The Training Triangle

The 'Training Triangle' should underpin everything that you do if you are working towards a set goal or race. We dive deeper into what the theory behind the triangle is and how it will help your performance.

The triangle represents nutrition and recovery (or regeneration) on each side supporting training at the top.

This means that, if you do not take the time to properly fuel your activities or enable your body to recover and regenerate, you will see fewer improvements in your performance and will likely not keep up with the demands of your plan.

This in turn will make it harder for you to obtain your goals.

Nutrition

You know that saying 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day'. Well, it's wrong.

When you are training, especially for an endurance event such as an Ironman or marathon, every meal is the most important meal.

Everything you eat should set you up for the session to come or help you recover from the session you've just completed.

If you've got a hard session in the evening, you don't want to have eaten a lunchtime meal that is too high in fibre so that you end up dashing off for an emergency poop. For dinner after a session, you want to ensure you are getting key nutrients and protein to help your muscles recover.

If you need a little pick-me-up snack mid-morning before a lunchtime run, you want carbs - not sugar - so that you have the energy to finish strongly.

Are you running having fasted in the morning? Your dinner the night before will need to be less fatty and more full of slow-release carbohydrates so you can make it to the end efficiently and with good form.

Fueling for your training is more than stuffing a gel down your throat half way through.

This may sound like you need to do a lot of prep, but in reality it's making sure you shop sensibly and have a balanced diet at your finger tips.

Regeneration

We like to class rest and recovery as regeneration to emphasize its importance. Many of us don't make time to stretch, forget to have a protein shake, or don't get enough sleep. But, without these simple things, our performance will suffer.

Nutrition goes hand-in-hand with regeneration as there are specific foods that help your muscles repair more quickly, making you stronger and ready for the next.

The everyday and race nutrition to help you reach your goals

We met with run expert and former Team GB coach Nick Anderson talk to us about the training triangle, giving us some simple tips on how to food shop like an athlete. In the video, we headed into a supermarket and bought a typical shop to help us understand what's best to throw in your basket or leave on the shelf. With Nick's advice and expertise on how each of the foods affect performance, his knowledge will help you nail the nutrition and regeneration sector of your training triangle.

Nick is also helping to coach Team Hoka Wiggle Flyers, a team made up of six ordinary people each training for Ironman Wales in September. Find out more about the team by tapping or clicking the link below.