Performance through persistence

Nicholas Hull
Mar 1, 2016
5 min read

It may not be "Throwback Thursday" or "Flashback Friday" but I came across a memory today that I wanted to reflect on.

On this day two years ago I won the National Age Group Triathlon Championships in Devonport. I took a step back from racing elite in 2013/2014 because in my heart I knew I wasn't training with the same focus and intensity as previous years. A lot of my focus was on establishing myself as a coach and setting up Personal Best Triathlon and to race at the top level in this sport you need to be 100% committed and focused on that. I set this race as my major goal for that season with the mindset of, if I can get myself back in a position to win the age group national championships then I can step back up to racing elite again with a refreshed attitude, mindset and focus.

I'd been in complete control of coaching myself for just over 6 months and to win my age group and be the fastest athlete on the day was a performance and goal I'm really proud to have achieved. To make it that little bit more special, it was awesome to have Dan Atkins, who was my coach prior to taking up a role in Perth with Triathlon Australia, on the sidelines cheering me on and was the first person I found after crossing the finish line. To tick this goal off my list gave me the confidence to step back up to racing elite.

Performance through persistence.

The beginning of this year has been very quiet for myself in terms of racing and aside from countless training sessions I have spent a bit of time thinking about how I can educate, entertain and inspire.

I've taken to listening to a lot of podcasts while I've been out riding and there have been a few interviews with Greg Bennett recently that have really caught my attention. It short he discusses the importance for professional/ elite triathletes to take a step back and ask themselves are they doing everything they can to educate, entertain and inspire. Being a professional/ elite athlete is so much more than just training and racing and in particular in terms of sponsorship it is about the complete package that you can offer as a rolemodel in the sport of triathlon. In light of this and while I'm not in a heavy racing schedule I thought I'd take a look back through some old blog posts and articles I've written and share some thoughts on goal setting and season planning to give everyone the best possible opportunities to achieve performance through persistence.

Goal Setting:

For the past three years now I've been an ambassador and coach for Team CPL (Cerebral Palsy League community fundraising program) and the Noosa Triathlon. Below is an insert from an article I wrote for them about goal setting.

I think one of the biggest motivating factors that keeps drawing me back to the Noosa Triathlon are the goals I set for myself and the drive to achieve them. Even before there is any real need to lace up those running shoes, tighten the goggle straps or clip on that helmet I would encourage everyone to come up with some goals for themselves. The best way to come up with any goal is to follow the SMART goal setting method. Any goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. While your major goal will most likely relate to your finishing position or time at Noosa, set yourself intermediate or smaller goals that lead to your major goal. These minor goals or stepping stones will keep your motivation high and allow you to keep track of your progression in training. Another very simple but great idea is to write these goals down, stick them on your fridge, on your desk at work or in your diaries. The more you see these goals the more you'll be driven to achieve them and tick them off your list. It's never too early to get out there and start training but the motivation to train for an event that seems so distant can be tough, so take the time to come up with a set of goals for yourself and you might find yourself out there taking the first step towards ticking a goal off the list earlier than you thought.

Season Planning:

Below is an insert from an article I wrote for Age Group Triathlon Magazine (a resource for age groupers wishing to be inspired by what others are doing and improve their sport technically) about season planning.

Most athletes will have a goal race or major goal in mind when they start training and this is an ideal starting point. This is what I like to refer to as your ‘A’ race. Try and limit your ‘A’ races to 2-3 per season to avoid burning out because these are the races that you base your season around and involve proper taper periods and are best followed with a period of rest to reset the mind and body once they are over.

These races provide the framework around which your season is built and all of your other races should complement and build towards these. With your framework in place, it’s time to start to fill in the pieces and we now move on to your ‘B’ races. The first place I like to look when planning my ‘B’ races are 2-4 weeks before my ‘A’ races and at the end of a training block to test my fitness. There isn’t as much focus on the taper with these races but a few easier days in the lead up will always have you ready to go.

The final piece of the puzzle is scheduling in your ‘C’ races. I like to think of these as training races and they often don’t require much alteration or taper to your normal training schedule. With this being said, they are still an important part of the planning process. These also don’t necessarily have to be triathlons and if you are focussing heavily on one discipline of the triathlon it can be beneficial to include these events in your training. Including these early on in the season can be a great way to keep you focussed on the process of your ‘A’ goal which at times can seem like a distant event. Never go into any of these races without a specific goal or objective for the event. Whether it is your final race of the season or your first, knowing what you want to achieve out of it and how it fits in with the plan of the rest of your season can influence how you perform.