You may not like boxing or ultimate fighting but you can definitely enjoy watching a fighter train and most importantly you can learn a lot from it. Fighting is a dangerous sport and fighters put their life at risk every time they go in the ring. That’s why they take training really seriously because they know that if they are not at their optimal shape they will loose the fight and end up at the hospital. Therefore, fighters don’t fight every weekend but instead focus on maybe one or two fights per year. That means months and months of dedication and commitment for a single fight. They do long training camps with their crew and training partners and train specifically to be able to win against their opponent. As the day of the fight approaches, their diet becomes really strict and they loose a lot of weight. Furthermore, they refrain from sex and alcohol a few weeks or even months before the Big Day.
So how can we, triathletes, train and race with the mindset of a fighter?
First of all, you need to select only a few A races and accept that you won’t be at your optimal shape for your other B and C races, the same way that fighters do sparring with their training partners during training camps. By having only one Big goal you can have a much longer period during which you build your base and mileage and also do some gym work. Then you can gradually do shorter and faster intervals and reach your best peak shape. These “smaller” races are just a way to learn and improve so that you are at your peak for your big race. Also, you can train specifically all year long for the type of race course and the weather conditions of the race. Mirinda Carfrae is a great example of someone who selects one key race: Kona and performs really well in that race. The other races are simply “training” races. That of course requires a lot of confidence and commitment because if you don’t perform well at your key race, your season would be over without any good performance and you may loose sponsors. However, if you DO perform the rewards would be much greater than if you competed in many races at 95% of your potential. That’s why you must race with an “All or Nothing” mindset; the mindset of a fighter.