Open water paradise!

A fantastic place to open water swim and just an hour outside of London by car, Hayling Island is a swimmers dream! Clear water with rows of buoys to sight off, and a stunning backdrop of the charming Isle of White, this really is an open water swimmers paradise.

Stretching like a boss!

swim style

'Dan, what style of swimming do you teach? Is it the abc method or the xyz?’ I don’t actually teach a style. We never have at SFT. I look at your range of motion, your imperfections, strengths and weaknesses and start to improve your swimming technique. Good, bad or having just learned to swim, you will perform

Cycling since Cancer

A different breed of triathlete that inspires

Triathlon is one of the toughest sport there is, according to an article that rated in 2019 the top 10 endurance sports, Triathlon ranks #2. Athletes who have joined a triathlon knows the preparation and training that it requires to get to the level of mental and physical conditioning that will enable a participant to finish the race. When the COV

‘Ten With’ – Scott Coey

Scott Coey isn't like many other Dad's in the hall watching school choir. If he wasn't enamoured by his daughter, you'd have to give him a general anaesthetic to get him to sit still. He took 3rd in the notorious World Marathon Challenge 777 in 2019, is an Ironman World Champs finisher in both Full and Half IM distances, has completed a sweltering

Back to the Water

Despite 3months of stretch cords, diligently practiced 3x per week with my Zoom class when I did finally get back into the water it really felt bad. In 45years of swimming I do not think I had ever taken this amount of time out of the water. To my clients I offer them these words of wisdom when they ask how often they should practice 'one session

What actually makes for a great athlete?

We're all capable of being elite athletes, because, yep, you guessed it, we're all human. There are few exceptions to the rule sure, but 99% of all great athletes aren't necessarily above any other person because we're all kind of created equal, as apes with accelerated brain capacity (most of the time). OK, it's not that straight forward, some pe

Triathlon Training: A Beginners Guide

TRIATHLON TRAINING: A BEGINNER'S GUIDETriathlon can be a fun pastime for the entire family or an ultimate test of endurance. Here are tips on getting started with triathlon training by professional triathlete and coach Kaisa Sali.Triathlon is a fun and versatile sport. Why not try your hand at combining swimming, cycling, and running? Here are som

Dreams, Depression and Determination

As a kid, James McCleery always wanted to be a professional athlete. Anything active was his thing. James was a bundle of prepubescent energy. The one in class always looking out the window, going ‘get me out of here!’. Like any young Victorian, AFL was the big drawcard. Kicking the footy around with mates. Kick

Intermittent Fasting

There are way too many diet trends in 2020. Why? Because everyone eats, everyone has an opinion and we still don’t know everything about the human body and frankly I don’t think we ever will. If you look at most of the diet fads; Paleo, 5:2 diet, fasting, ketogenic there is a common trend in all of these. C

New to swimming

By Dan BullockTechnique Swim Tips for Beginners, some Q&AsHow important is technique when you are learning to swim? Swim technique is harder to change later in life so the fewer mistakes made earlier when learning the more effective you will be later in your swim career.If you’ve never had swimming lessons/coaching, does this

Clock watching

By Dan BullockMaking timekeeping and length counting easyThe big round thing at the end of the pool?Maybe to the side of the pool?Do you see it?Usually decorated with a blue/red bar across the middle? The bar usually moves in circles, through 360degrees. Maybe now? Divided up into 5sec increments around the edges from 0 at the top?The Clock! Yes,

Physical benefits of cold water and ice baths.

When I was a competing athlete I absolutely hated ice baths. I was told I had to do it, it would help me recover. Train, ice bath, compete, ice bath, and so on. I’d have done anything to get out of it.Now, you’ll find me enjoying daily dips in the English Channel in December (I’m pictured here

FAQ: Coronavirus and Training

How to train indoors? How to maintain motivation when all races are cancelled? How to take all of this into account in your diet?"You asked about training in the times of Covid-19, we answered."How to train indoors if you’re not allowed to go outside?Endurance training is easy indoors if you have a treadmill, your bike on a train

Sports drinks and athletic performance

When should you have a sports drink instead of water? What's the difference between an Isotonic and Hyptonic sports drink? Here's what you need to know when you're choosing the best sports drink for running, cycling and other endurance sports.In the course of everyday life, you lose about two litres of water per day simply by breathing,

Does a strong core help with posture?

