What happens when an athlete stops chasing fitness and starts building strength instead? In this training update, Pippa shares why she's prioritising strength training, recovery, resilience and gravel cycling ahead of the World Triathlon Championship Finals Pontevedra 2026, and how sustainable performance comes from working with your body and lifestyle rather than constantly pushing against them.

How Hormones Affect Training Across the Menstrual Cycle (Days 1–28) A science-based guide to cortisol, oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, leptin and ghrelin — and how to train in alignment with your cycle. For many active women, training can feel inconsistent across the month. One week you feel strong, powerful and capable of pushing pace.Another week the exact same session feels disproportionately hard. This is not a motivation problem.It is a hormonal one. Your menstrual cycle...

If you’re in perimenopause, you may have been told that running raises cortisol and increases stress on the body. While running does temporarily raise cortisol during exercise, regular, appropriately dosed running can actually lower baseline cortisol levels over time , even in perimenopause. Understanding the difference between acute cortisol spikes and long-term cortisol regulation is key to training confidently and sustainably in midlife. What Is Cortisol and Why Does It Matter in...