My background outside of coaching is marketing, so I often am a sucker for the headline that says “Gain 2.8 watts with this new triple titanium/carbon fiber You Name It”. Heck, I will usually be the first to get my wallet out for anything that promises speed and efficiency. Even though I know what is happening to me as a consumer, I am happy to purchase something that connects its products with happiness and success.
While it can seem wonderful to think that the best gear is going to make you the fastest you can be - the real secret to triathlon success is working on one thing… Your mind.
Let me share a typical conversation with a new athlete:
Coach Question 1: “So, tell me why you are looking for a coach?”
Athlete: “I want to get better, I have the gear and have been training hard and I can’t seem to get
faster. I have tried this and that… “
You often hear a long list of well marketed triathlon gimmicks, great training tools and many good intentions executed the wrong way. As a coach, I immediately feel for this person and quickly realize how I can help.
Ultimately, they have put in a ton of work yet they are seeing no real gains and don’t understand why. They have bought a power meter and many other great tools, but don’t understand the science side of applying them. They just hear that “I got faster with X” from another athlete and so they buy that same gadget.
Often, they will also compare themselves to some “faster” athletes and what they do. They have read countless articles and talked to a bunch of “fast” athletes and yet nothing has really impacted their results. They have tried numerous things with good intent, but nothing has led to more success in the sport.
Coach Question 2: “Why did you get into triathlon?”
I couldn’t even begin to summarize all of the discussions I have had as a coach regarding this question, but the best athletes (as in ones that improve the most) always have a deep reason why they put in the hours and put in all of those miles. While my personal “why” has changed over time it does get me out of bed in the morning looking forward to that next workout.
I find with some newer athletes can struggle with their why in the beginning unless they have had something intense that impacted them and drove them to endurance sports. I often see that as the athletes’ confidence grows, they start to realize the why is about them and finding themselves in a way that can get lost in the daily grind of life. As they get clearer on their why, they also find they do better with setting boundaries and taking care of all of the other things they face in life that can get in the way of workouts.
It is actually an amazing thing to witness when you see the flip of the switch and an athlete at the pool at 5AM that said I would never workout that early or running in 0 degrees when at one point they said they would never run below 45 degrees.
So how do you get there?
I have found you just need some time with yourself, without stress and a chance to think about why you do this. For me this is why I never run with music, but always with either a podcast or just plain silence. This allows me to tap into the feeling of why I am out here working this hard each day.
Another thing one can do is to associate with amazing people that are doing the same thing and support you. You have to trust the journey as an athlete and ignore the gimmicks and complexity of things, the consistency and mindset is where most deep gains are made and it does not happen overnight. Surround yourself with humans who feel the same.
The last part is writing it down, whether in a journal, a spreadsheet , or even as a tattoo, but you need to remind yourself why you matter as a person and as an athlete each day. Then on race day that “why” is expressed in an amazing way that can overwhelm you with emotion at the finish line.
The mind is thing that limits us the most. Tune out the marketing and the complexity and focus on your why and suddenly those intervals might be a bit faster.
Happy Training!
-Coach Scott
To learn more about Coach Scott and if he is the right coach for you email scott@evolvecoachingsystems.com and be sure to follow him on Instagram @skolbe29