My New Buddy The Kettlebell

September 21, 2015 by Tony Lowe
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It has been a very busy summer with far too much time spent in front of a computer and not enough time out and about having fun. Looking for a quick workout fix that I could indulge in at the end of the day or even in a short break away from the desk and under the influence of a Tim Ferris podcast interview with Pavel Tsatsouline, I purchased a set of kettlebells and embarked on Pavel’s Simple and sinister programme. As someone who has Continue reading →

10 Top Tips For Your First Ultra Marathon

September 17, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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I have written a very long and quite garbled account of my recent ultra-marathon which might bore you to tears. So I thought I could summarise all the things I learnt during my race, a cheat sheet for you so that you can have the confidence to run one for yourself. Whether you succeed or fail to finish your first event, the journey on how you arrive at the start line is what it’s all about. You can – Always believe you can do it! Continue reading →

Be Safe and Lightweight with a Mini Mobile Phone

September 13, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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credit card mobile phone
On entering this magical world of Ultra running you learn that weight is important and imperative when you think of the number of the strides you’ll be covering in an event. These days everything is ultralight and now it’s turned to your mobile phone as well. In most trail races participants must carry a fully charged mobile phone with your emergency numbers pre programmed. However our mobile phones come in all shapes and sizes and weights. I had heard about a mini size mobile phone Continue reading →

My First Ultra Marathon – A Beginner’s Guide To the UTMB

September 7, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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Ten days ago I ran across the finish line of the OCC, an ultra marathon that makes up part of the infamous Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). The race had started in Orsiers, Switzerland and finished 53 kilometers later in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France. Along the way I had to navigate 3,300m of elevation gain and crucially stay ahead of the time barriers and cut-off points. It was my very first ultra and I made it home in 14 hours. Running 53km was a serious step up for me, the furthest I had run Continue reading →

How To Cycle Faster Up Big Hills – Don’t Copy The Pros!

August 24, 2015 by Tony Lowe
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The BeFitApps team suggested that I write a post on how to climb cols like a professional cyclist which is a topic frequently covered in magazine articles and online features. As I cycle up large alpine passes regularly, competitively and even for “fun”, they assumed I would have some secret professional tips that I could pass on which would help them to also enjoy this hobby and improve their performance in competitions and sportives. The existing magazine articles are based on the premise that if we Continue reading →

SleepFit: The Forgotten But Most Important Performance Tool

August 21, 2015 by Rachael Lowe
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sleep for training recovery from exercise induced muscle soreness (doms)
When we think about improving our sporting performance traditionally we have considered fitness, strength and nutrition but rarely have we paid much attention to our sleep.  Until now. Sleep fitness is rapidly becoming one of the hot topics in high level sports performance with the likes of  Manchester United and Team Sky even having their own sleep coach! Getting enough good quality sleep is crucial for athletic performance.  When we sleep, our bodies repair themselves as they take time to recover well from sporting activities.  Studies show that good Continue reading →

Top 5 Tips To Consider When Buying Your First Trail Running Pack

August 12, 2015 by Jackie Maclean-Martin
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There’s just over two weeks to go until the OCC and over the past few weeks I’ve been upping the altitude and kilometres and it has been causing a few niggles. My knees have been giving me some problems so I booked in with Neil for a physio consultation (yes, even his wife has to book herself into his diary to be seen!). I obviously went in for my knee diagnosis but Neil had other ideas: “When did you sprain your right foot?” “What?” And then I remembered that a few years ago I Continue reading →

Seven Top Tips For Staying Fit On A Long Distance Hike

August 7, 2015 by Neil Maclean-Martin
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Getting away from it all and into the great outdoors is one of the greatest ways to refresh the spirit from the hectic demands of modern life. Fresh air and amazing scenery, great exercise and the chance to disconnect are just some of the many reasons that increasing numbers of people are heading in the direction of adventure and finding their way onto hiking trails across the globe. Long distance hiking – or thru’hiking – in particular has been experiencing a massive surge in popularity in recent years Continue reading →

BeFitApp website membership and apps

August 6, 2015 by Tony Lowe
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With the recent release of the TriFit app for iPhone and Android we have also launched a new business model that separates website membership fees and charges for app based access to our programmes. This was made necessary by changes to the terms and conditions related to publishing apps on the major mobile app stores. These changes forced us to back to the drawing board and draw up a new business model that is even more attractive for our users: BeFitApps website membership is now Continue reading →

Our 5 Top Tips to Improve Mountain Biking Performance

August 4, 2015 by Rachael Lowe
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balance skills weight shifting mountain biking
Rolling through forest trails, struggling over high mountain passes, cruising down long flowing descents, getting off the road and away from it all…..these are just a few of the many things we love about mountain biking. It’s great getting out there with friends but imagine if you could have an even better time out on the trail? What would it take to improve your performance as a mountain biker? How could you last longer and go further offroad?  If you’ve ever pondered these questions, then read on – these Continue reading →