What Does it Take?: An Ironman World Championship Primer

This week, I have 2 close friends and 1 of our athletes competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah. A monumental feat, just to qualify to get here. You see, the qualification typically involves placing in the top 3-10 spots in your age group that more than likely consists of hundreds of athletes. It is not a qualifying time it’s a “mano a mano” battle with similar aged athletes on the course! Sometimes, it’s a battle during the last few miles of the race. Sometimes, your best is not quite good enough and sometimes your best is not even close. You see, sometimes it depends on who shows up to the race you are competing in. It is full of variables and the allure of qualifying for a World Championship as a triathlete is the pinnacle of our sport’s age group athletes. If you are still reading, you are probably well aware … it ain’t easy!

So, what does it take and what are you going to tell me that I already do not know? Well, in all transparency, probably nothing. However, I have been fortunate enough to be friends with and train with numerous Kona and 70.3 World Championship triathletes. Does that make me an expert? Of course not. Do I know any shortcuts? Not a chance, or I would have qualified by now. But what I have been is a sponge and a very careful observer. Being close to these phenomenal athletes has led me to believe there are 4 main qualities that all my friends share to varying degrees that have propelled them to the pointy end of the stick as a triathlete. I am going to step out on a limb here and say something that most of us age-groupers do not like to hear, there are no shortcuts and no magic bullets that check the box to get to the qualification level. Period.

Once again, I am probably not going to tell you something new, but I hope to present these qualities in a different light. A light that just might help you take the next step or, using one of the S3 Multisport mantras, to assist you in just “being better than yesterday”.

The qualities are:

· Dedication

· Consistency

· Focus

· Goals

That’s it, the recipe for the holy grail of long-course triathlon greatness! I hope you have enjoyed this article and revelation. All joking aside, I say we dive into it and see what we come out with.

Dedication – whoa, big scary word! Even scarier when you think of truly dedicating your lifestyle to swimming, biking and running your way through life as fast as you can. Dedication does not occur without sacrifice, but the key is finding a balance with your family, your job, your friends, and yourself. Sustainable dedication to triathlon can be difficult and tiring. The incremental steps to dedication are challenging at best and can be maddening at times. Hundreds of hours can be spent in a year chasing a new personal best or goal only to come up short. If we have done anything long enough, we’ve all been there, and it hurts. It does not seem fair. It seems cruel. However, this is the exact point, in my opinion, that dedication is truly honed as a weapon to producing greatness. No excuses, no pity party … just dedication and resolve to forge ahead, no matter the speed. Always moving forward!

Consistency – I do not believe you can have true consistency without dedication. Let’s put it this way, I have not been able to do it. Consistency has been my shortcoming as an endurance athlete and triathlete. I have many reasons, family, job, injuries, laziness, etc., and I am where I am as an athlete due to “lack of consistency”. I have made great strides, only to then take too much time off or destroy my diet. I am the epitome of “consistently inconsistent”. However, the greatness I see in my friends is not 7 days a week, 365 days a year consistency, but it is 3 days a week or maybe 4 days a week a year that has paid off over the long haul. This is one of the many reasons that I constantly state that there are no shortcuts in endurance sports. I am convinced consistency is king!

Focus – the intangible quality that can be a blessing or a curse depending on the perspective. I really think that you are either “laser focused” or not. There is not an in between or almost. Not only are you looking toward something with great clarity, but you are being drawn there as well. It is both active and passive in a way that as the ebbs and flows of focus occur, you are still creating a path to that which you are focused. I find focus is the hardest to maintain at a high level and those that have found ways to master “laser focus” have the greatest results. However, keep in mind, one can be very focused, but on the wrong or less than ideal component. Take the uber-dedicated triathlete that is focused on running faster with the mentality that “the only way to run fast, is to run fast” that does not get to the starting line due to ongoing running overuse injuries. The focus was there, the object of the focus (running fast too often) was counterproductive. Choose your focus wisely!

Goals – this brings us to the big picture and map. One should have short-term and long-term goals when setting up a training block or season. Goals should not be confused with outcomes. A goal would be, not missing more than 2 early AM swim workouts this training block versus gaining 2 seconds per 100 which is an outcome. For the most part, one can control missing workouts (I know, life happens) but the outcome of gaining 2 seconds per 100 may have too many variables and cannot be controlled. Goals, by their meaning, should lead to desirable outcomes through managing the moving pieces of the steps to achieve the goal. Proper goals are essential for setting one up for success in achieving outcomes. Goals are the mile markers on the map to your desired outcome!

I recognize that I have made this overly simple and that was partially my intent. The formula is not complicated but it is a formula, nonetheless. My challenge to you is to reflect upon your own training with the intention of sizing up the 4 qualities and ask yourself “Do I have what it takes?” Be honest and realistic with yourself and your lifestyle … you may just find the qualities are in you already!

Smooth.Steady.Strong