My top-10 triathletes of 2011

These lists are always fun to make, so instead of complaining about other people's lists, I decided to write my own.

Top-10 Women

1 - Helen Jenkins
2 - Andrea Hewitt
3 - Chrissie Wellington
4 - Leanda Cave
5 - Mirinda Carfrae
6 - Sarah Groff
7 - Melissa Rollinson
8 - Sarah Haskins
9 - Paula Findlay
10 - Rachel Joyce


Top-10 Men

1 - Alistair Brownlee
2 - Craig Alexander
3 - Jonathan Brownlee
4 - Javier Gomez
5 - Andreas Raelert
6 - Sven Riederer
7 - Alexander Bryukhankov
8 - Marino Vanhoenacker
9 - Timo Bracht
10 - Pete Jacobs

High Performance Coaches Manual

"I respect coaches who have the passion to pursue high performance and find a way to make it happen with or without any external support. The best find a way to do it, and do it for the right reasons. They don’t wait around for a job to be offered to them, but are out creating these environments and doing it their way, and show their work through the consistent performance of their athletes over time."

Quotes

"There's not too many Americans out there running 2:08 so I'll take it." -- Ryan Hall.


"To be honest it's pretty sad that this kind of time was good enough to be the top Japanese man." -- Yuki Kawauchi

Excerpt

"One of the principles is trust. I trust that the athletes are fully committed to their goals and the work we do together. The athletes trust me to provide them with guidance to achieve their goals. The other core principle is belief. I believe in the work I am doing and in the ability of my athletes. The athletes believe that under my guidance they will be successful.

All athletes in the Squad, without exception, never asked questions about training, about methods, about stuff like training hours or if they should be doing weights. They committed to the Squad, they trust the work we do at the Squad and they believe in what they're doing. Once you do these things, questions like the ones you asked cease to be important. Once you commit, trust and believe, you free yourself to do what you should be doing: training and racing to the best of your ability.

If you are able to make the commitment, to trust and believe in what we do in the Squad, then this is the place for you. If you have doubt in your mind, then perhaps you're not ready to step up to the challenge. It is your decision."

Squad FAQ - 2012

I have been receiving enquires about the Squad and thought it would be a good idea to answer publicly a few of the frequently asked questions. We're still more than 1 week from the deadline to turn in applications, so get to work! If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at pstriathlon@gmail.com

What is The Triathlon Squad?
A new-concept professional triathlon squad. Under my direction, this new squad offers both emerging and established elite triathletes a high-level training squad operating mainly in North America

What is its mission?
The mission of the squad is to develop elite triathletes capable of competing successfully at international level. Triathlon is a sport where athletes don’t reach their full potential and race their best until several years after starting to race at the professional level. Therefore, the purpose of this program is to provide a comprehensive, positive and supportive environment that prepares emerging elite triathletes for their highest performance ability in the coming years. Toward that end, the program provides an optimal training environment as well as the guidance necessary to gradually yet progressively develop the skills required for world-class performances in triathlon.

Who is Coach Paulo Sousa?
I am a certified triathlon coach who has the unique ability to combine the science of endurance training with the art of real-world coaching. A student of the sport for close to 15 years, I continue to apply advances in sports science to my training programs.

What are the core values of the squad?
- Commitment to excellence
- Loyalty and honesty
- Long-term approach to high performance
- Stability of methods and technical approaches

What are the basic attributes athletes belonging to the squad need to possess?
- Ability to recognize challenge and adjust mentally and physically to positively face the challenge
- Enjoy competing with yourself and others
- See the benefit of a competitive environment to personal development
- See obstacles as a necessary and useful part of the learning process
- Display initiative, self responsibility and independence in quest for progression
- Ability to prioritize lifestyle to encompass all the work needed to progress
- Acceptance of the different forms and tools that offer feedback
- Ability to turn negative criticism into a positive learning tool
- “Be the best you can be, everyday”

What is the process to join the squad?
Selection for the squad will be composed of two phases:
Phase 1 – Application to join the squad (October 2011).
Phase 2 – Evaluation after attending a trial training camp (January 2012).

Phase 1? What is that?
Applications for Phase 1 of the project are open until October 31st, 2011. Just send an email to pstriathlon@gmail.com with your athletic resume and a statement on your motivation to join the squad. All athletes applying to the squad will receive a reply, stating their acceptance or not into the squad. The athletes selected for Phase 2 will be announced on November 15th.

