Triathlon tends to throw you a curve ball every now and again, and the s%$£ hits the fan. Things go wrong in Triathlon... what makes a successful Triathlete is what they do when it happens.
If I add up all the things I have done wrong during a Triathlon it would be a long list. I have made mistakes in coaching, training and racing. The trick is to learn from those mistakes.
"A life making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life doing nothing." - George Bernard Shaw
From my experience mistakes in triathlon training or races tend to happen for three main reasons:
- Not practicing a particular skill
- Not understanding instructions
- Being afraid of something
Do you practice your skills? Do you actually go out there and practice something? Transitions, swim starts, cornering, descending... well do you? Remember its not just practice which makes perfect... it is actually perfect practice which makes perfect.
Not understanding instructions... how many times have you gone the wrong way on a bike course? Ever done too many laps on the run course? Missed a dismount line? Got the drafting zone wrong? Simple things which can make all the difference to a race.
What are you afraid of?
Is it open water swimming? Perhaps descending on a bike? Frightened to try something new?
"If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie
How are you going to fix these things?
A good coach will help you through all of these things.
We practice our skills... whenever we get the opportunity... for example: feet in and out the shoes... every effort on the turbo. As an athlete you need to read instructions, or attend a race briefing... make sure you understand what is being asked of you... if you are not sure, then ask!
We have transition & bike skills sessions coming up for example.
If you are afraid of something, then you need to work on it. You are competing in a sport which is going to challenge you. If it was easy, then anyone would do it. So what can you do?
Remember why you are doing this. Rise to the challenge.
Then with your coach, break down the challenge into manageable chunks... work on those fears. Scared of open water? I would take you for a one to one session in some calm clear water... gradually building up that confidence. Scared of going downhill quickly... lets start with a small hill. Gradually building up.
But here is the thing... YOU have to put the work in.
I ask athletes to work through a list of things that can go wrong in Triathlon. I have challenged them to complete the task, which will help empower them to overcome those things in the future.
I cannot ride your bike for you or do your swim for you... you will, at some point, still have to do it. Time to step up is now... keep putting it off... you will run out of time before your big race!
Who is the coach?
Paul is a Professional Triathlon Coach. Passionate about the sport of Triathlon. Paul empowers athletic achievements with quality individualised bespoke triathlon coaching.
Paul Jones is a British Triathlon Federation Level 3 Coach and a Triathlon Australia Performance Coach.
He is also an IRONMAN Certified Coach and a Level 2 Training Peaks Coach. F4L Triathlon Coaching offers triathletes and other endurance athletes a full coaching and training service that caters to all levels of triathletes. F4L offers professional triathlon and endurance coaching and the reliability triathletes and endurance athletes require. Each athlete is an individual, every athlete has different needs.
