Committed Consistency Is the Key to Performance

Keeping the good habit up is key to your personal success in sport, business and in your career. However, commitment is critical to sticking to a plan of action/activity, however the plan is based on activity rather than sightless, rigidity.

Yesterday, I rode for 90 minutes in the early morning and did an hour’s worth of swim drills. About 24 hours before that, I did a 5K cross-country time trial, so my body was in need of a recovery mode, and thus I slept in this morning instead of doing a 90K easy ride. Without much regret, I will swim and do a core strength workout this evening. The restful sleep did do my body some good, as I did not feel sore anymore. On my favourite riding circuit yesterday, Belinda Granger and Justin Granger greeted me – it was a pleasant surprise. The 14-time Ironman winner is in Singapore with her husband to conduct private training clinics before her assault on Ironman 70.3 Philippines. I first met the professional triathletes-couple when Belinda won Ironman China; I got the check-in staff to waive their excess baggage since she was the champion.

I spoke to my friend, David Chambers who is in town for a month. He did very well in Ironman New Zealand 2010, earning a sub-12 hour performance. He trains under Gordon Byrn, who is co-author of ‘Going Long’ – a book on training for ironman distance. Gordo’s advocates little high-intensity training, and focuses on consistent training (do something every day, even if it is stretching or core strength work) and sticking to a manageable pace. For instance, ride 120K (in sets) however at a similar heart-rate/intensity throughout each set. For strength training on the ride, push up the gear and stick to the same cadence. If you want to run fresher after the ride, you need to have strong riding abilities.

As I shared earlier this year, my running improved with my new approach of three runs per week: one 21K or a two-hour run, and at least two 10K run. All my runs are either at tempo, and may include off-road running. I monitor my sessions on my Garmin 310XT, and used my Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and ‘feel’ to gauge my intensity. My new motto is: Run less and perform better!

Coach Jon Ackland said in his lecture in 2006 in Taupo: Swim, warm-up. Ride, warm-up. What you are preparing for is the marathon.’

Keep up the habit. A little goes a longer way.