Most endurance athletes don’t take full advantage of their off-season. But with the right approach, you can unlock a major performance upgrade for your upcoming season — while still giving yourself time to rest and rejuvenate.
Read More
Becoming a better cyclist is about so much more than increasing power. Skill development and terrain management are the elements that allow you to make best use of that power. It is no wonder so many folks are confused when their friend has out-split them on the bike, despite averaging the same power relative to their weight. It is never just fit or aerodynamics. It is much more likely that their friend applied their power in a smart way. We investigate a bike trainer's role in performance preparation, including aspects of riding you simply cannot effectively practice indoors.
Read More
The bike is packed, the nerves and excitement are high... and then you get that dreaded email. It was the right call by organizers, but that doesn’t make the feelings of disappointment for the competing athletes any less. So, what’s next?
Read More
If you had to power your own house to keep the heat on during the chilly winter, nothing would generate power like some good old-fashioned hill running. The list of reasons why hill running is good for you is a long and full one. It is efficient, it is safe, it is hard, it automatically corrects your form, and it can facilitate easy, low-stress endurance running to absolute max fitness and speed.
Read More
Most run training plans that aim to prepare you for a race are built around accumulating running volume such as intervals or hill work. But at their core, they're just simply that: RUN, RUN RUN. Here at Purple Patch Fitness, we have rewritten the script on what it takes for amateur runners to succeed by using a multi-sport approach to training. Multi-sport run training is a proven strategy, not a theory.
Running can be an elusive mistress. Far too many times I’ve heard the following from my athletes: I’m not a good runner, I’m always injured, or I can’t get any faster.
A few ‘real’ runners love the sport, but this corrosive weight-bearing activity, which can be so wonderful but at the same time so frustrating, can deliver a mountain of problems for many who try to embrace it.
Read More
As the darker, colder months bear down on us, I thought it would be helpful to discuss the role of the indoor trainer as a performance tool for endurance athletes and, more specifically, triathletes. While training indoors is both necessary and beneficial, some caveats must be outlined, especially when considering all of our races take place outside the confines of our pain caves. Riding in the open air is a uniquely different experience from riding indoors. For starters, there are many more hazards and variables you must navigate. Today, I will outline how you can get the most out of your indoor sessions this winter, and I will finish with some sample workouts to try for yourself.
Read More
Many time-starved athletes seeking to juggle three sports and supporting habits into a full week of commitments end up stumbling through the journey. They struggle to find their perfect recipe or end up battling chronic setbacks and lingering fatigue. There is a better way to approach this sport.
Read More
Many endurance athletes are busy people with very full lives, making participation in the sport a jigsaw of time management, physical challenges, and mental stresses. With triathlon and the combination of three sports into one, training is not an easy puzzle to solve. With all this, it is no wonder that athletes often turn their back on strength and conditioning as a component of their approach to performance. This is a huge mistake for both health and performance in sport. Learn about functional strength training and how to integrate it into your life.
Read More
As we head toward the winter season, the risk of sickness increases, due to the environment, congregating in enclosed spaces, and less time outdoors. A prime focus of the Purple Patch approach is to endurance our athletes to build their fitness and race day performance from a platform of health. In the long term, consistency and improved performance are not possible without a healthy body and mind to support continuous hard work.
It takes courage to recover. In this blog, Matt Dixon touches on the ever-important subject of integrating movement into your life as well as the pressing issue at hand: Rest. Read on to learn about the physical and mental benefits of resting as well as real-world advice for taking time off and ramping back into structured training.
It takes courage to recover. In this blog, Matt Dixon touches on the ever-important subject of integrating movement into your life as well as the pressing issue at hand: Rest. Read on to learn about the physical and mental benefits of resting as well as real-world advice for taking time off and ramping back into structured training.
Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt, also known as “the Norwegian hype train,” were recently interviewed by famed podcaster Rich Roll. During the interview, they talked about optimizing their training, most notably by using science and technology. If you’ve been consuming our content for some time, you will know by now that while I encourage age-groupers to glean lessons from elite triathletes, you should not try and emulate their approach.
Most run training plans that aim to prepare you for a race are built around accumulating running volume such as intervals or hill work. But at their core, they're just simply that: RUN, RUN RUN. Here at Purple Patch Fitness, we have rewritten the script on what it takes for amateur runners to succeed by using a multi-sport approach to training. Multi-sport run training is a proven strategy, not a theory.
We might set out at the beginning of the season with the best of intentions. However, more often than not we will run into some obstacles, and injury is one of the most common reasons training is derailed. And, returning to running post-injury is can be very risky physically. It is important to get it right.
Read More
What are the best running shoes for you to meet trained potential with race performance when facing a long-course triathlon, such as IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3? When choosing your triathlon running shoes, or shoe brand. Luckily, there certainly are some guiding
Read More
Although swimming is the most technically dependent of the three triathlon disciplines, it still requires significant fitness and muscular endurance. At Purple Patch, we try to keep things simple by aiming for ‘good enough’ technique and focusing on three elements: posture, alignment, and propulsion. In unison with developing these elements, we are always trying to teach our athletes the importance of being comfortable in open water and developing the skills necessary to thrive in a race situation.
Read More
Shoe choice for the run, getting the right bike, wheel choice, even getting fit on the bike are all important components of the journey to arrive race ready. With all this prep, there is one piece of equipment that doesn’t get the attention or focus it deserves -- your bike seat of choice. The Bike seat is one of the most important yet overlooked components of your race performance.
If you have trained and raced endurance sports for a while, you have been a ‘victim’ of the latest training methodologies and modalities that arise every year. Unfortunately, most of these methodologies and practices don’t pan out as intended. Mid-season breaks are not yet a staple in the endurance community, but many would benefit from their implementation.
Read More
In this week’s blog, we delve into the methods for maximizing run performance off the bike. This is your need-to-know on how to remain injury-free during training and optimize run performance within the demands of a triathlon. The approach Matt outlines breaks through the discourse around what it takes to succeed in running off the bike.
Read More