goals

I’ve been asking my coached athletes about re-thinking their training goals. How about you? Feeling a bit aimless at this point in time? No goal should ever be taken lightly. If you are pursuing something for a short-term goal or self-serving validation, you’ll end up always chasing the next big thing to feel good and never get the satisfaction you are seeking.

There have been a lot of changes over the last few months in terms of how we approach our training and racing strategy, due to this global pandemic. Some of us have been very fortunate with our health and personal circumstances, so we have been able to “wait it out” and train at home.

Over the years, I’ve done a lot of training indoors as a triathlete and a good number of people also do this during the winter months. For many, however, it has been a bit of a scramble or a shock to the system to get on board with all the technology that is available today. Luckily, there is plenty of choice for most people to train whilst indoors. The exception, of course, has been access to swimming pools. But even there, we’ve been able to adapt to the lack of proper swimming venues with ingenious solutions, such as tethered swimming in a kiddie pool or dryland exercises.

The question is what does the short-term and long-term future of training and racing look like? Will social distancing produce a whole new nuance to training and events?

Enter the virtual athletes!

The WTC, aka Ironman Corporation, has provided many athletes with an outlet to complete weekly challenges, which are similar in distance to that of events IRL (in real life). A good number of my athletes and I have taken up these #IronmanVR challenges for 8 weeks in a row! I’ve been perplexed about how we can keep going week after week? Targeted, well planned training programmes have turned into maintenance with massive ebbs and flows of weekly smash fests. I have a feeling that it has worn a few of us down, including myself.

Setting new goals

Now think about yourself, where is it going to take you?  Who are you going to be in the end? Why are you pursuing the goal? Do you have a goal?

My thoughts about this are clear on the matter. We have a brave new world out there, so why don’t you try something new? Work on things you hadn’t conceived of previously, such as perfecting your running technique, a new flexible you, how to get those perfect abs, helping others by helping yourself.

Now where to apply those things? How will they make you a better athlete? How will they positively affect you from the inside as well as on the outside? Are these things achievable?

Here are a couple of mantras:

• There is no greater motivation than what lies within you
• I will find solutions in these difficult times.
• Don’t wish for it, work for it

Just a few thoughts for you in our seemingly uncertain times. What will YOUR new goals look like, long-term or short-term? We are here to help.

Why Aloha Tri?

At Aloha Tri, we have decades of experience and the right coaching certifications from Ironman University, British Triathlon (Level 3) and TrainingPeaks.  We offer bespoke coached programmes via the Premium TrainingPeaks platform, giving you structure and visibility into your training plan. You can choose from weekly or daily progress reviews, which provides corrective action.  We have worked with hundreds of athletes of all ages and abilities and improved their performance, skills and mindset. What motivates us is the “Aloha spirit”, a powerful way to achieve a desired state of mind and body, which we translate into how we coach you. Contact me (rav@alohatri.com) to maximise your investment in your sport!