Most runners and cyclists think strength training is simply lifting weights: squats, lunges, core work, and maybe a sweaty circuit. But strength training that actually improves performance and reduces injury risk is a system, not a workout. In this article, Emma O’Toole explains why strength work needs different “zones” (just like endurance training), and breaks down a 5-part strength system designed for endurance athletes: breathe, move, jump, lift, and condition.

Many runners and cyclists believe that training harder is what makes them fitter, but real progress comes from adaptation, not accumulated fatigue. Deload weeks are a planned reduction in training stress that allow your body to recover, absorb the work you’ve been doing, and prepare for the next block of training. In this article, Emma O’Toole explains what a deload week actually is, how it differs from a recovery week, how often endurance athletes should deload, and what a d

Most runners and cyclists think strength training is simply lifting weights: squats, lunges, core work, and maybe a sweaty circuit. But strength training that actually improves performance and reduces injury risk is a system, not a workout. In this article, Emma O’Toole explains why strength work needs different “zones” (just like endurance training), and breaks down a 5-part strength system designed for endurance athletes: breathe, move, jump, lift, and condition.

Consistency is the real performance multiplier for runners and cyclists over 30, not a perfect plan, not more motivation, and not an all-or-nothing January push. The biggest reason athletes struggle to stay consistent isn’t willpower; it’s a mismatch between training demands and real life capacity (work, sleep, stress, family, mental bandwidth). This article explains why consistency is about being repeatable and adaptable, how to avoid the “life capacity vs training capacity”

If you're a runner or cyclist over 30, the week between Christmas and New Year is often when you start thinking about the season ahead: What do you want to achieve in 2026? What held you back this year? And what needs to change for you to train with more consistency, fewer injuries, and better performance? The truth is, progress doesn’t come from New Year motivation, it comes from habits, structure, and purposeful training.

If you’re a runner or cyclist over 30, Christmas can turn training into a noisy mess: disrupted sleep, more stress, different routines, travel, and indoor/outdoor changes. That’s exactly why “easy” sessions should be guided by effort, not a rigid pace or power number. Pace and watts don’t adjust for hills, wind, terrain, fatigue, stress, or poor sleep,but your body does. In this article, you’ll learn why training by effort protects recovery, keeps your easy days truly easy, i

Most runners and cyclists want long-term progress, but train in short-term ways. In this post, Emma O’Toole explains why chasing quick results leads to injury, inconsistency, and burnout, and how to build a foundation for long-term endurance success. Learn how to think like a long-term athlete and train for progress you can actually sustain.

From a fractured hip to 14-hour training weeks in just 18 weeks - here's how strength training, routine, and patience helped me rebuild and race again as a runner and cyclist over 30.