Speed, distance, power, effort are all part of this big giant triathlon puzzle. Sometimes it takes a simple approach to fit the pieces in the right place. There’s more to getting faster then just overall speed. Aren’t you curious as to the other factors relative to improvement?

Coach Brendon writes: Winter is coming! No light during the week, frosty and wet road conditions, but the winter period represents an opportunity for many triathletes, it is a time when you can work on specific areas of your cycling to be ready to reach new levels of performance in the coming season.

If your season is like most in North America, races are winding up, injuries are being addressed and naps are much longer. Hopefully, at some point this fall you will sit down with your coach, discuss ‘08 goals, decide what your limiter was for 2007, and how you can improve it.

It’s pretty unanimous that the bike is most athletes’ favorite part of triathlon. Whether they are fast, slow or middle of the packers most people enjoy the exhilarating feeling of flying down the road in a full aero tuck watching the scenery pass them at a bullet’s pace.

Simon Ward writes Consistent training is one of the most important factors in the development of any athlete. In the eyes of many coaches it ranks even higher than natural talent.

The following article is written from a swimmer's perspective, but contains valuable information that can be applied to any sport.

Coach Wendy writes: We have all seen them... breasts bobbing up and down or even swaying in directions that appears to be up and down and sideways! Or what about the squashed melon look!

Number-crunching formulas that approximate metabolic rate only work well for average individuals of a normal body composition, height, and weight. Let's face it - most endurance athletes aren’t average. By undercutting their resting metabolic rate by just a few hundred calories, an athlete can completely deplete storage carbohydrate levels in less than a week.

Mark Fulford writes: Be on the start line fit and healthy… kept very simple, this is the main priority we need to remember when preparing for an event or events.

Mark Fulford writes: Recently I presented a talk to a group of budding athletes, with majority of this group are focused on completing their first Ironman. Some members of the group had a reasonable amount of sporting experience while others were starting from scratch.