HOTT: The Hierarchy of Triathlon Training

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I have written about finding your ‘why’ or the underlying reason we train and race. And in doing so, I realized that many of us don’t know our ‘why’ but we do know our ‘what’ and our ‘how’.

This led me to chart out these three things in a hierarchy, and I call that the HOTT (Hierarchy of Triathlon Training).

What is your ‘why’?

The ‘why’ is the foundation, because during times when you question yourself and your life decisions – specifically at KM 32 of the run – or maybe at 4 am when you are sweating it out on your trainer, you will need to return to that reason why. You will need to remind yourself your reason is sound, lest you quit.

You will need that ‘why’ ready.

The ‘how’ is quite a bit easier, and less fundamental to who you are and your raison d’être as a triathlete. It can change season-by-season.

You change coaches. You change training philosophies. You change bikes. These all affect ‘how’ you train and race.

And finally, the easiest and perhaps most ever-changing is the ‘what’. You can sign up for, complete, cancel, and change races anytime. One day you may have your favorite 70.3 as your A race, and the next you might decide to go somewhere new.

I’d bet you probably know your ‘what’ and your ‘how’ but that your ‘why’ may be much harder to pin down. It’s worth taking time to think about and consider – it may just save you from a DNF someday.

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