Iron Sally Coaching

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Iron Sally Coaching Sally Bigham is a performance coach offering 1:1 training plans to cyclists who want to go faster!

It’s that time of year - the transition from summer to autumn 🍂- when it can suddenly feel much harder to get out of the...
16/09/2026

It’s that time of year - the transition from summer to autumn 🍂- when it can suddenly feel much harder to get out of the door.

The mornings are darker, the temperatures are dropping, and the cold and wet can quickly become a barrier to getting outside.

But if we can find the motivation to overcome that initial hurdle, there are plenty of rewards to be had.

This was my trail run this morning. It’s hard to see just how bad the rain and wind were 🌧️ But honestly, it was exhilarating - and I finished feeling mentally ready to face the working day.

No idea why it took me so long to buy some shoe driers, but they’re a game changer 🙌🏼

Fern clearly agrees 😂🐶

Three top five age group finishes at Graean Cymru UCI World Series last weekend 👏 🇬🇧A tough Welsh gravel course where nu...
11/09/2026

Three top five age group finishes at Graean Cymru UCI World Series last weekend 👏 🇬🇧

A tough Welsh gravel course where nutrition matters👇

🍌 Fuel from the start

For these riders, we were looking at roughly:
75–90g carbohydrate per hour
700–750ml fluid per hour
550–700mg sodium per hour

The exact numbers were individualised for each rider based on expected race duration, their normal intake and the temperature.

The key is consistency - don’t wait until you’re hungry, thirsty or starting to fade. Start fuelling early and keep the carbs coming.

🥤 Keep drinking regularly

Rather than trying to drink a huge amount at once, aim for small, regular amounts throughout the race.

🍬 Make your strategy simple and easy to track

One rider had 750ml (45g) + gel (30g) per hour + a bag of jellies (30g) per lap. Simple and easy to track.

🧂 Don’t overlook sodium

We calculated the sodium coming from drinks and gels, then topped this up where necessary to get closer to the rider’s individual target.

The most important point is to keep your race nutrition simple enough to execute when you’re absolutely smashing yourself 🤯

Good performance isn’t just about the training. It’s about having a plan and executing it when it counts. 💪

Congratulations David King-Smith Sarah Hewitt Natalie Smith

cyclingcoach

London to Paris 🚲 🇬🇧🇫🇷We had just 8 weeks of focused training to get ready for the three day challenge. And this wasn’t ...
06/09/2026

London to Paris 🚲 🇬🇧🇫🇷

We had just 8 weeks of focused training to get ready for the three day challenge. And this wasn’t 8 weeks of massive mileage - we generally worked with around 8-12 hours of training per week, fitting the training around life.

Three stages:

🇬🇧 Stage 1: 120 km | 770m climbing
⛰️ Stage 2: 155km | 1723m climbing
🇫🇷 Stage 3: 153 km | 1255m climbing

How we prepared

🚲 Progressive endurance - gradually increasing the duration rather than big jumps in volume

🗻Climbing - structured tempo climbing and controlled big gear work to develop climbing strength

🔁 Back to back riding - introducing consecutive longer rides towards the event so she could experience getting back on the bike with tired legs

💪🏼 Strength Training - lower body, upper body and core work to build strength and stability

🎯 Bike Skills - cornering, braking, bottle handlng, slow speed control

🥤 Nutrition and Hydration - progressively increasing carbohydrate intake on longer rides and practicing eating and drinking while riding

Three days. 428km. Nearly 3750m climbing. Goal achieved 👊🏼

Congratulations Hannah 🇫🇷❤️

The Wild Bear MTB Stage Race Grand Masters winners 🥇 are Marin Dekovic and Marcus Beck. Despite a broken wheel yesterday...
05/09/2026

The Wild Bear MTB Stage Race Grand Masters winners 🥇 are Marin Dekovic and Marcus Beck. Despite a broken wheel yesterday - costing them more than 10 minutes - they still finished in a time that would have put them in 3rd place in the elite category 💪🏼👊🏼💥

It’s not just about having a training plan. It’s about having someone in your corner who makes sure the plan actually wo...
05/09/2026

It’s not just about having a training plan. It’s about having someone in your corner who makes sure the plan actually works for you.

⭐️ Accountability

Riders often tell me they’re more motivated to get the work done because they know I’ll be checking in. They know I’ll notice if a session is missed - and sometimes that little bit of accountability is exactly what gets you out of the door.

⭐️ A sounding board

Not sure how a session should feel? Wondering whether that ni**le, fatigue or lack of energy means you should train or rest? Having someone to talk it through with can make a huge difference. You don’t have to second-guess everything on your own.

⭐️ Personalisation

Your training needs to reflect you - your goals, strength, weaknesses, lifestyle, recovery, nutrition and demands of your events. And that includes adapting when life gets in the way.

⭐️ Race craft and nutrition

Training is only part of performance. Pacing, fuelling, hydration, equipment, tactics and knowing how to approach the demands of your particular race can all make a huge difference.

⭐️ And perhaps most importantly- feeling valued.

When someone is invested in your training, your sessions matter. You have someone watching, listening, adjusting, encouraging and helping you become a better rider.

Send me a PM for a free consultation 🤓

More. Always more. At 62 she raced Sea Otter and then took on Leadville 100. What inspires me is that she continues to s...
01/09/2026

More. Always more.

At 62 she raced Sea Otter and then took on Leadville 100.

What inspires me is that she continues to set big goals and find out what she’s capable of - physically and mentally. She isn’t accepting that getting older means doing less, taking fewer risks or settling for what she’s already achieved. Instead she’s still getting stronger, fitter, still learning, and still challenging herself.

Exercise is a form of health insurance. We can’t stop aging, but we can fight to age strong and capable, and to keep setting goals that scare us a little 😅

Congratulations Heather Lewis 👊🏼
There are still mountains to climb 🏔️

The joy two wheels can bring 🫶🏽
01/09/2026

The joy two wheels can bring 🫶🏽

23/08/2026

Bronze medal for today at V40 🥉🇬🇧

Congratulations Natalie ⭐️👏🏼⭐️

23/08/2026

British National Gravel Champion V50 🇬🇧 CONGRATULATIONS Virginia ⭐️👏🏼⭐️

19/08/2026

What do you think of the new Iron Sally Coaching jersey?

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