Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Staying the Course

"Keep things simple, train hard, and be consistent with what you do."

Short, sweet, and full of truth.  Pound for pound, the above might be one of the more powerful things I have heard- and its something I repeat to myself often when I am tired, in the middle of a big training block, or otherwise lacking motivation.  As a relatively new endurance athlete, one of the harsher truths I have learned during this journey is that triathlon is a sport that rewards consistency over a period of years.  After a (very) small amount of success racing last season, I figured that my ascension in this sport would incremental and fairly rapid.  I couldn't have been more wrong about that, but I am buoyed by the fact that I have been turned on to the formula for athletic improvement.  It happens to be pretty simple.  

1.  Train hard- positive changes in fitness are triggered by progressively and specifically overloading the body system you hope to improve.

2.  Keep things simple- An athlete who adheres to structured daily efforts will always trump the athlete who compensates for sporadic training with crazy complex/hard, yet inconsistent sessions. 

3.  Be consistent-  This is the most important, yet probably the hardest part of the winning formula to adhere to, yet it's as simple as it sounds.  As I said above- athletic success is rewarded by consistency over a period of years, not weeks.  Be the one who shows up daily, and eventually you will experience the fruits of your labor.

Until next time,

jw