Transcript
Rich: Welcome to episode 562 of the Grit to Greatness Endurance Podcast. I'm your host. Coach Rich Soares and I am on a mission to help endurance athletes train smarter, race stronger, and build the grit it takes to achieve greatness. And today I am really excited. I have a good.
Rich: friend. from
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Years ago. ah From the days of 303, we're joined by Allison Freeman, who is the author of Unlocking Triathlon. You wrote a book.
Alison: yet.
Rich: unlocking triathlon triathlon plans and coaching support for a confident race day Allison's coach in your pocket approach helps newer and aspiring triathletes move from.
Rich: Where do I even begin to a practical, confident plan that fits real life? Man. and Life happens, right?
Alison: For sure.
Rich: We're going to explore. Allison and myself. How? How to understand your why, practicing the skills with intention and staying consistent without chasing perfection.
Rich: and rehearsing race day habits that can help athletes prepare and execute not merely survive their next triathlon. Alison Freeman, welcome to Grit to Greatness.
Alison: Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here.
Rich: So our listeners get to hear a little history story here. uh you and i met years ago as a part of the 303 triathlon crew
Alison: Yeah. Yeah.
Rich: And what a great night to be recording because it is the eve of the Ironman World Championship in Kona. We actually helped cover Kona together.
Alison: We did. We did. Yes. I think I was there with you guys two years. It was so fun.
Rich: Yeah, this picture in the background is from the media boat from one of the years that we were there together, as I remember.
Alison: Yeah.
Alison: Oh amazing. That's amazing. Yeah, that was um being in that media room and getting to watch. the race from there. For starters, it's air conditioned, so. It's fantastic. but um It's just, it was really cool.
Alison: And then I think, were we together about the hot corner at one point? I feel like we were.
Rich: Oh, yeah, totally.
Alison: For sure. Yeah.
Rich: Yeah, I remember trying to give... Tio, a high five. And he, man, he was not going to give me the energy.
Alison: totally No.
Rich: yeah He yeah he yeah had other things going on in his head.
Alison: No.
Alison: Yeah, for sure.
Rich: Yeah. Yeah, that's what a fun memory.
Alison: Yeah. I know. What a flashback. That's awesome. It is fun to be recording this weekend.
Rich: So.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Yeah, just the timing is just perfect. And I'm going to give you like a real proper like bio here when we get into the interview. but I just wanted to make. just i'm just Glad you're here with me tonight.
Alison: Aw, thank you.
Rich: Listen, our purpose today is I'm hoping this episode helps newer and aspiring triathletes replace the overwhelmed feeling with some clarity and confidence. you know, listeners will learn, I think from you, Alison, how to choose a goal that fits their life, build both. sports specific skills and fitness.
Rich: Select and follow an appropriate training structure and understand the purpose behind the work, which. That. is the key, really understanding the why you're doing the work.
Alison: yeah
Rich: And.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: I think your book really reinforces a real practical. progression You're meeting the athletes where they are. pursuing progress rather than perfection. That's a big mind trap of people, isn't it?
Alison: yes For sure.
Rich: And consistency, right? I mean, that is absolutely the key.
Alison: Yes. it's everything Yeah.
Rich: Yeah.
Rich: So we're gonna we're going to dive in all of these topics in just a few minutes. hang with us we're going to do a few things here that are really kind of fun and Allison, I'm glad you're here to help me wish some luck to a few athletes who are racing this weekend.
Alison: yes
Rich: Caroline Young. racing the Longview Half Marathon this weekend. Good luck, Caroline. Haley Harris. Listen, we have you in the show notes here. We know that you're sick.
Rich: And you're not going to be able to do the Royal Victoria half this weekend. But listen, you are in our hearts. And we are here for you. Stay on our chat with us. and You're going to find your next race. I guarantee it. And I'll bet you you'll get some.
Rich: words of wisdom wisdom from Allison here as we go through this. Carrie Rose, Royal Victoria, let's go. And Marcy D, Chicago Marathon, crush it. And then happy birthday to Paul. This is kind of an early one because we're going to hit him again next week, I think. but Paul Hunziker, buddy, enjoy your birthday up there in Tacoma.
