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It may sound strange, but getting off the bike can help make you stronger, fitter and faster, as well as decrease your risk of injury. It’s a chance to develop muscles that get neglected while on the bike and address any weaknesses. Check out the suggestions below that will have you ready for your spring cycling. 1. Cross-country skiing Cross Country Skiing is the perfect cross-training sport for cyling. It uses the muscles in ranges of motion that are very similar to cycling, while giving your mind and muscles a much-needed break from pedaling. You’ll enhance strength in your hips, quads and abdomen – the key sources of power you use to drive the pedals, as well as give your heart and lungs a good workout.It's also great fun. 2. Work on your coreIf you've ever left spin class or a long ride with a sore back, a weak core is to blame. Cycling's tripod position, in which the saddle, pedals and handlebar support your weight, relies on core strength but doesn't build it. Try performing long sets of exercises like the plank and side plank—holding for up to three minutes. Emelie Forsberg demonstrates the plank 3. Swimming Swimming is also a great way to improve your upper body strength and balance and can improve flexibility as well as offering some additional cardiovascular fitness. It forces you to use your upper body at a relatively low impact. Try to vary the strokes between front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke. We recommend you swim indoors during winter! ©zooom.at/Markus Berger 4. Weight trainingDoing the same activity everyday can lead to imbalances in the body, and this can lead to injury. And your time on the bike needs more than just quad strength—your core, low back, triceps, and even your neck take a lot of strain from long bouts of pedaling. Weight training will increase both your cycling strength and efficiency. Try lunges, dumbbell squats, single-leg deadlift, swiss ball hamstring curls and bent over row with high reps and moderate resistance that develop muscular endurance. 4. Yoga and Pilates You’re more than likely tight, stiff or imbalanced from too-many months of cycling without other physical activity. Yoga and Pilates can do wonderful things for cyclists because they lengthen and strengthen a whole host of muscles. They also teach you how to activate and strengthen your core muscles. Will Trubridge practises yoga for his freediving

The #Paradise contest is now closed and we will be announcing the lucky winners soon. Thank you to everyone for taking part. We have been overwhelmed by the number of images that you have sent in! Inspired.

As you read this, Kilian Jornet is attempting #6 on his Summits of My Life project, the mighty Aconcagua, 6,959 m, the highest mountain in the Americas. The goal is to set a new speed ascent record and follows his previous successes on Mt Blanc, the Matterhorn and Denali. “Everything is ready for the next dream!” he recently blogged. Aconcagua, Argentina ©Daniel Peppes Gauer - Flickr The goal is to break two records: Brunod, Pelissier and Meraldi's 3h 40 m record from the Plaza de Mulas (basecamp) in 2000 and Egocheaga's 14h 54m record from Horcones set in 2007. Kilian is typically modest when we speak to him: “The main goal is to make a fast time on Aconcagua,” he says.With him will be the film-maker Seb Montaz and guide Vivian Bruchez and one other person close to Kilian, his girlfriend Emelie Forsberg. This means he will not be the only champion ultra runner on the mountain. Illustration courtesy of Suumits of my Life It will be nice to support Kilian,” says Emelie “and if I am having a good day I will also try for the female record. It's not a goal for me but if I'm feeling good, I will try. It's a beautiful mountain.”Aconcagua is not as technically difficult as the Matterhorn and nor as wild and exposed as Denali but sitting just under 7,000 m it still poses a formidable challenge. Next up on Kilian's mountain schedule is the winter ski-mountaineering season and then Everest beckons in the spring. “It's too ambitious to say it will be a record attempt,” adds Kilian. “It will be an attempt!”We all wish Kilian (and Emelie) the best of luck! Main image shows Emelie and Kilian in Spain: ©Jordi Canameras

It's the final clip from the Suunto Vertical Blue freediving contest and goes some way to explaining why the event is the must-attend freediving event in the world. “These are all friends, we're a big family,” says Austria's Jakob Galbavy. “Everyone has a great attitude.”Not only is there great vibe, but Suunto Vertical Blue is home to some incredible performances. “The average depth was in mid 70s including male and female and across all disciplines,“ says organizer Will Trubridge. “It's really a great event for top freedivers.”Don't believe us? Just sit back and enjoy the video below. Main image: ©Daan Verhoeven

Suunto Vertical Blue has now come to an end. It's been an incredible nine days of freediving action with some world class performances from many athletes from around the world. But it hasn't all been about depth records. In this clip, competitors come together for a a day of alternative games that include underwater somersaults, bubble rings and an 'ironfish' contest in which divers jumped off a cliff before swimming underwater to the center of Dean's Blue Hole and then diving to 20 m. The full report will come soon. But in the meantime, enjoy the clip below.

Dark mornings, icy roads, gusting winds and sub-zero temperatures ... running during the cold winter months can be a real challenge, sapping our motivation to get outdoors. But winter also can be an advantage, since it forces us to change our training patterns. So don’t get lazy just because it’s cold outside. Here’s how to stay motivated to train outdoors through the winter... Follow Kilian's example: Don't run! The world's top trail runner does not run over winter. “I spend half the year running and half the year skiing,” he says. “I don't run in winter. It's good to make a break and try other sports. If you live where there's snow, it's better to go cross-country skiing or ski mountaineering. Running in the snow can be good,” he adds “but you need to take care because the muscles work differently and you can pick up injuries.” Gear up There's no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothing, so goes the adage. Since your feet are the most important, it makes sense to look after them. Gore-tex lined running shoes are ideal for snow and wet conditions. When there's snow and ice, wear shoes with spikes. Work on your style No, we don't mean which gilet to wear – your running style. If you're running at night and on trails, speed work is out of the question. So it's a chance to slow-up and concentrate on your technique and work on your form so you're more efficient and less injury prone. Don't overdress It's temping to put on all the layers before heading out the door but even in the coldest conditions your body will still warm up and there's nothing worse than over-heating in the cold as that dampness will chill you the moment you stop. Head out the door a little cold and start off easily so you warm up gradually. Consider taking a running rucksack to carry an extra layer and survival extras like phone and energy food. Track Back With your Suunto watch you never need to worry about getting lost and failing to make it back home. If you lose your way in the dark, simply hit Find Back on your Suunto 9 and let your watch show you the way home. Run to time rather than distance Plan a time-based training program, meaning that workouts are prescribed in minutes rather than kilometers. This recognizes the variability of running conditions due to weather. When it's cold and slippery, it's hard to maintain the same fast pace you might in the spring or fall. Go inside Indoors isn't so bad and a bit of training at the gym can really improve your running fitness and overall strength. Think about signing up to a core-strength building class like Pilates or circuit training. Lead image: © zooom.at/bergermarkus.com