Stay consistent

Craig emphasized consistency several times at the conference. What does this mean for the average triathlete in training? Well, basically it means that you should train regularly for the best effect and end-results. To train consistently you can basically follow these steps.

Create a workout schedule

Take some time to sit down and plan out your weekly schedule as far as training goes. If you are serious about improving your triathlon performance then this will be a very good exercise because you will see how triathlon fits into your life.

Block out your existing obligations such as work or classes and try to see where you have free time. Don’t forget to include travel time and also when you generally get ready for your day. Also, try to write down more or less when you have your meals throughout the day.

Think about your training strategy

Next think about your overall training strategy and goals and how often you should train each week to achieve your goals. Perhaps you’re following a prescribed plan or you have a general idea through trial and error what works for you.

Insert your workouts

Get out your brand new weekly schedule and insert your workouts into the free time slots you have identified. Be realistic! Don’t put in a two-hour run 15 minutes after work if it takes you that long to get home. Remember that you will need to take some time to change and get ready before you head out. You might even have to drive to the track or pool where your workout is located.

Stick with it!

This is where the consistency comes in. Even if you didn’t follow any of the above steps your ultimate goal in order to stay consistent is to keep at it. Even if your philosophy is to “run three times a week” or “bike every day, run every other” then keep with it! Get into a routine with your workouts and try to keep them consistently tough so your body continues to adapt and increase in endurance, strength or lactate threshold or whatever you are working on improving.

Train FOR your race

One final tip our World Champion Craig Alexander had for us was that we should train for specific races. Try to set your race schedule early in the year and decide what races you want to do and what time (and money!) permits. Then when you are setting up your overall training strategy you can prioritize your races and see which race you think you would like to do best in. Once you have decided this, set up your training so that it tapers off closer to your big race (more on training strategies soon).

By training for your races specifically you have a goal to work towards instead of just training for the sake of training. Usually you might end up racing about once every month or every other month and then have a couple big ones that are very important to you at some point in your season. Having registered and paid for your races is a commitment that helps you commit to your training fully. If you’re putting off registering for a race then NOW is the time to do it!

That’s it for the tips from Craig Alexander (and Pete Jacobs). I will be writing more about running and staying healthy while training in the coming weeks.

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