Golden Rule #5 Extreme Ownership

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

Golden Rule #2 Find the Positive

Previously I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules.

I’m diving a little bit deeper in to each one in separate posts. Last week was Rule #1 Control the Controllable

This week it’s Rule #2

Number 2) Find the Positive

Like the first Golden Rule, this one takes a lot of practice and commitment. You can’t just wake up one day and change your mindset. It takes work.

Finding the Positive, like Control the Controllable, means embracing the Stoic way of thinking and controlling your reaction to situations.

As an Endurance Athlete finding the positive is crucial to success.

You are going to have bad races. You are very likely going to experience a DNF. You are very likely going to get injured at some point.

Endurance events are tough. You are going to spend a lot of time feeling beaten up and wondering “why the hell am I doing this”

How you handle being placed in tough situations, as well as dealing with the lows, are what is going to make you as an athlete.

Race DNF – sure it sucks, but what went well.

Why did you DNF? What can you learn?
I had a mechanical failure very early on the bike leg at an Ironman, which was my first DNF ever. It was devastating BUT I had a great swim. I took that away with me. Attempt 1 done… live it, learn it… head back for Attempt 2. Yay, I get swim in the gorgeous lake again.

Injured – yep, its annoying for sure but injuries are opportunities.

Can you train around it?

Yes, then let’s go and it might be the chance to work on a new strength or skill!

No, ok great. Then you now have a bunch of time to devote to developing a different skill that will help you become a better athlete, and a better person.

Jocko Wilink, ex Navy Seal, calls his take on this theory ‘“Good”.

Whatever happens, the response is “Good”

Didn’t get the promotion you wanted.

Good. It gives you more time to sharpen your skillset and become better in your current role.

Can’t afford that fancy piece of equipment you wanted.

Good. It gives you more time to become a savage using the basic things you have available.

As I said, this one isn’t easy but it is worth it.

People love to complain. People love to make excuses… but those people are the ones content with being average at best.

If you want to rise up, you will find the positive and say “Good”

#FindThePositive

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

Golden Rule #1 Control the Controllable

In a previous blog I gave a little bit of insight into my Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy and my 5 golden rules.

I’m going to dive a little bit deeper in to each one, starting here with Rule Number 1

Number 1) Control the Controllable

Only certain things are within our control. If it isn’t something you have any say over, forget it. Only expend energy on the things that you can directly influence.

My personal belief system and ethics are shaped by philosophies and teachings of Buddhism and Stoicism.

At the heart of Stoicism is the understanding that the only thing we can truly control is our reaction to the things that happen. If we can learn to control our reactions and remain steady there is no situation that can either completely undo us or over inflate us.

It doesn’t mean not feeling joy or celebrating the wins. It also doesn’t mean never feeling sad, angry or let down.

What it does mean is learning to control those emotions so that they don’t overtake your life and screw you up.

Learning this lesson as an athlete can help set you free and elevate your performance.

Weather looks bad on race day – nothing you can do about it and it’s the same for everyone. What can you control? Having the right kit. Practising in all conditions throughout your training so you know how it feels.

Can you actually turn this into an advantage? Going to a hit race? So many people underperform in heat – can you heat train? I did some of my turbo sessions in front of my fire in my living room, in a hat and long sleeves to prepare for the weather in Spain)

Forgot a piece of kit, maybe a piece of clothing or nutrition – What can you do about it? Is ranting, swearing, getting stressed out helpful? Absolutely not. So what can you do? Do you have time to source something? Can others around you possibly help? If not, whats the best case scenario.

At an Ironman event this year someone got to the swim having left their wetsuit back at their hotel. They spoke to the IM announcers. The announcers asked over the PA system if anyone had a spare wetsuit and within 5 minutes that athlete had their pick of 4 wetsuits!

These are just two examples.

Anyone that knows my story from IronMan Vitoria Gastiez in 2022 knows that I came up against obstacle after obstacle in a race that ended in a mechanical DNF 20km into the bike.
Without all of the work I have done on my mindset over the last 5 years that situation probably would have broken me, especially as that race was 4 years in the making.

Yes I got upset. Yes I was bitterly disappointed. But I was also making a plan for my come back before the first athletes had even crossed the finish line that same day.

Another big lesson – Its only failure if you give up completely. Otherwise, it’s just an attempt.

