Thoughts on Training #2: Limiters and Acts of Faith

In my previous post, Random Thoughts on Training, I wrote about one of the common mistakes of self-coached endurance athletes – training too hard. By this I mean too much zone 3 and too many moderate-to-hard workouts in a week.

Now I will make brief comments on what your training should primarily focus on – your limiters

Focus on Your Limiters

All athletes have limiters that are holding them back from achieving better race results. In my Training Bible books I show how to identify and improve those limiters, which is critical to your success. The primary focus of your training should be on “fixing” these limiters (while doing just enough to maintain your strengths).

Limiters can be mental or physical. For example, a physical limiter for a triathlete could be any one of the three sports. In fact, there’s no doubt that this is a limiter for all triathletes. You can’t be good at everything. Which is your weakest sport? If you’re a cyclist you’ve got to be good at whatever your A-priority race demands of you. If climbing is your weakness and your race is hilly, there’s no doubt what you must work on. The same goes for sprinting and time trialing. Limiters can also be lifestyle-related, like chronic poor sleep or a junk food diet. Not believing in yourself would be a mental limiter.

What are you good at and what are you not good at? Devote a lot of training to the limiters and less time to your strengths.

Gauge Progress for Your Limiters

So how do you gauge progress for your limiters? The best indicators are racing (especially a race you’ve done before), lab testing (such as for lactate thresholds or VO₂max), and field testing (functional threshold power or pace, VO₂max field test).

Go into these indicator sessions just as you would a B-priority race by reducing your training load (half as much volume as usual and no intensity above zone 2) for the three days prior. Be aware that it’s not uncommon to see little or no improvement in fitness and performance for 6 weeks or more. So, hang in there. While your body is becoming more fit daily, the changes are so small that they don’t become measurable for several weeks.

In the meantime, you’ve got to believe what you’re doing is right. That’s why training is an act of faith.

Next, I’ll share my thoughts on consistency in training.