Q is for triathlon training search
Do you remember Don Quixote? He was this guy who envisioned this mighty quest ahead of him. I think triathlon, especially amateur triathlon, is like that. There is no one forcing you to undertake this quest. There is no one forcing you to continue this quest. However, the search is still there and there is still a glimpse of the future. If you can capture this search in your life, it will be especially rewarding.
Some triathletes are just in it for a once-a-year thrill. Others are in it to resurrect some lost athletic hope. For others, it’s a mission to get to Kona, Hawaii for the World Championships. Still others want to try to win their local triathlon. Whatever your quest, hopefully your motivation will continue to encourage you towards your quest.
The big question is how do you complete or at least show progress on your quest. Here are some suggestions:
BUILD RESISTANCE
Every triathlete needs to build endurance. It doesn’t matter if you’re competing in a Sprint Triathlon or an Ironman Distance Triathlon, you need endurance. Every year you can develop more resistance. Start with some exercises and training regiments that get you training in your zone 2 or zone 3 range. You’ll need to bike, run, and swim in this range to increase your endurance. Every year, you can improve your running performance by increasing your endurance.
BECOME STRONGER
Many triathletes only swim, bike and run. Continuous training load will make you stronger, but you can also do strength exercises at the gym to get stronger. These exercises should be race specific. You will want to strengthen your shoulders and lats to have more energy in swimming. You’ll want to develop your leg power for biking and running. You will want to increase your flexibility as well as increase your strength. If you get 1% stronger in the off-season, this will translate to minutes in the racing season.
BE SMARTER
Information on triathlon is always increasing. There is more information about triathlon today than a year ago and especially 20 years ago. There are constant developments in training routines and training regimens. Nutrition is always on the move in terms of getting better. Information is limited. There is so much information that it is easy to feel overwhelmed. I encourage listening to 1 podcast, subscribing to 1 magazine (USA Triathlon), reading 1 blog at a time, and reading 1 training book. If you do more than this, you can get confused and overwhelmed as they all use different data. Get smarter at a particular type of training and you’ll see an added benefit in your results.
HAVE FUN
Each successive year of triathlon should be more enjoyable and fun than the last. You are getting stronger, you have more stamina and you are getting smarter. Because of your triathlon efforts should be more fun. Always remember to have fun. If it’s not fun anymore, find something else to do.
After all, no one is forcing you on this quest, Don Quixote!