Passing the Baton: Under the wing of the former Welsh National Champion
Recently I made a pretty big decision with regards to my training regime and training format. Ever since I entered the world of fitness and training from the age of about 14 I always planned and made up my own training programs and workouts. Initially this was all based on feel, what other people would tell me, what I’d read online and whatever info I could get.
I’ve come a long way since running at 6 am before school, with no real session aim, nor with any “smart’ goal in mind.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time
Even doing two small ultra marathons I never subscribed to any kind of planned regime or diet. I’d just run whenever I felt like it. Which had its perks, but its obvious drawbacks. It kept running enjoyable, but if you are reaching for a goal and you suddenly don’t “feel” like running, you’re not gunna get to where you want to be, simple as that.
I finished my first ironman (barely) with a sort of plan, but again not really knowing what I was doing, and ever session was based on feel, without any real objective parameters to work with, like power or heart rate.
Fast forward a year, I made the closest thing I had ever made to a proper training program in preparation for the Helvellyn Triathlon in 2017. It was ok, and some kind of structure but nothing really fancy.
The definitive moment was coming out of that race with a less than ideal result where it occurred to me. No more. I will no longer accept anything but my absolute best. Why can’t I win, there is no reason, no excuse, winning is a conscious decision that HAS to be made in every training session you go into, it has to be at the very forefront of your mind.
So I set out to make a proper training regime and I stuck to it relentlessly. And it worked nicely thus far. Then some time in November the penny dropped and I came to faith, so the mindset and outlook changed big time. Yes going into every session with the notion of winning was still at the forefront of my mind, but I’d never start or walk away from a session, without praying. Never without being thankful that I have this gift of self discipline. And being thankful that I have the opportunity to do the things that I do, being thankful for the air I breathe and for the earth under my feet. And that none of this is possible without God’s grace.
So it was all working well. Until I recently did an FTP test (a test that determines the maximum power measured in Watts you can sustain on the bike for 1 hour). It was the highest it has ever been in my life so far, I hit around 285W for the hour. Which is very close to the level of fitness I will need for the bike portion of IRONMAN Hamburg this year. You’d think I’d be elated right? Yes, I was. But equally terrified. The notion in my head of ‘ARRRGHHHHH, I will actually probably win…maybe…kinda…Possibly’, even though I never let doubt dictate how I conduct myself in training. It sparked greater stress in how I plan my training.
20 minute power data, max power effort for 20 minutes x 0.95 = 1 hour max power (FTP).
Passing Baton of responsibility.
Before this I was communicating with a coach who is based in my area in Wales, non other than the former Welsh National Champion in triathlon. As of next week the responsibility of training planning and programing will be passed to him. A terrifying prospect. But he has far more experience and knowledge than I, so hopefully I will be in good form for my main race of the year in July. He has prepared numerous athletes in the past to become age group champions and prepared people to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in the past. So I’m taking the plunge, my training program is now in someone else’s hands.
Obviously its still down to myself to do the work set out for me. But it takes a huge stress off my shoulders of “Umming and arrrghing” over whether what I have planned for myself is inadequate, too hard, or too easy.
We’ll see what happens. God willing, I will do my best to prepare to take the 18 to 24 male age group victory in July.