just the stamina, which as a former distance athlete God or my parents already gave me.

Voom Energy Bars

Portable, easy to eat and chew, sweet but non sticky and suuuper tasty – these are the perfect characteristics that every energy bar should have. Food is fuel. The right energy bar under the right circumstances can be crucial in a race or ride. The Voom bars are designed to provide quick energy burst during exercise, that’s why they are high in carbohydrates, which are easily digested and absorbed quickly into the bloodstream – this can be good if you are on a 3-hour bike ride or racing, and out in the mountains here in Transylvania.

Identifying Cycling Pain

Many of you are asking me about different pain issues you experience after riding a bike, such as neck pain, back pain, knee pain, hand numbness, etc. It’s hard to suggest something without seeing you, and I’m not a doctor. It may be down to an ill-fitting bike, as too often, people simply buy an off-the-peg bike and don’t have it properly sized for them. This article by Nadezhda looks at some common cycle pain issues and gives you some advice on how to avoid it.

Exercise Hydration

Sodium is a main electrolyte found in sweat and plays an important role in fluid balance in the body and in athletes’ performance. Sodium loss can vary a lot between individuals and is also pretty stable within an individual too. How do you determine if you are a salty sweater and how much sodium should you consume to keep hydration levels optimized? One thing is certain, and that is the issue of correct hydration and fluid replacement for athletes, so let’s examine this.

Voom Nutrition Bars

During the spring and summer of 2020 I’ve been using and testing the Voom Nutrition energy bars and their super tasty “Recovery Fudge” protein bar. Best of all, they’re more than a replacement for the Mars Bars and I’ve seen my power levels maintained on both long rides and shorter but harder rides. How can they benefit your own cycling?

The Mature Athlete and The Vicious Circle

Over the last thirty years I’ve raced and trained consistently. From consistent top ten finishes in the CTT British Best All-Rounder competition, through cyclocross and MTB Cross Country. Twenty to thirty starts a year on average. Under normal circumstances, I love my sport and drive home just as euphorically happy after turning myself inside out to hang onto a group in a cross race as I did to score the occasional win against the watch fifteen years ago.

Voom Nutrition for Cyclists

VOOM is a young and vibrant brand from the U.K. and it’s one that has its base firmly in endurance sports, with triathlon, fell running and cycling being sports that the brands key people participate in at a high level. There’s also some good science behind what they do, with their own scientist within the brand team. All sounds good so far then.