I am a regular listener of the FastTalk podcast, a gold mine of information and advice on cycling, triathlon, and sport science. They set a high bar, but this week's show rises even above that.
Race Stress, Threshold Work, and Dealing with Health Setbacks.
This episode is in a roundtable format where three coaches take turns introducing a subject and having a conversation about it without preparation. This in itself is unusual for them, because they usually present a barrage of studies and data to back up a position. No wishful thinking here. This episode is exceptional in that it gets very personal, for them and for me.
The first segment is about performance anxiety. I think it helps to know how common these feelings are, and to hear long-time athletes share how it affects them.
It's the last segment that really gets to me. The discussion begins straightforward enough. How do coaches deal with their athletes' life disruptions? We hear two of the panel members open up about their personal challenges, and I found this deeply moving. Ron Pickles shares his long running struggle with auto-immune issues. Then Trevor Connor shares his recent diagnosis of a-fib and how it means the end of a successful bike racing career. This really hit home.
There is one big difference between Trevor's and my situation. An occurrence of a-fib will bring you to your knees, and can be fatal. My condition places some constraints on performance, but I can still get out there. It’s not fatal.
One thing Trevor said was how he felt like retirement was forced on him. I can understand how he feels, and I felt much the same even though my situation is different. My feeling, one that has been coming into focus gradually, is that I may never achieve my Ironman goals. I am not ready to give up yet. What I must accept is that I have to be very careful about my training.
As a coach, I strive to look beyond the data and spend at least as much if not more time understanding and responding to everything that is going on in my athletes’ lives. The goals they set, the challenges they face, and the successes and failures they experience along the way. It’s not about how well they perform, but who they want to be at the finish line.