This one has been a long time coming
- Emma O'Toole
- Jun 7
- 4 min read
BUILT TO ENDURE® has officially launched its first apparel collection in partnership with Stolen Goat. In this article, Emma O'Toole shares the story behind the launch, celebrates Simon's remarkable cycling performances at The Gralloch and the VTTA National 100 Mile Tandem Championship, and explains how combining structured endurance coaching with progressive strength training can improve performance and durability.
Strength training for runners and cyclists over 30 is a game-changer for performance, resilience, and long-term health.
If you want the full breakdown, check out my Strength Training Over 30 Guides:
TRAINING BREAKDOWN
"Just over 16 weeks of consistent, purposeful work, two incredible results, and a reminder of exactly why BUILT TO ENDURE® exists."
By Emma O'Toole
Hi there!
This is a big one!
After a long time in the making, BUILT TO ENDURE® kit is officially here. Cycling jerseys, running vests, t-shirts and hoodies, all designed in partnership with Stolen Goat, a brand whose kit performs and endures just as much as the athletes who wear it.
This first launch is just the beginning. More colourways and products are coming, but today is about getting the first range into the hands of the community that this brand was built for and around.
You can find the full range right here: stolengoat.com/collection/built-to-endure
I've also recorded a short video below explaining how the ordering process works, including why the ordering window won't stay open year-round and what happens once orders close.
When I think about what BUILT TO ENDURE® stands for, I think about runners and cyclists who show up consistently, do the work that others overlook, ask questions, handle setbacks and less than optimal training conditions, yet keep improving year after year.
Simon embodies that kind of endurance athlete.
I started working with Simon in January of this year. His A goal was The Gralloch, one of Scotland's most challenging races, covering over 100 miles with significant climbing. He had ridden it before and he came to me wanting to be better prepared for it this time around.
Over the following 16.5 weeks I coached Simon on his cycling while he followed the BUILT TO RIDE Over 30 BASE off-season strength training programme concurrently. The two things worked together rather than against each other, and one of the things Simon noted was how strongly he held up on the hills, exactly the kind of durability that structured strength training builds over time.
Three weeks ago Simon rode The Gralloch. He finished over 37 minutes quicker than his 2025 Gralloch time and set a new all time PB on the course by over 4 minutes.
The week after, Simon and his tandem partner Mary rode the VTTA National 100 Mile Tandem Championship. They won gold and finished over 7 minutes faster than their time from two years ago.
Just over sixteen weeks of consistent, purposeful work, two incredible results, and a reminder of exactly why BUILT TO ENDURE® exists.
What Simon's results show is something I see again and again with runners and cyclists who combine structured endurance coaching with a progressive strength programme. The two things are not competing for time and energy, they are working in the same direction.
The cycling coaching built his aerobic capacity, his pacing, and his race specific fitness. The strength programme built his physical durability, his ability to hold power and position on the bike as fatigue accumulated, and his resilience on the climbs. Neither would have delivered the same result alone.
If you are currently doing one without the other, that is worth thinking about. Not because you need to overhaul everything at once, but because the gap between what your body can do aerobically and what it can actually tolerate physically is often where your performance stalls and where niggles may begin to develop.
If you would like a free strength training workout to get you started, head over to my free coaching community.
The kit was always going to come when the time was right. And the time felt right when we found a partner in Stolen Goat who understood what we were trying to build. Kit that performs, endures, and represents the community and the values that sit at the heart of everything we do here.
Whether you are riding events like The Gralloch, running your first 10km, or simply showing up for your Tuesday evening session after a long day at work, this kit is for you.
The first range includes cycling jerseys, running vests, t-shirts, hoodies and more. Head over and take a look at what we have launched today.
You can find the full range here: stolengoat.com/collection/built-to-endure
Thank you for being part of this community and for being the reason this brand exists and keeps growing.
Congratulations again to Simon on an extraordinary few weeks. Results like that do not happen by accident!
And if you grab a piece of kit, I would absolutely love to see you wearing it! Tag @builttoendure_coaching on Instagram and builttoendurecoaching on Facebook in your photos and let us know where it takes you!
Happy running and riding!
Emma x
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