ironguides

Although this was supposed to be an article totally focused on triathlon training with diabetes, I’m expanding the reach a bit, since the same topic can be applied whenever you come across any article on diet, training, or anything that is related to how you should do certain things that are usually a big part of your lifestyle.

The original idea for this article came last week when I came across an article on triathlon training/racing and Diabetes type 1. The author, although clearly indicated he is not a doctor or diabetes specialist, gives the usual and safer general guidelines when it comes to exercise and diabetes management.

If I had listened and followed those sort of guidelines, I wouldn’t have done half of the triathlon races I’ve done, much less be able to get some decent results when it comes to ironman races such as a few sub 9 hours performance.

Without going into more details on the diabetes issue, how can you lead a more efficient and better life by “doing your own thing” ?

If you are reading this, you are probably a very keen triathlete, that is willing to learn as much as you can about our sport, and although at this moment you are reading an article from one ironguides coaches, I’m sure that you’ve read pieces everywhere else on the net.

Keep in mind that every writer when publishes something out there, has a certain target public in mind. I would never write the same pieces on training or diet that I usually do for our ironguides website, if my articles were going to be published at a non-triathlon publication, you have some liability issues, you and the publication are somehow responsible for the advices you are giving out.

Triathletes are unique individuals, after all you have to be a bit different from the crowd out there if you want to accomplish so many things: Have a successfully professional career, look after your family and swim, bike, run, and race as much as possible.

But how can you come up with your own way of living:

Think outside the box: This sums it all. Don’t be afraid to be the “weirdo” among your co-workers or relatives, the triathlete geek that doesn’t eat the same food (junk!) at lunch time like everyone else, or if you are the only one that use a bike to commute or run work. What you do daily is a result of the other two aspects below.

Listen to your body: Once you understand what you have to do on a daily basis to feel good and work on things that will lead to your goals, things starts to fall in place. If you have to sleep certain amount of hours per night, if waking up super early works for you, eating specific foods before/after each workout, have a small ritual to “wind down” before going to bed. Those little details are what will dictate your lifestyle and what you do each time of the day.

Explore your options in terms of time, training venues, budget and menu: Once you have in mind what would be your ideal lifestyle, adapt that to the real world. There is always a way to make it happen, just use your imagination and options next to you. One of my athletes bought a treadmill and put that at his TV room, that way he could baby sit his son and still get a long run workout done.

Bottom line, feel free to live your own life, do your own thing, accept that your are not the average person out there, in the end, you are the one that will accomplish so many things and make your life so much efficient.

Vinnie