Building a Team to Get to the Top

There are very few successful athletes who reach the top on their own, and by this I mean their very own. Most will have a coach or at the very least someone who they can turn to for advice.

When the inevitable happens and they get injured (I’ve yet to come across a competitive athlete who is never injured!!) they visit a physio who they trust.

To reduce the potential for injury they might engage the services of a masseur on a regular basis. There might be the occasional (or more frequent in some cases) meeting with a nutritionist, psychologist, sports physiologist (regular fitness testing??) and not forgetting the GP that they turn to for solutions to "normal" medical problems.

What we have is in fact the beginnings of a team, a group of people who have been chosen on the basis of first hand experience or referrals from friends/other athletes/coaches etc.

Having this support network in place allows you to access help immediately. There's nothing worse than having to spend a couple of days finding a physio when really you need treatment straight away.

As you wind down at the end of the season we would ask you to consider the ways in which you can build your own team to help you prepare for the season ahead. Here are some suggestions.

Family
This is your main support network. To be able to pursue a sport like triathlon which due to its triple disciplines, means a high volume of training requires a great deal of support from parents, partner, children and friends. I listened to Adrian Moorhouse the other day relate how supportive his family were but that it wasn't until after he had reached the top that he realised just how much they had sacrificed!

Try to involve your family in the decision-making about races and holidays and take care not to exclude them when you have a period of hard training ahead. I personally wouldn’t want to be the best triathlete I could be but without any friends and a family from whom I had been excommunicated.

Medical & sports science team
You can only achieve optimal training if you are fit and healthy. The medical team is the second most important part of your team - there to assist you in maintaining full health or returning to it after injury or illness. Ideally you would want to link up with practitioners who are sympathetic to your sport. A GP who doesn't think that you need "sectioning" would be a good start. A physio with sports injury experience is also invaluable. Ideally your team would include the following:

GP, Physiotherapist, Sports Masseur, Sports Nutritionist, Psychologist, Podiatrist, sports physiology lab

Equipment
Purchasing a new bike is not a regular purchase for most triathletes, but buying spare parts definitely is. Getting advice that you can rely on about the latest aero bike bits or the right shoes for your running style is very important. I know of one athlete who bought shoes on the recommendation of the shop assistant only to find that they were totally unsuitable for her running style. The end result was more physio treatment and a loss of confidence in the shop. To your team list you might want to add the following

Bike shop, Running shop, triathlon shop, clothing shop (not Harvey Nicks, Doh!)

Work
When you are training for a major competition there will be times when you are feeling tired, very tired. Traveling to and from competitions may even require time off. Enlisting workmates to help cover for you at work or even, temporarily, to take some of your workload would be a great help. Good team work can also lead to better productivity at work.

(Read how this worked for an athlete training for IM Hawaii.)

Training facilities
Having a settled training environment is a massive bonus in the search for long term improvement. Having easily accessible training routes which are safe and can cover all aspects of your preparation does actually reduce a great deal of training stress.

Imagine how much harder it would be if you had to get out the map and plan every training ride just to get the right amount of hill work. It's far easier, if you know that you have a hill session, to be able to just jump on the bike and go.

Other training facilities that you should look for are a pool with a good master's programme and also where there are no restrictions on using paddles, pull buoys and fins.

Your winter programme should contain a fair bit of strength training so a good gym is also a priority.

Coaches
Some athletes have one coach who sets the whole programme, whilst others access several coaches, each with different specialties. Whichever path you choose please do not think that this is an automatic route to success. The coach athlete relationship must be worked at to get the most from it, just like all other relationships.

You may know a coach that can help you and so your job will be easy. If you don't then you should look for an individual who has time to devote to you, shares your goals and aspirations, has the experience of operating at the level you wish to reach and above all someone you relate to and trust.

Summary
Having the right team around you can make it a lot easier to accomplish your goals. Now is the time to put your team in place, so that when you need them they are there.

If you don't know of the appropriate people then ask fellow athletes. Once you have a name and number do some research or ask to meet them. Then once the time comes it's just a matter of picking up the phone.

