Next Level

You want to be the best athlete you can be but just don’t know what that next level looks like? 

Here are my top 6 areas you can work on that will have the greatest impact on race day 

Train Hard 

This is an old-fashioned one and is usually taken out of context.

Training hard means showing up day after day. Putting your best foot forward. It means being prepared for every session through good recovery and nutrition. Having all your gear in primo condition. 

It means breaking the rules sometimes and doing a bit more than the coach asked of you. Training hard means not being soft the minute things don’t go your way. Be it a bad race. a flat tyre or a session with rough legs. Maybe it’s bashing your way through the dreaded plateau. Or heading out in the cold and rain. 

Being a great trainer is your number 1 weapon. You CAN train harder than anyone you know if you want to. Stepping on a start line knowing you gave it absolutely everything you had is a superpower. You know the race won’t hurt anywhere near as much as the training did. 

Be Coachable 

By this I mean engage in the coaching. Commit to it. Respect the program by following it.

Ask questions. Offer ideas by way of collaborating on sessions and protocol.

Read the articles I write. Shoot me a question on messenger. 

Communicate 

Tell me how you feel and how the sessions feel. Data is one thing but subjective feel is more important. Make Training Peaks comments a part of your morning ritual. Update the previous day’s sessions with a short note on how the sessions felt and ask any questions you have on them. 

If you miss a session, fill me in on the context. I don’t know if you had to work late, felt lazy, were sick or had an appointment. I am just left with a red session guessing what happened and then making judgment calls on load management based on no info. 

Eat Like A Champion  

Getting your nutrition right isn’t just how many carbs per hour you do on race day. It’s about eating to fuel the training correctly. By far the biggest error I see is athletes not eating enough. The great Norwegian Coach Olav Aleksander Bu once said “speed comes from power and power comes from calories”. He had a large hand in developing the recent Norwegian Ironman World Champs podium so I guess he knows his stuff. 

Know Your Numbers 

Knowing your current thresholds is super important as they represent your current level. Once you have those numbers you can reference a pacing goal off them for your next race. 

If you have a 70.3 coming up a good pacing model based on your current numbers is this. (For an experienced intermediate to advanced age-group athlete)

Swim - CSS pace 

Bike - 0.85 x FTP 

Run - Threshold pace +30-40sec

Practice Your Pace and Race 

Knowing your numbers is the first step in a successful race plan. The second step is practicing your race plan in training. If you have a big race coming up use the weekends to practice everything you can about your race. 

Make your long bike rides and runs as close to your race as possible. Pick a course with the right terrain. If you have to drive half an hour to get to it then so be it ! 

Have a big breakfast before you leave the house. Practice your race nutrition and hydration. Practice your goal pace. Know what your heart rate is at those paces and powers. Use your race equipment. 

As per above, you should know your numbers. Take those paces and practice them. Use the target power and current heart rate response to develop the target speed you should be riding at on the day. 

Get in the open water in your wetsuit. 

It doesn’t matter how far the swim, ride or run is you can always practice the race. 

Wrapping All That Up 

If you want success, you have to create it. It’s possible to step it up in nearly every area of your preparation. Choose 1 area this week and try doing a little bit more than you currently do. Then choose another. And another. Get a roll on and become dominant. 

Be the athlete you have never seen yourself being.