Five Training Takeaways From the Successful Athletes Podcast

Sometimes maintaining a consistent training schedule is easier said than done. When you’re struggling to keep your training on track, trying some new strategies can help. Here’s what five successful athletes have done to maintain a consistent workout regimen and keep their training consistent from one goal to the next.

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1. Try Something New

Sergio Sandoval had one goal in 2019 – to finish the Leadville Trail 100 in less than nine hours. When he secured his race entry and began working towards his goals he began experimenting with different training strategies to find the one that worked best for him.

Because Sergio also had some weight loss goals, he ended up trying early morning fasted rides, and found that routine worked well with both his goals and his schedule. In turn, he was able to manage a consistent training schedule before work, and ultimately ended up finishing the Leadville Trail 100 in less then nine hours. If your current training regimen isn’t working for you, try training at a different time.

2. Keep it Fun

With numerous 24 hour time trials, races across the country, and a world championship title in the 24 Hour TT under her belt, Meaghan Hackinen is a pro at managing high-volume long-distance training. Meaghan says when riding 24 hour TT’s and training at high volumes, keeping things fun is an absolute necessity to keeping her motivation stoked.

Meaghan currently uses TrainerRoad and does many of her structured workouts indoors on her trainer, but her favorite workouts are her outside workouts. Meaghan knows that for her own motivation it’s important to get in some outside riding in addition to her indoor structured training. The indoor workouts make her faster outside, and the motivation she gets riding outdoors keeps helps her maintain structure indoors. If you find that maintaining a strictly indoor training regimen doesn’t work for you, try incorporating some Outside Workouts into your week.

3. Know Your “Why”

There’s a multitude of reasons you might start structured training. For Jesse Fortson, he had one big “why” that drove his other goals home: he wanted to get faster. Jesse had other goals related to weight loss, and with structured training and cycling he lost 145 pounds. But weight loss wasn’t the why behind a lot of his training decisions.

Instead, Jesse focused on doing things that would help make him faster. This in turn helped him achieve his weight loss goals in conjunction with his cycling goals. He shares that consistently reminding himself of his why helped him stay on track and drove decisions that lead to accomplishing his goals. If you haven’t before, make sure you establish your “why” and find ways to tie it into your training. Your why in turn can help you reinforce consistency.

4. Establish a Training Schedule

Triathlete Zach Josie doesn’t just balance three different disciplines of training. He also has a physically demanding job running a crew for a residential concrete company. Because the job is so physically demanding, Zach knows that fitting intervals in after a full day on the job isn’t a realistic option. Instead, he gets up at 3:00 am every day before work and trains indoors on his smart trainer.

Establishing a routine and finding a time when you can train every day helps eliminate any extra planning or uncertainty around your training. Maybe early morning workouts aren’t for you, but if there’s a time you can train at consistently everyday, structuring your training around that time frame can help you maintain a more consistent regimen.

5. Just Start the Ride

Professional mountain bike racer Sonya Looney has a very busy schedule. Amid training and racing, she’s also a mother, an entrepreneur, a writer, and a podcast host. When Sonya is struggling with low motivation, limited time, or low energy, she has one rule for herself – just start the ride. Motivation often follows action, and Sonya has found that most times if she just starts her ride, that motivation will follow and she’ll finish a full workout. This in turn helps her get out the door everyday, and maintain consistency. If all else fails, just try to start your ride today. You might surprise yourself!