You Decide

A friend once congratulated me on the success of my athletes in a big race. I replied that the success belongs only to the athletes, not to me. The journey to the finish line is a long line of decisions. I’m here to help with those decisions but in the end they are up to the athlete. Training for a triathlon is not rocket science, the training plans are out there, just like the one we have for Ironman Ottawa. The closer you come to following it, the better your day will go. The decisions you make will influence that journey.

The first big decision is to sign up for an event but that is just the beginning. There will be many choices you'll face, some minor, some major. In my role, my top priority is to help my athletes avoid choices that will result in injury which means loss of training and potentially no event. But if the wrong choice is made and an injury results I'll be there to help pick up the pieces and do my best to help move the athlete forward towards their goal. That's because I coach the athlete where they are now/today, not where they were or where they will be. Shit happens and we deal with it. 

It's similar with workout or scheduling decisions an athlete will make but also a little different. If an athlete tells me they want to go away on a holiday and miss workouts for a couple weeks I will never stand in their way. Life balance is more important than triathlon and only that individual can decide what is needed for balance. To paraphrase a quote I've shared before, you'll be in the best shape of your life but we also want your life to be in good shape. 

As far as the training goes, we deal with decisions like extended holidays. When the athlete returns we train them where they are and move forward from there. Training was sacrificed and often this will show in the end result. But sometimes it also won't show. The individuals affected most are generally those who are less experienced or older. A 30 year old can get away with breaking a few more rules in training than a 60 year old can. I should also add that the shorter the triathlon you're training for the  less interruptions will affect your end product unless you are aiming for high performance. Conversely, the longer the triathlon the more that training interruptions will affect your outcome.

I once coached a 60 year old woman who signed up for Ironman. While a very experienced runner, the swim and bike cut offs presented considerable challenges. She was one of the most consistent athletes I've ever worked with. Week in and week out the workouts were completed. She is now an Ironman finisher. Her decisions paved the way to her success.

Once the event is over I encourage athletes to return to their training log and reflect on the journey. This has two functions. First, it allows the athlete to celebrate the countless memorable steps and strokes on the way to their goal. But, secondly, it allows for a look at the possible decisions made that affected the journey and helped to shape the outcome. Satisfying races and not-so-satisfying races rarely come out of nowhere. They are built in the training process by the decisions we make. The more consistent your training and the closer it is to the plan, the smoother the journey.