Ulterior Motive

When I write a training program for an athlete, what they want is a better performance in their next race. Their target race or a series of races over the next season. That’s easy to achieve.

What I’m aiming at is when they have been with me for a season, a couple of seasons or in some cases many years, I want them to be healthier, happier people than when they came into contact with me. It’s one of the rewards of being a coach, the ability to influence people positively.

Lots of people training for Ironman and even half Ironman triathlons, actually lower their level of health and/or their level of self confidence over a season or two. I don’t want that to happen to any of my athletes. I aim for our relationship to be one of healthy growth and personal development.

Optimum performance comes from total health, aerobic efficiency,  great technique and an inner joy which comes from loving what you do. You don’t have to win the Hawaii Ironman to have all of these attributes. I know some athletes who will never place in a category, but the joy they get from training and racing with such a positive bunch of people adds a huge amount of quality to their life.

I also know some athletes who are such wankers, that they have no time to talk to those who are not as fast as they are. Their favourite subject is themselves. They have a lot to learn, I’m sure in time they’ll either learn or leave. Either way we’ll all be better off.

Total Health – This is not just the absence of illness. This is the “spark” that people have when “living is fun”. Anyone training for an Ironman must take nutritional supplements. They must take oil supplements to balance their fat intake to ensure there is enough of “the good oils”. Recovery feeding is one of the simplest things to get right, but many don’t do it well enough. Ironman athletes need more protein than body builders, most athletes I meet don’t get enough. The greatest mistake most make is, they get the “work – rest balance” wrong. Instead of focusing on recovery, they focus on the biggest workload.

An athlete training well, on a good diet, having adequate rest, looks like a thoroughbred at the Melbourne Cup. Shiny, healthy hair, strong fingernails, healthy shiny skin and a strong lean body. Last weekend at the Gold Coast Half Ironman race less than 40% of the field looked like this. Too many were too fat, many were performing way below their potential. Many looked one workout away from their next illness or injury. 

Aerobic efficiency – Training at a moderate pace, not racing your mates, gradually building the duration of the workouts and having enough rest to recover properly, will do it every time. The time to impress is race day. Train to race, don’t race to train. You’ll do a lot less walking in the marathon when you get this right. Don’t do too many other activities outside of your training. Ironman Triathlon is a life, full of activity. There’s no time left for other sports.

Great technique – There is only one way to do something right. Why is it that the best in any field, do whatever they do so perfectly. Tiger Woods, Valentino Rossi, Lance Armstrong, Chris McCormack, they all have one thing in common, perfect technique. My training philosophy is, to practice perfect technique and become fit as a result of that practice. Even on-line athletes in foreign countries can video themselves, put their video on U-Tube, give me the link and I check their swim or run technique. I have raced Hawaii eleven times and everyone I have passed in the final forty km of the bike leg have been pedaling incorrectly. Just mashing the pedals. You can never afford to ever practice sloppy technique. It’ll come back when you’re at your most tired and despondant.

Inner Joy – We might joke with our friends about smashing each other or destroying our opposition, but the best performances come from athletes who love what they do and are “happy inside”. To your opposition, this may not be apparent. You can be fiercely competitive but still love what you’re doing and have respect for your competitors. When you stand at the start line of the biggest races in the world and know that you’re racing for the sheer love of it. You’re going to do your very best in each leg of it, there’s no reason for fear or nerves. It is natural to have some nervous excitement. This is where great performances spring from. Love what you’re about to do and you turn it into fun.