What if I go through to Phase 2?
Those athletes will attend a two-week training camp in Las Cruces, NM in January 2012. At the camp, the athletes will be evaluated as to their potential to be part of the squad in 2012.

I am already an established professional triathlete, do I have to go through Phase 1?
No. If you’re an already established athlete with excellent results, please contact me directly.

I am not a pro, should I apply?
If you believe you can be a world-class athlete, you should apply.

How will the squad function in 2012?
The training camps will be the center of activity of the squad in 2012. Locations for training camps will not be decided by lifestyle considerations, but on what is the best training environment for the athletes to work. The squad will have a semi-permanent location for 2012, to be announced at the beginning of the year.

I would like to join the Squad, but I want to keep my job, is that possible?
No, the Squad is for athletes with total commitment to triathlon.

I can’t join the squad, but I would love to be coached by Paulo, is that still possible?
Yes. The squad will run concurrently with my online coaching practice. Those athletes coached by me will have privileged access to the squad.

I’m an age-grouper and I would love to have a chance to train with the squad, is that possible?
Yes. There will be training camps specifically targeted to age-groupers and running at the same time as the squad camp. The format of these camps will be announced later in the season.

Will the elements of the squad have to race the same races?
No. Athletes in the squad will have individual race schedules. Occasionally, it is possible that more than one squad member will be racing the same race, but that will depend on individual goals.

Is coach Paulo going to be present at every race?
My presence at races will depend on financial support from the athletes. In the case where there will be several athletes at the same race, it will be very inexpensive for athletes to pitch in and support my travel expenses.

How much will this cost me?
The main cost of belonging to the squad is lodging/food during the training camps.

I want to join the squad, but I want to keep my current coach, is that possible?
No. But you might want to ask yourself if you are working in an environment that will allow you to achieve your goals.

A football story

I know a lot of you reading this have disdain for a professional sport like (american) football. But like with any sport, there are things to learn from football.

I heard this story about Tony Dungy from Warren Sapp in some radio show. When Tony Dungy was coaching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they went to play an away game and they lost... by a lot. On the plane trip back, the players were rowdy, partying, playing poker, just screwing around. The next day, coach Tony Dungy had a players meeting and told them just one thing: he didn't mind the partying, but what troubled him was that by the way the players behaved, he didn't know if they had won or lost the game.

I was reminded of this story after reading/seeing some reactions after Kona. If you had a bad race and you're acting like it was nothing the next day, you just don't want it bad enough.

A call to action - 2012

Exactly one year ago, I launched a very ambitious project: an elite training squad operating in North America. The goal was to fill an important gap that existed in the US, the lack of a professional training squad that provided an environment for athletes to gradually, yet progressively, develop the skills required for world-class performances in triathlon.

The Triathlon Squad has had a tremendously successful first year. The athletes in the Squad, with my help, were able to create an amazing working environment virtually from the ground up. Where one year ago there was nothing, now there is a very dynamic structure committed to high performance.

For the 2012 season, I am opening the Squad to those that identify themselves with the values and goals that direct our work.

The squad is based on commitment and sacrifice. My commitment to offer world-class triathlon coaching, and the athletes’ commitment and sacrifice to be the best they can be. Words like commitment and sacrifice are nice words, words that you can find in any self-help book. But few of us realize what they really mean because few of us have an idea of what commitment and sacrifice really means. In a society where everything is served to us in a platter, everyone has an increasing difficulty in understanding the real meaning for commitment and sacrifice. And that means that few of us have what it takes.

So the question is, do you have what it takes? Well, maybe you don’t. Very few of us have the necessary combination of genetic talent, mental skills and social environment in order to achieve personal excellence in triathlon. But maybe, just maybe you have what it takes. How do you know if you have it? It is quite simple: You go through the process. You put the work in. You commit and you sacrifice. And the product of that commitment and that sacrifice will answer the question.

The squad operates mainly in North America, with the possibility of having training camps in Europe. The training camps will be the center of activity of the squad. Locations for training camps will not be decided by lifestyle considerations, but on what is the best training environment for the athletes to work. At the training camps, athletes will have 7 days/week, full-time coaching “on deck”.

