Coach Pete 1989 Chicago Distance Classic

Some one asked me the other day what the key to success in participating in triathlon was. I immediately replied consistency. The beauty of starting this sport in the late 80’s gives me a 20 year perspective in which to gauge my reply. It is very easy for me to review the past and seek a common theme with the years I’ve deemed successful. I also have the privilege of being married to someone who has raced for 5 years longer than I, and has had many successful seasons.

I’m all for efficiencies in life as long as you don’t sacrifice quality. In comparison to a lot of our peers, Kathy and I have really succeeded on very few miles . Year after year we are consistent in our approach to the sport. I’m not sure if this is a product of the lifestyle we live or it is the way we are, we’ve never really disdcussed the topic. We’ve tried many different approaches over the years and yet I feel like we are behind the times when I read about the newest gadgets or technologies. (I will admit that the use of wattage with training on the bike has peeked my interest and I have been studying this diligently) I still believe that there is nothing more important than being consistent in your workouts each week. You can own a power tap, garmin, newton shoes, an endless pool and a $6K bike but it won’t do you any good if you don’t follow your workout plans each week.

As I review weekly training logs I hear a lot of “excuses” in why people don’t complete workouts. I know this is a difficult time of year to get everything done. I will be the first to tell you to achieve balance in your life, especially during the holidays. However, I think there is always time for a little exercise every day. I can only think of 2 Thanksgivings in the last 23 years that I have not run (one was two years ago because of a back injury and the other was when I was in a walking cast) I’ve been told by my wife I’m black and white, I’m not an excuse guy. I hear her coach the kids all the time “don’t try to explain to dad why you didn’t do your chores, just say your sorry and go do them”. I’d rather see someone write “I didn’t get to it today” and then see them get back on track the next day. Perhaps it is the way that I’m wired but I’ve just always made the time to get things done. I’ve ran and swam while I traveled on business, I’ve woken up almost every day of my adult life at 5 a.m to get in my workouts (even after I went to work for myself), I’ve passed on drinks with the people at work on numerous occasions in the name of working out. I’ve rolled out of bed when I didn’t want to more than I care to describe. I even completed an Ironman with a splint on my hand 9 weeks after having my tendons to my thumb reattached. I did these things because in my mind I wanted to accomplish something, and since my mind had a vision, I wanted to work hard to achieve my dream. I once had a boss tell me that if I put the same effort into my work that I put into my athletics I would be successful. I thought to myself, if you put half the effort into athletics that you put into this office you wouldn’t be so fat. Obviously I don’t work there anymore. The point is, you have to follow through on the commitments you make to yourself. Only you have control over your actions. You do so with actions not words. If you write down a goal that you want to take 30 minutes off your half ironman time in 2008, and you don’t change anything about the way you approach your workouts, then you better pray for an overcast day and a huge tail wind.

When I began in the sport I had a goal each week to complete three sessions in each sport. Three bikes, three swims and three runs. My goal was to be consistent week in and week out. A very simple approach but one that yielded me some very good results. I kept a journal and would track my success based on my ability to accomplish all 9 workouts each week. I didn’t take rest weeks, didn’t taper, didn’t peak for races. I would start training in March and end my season in August. I have since learned that the lack of calculated rests and periodization training caused me to crash at the end of August. I would rest and be ready to go again the next season. Today we have more scientific approaches to rest and rejuvenation and people can race longer into a season without side effects.

Today you will read a lot of articles regarding reverse periodization when you build speed early in training cycles and endurance later. When we began racing, we would race 5k’s and duathlons in the spring, sprints in April/May, Olympic Distances in June/July and then end the season with a half ironman. We built speed early and then added endurance as we approached our longer races. As time moved on we added some different training philosophies and weighed the results based on previous experiences. We got away from the reverse periodization method but still had positive results and outcomes. There are many different paths to road of success but it begins with dedication, consistency and NO EXCUSES.