Taking Stock - Gizmos
With all the stuff that I have written recently on powercranks, power taps, bike fit and my new Trek, one might be forgiven for thinking that the main focus for triathlon success is getting the slickest set of gear and toys.

Gizmos

The other day, I was running through an inventory of all the gear that I have owned in the last few years. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the various products I have won, tested, bought and borrowed...

  • Bikes - Kestrel KM40, Kestrel 200 SCi, Curloo Custom TT (two), Curloo Scandium Road, Trek TTT, Reiker Easton Ultralight
  • Wetsuits - Ironman VO2 Stealth (two), QR, Xterra
  • Wheels - Hed CX, Hed Aero, Hed Jet, Hed J2, Hed Disc, Hed-3, Heliums, Zipps
  • Aerobars - Syntace, VisionTech
  • Bike Gizmos - Specialized Bike Computer, Polar XTrainer with Altitude/Cadence/Speed, Power Tap, Powercranks, SRM Cranks, Computrainer
  • Other Gizmos - Seal masks, swim paddles, swim snorkels, medicine balls, Swiss balls, wobble boards, therabands, swim cords
If you follow on-line discussions you will see that endless time is devoted to analyzing, the right training strategy, the right frame material, the right wheel set, the right HR/power/lactate zone... However, when you talk to the majority of truly elite athletes and coaches you hear a lot of things such as:
"I like my athletes to learn how to train on feel"
Dr. John Hellemans - five-time world AG champion, head of New Zealand Multisport Training Centre and coach to some of the best triathletes in the world (past and present)

"When you are really fit, it doesn't matter what you do." ...and, a personal favorite of this 33-year old, "You know why everyone is so 'old' at Kona? Because it takes a long time to get good."
Both courtesy of Scott Molina - won every race under the sun, coach to some of the fastest people in Ironman

"Work hard for the rest of your life because there is no easy way."
Dick Jochums - swim coach to Olympic and World Champion athletes

"Cycling is a blue collar sport, you have to do the miles."
Jonas Colting - 2nd IMNZ 2002, 3rd World Long Course Championships 2001
These are people who know what it takes for athletes to truly reach their full potential. Put simply, it takes a lot of work over a very long time.

The role of the intelligent athlete or coach is to channel this work into the most effective training strategy. Without a doubt, a good coach or mentor will often be the difference between athletic success and failure. However, the fact remains that the majority of the people at the top of any field have several common traits:

  • A deep joy for what they do
  • Total commitment to their goals
  • Persistence in the face of set backs and challenges
  • An uncompromising work ethic
So what about the gizmos? For me, the gizmos are merely a way to make the long hours more interesting. A little variety goes a long way in a 20+ hour training week! Don't fool yourself about the real source of your improvement — smart training, a dedicated focus to fundamentals and effective recovery.

It really hits home when I look at the times that the Big Four were doing at Kona in the 80s and 90s. These guys were all on high volume, traditional training. Recently, a riding buddy told me a story about a friend of his who used to sit on Mark Allen's wheel for epic training rides. Later this evening, I will be spending my time graphing power, HR and cadence on my portable PC. I'll keep playing with my gizmos but my gut tells me that an athlete could put together a pretty impressive career by learning from and training with the fastest people of his era. Still not sure? Just ask Paul Huddle.

See you at the races,
gordo

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