Rich: Listen, if you're new to Grit to Greatness, you don't need to be coached to be a part of this community. If you're just looking for support, inspiration, and a group of athletes who truly understand what it takes to balance life, work, and endurance sport, we'd love to meet you. Come.
Rich: and Read about our athletes directly from them on our website. And if you're curious. fill out our little community form here and it's in the show notes and We'll connect you up.
Rich: and you'll be a part of our community. All right Ugh. the moment I've been waiting for. All right formal interview or introduction here, Allison, so bear with me.
Rich: It's going to be a long one because you've got a lot of so lot of accomplishments here.
Alison: okay I know.
Rich: Allison Freeman, as you know, is the author of Unlocking Triathlon. We talked about the purpose of this book. But Allison Freeman is also a triathlete. a writer a usa triathlon level three coach like Yoda like level coach here.
Rich: 2025 USA Triathlon Coach Educator of the Year. I've seen her education videos for level two coaches. Thank you Allison for that contribution to my growth.
Alison: yes
Rich: ah She is also ah the co -founder and principal coach at and NYX Endurance here in Colorado, based in Colorado. She specializes in guiding beginner and intermediate athletes to first triathlon finish lines. has completed nearly 40 triathlons herself including six iron man events and 15 half distance races.
Rich: qualified for USA triathlon nationals five times and has written more than 50 articles for triathlete .com. She's done a lot of writing. I can see how this book came together.
Alison: but
Rich: for you. Um... So you're going to get a bunch of practical tips. You're going to get some training plans in this book, and we are going to give you the link on where to go get it after you're done talking to talking to Coach Allison here.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: so
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Hey. Let's just get into this thing.
Alison: Let's do it.
Rich: um Let's just start with, so I was kind of curious. Tell me about like, it would intimidate me to write a book, but you've written more than 50 articles.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: You do a lot of speaking. How did this come together for you?
Alison: Well, so the origin story is actually really, it was really fun for me because I was basically two years ago ish sitting at my kitchen table checking my email and an email shows up in my inbox and it says something about an offering opportunity and i think that It's for a article. for a publication somewhere. And then I go to read.
Alison: the email and It's Human Kinetics asked me if I would like to write a beginner triathlon training book. And instantly, it was a yes for me. um yeah i didn't i did not have to think about it at all so
Rich: Oh.
Alison: And I guess... you know for me it was a combination of I had a lot of um Content that I'd written for a triathlete magazine, obviously ah that was not a copy paste into the book. um but i had you know kind of a sense of how to structure and communicate some thinking about how to move through triathlon, but also have been working with with beginner triathletes for a decade. maybe longer.
Alison: And so. i was like well this is just what i talk to my athletes about all the time And it's how I structure my beginner triathlon clinics for the outdoor divas. race every summer. And so it was.
Alison: kind of a natural fit where i was like oh i i know what content i want to put into this book i know how i want to structure it and i had to fine -tune it a bit but it was um It was such a natural yes and and and a natural fit that it worked out really nicely.
Rich: Was that the concept that they approached you really was just that gap with? Newer triathletes in particular. that's what they were That's what they were trying to find a so find an author for.
Alison: Yeah, they actually had a... 25 year old beginner triathlete. training title that was about to go out of print and they needed to replace it in their repertoire.
Rich: i see okay cool
Alison: Yeah. Yeah.
Rich: So.
Rich: You know, one thing I've learned as ah in in my coaching career, it's really important as a coach to note your niches. Know who...
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: You. You really. are designed to serve.
Alison: Totally.
Rich: Tell me, how how did you find this? lane of you know, beginner new triathletes, you know, get into that first race.
Alison: So I think that... It's funny because I i was talking with ah a new athlete just the other day, new to me, and new to the sport. And I was starting to say that, you know, I think because I work with beginner triathletes, I focus a lot on education. And then I realized I'm like, actually, it's probably the other way around.
