With the race season in full swing, I’ve been hearing a lot of:

• I need more
• I need a plan
• I need to suffer

Are you sure?

• Before you can fit in more, you must create space by saying “no” to yourself.
• Prove you can execute today’s plan before worrying about the future.
• The ability to suffer is linked to mental conditioning and our emotional reserves. Have you been topping those up?

Here’s what I recommend if you want to breakthrough to the next level:

Stay Put and Train – I’ve started adding this note to some athlete’s planners because when we see empty space, we want to fill it up. Carve out two blocks a year where you spend 8-13 weeks focusing on rolling-the-week.

• When you travel for training, leave your life behind.
• When you travel for family, be with your family.
• When you travel for work, train in the morning and eat well.

Focus on One Thing – You are not going to launch a new business; give birth; get promoted and win your age-group at world champs each year. It will not happen. So you’ll need to phase your life to achieve what you want to get done. Top athletes have lives that are simplistic to the point of being boring — year after year after year.

Practice Letting Others Make Mistakes – This is huge for ironman. How I miss the days when I was the only triathlete with a powermeter! The good news is that your competition will (mostly) ignore common sense when they go long. My April article about No Pacing Pacing is what most folks consider ideal. Every group session is an opportunity to maintain peace of mind while others make errors.

Let yourself make mistakes as well. Learn from them!

Choose Your Best Race – Select venues that suit your strengths and aim your season at a race where a good day will enable you to “win” based on your definition of success. Knowing that you have a shot at personal victory will motivate your preparations and help you dig deeper when it gets tough.

If that means your A-race is a local sprint at the YMCA then that’s cool — focusing on excellence is what gives the journey value.

Be Great