5 TIPS FOR ENJOYMENT AND SUCCESS IN MULTISPORT

I promise you that once you uncover your “why” those early starts, long days and hard times will become a little easier! - Coach  Em Quinn

Firstly, why the title?  Well I feel these elements really go hand in hand, to have one the other needs to compliment it.  Success means different things to all of us, for some it may mean reaching a personal achievement so big that it was once never thought possible, for others it may be stipulated my podiums, or qualifications to higher representative honours.  Regardless of your individual success I feel one cannot personally have success in the sport and be involved in the sport for a long period of time without enjoying the process.
 

1. Trust the plan: If you have given a coach (or any individual) the role of helping you achieve your goals then you need to 100% trust that they have your best interests at heart.  That the plan devised, is structured in a way that builds upon your individual weaknesses and further develops your strengths.  You need to have the discipline to stick to this day after day and believe and have respect for the individual whom you have given this job to.  That’s not to say you shouldn’t ask “why”? I think that is a great question for an athlete to ask and for a coach to be able to effectively explain but when an athlete starts to bring in other pieces of the puzzle, or miss rest days or do what their mate is doing etc things can get a little messy.  There is always a method to the madness behind a well-tailored, periodised and structured training program, embrace it!  As coaches, we feel more euphoria from seeing those we coach achieve their goals than we do our own, so trust us.
2. Know your “why”: Let’s be honest endurance triathlon (or triathlon of any distance) is hard.  It usually requires long hours of training, early starts, time away from loved ones, heavy financial costs and usually always is a constant juggling act.  So ask yourself what is my “why”.  Why do I want to do this, what does it mean to me, what will achieving that big goal mean to me and how will it feel?  Sometimes this can be a very personal thing (for example a close friend of mine is 13 weeks away from competing at Ironman Australia- his why is to do it for a family member who tragically passed away last year- this is what drives him every day, every hard training session) other times it can simply be a personal pursuit of seeing how far the body can be physically pushed.  I promise you that once you uncover your “why” those early starts, long days and hard times will become a little easier!  Often athletes will share this with their coach, other times it may be something that only you need to know.  Remember nobody forces you to do this, it is your individual choiceJ Whilst it will be hard at times, it should be something you love, enjoy and that makes you feel and be the best version on yourself.
3. Be grateful: I could count a million times I hear triathletes complain.  Complain about not hitting numbers, about not being as fit as x, y, z about not hitting a certain time or place in a race.  I am guilty of all of these myself as I’m sure most people reading this are.  But if we step away and take a moment, what we really should be feeling is extremely grateful to be able to be fit and healthy, to be provided with the opportunities that allow us to race a 70.3 or an Ironman or to simply pursue or physical best.  Life can be taken from us in an instant (although this is never nice to think about) and in any one moment one’s entire world can be turned upside down.  So instead of always being so “down” and “negative” if those targets are sometimes missed, try turning that around into being able to appreciate the fact that we have the opportunity to do what so many individuals cannot.  It will change not only your mindset but also the way you train and race and I can guarantee it will only be for the better.
4. Spend some time away from the numbers:  I am no stranger to saying this and have previously written a blog on this concept too.  This is something I believe in so much, as a coach and as an athlete, I feel its importance is pivotal to one’s success, longevity and enjoyment in the sport.  Whilst we all love the numbers- (power, heart rate, cadence, calories, TSS, sleep quality, metres climbed…the list goes on and on) and they can offer us so many methods of becoming better athletes, they can also become our biggest burden.  So often we become so fixated on the numbers that we forget what it’s like without them.  Even our easy rides and runs are a constant battle with a number on a screen, if we have a poor night sleep or it’s hot our heart rate values may appear a little higher and we crumble thinking overnight our fitness has skipped out the door.  I am not by any means questioning the importance and value of technology but I genuinely believe spending time and sessions away from the numbers and running, riding and even swimming sessions to feel will have an enormous benefit for the athlete.  There is a time and a place for this but it should be (in my opinion) a very important part to keeping the body and mind enjoying the sport.  I also have no doubt you will likely have those numbers improve too if you spend a little time without themJ
5. Enjoy the journey not just the destination:  A little cliché but oh how so true!  We are usually such well-planned, structured and regimented characters.  We set out our A goal and surround it by a few B goals in there and we get straight to work.  The countdown is on (there are even apps now that will remind you every day how long until the big show) and whilst this is always a wonderful motivator (and sometimes the kick up the backside some of us need) it can also detract from the day to day ventures.  Whilst achieving your goal will no doubt be the pinnacle of all of the hard work, one should also spend time making sure that they enjoy the process equally.  Enjoy the beautiful places riding or running can take you, the transformation your body can make in preparing for an event and most importantly enjoy the people who you meet along the way!  I guarantee you that years after you move on from triathlon it will be those people, the good times (and sometimes even the bad times) during the journey that will likely provide you with your fondest memories.

Learn more about Coach Em Quinn here!

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