New Year’s resolutions, the perennial task that nearly all of us take part in. We find a few habits that need to be broken, a few things we have put off, or a goal that we have tried, usually unsuccessfully, to accomplish. So, we put them on the resolution list, only to see most or all of them fade away. For the lucky few, they’ve stuck to their resolutions for 6 weeks while most of us break them within the first week or two. But let’s be realistic, a resolution is merely a glorified term for a goal. And like a goal, unless it has objectives, activities, or simply put, a plan, it will most likely fail to be met.
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when
you take your eyes off your goals."
- Author Unknown
The same holds true with triathlon. We set goals to do a race or number of races. We read articles and books, talk to people, and gather volumes of information and begin training, hitting the road blindly. Mentally we think we know what we need to accomplish, and physically we think we know what we need to do. But often the training for these lofty goals is haphazard, does not have sequence or purpose, is intense or not intense enough, and does not have phases, breakthrough workouts, or based on the principle of periodization. Why? There is no formal, written, plan. There is no physical assessment to have baseline measures of where we are at to pave the way for where we are going. We are confronted with obstacles along the way – injuries, family commitments, professional obligations – and don’t make the adjustments necessary to stay on a steady course towards the goal. Frustration sets it, we don’t see gains or improvements, and we question our abilities. We may even through the proverbial towel in.
The best intentions can fail without a plan and the best plan can fail without a coach. But whether you are working with a coach or not, be sure to follow, and include in your plan where necessary, the rules below to achieve your season goals.
RULE #1: Forget Resolutions – Make a PLAN.
If you make a resolution such as exercise more, it does not give a clear illustration of why you want to exercise more, it is merely an action possibly to reach a goal. You may want to lose weight, you may want to successfully complete your first triathlon or improve your performance, or improve your cardiovascular conditioning. But what you do and how you do it needs to be clear. A well defined, daily plan based on your personal and professional schedule and goals is a must.
RULE #2: Be S.M.A.R.T.
SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound, the qualities that objectives and plans should contain to successfully achieve goals. Examples are provided.
Specific: clear about what, where, when, and how - Follow a daily training plan, counting back from event to present
Measurable: able to quantify the targets and benefits – Log miles, time, distance, feelings, sleep, heart rate, and other pertinent measures. This serves as a source of motivation to see all that you have accomplished as well as a diary to refer to if illness, fatigue or performance issues arise – overtraining, too little rest or recovery, etc.
Achievable: able to attain the objectives – Have you set your goals to loftily? Do they contain all the elements to build upon each phase of the plan?
Realistic: able to obtain the level of change reflected in the objective – Does the plan fit your lifestyle? Is it calling for more training hours than you can do? Is it too hard or too easy?
Time bound: stating the time period in which they will each be accomplished – Is the timeline clearly defined? Does the plan provide the progressions and recovery necessary to peak for the A race?
RULE #3: Tell Someone, Anyone
Telling friends and family about your goals enables them to be a source of encouragement, strength, and motivation, particularly at times when you are physically and emotionally drained, question your abilities, and just plain old don’t feel like working out.
RULE #4: Know What Motivates You and USE It
Do you need a friend or group to train with? Do you need to have rewards built in along the way? Or do you get motivated internally and prefer to train alone? Either way, choose your training days accordingly. If you prefer to go it alone, then don’t agree to ride with a group and get frustrated during the ride. If you prefer to ride with a group, then find a friend or group to ride with to give you the support and confidence you need to make it through that ride.
RULE #5: Know When to Hold Them, Know When to Fold Them
Simple rule of thumb – quality versus quantity. Go for quality, emotionally and physically, in all that encompasses your training. If you feel great, go for it. Enjoy the workout and relish in the moment. If you are tired and sluggish and mentally not with it, better to bypass a workout then get injured and miss a week or two of training. Keep in mind, however, that many times you may not feel like getting that long run or bike in but remember how good you feel a few miles in - you’re in your groove, running/riding strong, and finish ecstatic with yourself for sticking with it and accomplishing that workout. But there are those days that you are just drained, nothing left in you, which could be just fatigue or indicative of a greater problem. Take the day off, call your coach, evaluate your plan, schedule, sleep patterns and nutrition, and make adjustments.
RULE #6: Keep Your Goals Visible and Plan Accessible
Write down your goals and post them where you will see them daily – on your bathroom mirror, on your work computer terminal, as a screensaver, on your refrigerator. This serves as a constant reminder of what you are working so hard to achieve. In addition, keep your plan and log with you at all times. You may not have time to log things immediately after a workout but if your log is accessible, you can do it when you have that free moment. Accessing your plan is important so you can refer to it when scheduling your other obligations and commitments.
RULE #7: Don’t Delay, Start Today
So you have been thinking about hiring a coach but haven’t done so yet because it’s January and your A race in August is so far away! Think again. There are important base building activities you could be doing now. Same thing applies for training. Don’t delay starting your training since “it’s only January.” On the contrary, starting now is the best moment ever to begin. Keep it simple and slow if you have taken a few extra days, weeks, or months off to get caught back up with life again.
RULE #8: Be Grateful and Humble
Triathlon training is unique in that we have to train for three events. Depending on the distance you are training for, you may be away from friends and loved ones for hours at a time, week after week. On the sidelines, loved ones cheer you on, race after race. Be sure to thank all those family members, friends, coworkers, and others who support your sometimes neurotic obsession with triathlon, a lifestyle more than sport. Further, eat a piece of humble pie once in a while. A victory in triathlon is subjective – the first timer finishing the race last is just as much a winner as the overall winner - and victory does not make one a better person. True humility is appreciating our blessings, sharing our gifts, acknowledging our faults, and letting others learn about us by our actions instead of our words.
On behalf of Performance Training Systems, I wish you all a Happy New Year and much success in achieving your 2005 goals.
Train safely and healthy; live peacefully.
Cheryl Bayuk
Cheryl is a USATriathlon Level 1 Coach, an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified Personal Trainer, Johnny G Certified Spin instructor, and YogaFit Level 1 instructor. She has 15 years of sport coaching experience, 7 years of personal training and indoor cycling teaching experience, and has been a competitive athlete for over 30 years, including 6 years as a triathlete. Learn more about Cheryl on her webpage or email her directly.