So, your shoulders or knees are sore, or your back is tight, but you haven’t done anything out of the norm – you’ve trained the same way, your week has been the same and you can’t work out why this has happened. Sound familiar?If this is you, then there’

Competition: Reaching an athlete’s full potential

High performance.Proof of the KOTWF concept at the pinnacle of elite sport.KOTWF’s core principles and coaching come from our experience in professional sport.It is a combination of experience, intuition, education and a desire to constantly learn from every situation we’ve found ourselves in. We have seen these

Sustainable growth: Managing high performance

Habitual high performance.A focus on the importance of sustained training and lifestyle changes for athletes. Developing high-performance behaviours to become habitual and a driver of sustained personal growth.We want to improve every day, and we want you to improve every day, however, the drive and determination must come from your desire and pas

Adventure: Why is it important in sports?

Thrive in the unknown.Developing new life experience outside the athletes comfort zone. New skill sets, unearthed weaknesses, developing existing strengths and finding new frontiers.“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside

Support: What do athletes want in a coach

Care, commitment, communication.Offering a support system so the athlete maintains the physical and psychological belief and trust in their abilities. Striving to go above and beyond to help maintain a balance between competition and life.I have referred back to a speech a number of times throughout my coaching career from the book; Open. by Andre

6 Coaching Principles of Kings Of The Wild Frontier (KOTWF)

Since we decided to fulfill a dream of creating my own performance space I have had to try and distill how I have worked with elite athletes for the last 8 years, and what methods and principles I have stuck by to get the results we have seen. So here goes, we have distilled it down to the simple characteristics seen within our training and c

Nutrition and hydration tips for the beginner endurance athlete

Training for your first marathon or triathlon? What you eat and drink can help you achieve your goals - or make them harder to reach. Here are some useful tips on how nutrition boosts sports performance by top-level triathlete and nutritionist Kaisa Sali. Are you starting a new endurance hobby or have you signed up for your first marathon or

Three key reasons choosing the right apparel matters

By Titan Performance Group.Not only in business do you need to dress for success, the same can be said for sport. The clothing and apparel you choose can influence your performance. We spend a lot of time training and racing, so why not get the most out of that time? Here are three reasons why choosing the right apparel makes a difference:1) Impro

What is the best way to improve my transitions & ability to run off the bike

By Michelle Hemley.The swim to bike and bike to run transitions can be an eye opener when you first start triathlon.Often, a classic ‘newbie’ triathlete will spend so much time focussing on getting the required swim, bike and run training completed for their new sport, that transition practice is an afterthought

The Cliché Training Effect

By Matt Burton Interpreting the “Less is More” Approach with Michael Freiberg, Director of Terrain Dynamics."Less; to a smaller extent, amount or degree.More; in a greater quantity, amount, measure, degree or number.’’“Less is More” is one o

3 mistakes to avoid in a triathlon swim workout

By Brenton Ford.For the past 11 years I’ve worked with over 1,000 swimmers and triathletes of all abilities. With athletes new to the sport, I see the same mistakes being made again and again when it comes to their workouts which are holding them back from swimming faster and improving their speed.  Long continuous swim

Triathlon Training: fitting in the second long ride

By Shane Smith.You work 40-plus hours per week and training for a long distance triathlon. How do you fit two long rides into an already packed schedule?The hardest part for most people who are training for an Ironman is getting in the required mileage on the bike. This is especially true when most athletes are working full-time and have friends a

How do I get stronger on a hill bike?

By Michelle HemleyBuilding your cycling strength for training and racing in the hills is one of the most beneficial things you can do to improve your cycling.It doesn’t matter if your goal race is flat or hilly, a time trial, triathlon or a road race, or perhaps you simply want to tackle mountain passes and hill climbs to explore