Where Do We Go From Here?

 That is the question I have been hearing for pretty much the entire 2020 season. That and, What do I do now, Do you think ‘Name a Race’ will happen, Do I really need to keep training, and the list goes on and on.

By now, most of us would have more than a few races under our belt, some probably coming off their mid-season break and prepping for late season racing, but none of that has or is happening this year.  Instead, it seems to be the never-ending Groundhog Day of starts, stops and maybes which is only intensifying the stress-levels of athletes everywhere in an already incredibly stressful time. So what is one to do or as the title asks, Where do we go from here.

First, let’s take a step back, adjust our focus and look at training, race and life through a different lens this year. Why did you get into this sport, be it triathlon, cycling, running, swimming, whatever it may be? For most of us, it was not to compete in a single race and to return to a sedentary life but rather, we got into our chosen sport as part of a healthier lifestyle. So, while racing is fun, and for some, is the carrot that motivates them to keep training, it should not be the sole reason why we train. Training helps us maintain our sanity, it is a constant in an ever changing and tumultuous world. It is some you and you alone can control and it should bring some peace and normalcy to your life. If that is not the case, maybe take a step back, take a week or two off, reset your compass, and rather than being so focused on the outcome, focus on the process. You cannot control any outcome, but you certainly can control the process which drives you along your desired path.

That leads us to our next shift in the 2020 paradigm of train, instead ruminating on the negative, no racing, think of this is an opportunity to focus on those limiters which are preventing you from attaining your goals. It is easy to simply rinse and repeat the workouts we like, the ones that you have done for years and years, but are those workouts really helping you to become faster, stronger, fitter, etc. The workouts which help us to move forward are the ones we dread when we seem them pop up on our training plan but also are the ones which give us a tremendous sense of accomplishment once completed. So, instead of going out and riding the bike path like you have umpteen times before, maybe go find a hill and do some hill repeats, to build power, or head to the track and do 400 repeats to improve your VO2max capacity. Or maybe, just maybe spend some time really learning how to ride your bike, how to corner correctly, how to climb, how to accelerate out of the saddle. Speed comes from technique plus power, this is true no matter the sport, so switch things up, it is ok to be uncomfortable in doing something new, but soon that thing that was once uncomfortable becomes comfortable and a new door to success is opened. Not only that, it will make you think, waking up the brain, stimulating muscles to work in new and different ways, further invigorating your training and your desire to train.

Lastly, keep things simple. We all have enough stress in our lives and training should not add to that stress. We want to decrease cognitive load, focus on intent of the session, meaning what do you hope to accomplish with this session and then execute on that intent. Don’t overthink it, nor is there a need to execute the session exactly as written by your coach. The only person who knows how you are feeling on any given day, what was your stress load the day before, how much sleep did you get, did you hydrate proper, etc. is not your coach, or the plan or the latest greatest training session your best friend told you about, it is you. So, when I say decrease cognitive load, it means keep things simple but also, don’t increase your stress by trying to execute a session that is not within your means on that given day. Training should make you happy, something you want to do and should relieve stress, not create it, so it is ok to ‘dumb things down a bit’, while still trying to keep the purpose of the session in mind. Put simply, Keep the Easy Easy, and make the Hard HARD.

I hope these little tidbits help a little. We are one big happy family of endurance athletes of all different skill levels, disciplines and backgrounds. We adopted this lifestyle to better ourselves for whatever reason and that is reason we train, yes, we love to race, and we will be racing again soon, but that is not why we do this, we should be doing this to make us happy.

If you have any questions regarding how to readjust your focus, maybe what types of things you may want to bring into the mix of training or just want to chat about any aspect of training, my proverbial door is always open. Feel free to reach out to me at CoachTed@catalystmultisport.life.

And as always, HAPPY TRAINING.