The core values of the squad are:
- Commitment to excellence
- Loyalty and honesty
- Long-term approach to high performance
- Stability of methods and technical approaches

The basic attributes athletes belonging to the squad need to possess are:
- Ability to recognize challenge and adjust mentally and physically to positively face the challenge
- Enjoy competing with yourself and others
- See the benefit of a competitive environment to personal development
- See obstacles as a necessary and useful part of the learning process
- Display initiative, self-responsibility and independence in quest for progression
- Ability to prioritize lifestyle to encompass all the work needed to progress
- Acceptance of the different forms and tools that offer feedback
- Ability to turn negative criticism into a positive learning tool
- Be the best you can be, everyday

Selection for the squad will be composed of two phases:
Phase 1 – Application to join the squad (October 2011).
Phase 2 – Evaluation after attending a trial training camp (January 2012).

Applications for Phase 1 of the project are open until October 31st, 2011. Just send an email to pstriathlon@gmail.com with your CV and a statement on your motivation to join the squad. All athletes applying to the squad will receive a reply, stating their acceptance or not into the squad.

The athletes selected for Phase 2 will be announced on November 15th. Those athletes will attend a two-week training camp in Las Cruces, NM in January 2012. At the camp, the athletes will be evaluated as to their potential to be part of the squad in 2012.

If you have any questions regarding the squad, please don’t hesitate to contact me at pstriathlon@gmail.com .

Yours in Triathlon,

Paulo

The song of the sirens*

In Greek mythology, sirens were bird-women, portrayed as seductresses, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

In endurance circles, we have our version of the sirens. Their song tells us there is an easier, faster way to be successful. You can train less, recover more and be more successful than your peers. You can have balance in your life and still be on top of those that relentlessly pursue the same goals you have.

Especially sensible to the song are those that are looking for the shortcut, those that think there is a secret, easier way to achieve their goals. Those that constantly doubt themselves and their path and look for clues to achieve success. "This is hard, there HAS to be an easier way!"

Invariably, these athletes end up shipwrecked, by simply lacking the necessary consistency in training to be successful. Invariably, these athletes are beaten by those that have kept their head down, stayed on the path and went through the process. Invariably, listening to the song of the sirens gets you further away from your goals.



*For the Song To The Siren, go here.

A reminder to all coaches

This is a simple concept in coaching, but I see it being forgotten too often. Here it goes:

As a coach, part of your job is to be ON THE ATHLETE'S SIDE!

Many coaches are great at accepting accolades when things go well, but quickly try to shed their responsibility when things go wrong. They blame the athlete for the options they make. Guess what Mr, when an athlete decides something, it's your decision too!

If you're not comfortable with the decision, you only have two options. Either convince the athlete of his mistake or go with it and assume full responsibility for the consequences. Shrugging your shoulders is not acceptable. There is no in-between, no sitting on the fence. An athlete makes a mistake, you make a mistake.

This is also a personal reminder. It's very easy to try to blame others, and hard to assume responsibility for failure. But when in doubt, always remember to do your job.

One more thing about good decisions

I wrote the blog below in December 2009. Big congrats to Sarah Groff and her coach, Darren Smith. Well done, guys!


"Doing the right thing

Being an observer of the sport, I follow what is going on with some/most of the top performers. I read their blogs, follow them on Twitter, it's part of the job.

One of such athletes is Sarah Groff. I never met Ms. Groff or even talked to her on email, but I've been following her career for some years. It was quite puzzling to see her form crumble when it was crunch time to get the qualification for Beijing. She strikes me as an athlete that does have what it takes to make it as a top performer, but it seems that there is that last 1% missing. Her race at the WCS Final was a good example of that. My coaching bias attributes this pattern of underachieving to her coaching options these last few years.

For all this, I was happy to read her last blog. I was happy to see that she is breaking up with an environment that is not conducive to high-performance (Colorado scene, US triathlon "coaches", etc) and go work with one of the best coaches in Triathlon, that runs a very successful squad. But above all, I was happy to see someone show the commitment it takes to do the right thing.

Very often I see athletes make terrible decisions that keep them further from achieving their goals. Very often I see athletes choose what is comfortable. Very often I see them choosing the lifestyle over the commitment to be your best. So when athletes do the right thing, they deserve to be praised. Well done Ms. Groff."