Alison: I think I just naturally tend to focus on athlete education. And that. syncs up really well with working with beginners. Because there's so much for them to learn, but also beginner athletes are just sponges, right? They want to learn all this stuff. They're so excited and they're such students of the sport. And so I think that's really what led me towards working with beginners and enjoying it so much.
Rich: Yeah. You're not dealing with that salty, you know, been doing it for 20 years.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Don't tell me what to do.
Alison: Totally.
Rich: Kind of.
Alison: Yeah, yeah
Rich: yeah
Alison: Yeah. Yeah.
Rich: Yeah. Well, and and I. and this is where i like just go off script like right from the beginning allison
Alison: All good.
Rich: You got to learn something in this too. Like I imagine keeping the beginner mindset.
Alison: Oh yeah.
Rich: is our challenge with so many with it, coach it with as much experience as you have. How do you keep that beginner mindset?
Alison: Well, you know, it's helpful to do those beginner clinics every summer because I do kind of mentally have to go back and be like, okay, I can rewind to my first triathlon. And what was I nervous about? And what did I get wrong?
Alison: And what did I not know? and But you do kind of have to be able to put yourself back into those early days shoes and say, okay, what did that feel like? What did it feel like to be?
Alison: so excited and overwhelmed by something that you couldn't picture. right? Like you're showing up for your first race and you have no idea really how it's going to unfold. And so.
Alison: being able to do that rewind, I think has been really helpful.
Rich: Yeah. Well, good for you because that exposure really keeps you sharp with that crew.
Alison: Oh, totally. Yeah.
Rich: Where? Like. I think every triathlete regardless, you know, It has that experience where it just becomes overwhelming. And I think especially at the very beginning.
Alison: Puffer shark.
Rich: Where does someone begin? Like where's the first step?
Alison: Yeah. So... I always... tell everyone and definitely where I start with my own athletes is you want to start exactly where you are. You know, there's I think there was a...
Alison: cartoon or something that I saw once where someone had hired a personal trainer at a gym and you know they went in on Monday and did some big workout and by Wednesday they couldn't even lift their toothbrush off the counter in the bathroom. because they were so.
Alison: um completely destroyed by the training they were doing with his personal trainer. and That's not what we want. And that's. I think the easiest way to turn someone away from the sport. is to just kind of overwhelm them in the first week so I like to talk about training like boiling a frog.
Alison: um I don't know where I first heard that analogy, but I feel like it fits really well with triathlon and endurance training in general.
Rich: isnt
Alison: So permit me to explain. So the idea is that if you want to boil a frog, and I don't know why you would, but say you do want to boil a frog. If you drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, the frog is going to be like, this is not my home environment.
Alison: And they're going to jump right out and the frog can jump really high, right? So the jog the frog's... out of the pot before you know it. If you put a frog in a pot of room temperature, lukewarm water, They're like, hey, this is fine. This is comfortable. This is where I live. I'm good here.
Rich: fifty
Alison: and then you just turn the the heat up just barely. and over a long time you know the temperature in that pot the water in that pot just goes up degree by degree but it's so slow that the frog doesn't actually realize it's happening because you know it always just feels more or less like it did a minute ago Next thing you know, you're boiling a frog.
Alison: oh Thanks for that. Yeah. So. um So we kind of want training to feel like that. You want next week to feel pretty much like this week does. And so practically speaking, to get into details, you know, if you're a runner and you want to get into triathlon, which I feel like running is the gateway drug for triathlon. So that's where a lot of people start, right? So if you're a runner and you're like, hey, I want to do this, you don't need to go buy a bike and, you know, sign up for four weeks of swimming lessons. although those could be helpful, you know, and buy an indoor trainer and.
Alison: Granted, I probably did do all of this, but. um You don't need to do that in week one. You can be like, okay, I'm just going to do my normal running and I'm going to go to my rec center or my gym and I'm going to hop on a spin bike for 30 minutes.
Alison: And that's your your first step into becoming a multi -sport athlete because now you're doing two sports. And then the next week, maybe you add a second bike, or maybe you stick with one bike a week for a couple of weeks until it feels comfortable. and Then you add that second bike.
