Meet or Exceed

Meet or exceed the demands of competition.

This sentence has rung in my ears since I was first given it many years ago.

This still rings true today.

Winning doesn’t come for free.

You have to outdo your competitors in every area.

If the swim starts at 1:10 pace and settles into 1:16 pace then you have to do a lot of work at those paces.

If the bike is 40kph then you have to do that in training

Run ? It isn’t going to turn up on race day if you havent done it before.

I see too many athletes hoping that the simply doing more volume than everyone else will solve their problems. In time it might - but only if it helps you to do 40kph on the bike in training.

The opposition that is beating you is executing every part of their training at the highest levels.

Their nutrition is better

Their recovery is better

Their intervals are better

Their training intensity distribution is balanced so when the intervals have to get done, they get done with a body that is ready for them. They don’t hit them tired and not able to hit the targets.

They practice open water, they practice transitions, they aero test, they heat prep.

In the end, coaches don’t set the level, the world does.

So how does this look in practical terms?

It starts small and builds. You do this in small chunks. Nobody is expecting you to be world class now. But you can expect yourself to have high standards and start following them.

Start with one world class meal per day that has the right balance of macro and micro nutrients. Make these your standard and build on it.

Pick three sessions a week that target your minimum standards.

Pick one area to develop and relentlessly pursue excellence in that area. It may be aerodynamics, or warm ups, or even strength work. Be focussed on this area until you are happy you have reached the level you need to be at.

Meet or exceed the demands of competition