7 habits of highly effective triathletes
We all train hard, we all do our best to balance our lives as well as training/racing and we all enjoy racing (even if it’s just the finish line). So why do some triathletes rise to the top of their age groups, or even eventually to the top step of the overall podium? Genetics? Genetics mean something...barely...but they certainly don’t mean everything. Plenty of successful triathletes have overcome moderate to minimal V02 max numbers or imbalanced bodies. Heck a friend of mine (who is a professional) has an identical twin who is anything but a professional athlete. So maybe it’s having the best coaching? Wrong again, plenty of coached athletes fall short of their goals and one of the fastest triathletes I know has never been coached. Ultimately, both genetics and coaching can provide an athlete with raw materials, but there are 7 character traits that determine what you transform that base into.
“Confidence is built in training and sharpened in racing.”
Discipline and Drive. I am always the first person to tell people about my lack of talent and how I am anything but “blessed” genetically. One of my only talents, and I mean this, is not hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock, waking up and doing whatever trainingpeaks tell me to do (I can find fault in that mindset as well but that’s for a later blog). My other talent is a real obsession with training...no not racing, my obsession is with training to compete. I will sacrifice just about anything to not miss a workout. Just ask my coworkers how many times my bike and running shoes are with me in the office or ask my friends how many dinners I blow off because I want to be in the pool at 5:30am. It’s more than a hobby, more than a lifestyle, more than a sport to me. That daily drive is what most people don’t see when they look at people on the podium. To assume the athlete on the top step is merely “genetically gifted” or “talented” diminishes and dishonors the years of sacrifice, they are above all else, disciplined and driven to win. Now since you just read an entire paragraph written by me about me it brings me perfectly to my next point...confidence and ego!
Confidence and ego. I am also the first person to tell you about the races I won, or how high my FTP is or how I’m faster than someone even if I’m not sure if I am or not. Is that confidence bordering on arrogance? Maybe, but if you go into a competition thinking about 2nd place, your chances of being 1st are long gone… especially in long course triathlon where no athlete is truly safe until they cross the finish line. The key is balancing your confidence with enough humility in order to keep your ego in check. Confidence is built in training and sharpened in racing. Training will often allow me to trust in the process and believe I am capable, but racing will allow me to push beyond that and reach a new level. Breaking through a “limit” can be addicting but you need to stay mindful of the pitfalls of your ego. Just because you feel amazing doesn’t mean you’re suddenly able to run an Ironman marathon at PR 5K pace. Every competitor has been burned by their own big head at one time or another but hopefully between you and your coach you can truly understand your limits and use your ego to your advantage.
Self-Actualized- High performing athletes know what they are and they know what they potentially can be, they believe in themselves to an extreme, hence the confidence and ego of #2. Being able to clearly articulate what you believe is the best version of yourself and taking the steps to get there, is a key component to success in life- not just triathlon. “ Do not seek things outside yourself.” If you haven’t heard that quote before, do yourself a favor and read Self Reliance by Emerson. You already have all the tools to succeed, you have the need, and you have the drive. It’s inside you and it always has been. A self-actualized person understands that and strives towards realizing their own potential. It doesn’t matter who is watching or what other people think about them, they are 100% within themselves, and because of that they consistently do the right things regardless of who is watching. That’s called integrity by the way...try it.
Accountability. This seems self explanatory but it goes deeper than you may realize. True accountability is more than just completing your training schedule, it’s holding yourself to your own standard and being responsible for every aspect of your life. When you understand the consequences of all your actions, good and bad, you can be truly accountable. I’m terrified of the consequences of not training to the point of obsession. Not because I want to win, it goes deeper than that. It’s because I love my lifestyle… everything from the schedule and sacrifices to the feel of a great workout. If I missed a day I would feel like I was short changing myself from the things I love and the opportunity to achieve my full potential. You don’t need to go to that extreme (and in fact you probably shouldn’t) but you do need to understand the consequences of your actions, hold yourself accountable and be realistic with your expectations.
“Do not seek things outside yourself.”
Staying in the moment. This goes for racing as well as training. There is literally no point to thinking about the bike while you’re halfway through the swim. You need to stay engaged in the moment. Allow your mind to focus on the task at hand and deal with problems as they arise one by one. Thinking about a triathlon all at once is intimidating for anyone but once you stay present in the moment your mind will flow freely and allow you to focus on the process. Michael Jordan (greatest athlete ever) famously never worried about a shot he hadn't taken yet and immediately let go of the shot he just took regardless of if it went in or not. Being present in the moment in sports is poetic, it's a flow state that people spend their entire lives trying to achieve and understand. The best of the best can tap into that presence and it’s what separates them from everyone else.
Mindfulness. Being mindful is a growing trend in all sports as athletes are pushing their physical limits higher and higher. Eventually you need to get every last drop of yourself to be able to win at the highest level and this is where mindfulness comes into play. Yes, you can implement mindfulness to simply get to a start line without fear but we are talking about high performers. The term “mindfulness” can simply mean being aware of something with a high state of consciousness, i.e. knowing what you’re about to do and how you’re going to execute. Craig Alexander used to say he could feel the heat and hear the waves in Hawaii regardless of his current location if he simply closes his eyes and focuses his mind for a few moments. That is mindfulness and that is a skill only achieved through practice...a lot of practice. If you can’t feel yourself winning (not just visualizing) your chances of winning decrease.
Students. Top performing athletes are all students of their respective games. Constantly hungry to learn about new training methodologies in order to push their limits. If something isn’t working they change it quickly before wasting valuable training time and if something is working they know to give that skill the time it needs to develop. This is why you see professional athletes change coaches often, they are obsessed with learning.
All 7 of these habits take no training effort yet can yield you speed and help you balance your training/racing life with your real life. Normally I am a firm believer in that you get what you train for in endurance sports but once you have checked all of your training boxes it’s to implement and perfect these habits. Work smarter not harder.
-Ben Rotherham
Head Coach, MIssion Multisport