Alison: um So I really like. beginners to start and athletes just new to the sport to start where they are and build really gradually. which is why I love it when people, I'm a planner, so I will plan stuff way in advance. And I like it when people do that. but it It gives them time to gradually get where they need to be.
Alison: And your body and your life respond a lot better to that than trying to go from zero to hero in 12 weeks.
Rich: Well, and it's really easy to just build on a habit that they already have as opposed to trying to create a whole new set of new ones all at one time, right?
Alison: Yeah.
Alison: Totally, totally. Yeah.
Rich: so you talk about having an athlete kind of define their why.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Tell me about how you do that. and how your you know connecting it up to their like Why this goal? like Why are they going to pay you a small car payment every month?
Rich: For this goal, like why is it so important? You know?
Alison: So... it's It's a good question. And I do think it's so important that people understand their why. I think that. You know, it's what's interesting is that sometimes it's hard to articulate what your why is.
Alison: But I do think that a lot of times. you can close your eyes and picture what it is that you want to achieve. and you know whether it's crossing a finish line or being out on a run course with your friends.
Alison: or conquering a really hilly bike course or maybe you're doing an off -road event but you can close your eyes and picture that and then on top of that you can really get a sense of how that is going to feel, right? Like what are your emotions going to be when you're crossing the finish line or on that run course with your friends? or you know, powering up this hill. and That is what's drawing you to the goal, right? and Also, you're probably drawn towards the fact a bit that it's
Alison: slightly not unachievable but like currently in your mind feels unachievable and that we also like we think that's fun so But if you can picture that. that sense of kind of like this is what I'm after this feeling this image then that can really help direct you towards okay so if that's the picture that I want Where am I going to find that?
Rich: Yeah, I love that. That image of yourself. yeah It's interesting how many of these athletes that you start working with.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: would even call themselves a runner or a triathlete when you start working with them. What would what would you say?
Alison: Mostly not. Very few, very few.
Rich: No. They think. A runner is somebody else. A triathlete is somebody else, right?
Alison: Yes. Yes. Yes.
Rich: How much of this is... That is an identity that they want to pursue.
Alison: Yeah. Yeah. We'll... Yeah, you know, it's funny. I think that, you know... Some people, yes. I think some people see the finish line photos on Instagram and are like, I want to be able to put that on my Instagram feed. And they think more about the.
Alison: photo than actually the experience and the identity of training. So I do think this is kind of my cautionary tale, I guess, but you know, a lot of times people. are excited about the goal.
Alison: Bye. aren't as aware of what it takes to achieve it. And. may find out that they're not as excited about the work that takes. that it takes to get there.
Alison: And so. You do. you do need both right you need to be excited about this goal and excited about achieving it but also have a good understanding of what you're going to have to do to get across that finish line um Yeah, I think I just took this in a totally different direction, but.
Rich: No, youre know I'm all over the place. I'm just like taking like this numbered list of questions I've got. I'm trying to find a kind of a thread. you know back to them every now and then.
Alison: Totally. Totally. Yeah.
Rich: Um. You. your approach is described as being, a you know athletes know, being in the athlete's pocket. What kind of guidance do newer athletes need beyond just a calendar of workouts?
Alison: Yes.
Alison: Okay, so really what don't they need is the question, right?
Rich: Meh.
Alison: Yeah, so... So when you think about. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do a workout, run workout, some workout, bike workout, whatever. We you know you're developing fitness. That's what the calendar of workouts is there for.
Alison: but you're also working on your sport specific technique. swimming, biking, and running all have technique involved whether you realize that or not. You're working on your execution.
Alison: Skill development so largely pacing and fueling and then some mental skills thrown in And then you're also developing this RPE feedback loop, rate of perceived exertion feedback loop. How does this feel? is it feeling the way it's supposed to feel. right and so All that is.
Alison: is wrapped into a workout, whether or not you realize it's happening. And so having some guidance. on kind of how to think about all those different layers is helpful. And then even outside of the workout.
