ONE STEP AHEAD: Cutting the bad carbs. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Building speed and endurance when fatigued. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - SAM CLARK: Sam Clark is the recent winner of New Zealand’s Men’s Elite 1 day Coast to Coast race and, despite his young age, has a wealth of experience from competing in a wide range of endurance sports. A mechanical engineer by trade, Sam uses his technical eye and attention to detail to maximise his training and preparation for each event and to seek out the right advice. His career highlights include wins at the Motu Challenge; podium finishes at the Wulong Mountain Quest, Lake to Lighthouse Challenge, national long distance Tri titles, two world championship adventure races, racing Tour of Southland and winning Monty’s Revenge for the first time. His next race… Ironman New Zealand.      GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors ‘The Plews and Prof’ talk about sodium and in particular a recent research article by Dr Martin Hoffman et al entitled “Sodium Intake During an Ultramarathon Does Not Prevent Muscle Cramping, Dehydration, Hyponatremia, or Nausea”. Prof also brings us an interview with one of the authors, Dr Martin Hoffman. 5 MIN FOCUS: IronIndex™ is triathlon’s first descriptive and predictive analytics-based tool that assigns a level of difficulty to full iron-distance triathlon courses. In addition to difficulty rankings, IronIndex™ enables an athlete to personalize a course based on their physical profile, performance level, and goals (qualifying for championships, pursuing a PR, or simply seeking a new adventure). It projects an athlete’s finish time and individual discipline splits for a course and also allows them to run a simulation that shows where they would have placed among last year’s competitors in last year’s actual conditions. CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: Tips for those athletes undertaking back to back iron distance races. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: High cadence training for cycling. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - NATALIE VAN COEVORDEN: Natalie Van Coevorden, Australian triathlete, is 23 years old and has been competing on the WTS circuit since 2012. As one of Jamie Turners' "Wollongong Wizards" she's part of a unique squad that puts her in an elite environment on a day to day basis both in Australia and overseas. Natalie recently decided to give the longer distance a go and raced to a second place podium at the Challenge Melbourne Half last month. Her main goal this year - to compete for Australia at the Olympic Games. GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors 'The Plews and Prof' talk about "The Importance of Sleep for Athletic Performance". 5 MIN FOCUS: This week we bring back AJ Johnson, Content Editor and Power Analyst for Training Peaks, to talk about The Pacing Project - a new and innovative way for runners to look at how they're going to pace their next event http://www.thepacingproject.com/ CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: How to tell if you're a fat burner. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Micro burst high intensity interval training for cyclists. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - ALICIA KAYE: Alicia Kaye, Canadian triathlete, gives us a fascinating insight into her career to date. Gaining pro status in the triathlon world at only 14 years of age she talks to us about the benefits and challenges she faced and her subsequent falling away from the sport. In 2013 Alicia had a breakthrough year with her coach Joel Filliol and last year won the Boulder 70.3, Calgary 70.3 and numerous other shorter distance triathlons. This year Alicia is planning to race her first iron distance race - Ironman Texas. She credits her husband, Jarrod Shoemaker, with helping her rediscover her passion for the sport. GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors 'The Plews and Prof' talk about "Carbohydrate intake in the form of gel is associated with increased gastrointestinal distress but not with performance differences when compared to liquid carbohydrate ingestion during simulated long distance triathlon." Or in other words, gels versus liquids, which is better! 5 MIN FOCUS: Bev talks to Greg Olsen Director of Industrial Design at Cercacor about Ember. Using an advanced 8 LED sensor, a device paired with your smartphone, Ember measures your haemoglobin and pulse rate (2 of the most sought after indicators for performance and race readiness) in less than 90 seconds. Find out more about Ember at http://www.cercacor.com/ CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: When is a calorie not a calorie. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: How the pros train. