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| What is your "Why"? |
Conventional thought in triathlon training is that it's important to have a “Why”.
Why are you doing this? Without some underlying reason, it can be hard to sustain motivation. After all, triathlon training typically takes time and effort—time that could go into other things.
There can be many Whys. The top five Whys, according to the latest AI models, are:
To challenge themselves. To prove something to themselves.
Health and fitness. Cardiovascular health, strength, weight management.
Variety of training. Keeps workouts fresh and prevents boredom.
Join a community. A sense of belonging, camaraderie, and shared experiences.
Personal growth and self-discovery. Discipline, perseverance, mental toughness.
My Why is really centered on #2, "Health," but it's a bit more specific.
In high school, our physics teacher, "Mr. B," was an avid exerciser and had a saying: "You exercise the body because it contains the mind." This has become a bit of a mantra and an inspiration for me.
This became even more important as I began to see that there is a history of dementia on my mother's side of the family. As I look at all the things I can do to help increase my chances of avoiding dementia, exercise emerges as the best hope science has found so far.
My philosophy is that if I am not healthy, it is really hard to help others. Thus, exercise helps me 1) be healthy and have more energy today, but also 2) helps me in the best way I know to be healthy in the future and avoid being a burden.
This mantra/philosophy helps me avoid feeling selfish (although sometimes I still do) by spending the time it takes to train for triathlons. It also helps get me off my ass on days my motivation is low. I'm not working out just for myself, but working out to be healthy years from now to be an asset and not a burden to those I love. My Why is shaping how I train and coach.
When I work with others, my motto is "Train Smart, Race Smart, Be Healthy."
It is important that my triathlon training and coaching is centered on the Why of being healthy. History shows that being good at endurance doesn't always equal being healthy. For example, a raft of heart troubles are affecting endurance athletes from the past who followed the "train hard" mantra. For example, Dave Scott, a six-time Ironman world champion who was known for high-volume, high-intensity workouts, is now struggling with heart issues.
The 80/20 style of training has been a game-changer in that regard. While there aren't definitive longitudinal studies I am aware of, it appears increasingly clear that focusing on low-intensity aerobic exercise is producing better long-term health outcomes. The science of building a more solid aerobic base seems to be an important component of good metabolic health, which appears to be one of the main factors in avoiding dementia.
So, my Why goes back to Mr. B: "We exercise the body because it contains the mind."
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