Alison: You know, training for a triathlon is an emotional roller coaster. and you're going to be overwhelmed in the beginning and kind of demotivated at some point in the middle and then life's gonna throw you a curveball and you're gonna be stressed out about that and so there's a lot of guidance that you need.
Alison: and that I've built into the book to help you. navigate. the training season. So it's not just the information of here's what to do, it's the guidance of here's how to go through the process of doing it.
Alison: um And then of course. You know, there's also race day and like. How do you make this unknown thing feel known? So that's a huge piece of it. and there's a whole section of the book on that.
Rich: you actually let's just dive into that here because like it's funny like I, I have another coaching friend who.
Alison: Okay.
Rich: has an opportunity to go speak at a runner's roost. right They're going to hold an event for him to come and talk to you know a bunch of people at a runner's running store.
Alison: Cool.
Rich: And he's, you know, he's asking me like, what? What subject should I talk about?
Alison: m
Rich: Like what subject should I hit? Should I hit all of it or should I just hit one thing? And if you had just one thing. to share with an audience like that. Is this the thing?
Alison: For runners? Probably not. Because I feel like showing up for a running race is so much more.
Rich: Okay.
Alison: It's just simpler, right? You're doing one thing
Rich: Yeah.
Alison: you bring your running shoes maybe you bring a gel you've got your race bib you're kind of good to go um For runners, I always just talk about zone two and the conversational threshold. um The number of times that people have had their minds blown just by me kind of having that conversation is fantastic.
Rich: Well, what do you think, there what what would you think a running audience, if that's like the gateway drug, is most curious about triathlon?
Alison: Yeah.
Alison: I think the complexity. right? Because running is
Rich: Yeah.
Alison: fairly straightforward. um any you know relative to triathlon training any single sport is really. relatively straightforward and a lot of runners you know you do have runners who are very focused and disciplined on intervals and you know very structured in their training and then a lot of runners that just go out and run which is fine also.
Alison: and so kind of saying, okay, well, if I'm you know, I run 10 Ks and I just kind of go out and run and then I've got fitness and then I go do my 10 Ks. How on earth do you go from that to the complexity of balancing three sports and figuring out how to put them all together and all the equipment and how do you learn to swim?
Alison: and this and that and so i think that the complexity really is the challenge for a lot of people that and just swimming in general
Rich: It all culminates on race day.
Alison: Yes, yes. Best part.
Rich: So. Yeah. So race day planning. Yeah.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: You've got. You've got all of these all the three sports have to come together.
Alison: Yep.
Rich: You've got all of the checklists and the nutrition and all that.
Alison: Yeah, yeah
Rich: True. How do you approach? Getting them ready for race day.
Alison: So I um assign all my athletes homework. Basically, I make all my athletes write a race plan. I'm a. huge believer in the power and importance of a race plan. The way I think about it is that there's a couple of different things it does for you. One is that.
Alison: it takes all of the just kind of logistical thinking and decision -making about like, what time do I need to set my alarm or what time do I need to leave? And what am I going to eat for dinner the night before? And especially if you're not at home, like where am I getting that dinner from?
Alison: What time is packet pickup? You know, when do I drop off my bike? You do all of that thinking ahead of time. instead of trying to do it in the moment when you're kind of flustered and on your heels race weekend so if you Back that up and do that the Monday of race week when the athlete guide is definitely available for you. Then.
Alison: you've you've just front loaded all the decision -making and now you just have a checklist and you're like, well, all I have to do this weekend is follow my checklist. I've done all the thinking. It also, because you've thought it through, it's...
Alison: It's a great place to put that race week kind of taper extra energy, right? Everyone's like all. antsy race week so you can put the energy in that direction but then it's also very calming because you're like oh I have a sense of what to expect. I know what's going to happen here.
Alison: So that's a big piece of it. And then the other piece. is kind of within the race itself, right? If you decide or not decide, you don't decide anything and you show up on race day and you're like, I'm just going to figure out my effort level and my fueling and how much hydration I need while I'm going.
