Posted: January 6, 2006

Multisport by Lance Watson: Going the Distance Alone: training when your pals aren’t

By Lance Watson.

The realization that you’re going to start getting up at 5:30 a.m. to swim again, while all of your buddies are still counting sheep is not the easiest thing task to execute on your own. Perhaps you are gearing up for an early season race in February or March of 2006, or you ended your race season much earlier than most, and thus it is just that time of the cycle. Your rest phase is over and it’s time to start building back your solid base. So, how do you maintain the motivation to train all by yourself when your training partners aren’t yet ready to start back?

Active recovery is a great way to keep your physical body fit, while giving your mind complete rest and recovery. Hopefully you have already taken a bit of rest and total downtime. You have used this time to get refreshed mentally, while doing some fun workouts that still kept your aerobic system stimulated - this means that the activity should at least cause a light sweat. Mountain biking, hiking, indoor soccer, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, and water polo are all activities that can be included in your down time. The key is to be creative and fun since you are going to be getting back to the hard grind soon enough.

Once you settle back into a regular training regime, you need to make it a point to stay positive during your lone training. Working out regularly with other people can be enjoyable and motivating, but sometimes it is not the best possible setting for your development. Unless your training partners are the exact same ability as you in all three disciplines, training on your own ensures that you can follow your program to a tee. I especially find solitary training to be a great way to increase mental toughness and practice positive self-talk. Just like in a race situation, you need to be aware of how to best handle yourself and go hard when the going gets tough! Use these opportunities to learn more about yourself and your abilities.

Another point to remember is that just because your training partners are done for the season doesn't mean that you have to completely forget about them. If they are interested you could invite them to an easy workout each week. Be it a trainer session or a light dip in the pool. Perhaps even a key session - your chum doesn't necessarily have to do the entire workout, but it might really help you if they jumped in at particularly important spots. You could also ask a member of your support crew (coach, husband, wife, or child) to the session and have them record splits and give you feedback during the workout. Just having them there will be a motivating force for the workout.

Always keep in mind that the hardest part of any workout that you set out to perform on your own, are those first few steps out the door. Therefore you need to create an area in the house that motivates you to get out the door. A good way to do this is by placing inspiring visuals around the house that will keep you enthused about training. Everyone is stimulated by different things: posters of sports idols, little inspirational quotes or your personal goals marked on a calendar. Another method I recommend to athletes is to watch inspiring videos, races of any kind: triathlons, the Tour de France, down-hill skiing or track and field, to name a few. Keeping your motivation high is mainly a matter of choosing between what you want now and what you want most… so use whatever method works best for you.

Create situations in your every day life which will keep you challenged and determined to train towards your ultimate goals. Surround yourself with optimistic people and positive thoughts and you will find that training solo is as easy as a walk in the park… come rain or come shine.

Over the past 20 years, Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman and Olympic Games Champions .
Beginner and experienced triathletes can contact him at LifeSport Coaching (coach@LifeSport.ca) or visit LifeSport.ca.
Thanks to Jessica Kirkwood for her contribution to this piece.

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Posted with permission from LifeSport.ca.

© Copyright 2005 Lance Watson Professional Coaching Inc.