Quote Of The Day

"I just want to be the best I can be. And I'll do whatever it takes to be that. I could have been really comfortable where I was in Teddington, nice house, family, friends, watching the Arsenal. But if you want to win medals, then you have to do whatever is necessary. Every second counts. One, two per cent could make a difference. I went to the US to find those percentages. People say don't change when things are going well, I felt the opposite. And it's worked."

Mo Farah

The sound of settling*

A lot of times in my work as a coach, I see athletes, both those that I coach and others that I observe, just settling. Just going with the safe, comfortable option. This translates into the decisions they make. It might be in the big decisions, like what races to race, where to live or who to pick as a coach. But also in the small decisions, like cramming workouts to free up an afternoon, changing the training schedule on the fly or what food to eat.

Can you hear the sound of settling? It's just a very low noise, a whisper. It's so low that athletes often have trouble hearing it. This is particularly true to those that speak loudly about how right the approach they're currently using is. When you're shouting, it's hard to hear anything else than your own voice.

Achieving success, both daily but also long-term, means you can never settle. Means you need to always strive to be better. Means you need to break free from the comfort zone. Means constantly asking the question:

Am I settling?



*also the title of a pretty good song.

A recent trend in professional Ironman racing

Underneath the amazing results in Ironman racing in the last few weeks, a trend is more and more noticeable: top athletes have "their" races and no other top athlete shows up to contest them. So you have races like the men's races at Roth, Austria or Switzerland, where besides the designated winner, there really wasn't any competition. On the women's side, it's been the case that top athletes absolutely avoid racing Chrissie Wellington.
These severe cases of "cherry picking" are even more pronounced in 1/2 Ironman racing, where you can have some races that are moderately competitive, while others are not competitive at all. Just as an example, Rhode Island 70.3 had 11 male and female pros starting the race.
This trend isn't happening by chance, but it's the product of the pro rules that the WTC has implemented in the last few years, and particularly since it implemented the new Kona qualifying scheme.
In my opinion, the watering down of fields isn't helping the long-distance professional athletes in particular, but also the sport as a whole. A race where there really isn't any competition is not a race, but an event. In order for long-distance triathlon to grow into a serious sport, we need the best athletes racing each other at a few select events, where they compete for real prize-money. In order for us to have a sport and for it to grow, we need real racing, not cherry picking.

Winning

You need to WANT it!

Winning training plan

"On Monday, I do a 90-minute run, an hour swim, an hour in the gym and two hours on the bike. On Tuesday I swim quite hard in the morning, do an easy run and an easy bike ride and finish with a track session in the evening. Wednesday starts with a long easy session in the pool, a 90-minute run and then three hours on my bike. On Thursday, I’ll swim in the morning and do one or two runs and then a hard ride. Friday is my easier day — swim in the morning, easy run, easy ride. And Saturday and Sunday are both longish rides and longish runs."

You're not so special

"Mr. STEWART: I had the dream that I would not have Bud Harrelson's body. I thought I would have, perhaps, I would grow into something. So I wanted to be an athlete. I didn't want to be in show business.

It was a very different world, and I know a lot of people here are of that era. It was not - we were not in the world where everybody was special yet.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. STEWART: We had not entered into that stage of where everybody had a Facebook page that they could personalize with tunes they love. And you know, my kids will never know what it's like to have nothing to watch because there's like - they will - I mean, I'm surprised that when we have human interactions, they don't like go, let me freeze that and just run that back. Like they're...

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. STEWART: They're accustomed to things being presented to them when they want it, in exactly the form that they want it. And they're accustomed to the idea that - I'm special, and I can do anything, and if I do it, just by the very nature of me doing it, it is in fact then special. I came from the era of, you're not special.

(Soundbite of laughter)

Mr. STEWART: Don't - oh, you think you're special? You're not so special."

Read or listen to the rest of the interview.

Selective reading

"I think more and more in modern sport that athletes are a pawn in what is a modern corporate sports game. It is what it is. Athletes are both expected or hoped that we will simply be OK with a pat on the head and shut up and run. It is like a disease that almost all Olympic sports bureaucrats fall into this classic position: It does not matter how my guys do, so long as it appears that I did all I could to help them. It does not actually matter how athletes perform – so long as the administration makes sure it appears on paper that they did everything possible. If an unpredictable performance happens and it is a good performance, the bureaucrats are all over it taking credit and appearing in pictures. And if it is a poor performance they exit stage right."