Alison: everything is going to be influenced by how you're feeling in the moment and you're rested and tapered and you have all this adrenaline and you're absolutely going to go too fast, too early, and it's going to come back to bite you. And you're not going to feel thirsty in the beginning and that's going to come back to bite you. And you're not going to be paying attention to fueling. You're not going to get any carbs and that's going to come back to bite you. So trying to kind of wing all that in the moment, just based on how you feel is. generally not the right idea.
Alison: And so. making those decisions ahead of time. When you're. unbiased, and uninfluenced by adrenaline. then you can be very disciplined and say, okay, well, in my training, these were the paces and the power and the heart rate that I was using. And this is how my training felt.
Alison: you know, when I was thinking about my race effort. And so I'm going to apply that to how I think I should feel on race day and what power numbers I should hit and what paces I should hit. And... in practice, in training, I was using this fueling plan. And so I will use that again on race day.
Alison: and I will stick to what I know and stick to what's worked for me in training. And you can just be a lot more disciplined. and intentional about how you approach a race when you're not in the middle of it.
Alison: So I think that race planning and doing that half the time is so completely critical.
Rich: i love how you get the athlete to go through that cognitive process so that they
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: they've they've got you know they've They've thought about it, right, when they're out there.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: you There's a trace of that, you know, that's going to be there.
Alison: Yes.
Rich: it's their own thought. That was their genuine own thought.
Alison: Exactly. Exactly.
Rich: They didn't read it off of a plan that you gave them.
Alison: Exactly. I had one athlete who was. um felt very strongly that I should write the race plan for them. And I, you know, I pushed back. I was like, well, there's a reason that I want you to go through the process of writing it and for you to do the thinking.
Alison: because you buy into it more. Right. And you have to actually think about, well, What would this effort level feel like versus that effort level? you're more likely to remember it that way.
Rich: That's right.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Absolutely. 100%.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: You talk a lot about... um having triathlon you know like Have training fit their fit the... individual's life talk a little bit about like some of the what are some of the complicated like
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: life you know either work you know schedule like you know shift work or what are the some of the things that are
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: challenges that you deal with.
Alison: So it's interesting. And like I said, I'm a planner, so I just kind of naturally look at the world this way. And it's fascinating to me that. just because it's so instinctive for me, but not everyone does. So I've worked with athletes who love to sign up for spring 70 .3 half distance races, but also love to ski.
Alison: And after, you know, a couple seasons of working with them and trying to juggle all that, I'll be like, hey, what do you think about a fall race instead? Because then you can have ski season. And when ski season's done, then we transition. And, you know, we stay in touch with.
Alison: triathlon fitness during ski season, but then we can be focused instead of trying to do this. you know kind of two things at once and it's like oh yeah that's a good idea So that's one way, just kind of understanding the seasons of your life.
Alison: When I first started in the sport. especially doing long course racing. I would only race in the spring or the fall, even though everyone else loves to race in the summer. because my I was a you know entrepreneur slash stay -at -home mom and so when my kids were home for the summer
Rich: Yeah.
Alison: My life was chaos and I could not get in big training hours. And so it was great for everyone else and it was horrible for me. And I was like, well, I know when I have the hours available to train. I know what my seasons are. So you can apply that to like, if you're a CPA.
Alison: and you know that your spring is going to be crazy, don't sign up for a race in May. That's a horrible idea.
Rich: that's right yeah
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Or even open water, like even even like open water anxiety where you need to get some exposure before you get into a race, right?
Alison: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. yeah
Rich: don't Don't sign up for an April or May race in Chattanooga.
Alison: No. 100%.
Rich: Ha ha!
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: you know
Alison: Yeah. So you really do. You kind of have to know like what your available time is, what else is important in your life, what else is going on in your life that you want to kind of block your training around.
Alison: And like you said, you know, if you. Yeah, if you need to get to open water or if you're... um Like around here, if you're going to do a really hilly race, you got to be able to train outside, right? And so you can't do a hilly race.
