The question we often hear is, “What sort of wind trainer should I get?”
Smart? Or not?
Honestly, I think the answer is pretty simple if you just ask yourself a few key questions.
But before we do that, I’d like to share a quote from Eliud Kipchoge. When asked what he meant by self-discipline, he said:
“For self-discipline, you need three things. First, you need to inject yourself with Vitamin N.”
He went on to explain that the “N” in Vitamin N stands for ‘No’- the ability to say no to the easy option and no to the temptation to veer away from what you know you need to do.
“Secondly, you need to set your priorities right, and thirdly, to avoid complaining.”
He concluded with:
“The disciplined ones are free in life.”

So, What Does This Have to Do With Wind Trainers?
When you race, you only have YOU to rely on. YOU to advise yourself, YOU to drive yourself forward, and YOU to get the best out of yourself. All your gadgets are of little use – it’s your mind, your heart, and your soul that truly matter.
I’ve said before, the greatest improvements come from above our shoulders, not below. But if I had to pick one combination of training tools that has helped me become a better competitor, it would be the wind trainer (WT), combined with a heart rate monitor (HRM).
The WT has helped me:
✅ Recover from injury
✅ Rekindle my motivation
✅ Warm up for championship races
✅ Train when the weather is prohibitive
✅ Get in efficient, structured sessions
It’s portable, simple, adaptable, time-efficient… and brutal.
You see, it’s not what the “gadget” puts into you – it’s what YOU put into the gadget!
If you expect your new computer, power meter, or smart trainer to magically make you a better athlete, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Improvement has to come from YOU. The gadget is merely a vehicle for progress and, to a degree, a measuring stick.

Heart Rate & RPE Before Power Meters
Your heart rate is a physiological measurement – it tells you what your body is doing to achieve a certain level of output, whether that’s power, speed, or endurance.
So, before you go investing in a power meter, learn how to use your HRM properly. Please! After that, start considering Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) and take control of your training tools, rather than letting them control you.