I was chatting to somebody after swimming this morning about things that I have found really useful/effective when it comes to improvements I made in training and racing. Not so much things like a faster bike, or better wheels, but more things that have helped me improve my approach, train better, be fitter etc. After the conversation I thought it might be a nice idea to try and come up with five such things since five is a nice number. So here we go:
Number 1 - Have a Coach
The biggest improvements I have made have been mostly because I have a coach. There is an endless amount of information on the internet about how you should train or not. If you read it all you will end up going around in circles, following one fad to the next. I know athletes who have spun their wheels, making no gains, for years, with self coaching. Their problem wasn't that they weren't training hard, weren't trying, it is just that they were doing the wrong things.
I have also seen those same athletes finally get a coach and make instant gains.
Having a person who knows what they are doing use their knowledge to direct you towards your specific goals is invaluable. Sometimes the direction they give may be counter-intuitive, sometimes it isn't what everybody else does, but usually there is a reason for that direction and usually it is important. For example a lot of cyclists in Perth ride the hills on a Saturday morning, it is almost like a religious observation here. I don't do that and there is a reason for it. That reason was explained to me by my coach.
When somebody asks for advice about getting quicker, the first thing I tell them is get a coach.
The second thing I tell them is make sure the coach knows what they are talking about. The third thing I tell them is to do what the coach says. Getting advice and not following it won't make you any faster.
Number 2 - Have a squad for when you need it
Sometimes you just need people around you. I swim pretty okay, but I know that if I want to train well in the pool I need a squad (I also need a coach - see above). Without a squad I drift about in the pool not training well or effectively. Not everybody is like that, I know other people who train really well in the pool without a squad. But perhaps they can't get themselves on a bike unless they know they have an appointment to meet others.
The point is that often we need the support and knowledge of others to get us to/through a session. If you have an area of training like that, then seek out a group to do it with, be it a club, a coached group whatever. For me having people to push me or tell me what to do, or just plain make me show up has made a big difference in each of three triathlon disciplines at different times.
Number 3 - Race
I race a reasonable amount. I know people who race more, but I race a fair bit, particularly for an Age Grouper. I think this has been important. One of the best ways to get better at something is by practicing it. Triathlons (particularly long ones) are very tricky to get right, all sorts of little things keep going wrong. You can (and should) practice everything in training, but somethings only really come to light in the pressure cooker of racing. It took me five Half Ironman races to get my nutrition right for example. You only really learn how to pace a race properly by praciticing it.
The other advantage of racing a fair bit is that it helps the nerves. I still get quite nervous when I race, sometimes a lot. But knowing what to expect in a race, knowing what is coming, that it is within your capabilities, that you can handle the unexpected, all these things help settle those nerves a bit.
Number 4 - A good Physio/Doctor
Chances are that sooner or later you will get an injury of some kind in training. You might do everything right, warm up, cool down, stretch and then trip over a toy. Whatever the reason, these things happen.
When they do happen I have found it has been important to have a good SPORTS physio/doctor to go to. I emphasis sports because it needs to be somebody who understands why you were doing this crazy thing in the first place and that you really would like to get back to doing that crazy thing again as soon as possible. If it isn't a sports specialist, then it should at least be a physio/doctor who understands the idea of doing a sport.
Having a good physio/doctor means that you get a correct diagnosis, which in turns means you get correct advice on how to recover. More importantly, if they really are a good physio/doctor, you will also get advice on stopping the injury happening again. It is that last point that differentiates an okay sports physio/doctor and a good one for me.
Preventing injuries and recovering from them well when they do occur has been key to sustained improvement for me.
Number 5 - Kickr
This is the item that started the thought process behind this list. It is the only bit of gear in this list and I don't want that fact to over-emphasis its importance. However, when somebody asked what was the single piece of equipment that had made the biggest difference to me, the Kickr was the answer. Despite that though, it is still just a piece of equipment, it isn't a silver bullet. Don't rush out and buy one expecting miracles, not without putting in sweat and pain first.
Now I really like my Kickr (perhaps a little too much), but I guess what I am talking about here is a good stationary trainer. I hated these things for years, generally I always have. My attitude has always been, why sit inside pretending to do a sport when I could be outside doing the sport. However, getting on this thing, using its capabilities, has improved my cycling. When I say improved, I mean significantly (5 minute gain over 90km sort of territory).
I used to read recommendations from pros about the CompuTrainer and all these quotes saying 'using this has taken me to the next level'. I always thought, 'of course you would say that, they just gave you several thousands of dollars worth of CompuTrainer'. However, now I am wondering if they were just plain telling the truth. The Kickr is much cheaper than a CompuTrainer, but it does much the same thing and so do a lot of other products. Whichever you look at, I have to admit they seem to work.
So if you already have all the go faster toys that triathletes love to collect, a TT bike, wheels etc and you are seeking something else to spend money on, then this would be my recommendation. Be warned though, unlike those other toys, this isn't free speed. You pay a price for this speed and the currency is pain.
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