As the weeks and months roll on, it can sometimes feel like you are getting nowhere. A good way to get some motivation back and make sure you are on track is through testing your performance. Although, I have found that during the middle of a training block, performance testing can also be varied, as your energy levels may not be at 100%.
Instead, I sit down and ask myself the following five questions, and hopefully, will get the feeling that I’m still on track.
Are you too focused about volume?
It’s not all about the volume for the week. A lot of people get caught up with the number of kilometres they are doing or the number of hours you are training. Don’t forget about the intensity of your training…is it right for your current goals you are trying to achieve?
Are you fuelling your body properly, and are you fuelling every day?
Just because you have a day off, does not mean that you have a day off from fuelling your body. You may have burned over 3,000 calories the previous day just in your training, so you need to make sure you are consistent with the food you are eating.
Do you incorporate rest into your training blocks?
Rest is not for the weak. Rest allows your body to repair and become stronger and allows you to train harder over the longer term and improve.
Does your training include conditioning to help improve your performance?
If your quads, glutes, core and hamstrings are not strong, your form and technique may start to fall apart especially in longer races. It can feel counter productive and like you are wasting valuable time, but body weight training session focusing on functional strength and flexibility can be achieved in only 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week. I also like an excuse to get out of the cold during the winter months.
Are you being consistent with your training?
It’s great to have a plan to do 15 hours of training in a week, but if you are usually only hitting 5 of those hours, you’re not building the consistency you need to reach your goals. Remember that you also need to be consistent across all three disciplines, not just your favourite or strongest leg. Triathlon is not a combination of three sports, it is one sport, so this also means brick sessions, and spending some time practising your transition.
Vince Sesto
Vince Sesto
Tri Swim Coach Ambassador
Vince works as an IT Engineer in Melbourne, Australia where he lives with his cat Tim Tam. He has been a runner for longer than he can remember. He competes in distance running races, open water swims and long course triathlons.
