I was at a gathering of about 30 triathletes on Sunday. All are preparing to do Ironman Lake Tahoe (a race that includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run) in September. We were meeting to go over the preliminary training outline for the season that I had developed and share our thoughts about the upcoming racing season.
As I listened to the folks share what they were excited about and, conversely, what concerned them; I was struck by the everyday wisdom that comes naturally from adopting what we call the triathlon lifestyle. The good news is that you don’t have to be an over-the-top type-A triathlete to benefit. Here are six lessons to make your life more tri-umphant!
1. Have A BHAG
In case you don’t know, a BHAG is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. In other words, it’s not your everyday, pedestrian goal. It’s one that’s guaranteed to push, challenge and inspire you. The men and women gathered on Sunday have a BHAG. Training seven months for one of the most grueling athletic challenges of their lives is not only going to test their physical limits, but also their mental limits. And that’s why they are doing it!
Do you have a BHAG? Do you have something that excites and inspires you, but perhaps scares you a bit too? If not, maybe it’s time to start pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and find something that gets you amped up.
2. Break Down The Big Goal Into Chunks
In the world of triathlon, periodization means breaking down your race season into specific periods of times, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Each period is designed to enhance performance and build on training adaptations from the previous period. In other words, a long training season is divided into smaller chunks of time to keep you focused on those things that are most critical at the time. It makes the overall goal more manageable, makes your activity more purposeful and makes the whole process a lot less overwhelming.
Doesn’t this make sense with all your big goals? Divide them into monthly or quarterly segments (or whatever increments make sense) and determine what you should be focusing on, so that you can stay on task and keep your motivation high.
3. Recognize & Address The Obstacles
There are lots of moving parts, as well as a ton of things that can go wrong in a 7-month training plan, much less a 140.6 mile race in altitude. Each athlete has different strengths and different challenges. Recognizing the challenges on the front-end and creating a strategy to address them early in the season ensures a successful outcome.
In my business training and consulting work over the years, I have taught clients to do the same thing. Before you embark on a big project or goal, ask yourself, “What are the obstacles that could limit my success on this project?” Look at both your internal and external obstacles and create a proactive plan to address them before they sabotage your efforts. Chances are if you’ve had a big goal that has been short-changed in the past by an ugly obstacle, it’s likely to rear its ugly head again unless you figure out a way around it.
4. Know What Motivates You
As I listened to the group on Sunday, it was clear that each of them was excited about the big adventure they were undertaking. For some, it will be another notch in their Ironman belt, while others are Ironman virgins. Regardless, they are all motivated by something. Whether it’s training with a community of like-minded folks, getting their fitness to it’s highest level or pushing their personal limits.
Research indicates that humans are driven by a challenge. It makes us feel alive. But just as important as embarking on a challenge is having a clear understanding of what it is that excites and motivates us. There will certainly be plenty of days in the coming months when each of these athletes needs to remember and hold on to why they are doing this. The same applies to any worthwhile challenge you set out to accomplish. Take time to determine what is driving you. Then use, reflect and honor it along the way.
5. Get Down To The Nitty Gritty
The devil is in the details, so they say. Coming up with a BHAG is one thing, figuring out how to make it happen is quite another. As a triathlon coach, my job is to come up with a training plan that includes the nitty-gritty of hundreds of workouts. That means that each day, it is clear to the athlete what workouts they need to do – including the activity, the distance/time (volume), the intensity (heart rate zone) and sequence.
Here’s an example:
BRICK Workout – BIKE: Zone 4 Threshold. Planned Time: 1:15:00. Warm-Up: Neuromuscular Activation 5-10 minutes followed by Dynamic Stretching 5 minutes. Workout Description: Warm-up on bike in Zone 1-2 for 10 minutes. Build: 3 min. build with 1st minute in Zone 3, second in Zone 4 and third in Zone 5, then 2 minutes easy. Main Set: 1 x 50 min. (35 min at Zone 4 and 15 min at Zone 5) No Cool Down – Straight to Run RUN: Zone 3 Actual Time: 20 minutes Workout Description: 15 minutes in Zone 3, followed by 5 minutes easy in Zone 1-2. Cool down. Stretch.
In addition, each day’s workout is prepared to support and work with those of the preceding and succeeding days so that the athlete is not only doing the right workouts, but doing the right workouts in the right order to optimize results.
Likewise, paying attention to the details is critical to any goal achievement process. What are the action steps that need to get done and in what order for your BHAG? Putting together your detailed action plan and implementing it one item at a time is your path to achievement.
6. Find A Support Group
It could be said that misery loves company and that’s why we’re really good at seeking out a supportive group of our peers when we train for an Ironman. And there is certainly a lot of truth to that statement. There’s also the joy in sharing our benchmark successes along the way with others who are excited and supportive of our efforts, as only fellow triathletes are.
The same is true for all of us in our everyday lives. Whether it’s a work or personal goal, having the support of others increases our likelihood of success. Whether it’s a coach, mentor, partner, friend or spouse; building your support team is important for any big endeavor. A support group will pick you up when things get off track or celebrate your successes as you forge ahead.
