THE KEY TO BUILDING A LONG TERM MINDSET

With Coach Andrew Perry
 
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and everyone comes to terms with the measures needed to flatten the curve, such as social distancing and isolation, many race plans have come undone.
 
The IRONMAN World Championship, which was originally scheduled for October 2020 has now been postponed to February 2021.
 
The Gold Coast Marathon has now officially been cancelled. The Sunshine Coast Marathon has also been cancelled.
 
These are just some of most recent changes to upcoming events, to name a few.
 
And with race plans derailed everywhere you turn; it can be easy to get down and to lose focus.  As triathletes, we’re often told to ‘control the controllable’, a sentiment that rings true now more than ever.
 
To get through these global unprecedented events it’s time to change the mindset ­– to look at this as an opportunity for becoming a better you, rather than an absolute derailment of goals and plans; dreams you’ve worked hard to achieve.
 
It’s about shifting your perception of recent events and developing your long-term mindset.
 
Do you really need to race every other weekend, or every year to be a better athlete? Or can you still achieve great things – to become a better you – by setting smaller milestones that can take you on a journey towards not only physical but also mental strength and wellbeing?
 
My answer is: yes, you can. I’ve seen this in the athletes that I coach.
 
While the pandemic has been a challenge (for coaches as well) I’ve had the pleasure of seeing my athletes achieve some great things during this forced ‘downtime’ – without the stress or pressure of race days, race times etc.
 
Some of the notable improvements I’ve seen in my athletes, include:

• Two athletes achieving FTP increases of 8% and 15% respectfully in training.
• An unintentional 5km PB achievement in a training run – the athlete didn’t set out to achieve a PB, through continued regular training in lockdown, it just happened.
• An athlete completed a 10km run, in training, for the first time – without the need of a race to prompt the achievement.

 
So, my advice to athletes during this time is to look at the long-term (keep the bigger picture at the front of mind) while focusing on the short-term.
 
Improvements come through consistency – by ticking off sessions as they come, every day. It’s about actually doing the work.
 
Races will eventually come back – your racing calendar will once again be filled with exciting plans and race adventures.
 
But for now, rather than focusing on what you’re missing out on, focus on what you can do to get stronger; to build a great base; to work on your weaknesses.
 
With pools closed, why not focus on improving your running? If you can’t ride outside, why not focus on improving your technique on the bike while riding on the trainer?
 
How often do we get the chance to focus on our weaknesses? Use this time wisely – to your long-term advantage.
 
Without the added stress and pressure of short-term race goals, you can really get back to basics and build a stronger base that will set you up to achieve great things when we’re finally given the green light to race again.
 
If you do that, you’ll come out on the other side better than ever. 

Cheers

Coach AP

Click HERE to learn more about Coach Andrew Perry