Wise words - 25 triathlon lessons

I just received an e-mail from Simon Ward who I must congratulate as he has been competing / coaching in the sport of triathlon for 25 years.

To celebrate his 25 years he came up with 25 lessons as follows - Wise words:

1. Consistency is the key to success
2. Results are important but having fun is better
3. Your body can take a lot more than you think
4. Triathletes are not indestructible
5. Recovery is just as important as training
6. Quality beats quantity most of the time
7. Just because you are a triathlete and train a lot doesn’t mean you can eat with impunity
8. Its not about the bike…or the shoes, or the wetsuit
9. It is about the bike. Being strong here has a direct impact in your ability to run well
10. There is victory to be taken from every finish, no matter how bad you think the result is
11. Whatever position you end up, finishing a triathlon means you are still in the top 1% of fit humans.
12. Keep your training a simple as possible
13. There are lots of training methods which will help you get to your goals. Just make sure that they cover the 6 principles of training – individuality, Do No Harm, progressive overload, specificity, adaptation, reversal
14. Unless you earn a living from racing triathlon, chillax a bit and just enjoy the journey
15. A mid season break is a good idea. An end of season break is non negotiable
16. There are NO short cuts to getting faster
17. There are NO training “secrets”
18. Pace judgement is critical for a good race
19. Have fun and remember why you started this sport
20. When seeking fitness improvements look for the “low hanging fruit”
21. Before you enter races, don’t forget to consult those closest to your first; it will reduce the stress later on
22. Although triathlon is a solo sport, you couldn’t do it without your support team.
23. Take time to celebrate and reflect on your achievements; too many people move straight on to the next challenge
24. There are always lessons to be learnt from every race; find at least one
25. Take a long term approach to training and racing. Over the years I’ve seen many triathletes come and go and some stay the distance. Those that shot through like a meteor, trained hard, had a fanatical approach and then just like a meteor, burned out and disappeared. Others have taken a long term more laid back approach, enjoyed the sport, made it part of their life and like a powerful star, still burn strong

You can find out more about Simon and his coaching services at http://www.thetriathloncoach.com/