It gets to the point where it feels like you can’t possibly fit in any more training.
For some that means a max of three times a week, for others it means you’re already doing twice a day.
Juggling that with work, family, friends and having fun away from triathlon can seem an impossible task.
But why do you need to do more?
Stupid question……….
You wan’t to get faster, do better than last year, or maybe you are worried about being last!
When I had a proper 9-5 job I remember that frustration and in the end I went part time, working just 3 days a week.
The difference then for me was that I didn’t own a house, I didn’t have any kids, I was in my twenties and my whole world was one dimensional – just about training and racing.
Then I got older!
Then I got a house!
Then I got kids!
Then I needed to work more and train less.
So, I went through a period of acceptance.
An acceptance that I wasn’t going to be as fast again – time was against me and my youth was fading.
I knew though that I could still be decent, still be healthy and still NOT get fat.
It just meant I had to be smarter and believe you me smarter does not mean doing more all the time, not when you have another life to lead.
I’m not a pro and chances are neither are you – Sorry Johnny and Alistair, I know you read this every week!
So my top tips for getting more out of your time are as follows:
1 – Don’t get ill or injured.
This means having good recovery strategies which includes nutritional and sleep. It was Chris Hoy (Great Britain cyclist) who said you need to recover like a pro as well as train like one.
If you can avoid illness and injury that will free up weeks over the year for improvement.
2 – Target you weakness.
The chances are that there is less room for overall improvement on your strongest discipline so get better at your worst.
3 – Master technique.
This is especially true with swimming but the more efficient you can be across all disciplines, the faster you will go for less effort.
4 – Drop fat.
If you are lighter, you need less effort to drag yourself around and hence can get away with a little less training – obvious I know but you see so many triathletes doing this through spending 2 months salary on a new lighter bike when better nutrition would save them a fortune and make them faster, not to mention healthier.
You will have noticed a couple of nutrition references and above most things this is like a shortcut to success and is really cheap.
It doesn’t mean more junk miles and less time in your OTHER life, it actually will free you up and stop your other half nagging you or at least reduce the guilt you feel every time you say:
“Sorry, I’ve got to go training………….again”
For £10 or $14 ish dollars I can help you with my awesome new book – The Triathlete Nutrition Code.
Go and get it:
http://www.nutri-tri.com/e-books/
Jamie “train smarter” Leighton