Heather Taylor Personal Trainer
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Heather is a personal trainer who also competes in the sport of triathlon. She talks to Sundried about how she got into the sport and her top tips to stay motivated.
Please tell us about sporting events you have taken part in or have coming up.
I tried my first duathlon on a hybrid bike because I enjoyed running and cycling occasionally, from that race I got the bug for racing. I then bought a road bike and at my second full duathlon (10k run, 40k cycle, 5k run) I qualified to compete for my age group at the European Standard Duathlon Championships. I then had a great year (apart from getting hypothermia at Europeans!) with my highlights winning third place at the British Championships and winning second place at Nationals. I also qualified for the World Championships in Adelaide, but with more bad luck I stress fractured my femur just before the race so could hardly run during that race which was a bit of a disaster. After nearly a year of injury, I am now back and with new goals. The A race this year is a half ironman - Weymouth 70.3, (now that I've learnt to swim) and a few triathlons to get race ready. I am also participating in the Maratona des Dolomites in July and have been working hard on my biking.
Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?
I got into fitness during university where I studied Equine and Human Sports Science, I discovered a love for sports (rather than horses) and after graduating, qualified as a personal trainer and started working as a fitness instructor and spin instructor. This is when I started running, and teaching spin started my love for cycling. I then joined a cycle and running club and from there Duathlons and Triathlons started.
What are your training goals now?
My main goal is to stay injury free and complete Weymouth 70.3 in a decent time. I also have specific cycling goals and run times I want to hit by the end of the summer.
Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:
I love peanut butter!
What would future you, tell yourself when you were starting out?
Rest and recovery is just as important as training.
Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?
I eat healthily but still have treats after hard training. I don't stick to a diet but monitor my macros to ensure I get enough carbs and protein in my diet to fuel my training and help me get the best results.
What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?
I always make sure each client has a short term and long term goal. I recommend you always measure your progress to stay motivated. I also believe all training should be fun, if you don't enjoy a sport or type of training find one you do enjoy, that will keep you motivated.
Talk us through your training regime.
I normally train 10-12 hours a week, sometimes more on harder weeks and less on recovery weeks. I always have 1-2 Strength sessions a week to reduce the risk of injury, I incorporate two runs (normally an interval session and a long run) two turbo sessions on the bike, two swim sets, one long bike ride with a club (this is fun and social which is important) . Plus a spin class I teach and a HIIT class I teach. 3 days a week I train twice a day so I always make sure I have an easier day in there.
How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?
I read a lot of sports science articles and attend at least 1-2 courses a year.
What are your top 3 trainer tips?
- Quality over quantity.
- Always enjoy training.
- Have a goal.
If you could only do one workout for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Running intervals, I find them the toughest and want to be sick but always feel amazing afterwards!
Why work with Sundried?
I love the idea of ethical clothing and the work ethics and intentions of the company, I also think the clothes are very well made, great quality, stylish and super comfortable. The bib shorts are my favourite item on a long ride.
Favourite fitness quote:
Life is like a bicycle: to keep your balance you must keep moving.