Alison: in the spring. because It's snowing. here but you could do a hilly race you know another time of year because then the trails are clear and you can get out there and get it done
Rich: well if we really want to blow a new triathlete's mind there's also winter triathlon so you know
Alison: I know, but that's a whole different. that's a whole different ball of wax yeah no But that's to me, that's the like, that's where you start to get.
Rich: and's Oh, I know. No, no. I'm just... i've just ever
Alison: like creative and fun. and
Rich: Well, it's just like a... It's such a fun sport because. There's so many options, right?
Alison: Yes.
Rich: Distance and locations and formats.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: and
Alison: Yes. And just, and different challenges based on the venue.
Rich: No.
Alison: right?
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Alright. Got a couple more questions, then we're going to... I'm going to. wind this down and have a little fun segment with you here. Okay. um
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: All right. I think that this is also a really important learning process. How can post -race reflection turn one finished line into useful learning for the next goal?
Alison: Yeah, so. I love that question Because one of the things I love about the sport is this idea that it's this it's like a puzzle that you're trying to put together, but the pieces are always shifting a little bit. Right. And so I've never once finished a race and been like, oh.
Alison: if i do that a little differently Then. Maybe next time. you know my output my outcome my output will be a little bit different a little bit better and i don't think i mean none of the pros have ever had a perfect race there is no such thing as a perfect race because you're always learning something and always finding something that you want to improve So it's really important because you're not going to remember those four or five, six months down the road or the next season.
Alison: It's really important after the race to... kind of on a just a practical level, reflect on this worked. this pacing, this technique during the swim start, this...
Alison: you know, this strategy for managing open water swimming anxiety, this fueling plan, these shoes, this tri -kit, you know, whatever it is like this worked for me. I don't want to forget that this worked.
Alison: On the other hand, Something else didn't. like i didn't like those gels they upset my stomach or um You know, my socks were bothering me on the bike or whatever it is like, ah, that didn't work. I want to do that a little bit better. I learned. that I need to tweak that. And it could even be.
Alison: I learned, you know, it could be pacing. It could be I learned that I should have done more hill work and training. um you know, whatever it is, whatever your takeaway is, you've got to get that down. But you also want to take some time to kind of emotionally reflect on it. Right. And kind of say like.
Alison: i managed my pre -race nerves pretty well or i didn't I... felt good or didn't during the race. I was proud of this I maybe wish I might have. like felt differently here, but kind of.
Alison: capture that emotional experience too, because it is an emotional experience, not just a physical experience.
Rich: Well, again, this is that cognitive. learning that happens because you take the time to do that reflection and even writing it out is a really good introspective tool.
Alison: Yeah.
Alison: For sure.
Rich: You know, and and there's something that happens. We talked about this. Earlier on, At the beginning of this process, they don't identify as a triathlete. They don't identify as a runner.
Alison: Yes.
Rich: Now they've. gotten here.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Do they identify as a triathlete now?
Alison: That's my hope. That's my hope. I tell... um When I do these beginner clinics for. um It's a women's only clinic here in Colorado, outdoor or women's only triathlon outdoor divas and it's sprint and super sprint distances. And so my clinics are full of first time triathletes. And what I tell them is that in order to be a triathlete.
Alison: The only rule is you swim and then you bike and then you run without taking a nap or having a picnic in between. You don't have to be first. You don't have to be fast. You just swim and then bike and then run. And so what I want is for everyone who crosses that finish line to embody that identity and be like, I'm traveling.
Alison: Because you are. Even if that's the only triathlon you've ever done, you're triathlete. You did the triathlon.
Rich: Yeah, there's a great book out there that I really enjoy called The Gap and the Gain. and We need to stop and take a look back and see how far we've come from who we were.
Alison: Yes! Yes.
Rich: you know right Yeah.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Amazing. Allison? We're not done here, but you listen, thank you. I think we had some big takeaways here. i Start with your why and choose a race that fits your life experience and current capacity.
Alison: last. Yeah.
Rich: Build triathlon skills and fitness together. Confidence grows when athletes understand what to do. how to do it and why it matters. I'm just going to put one more in here.
