Paddy Cloete (Psychologist and Ironman)
paddycloete@mweb.co.za
082 413 6649; (041) 581 1318

The Rugby World Cup is in full swing and the Springboks are looking good, but this is a long tournament. The Wallabies might have lost to Ireland, but that does not mean that they are out of the tournament. The team that will raise the William Webb Ellis trophy above their heads will require, amongst other qualities, patience, persistence and perseverance (3 Ps).

At the start of the triathlon season it is important to remind yourself of the fact that, your training and eventual participation in either 70.3 or IM, will be similar to the Springboks’ preparation and participation in the World Cup. Patience, persistence and perseverance will be essential qualities to successfully completing these events.

Triathlon fitness takes time to develop. There are no short cuts, hence the importance of patience, persistence and perseverance. Initially you may feel excited because you have committed to this goal, especially if this will be your first 70.3 or Ironman. The excitement will eventually be replaced with the realisation that the race itself is not the biggest challenge, the training is. You will experience plateaus and down periods along the way when it feels like you are the only one who is not progressing.

The challenge is to not allow the slow progress and the setbacks get to you. If you let frustration and impatience overwhelm you, you will not achieve your long-term goal. You need to accept that progress takes time. There is no way to speed up the conditioning process. Accept that you will have setback in your training. When the going gets tough you need to have patience to accept that this is part of the process to get to the finish line. You need to persist and persevere in the face of adversity, reminding yourself that this will prepare you for the challenge of race day. Developing patience, persistence and perseverance will ensure that you stay positive and motivated long enough for the gains to occur and for you to achieve your IM goals.
It is not surprising that the 3 Ps were highlighted when some of the finest triathlethes (Dave Scott, Mile Pigg, Heather Fuhr, Paul Huddle, Pete Kain and Victor Plata) in the world were asked by Taylor and Schneider (2005) to compile a list of tips for triathletes. These athletes emphasised that the 3 Ps are essential qualities for achieving your triathlon goals. According to them, the development of these qualities should start in your training. Strength, stamina, technique and flexibility cannot be rushed. You must allow these components of your fitness to develop through your ongoing and progressive training efforts. Patience, persistence and perseverance can prevent training setbacks, such as overtraining, illness and injury, all of which will slow your progress. Asserting patience, perseverance and persistence in your training involves sticking to your program, maintaining a long-term perspective on your progress, training at your own predetermined pace, keeping your ego in check during workouts and training races, and actively controlling your impulsive impulses.

Developing these qualities in training will prepare you to be patient in races and to persist and persevere when you hit the down periods on those long race days. Patience in races will act as a regulator when you are feeling unusually good, getting overeager, not wanting others to pass you, or not respecting or appreciating the distance. These qualities can prevent you from going at an unrealistic pace, maintaining an effort above your anaerobic threshold, and bonking later in the race.

Staying patient in your races means having and adhering to a clear race plan, respecting the distances, keeping the late stages of the race in mind, and recognising that all of your early efforts are aimed at conversing energy late in the race and finishing strong. The list of top athletes who have failed to make the podium because they did not exercise patience is endless. I am sure you can also add several age groupers to this list. Similarly, the list of athletes who remained patient and persisted when the going got tough to eventually finish with a podium position is endless too.

Raynard Tissink in the 2004 World Championship in Kona comes to mind. He started vomiting on the bike and thought his race was over, yet remained patient realising that he could not change the circumstances. He adjusted his pace and persevered. When he reached the turn-around point on the run he realised that not all the athletes have been exercising patience and they had started paying for it. Raynard was patient and persistent in his perseverance. He had enough in his tank to kick at the right time, and despite his earlier setbacks he succeeded in achieving his first top 10th finish at the World Champs.

I conclude with the wise words of the philosopher Publilius Syrus who said that “it takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity”. Remember to be patient with your training, persist and persevere and you will be rewarded with a successful race.

Recognition to Baker & Sedwick (2005) & Taylor & Schneider (2005)