YOUR TEAM CHECKLIST

MEDICAL:

• GP
• PHYSIOTHERAPIST
• PODIATRIST
• SPORTS MASSEUR
• SPORTS NUTRITIONIST
• SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST
• SPORTS PHYSIOLOGIST OR SPORTS SCIENCE LAB

FACILITIES:

• POOL WITH GOOD MASTERS PROGRAMME
• RUNNING TRACK
• TRAINING ROUTES – BIKE & RUN
• TRAINING PARTNERS or CLUBS
• WELL EQUIPPED GYM

COACHES:

• TRIATHLON COACH
• SWIM COACH
• RUNNING COACH
• STRENGTH COACH

EQUIPMENT:

• BIKE SHOP WITH GOOD MECHANIC
• RUNNING SHOE SHOP
• SPORTS NUTRITRION SUPPLIER

LARRY GAGNON - Success through Teamwork

After scoring a lottery spot in his third try, the first issue he had to tackle was HOW? How would a family man with a new, full-time job juggle everything in a way that didn't leave his family neglected, his work undone and him unfit to tackle this little thing called Ironman.

"I created what I call a Virtual Team. I sent an e-mail to a lot of friends and associates and I said, 'Alright listen, I am going to go and do this thing and would you like to hear about the exploits?' And everyone was like yeah, yeah. But I had one friend who was like, 'C'mon Larry what are you kidding me? You got a job, you've got kids, you are in your forties, ya know let's be real!'

It was good for me to hear that but I came to the conclusion that yeah, I don't feel as fast and all that kind of stuff, but I felt the level of maturity I had and the intelligence about training the right way allowed me to overcome for youth in this case.

With such inspiring e-mails chronicling the trials and tribulations of Ironman training, Gagnon's Virtual Team has multiplied to around forty members. For those outside the Ironman loop, the idea of completing such a race is foreign to them. Gagnon answers their questions from "What do you eat?" to "How many days does it take you to do this?". In turn for their Ironman 101 education the team offers motivation and strength to continue on the journey.

The other members of his team are his wife Kathy and two children, Hannah and Max. Anyone who has been through the Ironman process understands that it is not only the athlete whose life revolves around the elusive Ironman medal, but the entire family. Chores and playtime are sometimes put on hold so that the triathlete can get just one more run in.

"It's an achievement-of-a-lifetime goal, so I figure that it is worth all the time we have all sacrificed," explained Kathy. "All of our energy as a family has focused on this. We have delayed everything. Everything revolves around Larry's training. I'll be honest - it is more like being a single parent for me. I have accommodated everything in my schedule, so I basically take care of everything that goes on at home because he has so little free time. I am sure this has broken families up because it can appear a bit selfish. But I admire Larry for achieving a lifelong goal. I know that there is an end in sight. I know that this isn’t forever. We are all going to be exhilarated; we are all going to be so proud when he completes the race. We all gave some of ourselves to this in different ways so it will really be like we are all finishing. For all of us this is a big achievement."

His daughter Hannah beams when talking about her Ironman dad. "I encourage him to keep going as far as he can so he will be ready when we go. I want him to know that we are at the end for him and that it doesn't matter if he comes in first or last, just that he finishes."

Another family member, his father Marcel, will be coaching his son on in spirit. An honest man who told it like it was took pride in being the quintessential father. He was his son's biggest fan and there is no doubt he will be there to see the finish.

With his family and friends at his side Gagnon next had to figure out how to ensure that training didn't affect his work at the office. Rising in the wee hours of the morning to train, he would then head off to the office. Being new to the company he wasn't comfortable sharing the news with his co-workers just yet. He didn't want management to worry about dedication to his job and well… he thought it was a bit soon to go around tooting his own horn.

But slowly he opened up to a couple of them and they too jumped on the Gagnon Support Team. Unbeknownst to him, a couple of his colleagues had gone to management and requested to take on more responsibility so that Gagnon could have a longer lunch hour, come in later, or leave earlier to get some extra hours of training in. Humbled by this selfless act of kindness, it never ceases to amaze him how lucky he is. "I am never at a loss for words, on a dime I can usually talk about anything, but I couldn't respond," he said.