The four lessons I learned (again) by coming back to my triathlon trainings

Two months ago I decided to put myself back on track to my triathlon trainings. After three marathons and five Ironman 70.3 in the course of six years, I took kind of a long three-year vacation. Moving jobs, moving homes three times, changes in life, taking a job overseas, all the plausible excuses you can think of.

Getting back on track is never easy, and as expected, it is a valuable process that I ended up learning four important lessons that I think it can be applied to everyone’s goals, in career or in life.

1. Be realistic: When coming back I decided to start following a half marathon training plan, as I arrogantly thought would be the most plausible distance to start once I had already run many HMs and three full marathons. I struggled in frustration for two whole weeks (lost) until I decided to face my new reality and start from scratch, moving back to a 5k training plan.

2. Work on a plan: Many people don’t understand the power of planning by thinking results are driven by execution. Before I decided to use Amy Parkerson-Mitchell training plan on Garmin, I read all I could about her and the other coaches, watched all their videos and decided she had the best approach for what I was looking for. I then decided which days would suit my training as I had my bike plan already ongoing, and had my benchmark run to set the intensity of was to come.

3. Stick to the plan: This is why being realistic is so important. Things only work when you commit to executing at least 80% of the plan. Be ruthless on execution and revisit your plan every time you need. More than once I had to rearrange my trainings so they would fit in my routine. I missed one run in 10 weeks.

4. Be patient: Understand that every goal has to be built by gathering smaller goals towards it. Don’t run faster when you have to run slower and vice-versa. On the rest days, just rest. Great things take time to be built properly and you need to be patient to build it right.

After a few mistakes, I was realistic enough to choose the 5k distance, I also worked and studied on having the best plan possible. I followed it strictly and was patient enough to wait 10 weeks for the first results. I went from not being able to entirely run a mile to back at running my 5k under 25min again.

Still not my personal best, but good enough to celebrate and move to a new goal. Two resting days later I am starting my 10k plan trying to get back to the results I used to have. Being realistic, knowing to have a great plan, executing ruthlessly and being patience, I am sure I will be ready for my personal best in a marathon next year.

On the side, I am applying the same strategies for my bike training, moving my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) from 145W to 170W in 8 weeks. Again, still many watts away from the best I used to do, but confident enough that I am building the best version I have ever been.