From Ring to Road: A chat with Daniel Dubois

Your strength and conditioning coach is Don Charles. Are there more running sessions he asks you to do?

“Most mornings, I cover between 3-5 miles at a fairly easy pace, and three times per week my coach takes me to the track for taxing interval sessions. But one of my regular fitness tests stands above all others – my Saturday hill sprints. This is the mother of all sprint workouts in Greenwich Park, London. The gradient of the hill starts at about 20 degrees, before climbing to nearer 40 degrees by the end. It’s approximately 120m from bottom to top, and the aim is to do it within 20 seconds. As I will need to do this 20 times, I take it very easy on my way down again. As in, very easy, it takes me about one minute and 15 seconds to get back down to the bottom, before I hit it again. This way I’m recovered for every sprint.”

What are the benefits you’re gaining from this?

“The hill sprints are all about learning to push your heart to the max, recover, then push it again,” coach Charles explains. He continues: “In boxing, athletes have just 60 seconds to recover between three-minute rounds. The ability to perform at a high level within each round is vital but being able to recover more efficiently than your opponent can give you the upper hand the next time the bell rings.”

Lastly, how important is nutrition in your training routine?

“Nutrition is a massive part of how I train and recover. Since I’m usually training two to three times a day at high intensity, I need between 450 to 600 grams of carbohydrates daily to keep my energy levels up and support recovery. For example:

• Breakfast: Always packed with carbs, usually I go for porridge with fresh fruit and juice, plus some protein like eggs. It helps to keep me full and this steadies the energy release.
• Before a training: If I need a quick top-up, I’ll have something simple like a banana. This is about 30 grams of carbs and it gives me that extra boost before training.
• After a training: Right after I go for a carb and protein shake from the Applied Nutrition range. Sometimes I don’t feel like eating straight away, especially after a hard session, so having something in liquid form helps me refuel quickly, repair muscle, and rehydrate.”

Daniel’s training is grounded in routine as well as the right footwear. Whether it’s hill sprints, roadwork, or recovery days, he turns to Brooks gear that supports every session.