Three C's for Success

Saturday 9 October saw the 2010 edition of the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. This year it was especially important for two of the athletes I coach as it was their first time at what is possibly the best known and biggest race in the world.

There are many athletes who will aim to qualify and compete at Hawaii but what is it that goes into producing a performance capable of firing you to finish at the top end of your age-group?
These two athletes both showed similar characteristics in their training which helped them achieve their goals of qualifying for and racing at Hawaii. I have tried to summarise three of these important characteristics so that others can put these into practise and improve their training and race performances.

Consistency. This is the single most important factor in endurance training. Conditioning your body to allow training day after day, week after week and month after month will see the improvements come steadily and constantly. Lots of excessive training followed by very little creates a boom and bust approach which increases risk of injury and longer term absence from training. Creating consistency also requires the ability to learn about your own body, when you can train hard and when you need to back off. Remember backing off doesn't always mean no training just light sessions if you feel tired and harder sessions when you feel fresh. Working with a good coach will can also help you to develop this knowledge.

Commitment. Once you know your goal, say it loud and go for it; give it everything you have. Plan your time to fit in the training you are able to then stick to it. If you have a training session planned and are physically fine to do the session then do it, no excuses. Of course, those who have triathlon as their hobby sometimes find themselves in 'unavoidable' situations and that is ok however, if you have the choice make the right choice. Give your goal the respect it deserves.

Control. Know when to push and when to hold back during both training and the race. Pacing is an incredibly important skill, it's the ability of knowing what your body can do for how long. Control can be practising what you expect to do in your race as part of your training with regards to intensity, volume and nutrition. Control might even be turning down a short term challenge in return for progression to your long-term goal; for example sticking to your training plan when someone suggests an alternative. Control your training, control your session and learn how to control your pace, it's vital to success.

Enjoy your training

Andy

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