Living and working in areas of the United States with highly educated, motivated, type A individuals (e.g., Los Angeles, New York City, Silicon Valley, and the North Carolina Research Triangle), I have trained with many talented age group triathletes, marathoners, cyclists, and swimmers. For the past three years, I had the opportunity to work with an amazing multisport coach and went from a 06:00:00 half Ironman triathlon and a 03:30:00 marathon to a 04:50:00 half Ironman triathlon and a 03:05:00 marathon. Training and competing in multisport for over eight years in hyper-competitive parts of the US has given me a unique viewpoint on what it takes to be a great age-group athlete. In this post, I will share eight principles to achieve triathlon and marathon greatness as an age-group athlete.
It's not about the destination. It's about the journey.
- Consistency. Becoming fit and taking hours off your long-distance triathlon and marathon times is a multi-year transformational process. Don't expect to go from average to great in a year. It will take several years of consistent effort week after week. Develop a training plan and stick to it. In future posts, I will share macro and micro plans that I personally followed.
- Speed workouts 1-3x per week. In your weekly training plans, devote one to three workouts to high-intensity speed intervals. This can be a track session on Tuesday, a high-intensity bike ride on Wednesday, or another track session on Thursday, for example.
- Easy workouts for all other workouts in a week. With your speed workouts in the books, all other workouts should be done at an easy pace. Easy means not breathing hard, so you might be spotted going down the road at a turtle's pace. This is where the body adapts, recovers, and develops strength. Trust me.
- Recovery. While you might be tempted to not take rest days, I recommend that you take one rest day per week where you do no training (if you are experienced) or two rest days per week (if you are inexperienced). Not only is this good for your soul, your body will thank you. In addition, make sure to take naps and if you can, use pneumatic compression and/or electric stimulation therapy.
- Feed the machine. Your body won't adapt if it's not being fed quality nutrients. Cook your own food, eat when you are hungry, minimize alcohol (a few drinks a week is acceptable), and take a protein supplement.
- Weight training in the off-season. Incorporate 12-16 weeks of strength training in the winter months. This will keep your training fresh. You’ll also be able to workout less so you can spend more time with family and friends and take part in other activities.
- Daily core and mobility work. Take 5-15 minutes per day to foam roll, stretch, and do core work. Over the course of the year, these few minutes each day add up, and you'll be that much fitter.
- No stress. Remember this is your hobby and multisport doesn't define you. If you miss a workout, don't attempt to make it up--forget about it.
I hope you incorporate these eight principles into your triathlon and marathon training. In future posts, I will expound on these principles, share training plans, and give you tips and tricks. Happy training!