Rich: And let progress, not perfection, guide the process and use consistent training to consistently create durable progress.
Alison: Absolutely.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Hey. write down Athletes, if you're listening to this, write down thinking cognitive skills here. Write down why this goal matters to you that you're thinking about right now. Choose one next action that fits your current life.
Rich: and identify one race day habit that you will begin practicing now. for next year. and pick up a copy of the book for yourself, okay? Allison?
Rich: We've got some fun segment here for you. This is unlocking triathlon myth.
Alison: Okay.
Rich: or truth.
Alison: Okay.
Rich: And I'm just going to read these statements out and you're going to just give me the myth or truth and your reason briefly. Okay.
Alison: okay Yeah.
Rich: You should already be good at all three sports before registering for a triathlon.
Alison: Definitely a myth. Um, You don't actually have to ever be good at all three sports. You have to be. Passable? Capable? But you don't have to be good at any of them to do a triathlon.
Rich: Don't have to be first.
Alison: Exactly.
Rich: Yep. All right.
Alison: Exactly.
Rich: weekend -long sessions matter more than day -to -day consistency.
Alison: Definite myth. So if you think about the If you get fitness from a weekend, you'll get a big bump in fitness from a weekend section. But if you don't touch that sport again for seven days, you lose all of it.
Alison: Right. If you touch something regularly. then you're going to keep a higher level of fitness, even if you're doing less training each time you touch it.
Rich: Less likely to get injured.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: It's an easier habit.
Alison: that
Rich: Yeah, all these things.
Alison: All those things. Yeah.
Rich: Training must go perfectly for an athlete to be ready to race.
Alison: Absolute myth. um virtually no one has a perfect training season. And I'm a big fan of being over -prepared, but I have learned over my decade plus of coaching that you can pull stuff off with far less than perfection. And a huge portion of that is your attitude and just your... kind of stick -to -it -ness.
Rich: Love that.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: the grit Yeah, the grit. and We call that grit.
Alison: Yes.
Rich: We call that grit around here.
Alison: There you go.
Rich: um Ordinary workouts are opportunities to rehearse race day habits.
Alison: Absolute, yeah, truth, definite. every day.
Rich: You betcha.
Alison: Um, Yeah. And that's like. I live and die by that.
Rich: Race rehearsals, too.
Alison: Yes.
Rich: Alright. A race execution plan is useful only for advanced athletes.
Alison: Definite myth. um As we discussed, it's just like, it's so helpful for everybody.
Rich: Yeah. amazing like
Alison: I honestly like, even if you're doing a 10K or a half marathon and you feel like it's a simple day, I still think a race execution plan is helpful.
Rich: I love this And what a myth buster you are. that was five That was four out of five myths.
Alison: I know, I know
Rich: Like four out of five or miss. Nice job.
Alison: Yeah. Thanks.
Rich: man you didn't fall for any of the you know zigs or zags
Alison: hu
Rich: All right. Listen, this has been an absolute blast. And listen, I'm going to close this out with like a little modification here.
Alison: Yeah.
Rich: Listen, if you're prepared for your first triathlon. go check out coach allison here and read her book you really do want to it's a good read And. Listen. But if you're... you know you If you're you want to come talk to us, we'd love to talk to you too. We're going to help you. Whether you're chasing your 70 .3, your Ironman dream, a...
Rich: a national championship bike race, a marathon. Listen. We want to talk to you. If you've got a coaching question, send us a message. We'd love to chat with you too. Our show sponsor is Vespa Nutrition. Vespa helps you tap into steady, clean energy so that you stay strong, focused, and in the zone longer. less sugar, higher performance and faster recovery.
Rich: Use the code G2GFESPA15 for 15 % off of anything in your cart anytime. Thanks for hanging out with Allison and me today. on the grit to greatness endurance podcast if you've enjoyed this episode please follow us and leave us a rating on apple podcasts and youtube it helps us reach more athletes just like you We're also going to put Allison's contact info in the show notes. So don't miss that.
Rich: And then stay gritty, train smart, and keep chasing greatness. We will catch you next week, folks.
