While nothing beats getting outside to put your lessons to the test, you can still learn key strategies and pick up techniques that the pros perform effortlessly. Here, our favorite sport-specific options for triathletes, cyclists, and runners.
Triathlons
School of Tri: New triathletes are often scared away by the technical aspects unique to the sport. Even if you’re an all-star at the individual elements, you’ve likely never transitioned between the three, while wearing the same clothes, carrying your fuel, and being timed. focuses on these more subtle moments—rather than training for your endurance, speed, or overall fitness—and is designed to get you through those new challenges with easy, actionable training tips.
Triathlon Taren: cover all things tri-related, from simple pool workouts to packing the perfect race-day bag. Taren—a former finance man turned triathlon geek—manages to combine legitimately applicable service with humor (often of the self-deprecating variety). In doing so, one week of posts might include everything from speed training tips to a failed attempt at goat yoga. If you’re the type of person who likes watching something every morning while sipping that mandatory cup of coffee, this is a great choice for a daily dose of tri knowledge that steers clear of technical overload.
Cycling
Skills with Phil: For , turn to Phil. This series offers something for riders of every level, showing everything from parking lot tutorials to picking the right line down a trail to upping your vert. His goal? Build the confidence of first-timers to go off-road and give mountain bike vets the instruction they need to try their steepest hill or hit a new PR.
Seth’s Bike Hacks: You might learn all the skills from Phil, but if your bike is in a constant state of disrepair, you won’t get far. Enter , dedicated to the art of cheaply and efficiently fixing all your bike’s problems. Need to weigh your bike? Use a fish scale—much cheaper than bike-specific models. Bike looking a little grimy? Armor All wipes will shine it up.
The Bike Skills Project: Trying to learn a log hop or get around a corner with a bit more finesse? Or maybe you just need some help keeping your chain clean or learning how to hold the handlebars for different inclines? The from SmartAthlete has short, easy-to-digest videos that showcase skills in their most basic form, like performing a quick pre-ride bike check, clipping in on a downhill, and mastering the art of a trailside flat change. The videos are primarily mountain bike–focused, but roadies will find plenty of content as well.
Run
C Tolle Run: 2004 Olympian middle-distance runner Carrie Tollefson. She’ll help you formulate a training plan, maximize the impact of your workouts, and better understand effort levels. She’ll also take you through stretching and bodyweight strength training routines and make a case for why you should incorporate them. Tollefson often sneaks in delicious recipe ideas, like a chocolate truffle from running buddy Kara Goucher.
Running Wild: If the ultra life intrigues you, will make you a believer. In addition to providing major inspiration for ditching urban road runs for wooded trails, Running Wild gives practical tips for making the transition. There are plenty of strength and stretching videos—especially important since you’re engaging new muscle groups—as well as tips on form, differences in training strategy, and fueling.
MobilityWOD: This is Kelly Starrett’s , a practice that many endurance athletes don’t pay enough attention to and a cause of many overuse injuries. Cyclists have tight hips, runners have tight hamstrings, and anyone doing the swim-bike-run lifestyle likely has a psoas that just won’t relax. Starrett’s short, straightforward stretching routines feel more like a tough workout than a relaxing yoga flow and will help prevent such problems.