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - JARROD SHOEMAKER: Jarrod Shoemaker ITU star from Massachusetts came to triathlon from a running background and did his first triathlon in 2003. In his debut year as a professional triathlete, Shoemaker was crowned the 2004 USAT Under-23 National Champion. In the last 11 years he’s earned numerous championship titles including 2009 Duathlon World Champ, two US National Champion titles (2010, 2012), 2009 USAT Elite Athlete of the Year, 2011 USA Elite Sprint National Champion, 2012 USAT Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year and a member of the 2008 US Olympic Team. Spots for the USA Olympic team are still up for grabs and Jarrod is working hard to ensure his qualification for Rio. GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors ‘The Plews and Prof’ talk to us about HRV - Heart Rate Variability. 5 MIN FOCUS: Bev tells us about OTTO - the bike tuning system. An industry first, voice-guided iPhone vision app and tool that enables checking & tuning rear derailleurs in under a minute. CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition                              

ONE STEP AHEAD: Vitamin C mega dosing. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Monitoring the athlete training response. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - BARBARA RIVEROS: Bevan talks to Barbara Catalina Riveros Diaz, a Chilean professional triathlete, fresh from her win at 70.3 Pucon, Chile. A few months previously at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Barbara polished off a phenomenal run to secure her first ever Pan Am Gold Medal. Her victory not only gave Chile a Gold in the Games medal count, but also an automatic qualifying spot for the 2016 Rio Olympics. This will be Barbara's 3rd Olympics and at 10th in the ITU Olympic Qualification List: Rio 2016 Women's Standings she's looking forward to the challenge. GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors 'Plews and Prof' talk to us about enhanced endurance performance by periodisation of carbohydrate intake. 5 MIN FOCUS: Bevan talks to Thomas Fowler, Marketing and Sales Manager for Recon Instruments about the Recon Jet - advanced wearable eyewear with computer for sports - and in particular endurance athletes. Featuring a dual-core CPU, high-contrast display and point-of-view camera, Jet connects seamlessly to leading smartphones and wearable sensors, delivering contextually relevant information instantly, just below the user’s right eye. Check out their awesome video here https://youtu.be/LZvb4GYJW0k. More about them at http://www.reconinstruments.com/ CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: Aspirin. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: High intensity running. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - JOE SKIPPER: British pro triathlete Joe Skipper will be coming to New Zealand in February to do 'The Double'. He's doing what Dylan McNeice, Carl Read and Gina Crawford did last year. He's taking on the Challenge Wanaka long distance race and following it up with Ironman New Zealand two weeks later. His plan? To win Challenge Wanaka and podium at IMNZ. At only 27 years old he already has an impressive résumé - 5 elite long distance podiums including 1st at Challenge Weymouth in 2014 and 2nd at the IM Texas North American Champs in 2015. At Texas he raced to a personal best time of 8:16 having ridden a blistering IM bike split of 4:10 - he's one to watch out for! GEEK OUT: On a low carb diet and preparing for a race? This week our Geeky contributors 'The Plews and The Prof' talk to us about LCHF strategies pre, during and post competition. CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: Cocoa - the performance enhancer. Water - is it a weight loss agent. Procrastination - the 2 minute rule. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Concurrent Training. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - MAIK TWELSIEK: In 2015 German Maik Twelsiek posted the fastest bike split ever at the GoPro Ironman World Championships in Kona - 4:25:10. He’s a beast on the bike! In the last couple of years Maik has won Ironman Wisconsin, raced to second place at Ironman Austria and Ironman Lake Tahoe and in 2014 achieved his personal best time for an Ironman completing Arizona in 8:07:59. In February this year Maik will be coming to New Zealand to compete at the Challenge Wanaka full distance race. We’re looking forward to seeing how he goes! GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors 'Plews and Prof' talk to us about the effects of high and low cadence interval training on time trial performance. 5 MIN FOCUS: Perform your own Bike Fit with an app. CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: Chlorine. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Becoming heat adapted with a hot bath. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - VICKY HOLLAND: Vicky Holland is a British triathlete who is part of the GB Olympic set up. At school Vicky was a nationally ranked swimmer before switching to athletics and taking up the 1500 metres. She didn’t start competing in triathlon until her second year at Loughborough University in 2005 when she was approached by British Triathlon. Vicky was selected for the London Olympics in 2012, however due to an unfortunate bike crash placed 26th, but since then she has become a figure head in the world of women’s triathlon. The 2014 Commonwealth Games were a positive turning point as she secured her first major individual medal with a Bronze and bettered that with a Gold in the Mixed Team Relay alongside the Brownlee brothers. Vicky has had a sensational 2015 season proving she is one of the world’s best. She has notched up two individual wins on the ITU circuit, one in Cape Town and one recently in Edmonton. Along with these impressive wins she has consistently achieved podium finishes throughout the season with a crucial 3rd at the Grand Final in Chicago, which has secured her place at the Rio Olympics. GEEK OUT: This week our geeky contributors ‘Plews and Prof’ talk to us about Dr. Jeff Volek’s ‘FASTER’ study. Jeff S. Volek, Ph.D., R.D., is a registered dietitian and Professor at the Department of Human Sciences, Ohio State University. His study is aimed at discovering the role diet plays in how our bodies metabolize fat vs. carbohydrate during exercise. The geeks talk to us about some of the exciting new data coming back from this study for fat adapted endurance athletes. 5 MIN FOCUS: Electrostimulation. This week Bevan talks to Ryan Heaney, President of Marc Pro. The Marc Pro is a device intended for muscle conditioning by stimulating muscle in order to improve or facilitate muscle performance. For athletes this is great news - faster recovery times, maximising the results of training, injury prevention and improved conditioning and performance http://marcpro.com/ CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to learn more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: Dark chocolate. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Shoulder rotation in swimming. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - GRAEME MAW: High Performance Director for Triathlon, High Performance Sport New Zealand. On the lead up to Rio 2016 we talk with Graeme about some of our selected athletes and where they're at. We also discuss 'Federation Models', the current state of play with triathlon in New Zealand and what the plans are for 2020 and the future. GEEK OUT: The Prof and the Plews are back together and this week they’re helping Bevan and Mikki out by interpreting Yann Le Meur's High Intensity Training infographic. 5 MIN FOCUS: Shannon Rae, Regional Sales Representative for Garmin Australasia talks to us about the new Forerunner 235 with Elevate™ heart rate technology which measures heart rate at the wrist 24/7, giving you the option to run without a strap. Plus, a new windows app for Garmin connect. CONTACT US: Go to http://www.fitter.co.nz to find out more about us. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition

ONE STEP AHEAD: The impact that some common medications can have on sleep. WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Measuring fatigue and recovery using Training Peaks and Heart Rate Variability. HOT PROPERTY INTERVIEW - SAM WARRINER: This week we welcome back Sam Warriner to talk a little about her recent retirement from the pro ranks but more about her great new initiative 'Future ChampioNZ'. The Future ChampioNZ Festival's over-riding goal is to support the Tri NZ Youth Pathway and ultimately see more Kiwi athletes succeed on the world stage whilst providing a fun and exciting race weekend for all youth athletes. GEEK OUT: The Prof (Paul Laursen) talks to us from Paris at the ITU Science and Triathlon Conference and brings us an interview with Inigo Mujika - Sports Scientist, Physiologist and Triathlon Coach - about the new evidence around strength training. Is it of any use to endurance athletes? 5 MIN FOCUS: Meet STRYD - The world’s first power meter for running! We talk to Rob and Don from www.stryd.com about their device that runners wear as a chest strap and which accurately measures workout intensity across any terrain. It helps runners run faster and further without working harder. COMPETITION: Win a free entry to the Tri Short Course event at the Port of Tauranga Mount Festival of Multisport on Sunday 10 January 2016. To enter go to their website and find out what the distances are for each of the swim, bike and run disciplines in the short course race. Then email us the distances at info@fitter.co.nz. Competition ends 12 noon on Christmas Day! CONTACT US: Find out more about us at http://www.fitter.co.nz  Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fittercoaching/ for the latest news and information. Mikki Williden can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mikkiwillidennutrition