For me, that race was merely attempt 1. I hadn’t failed yet. Attempt 2 was July this year, one year later, and I finished that damned race!

Whatever situation you face…

#ControlTheControllable

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

My Coaching Ethos and Athlete Philosophy

My personal ethics and belief system are a mixture of Buddhism and Stoicism and this heavily influences who I am, both as an athlete and a coach.

As an athlete, I hold myself accountable to same 5 rules that I apply to my coaching, and I try and instil these into my athletes.

As an Endurance Expert these 5 rules have been shaped over many years of racing and they are the foundation I believe every great success can be built upon.

*I’ll go into each one in more detail as the subject of their own conversation.

1) Control the Controllable

Only certain things are within our control. If it isn’t something you have any say over, forget it. Only expend energy on the things that you can directly influence.

2) Find the Positive
Even in the most disappointing situation (that race DNF, that training injury) there will be a positive IF you are willing to look for it.

3) Focus on You

This is one of the hardest ones for athletes to really internalise and act upon. Looking at what others are doing on Strava and/or comparing yourself to other athletes is a waste of your time and mental energy. All of your focus should be on your own performance.

4) 100% Effort
In everything you do. This feeds into the message of the previous weeks conversations…Integrity to do the work even when none is looking and acting like the athlete you want to become.

5) Extreme Ownership

Thank Jocko Willink for this one. No matter what the situation or anyone else’s involvement, take ownership. Don’t find someone else to blame. Make it your problem and find a solution.

#TheFiveRules

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

Do your actions support your goals?

Let me ask it another way… Are you truly acting like the person, and athlete, you want to be?

I work with a range of athletes across various endurance sports; Triathlon, Obstacle Course Racing, Hyrox etc.

Every single one of them has a goal they are working towards. For some it’s an age cat or podium finish. For others it’s simply to complete their A race and finish it well.

Every goal, regardless of size, requires some level of sacrifice alongside a huge amount of hard work and dedication.

Most people have a good idea of what it takes to achieve their goal. The hours of training required, the organisation of daily life to make that time, the dialled in nutrition, the early nights, the early mornings, saying no to certain social gatherings, saying no to certain favourite races or events as they just don’t mesh with the overall Big Goal … the list goes on and for some, it just doesn’t sound worth it.

Thats why so many people are content with just being average…if that.

Some are content to make the excuses, hide behind busy lives and find all the reasons not to do what is truly required.

Others say that they really want it, but their actions just never quite meet their words.

It may be that they just aren’t quite ready yet, or maybe they like the idea but in practise they really aren’t willing to do what it takes.

I’ve definately been guilty of this in the past. I would say I really wanted to achieve “X” but I wasn’t acting the person who would do that. I wasn’t watching my nutrition, I was still eating badly, watching my weight creep up but not doing a damn thing about it. I would say I was too busy to count macros but come on – it seriously only takes a few extra minutes of effort to weigh food and log it correctly. I was just being lazy. Plus, that still didn’t explain the amount of crap I was eating! I was hitting my training sessions, for the most part, but I was content that that was enough. I wasn’t truly ready or willing to do everything it would take.

Luckily I have managed to shed that person and now I can, hand on heart, say that I truly act like the person I need to be to achieve my goal.

The first step – getting real with yourself and figuring out if you are truly willing, and able, to do what it takes.

This might involve a conversation with your coach as you may be willing but not be actually sure exactly how to make it work, especially if you have a very busy life that seems inflexible. As I said in the beginning, it will require some sacrifice but a smart coach will be able to help you figure out how to lessen the impact and make it work.

Is it hard? Yes… but then so is dialling it in, living behind excuses and not living your true potential. Both are hard. One is infinitely more worthwhile than the other.

We’ve all met those people. You know the ones. They turn up on the start line and immediately tell you all the “ reasons” why they are likely not going to have a good event. They got a poor night sleep / They woke up that morning with a weird niggle / Their dog ate their training plan…. Preloaded excuses give weak minded people a get out of jail free card. It doesn’t matter if they suck, because they already told you they would… and it’s not their fault.

Do not be one of these people.

Do the work that’s required, ALL of the work that’s required and whether you do or not, own your shit.

Also, remember this (one of my favourites: No one Cares. Work Harder.

Once you have set your sights on a goal, make sure you go all in and back yourself 100%

#ActLikeTheAthleteYouWantToBe

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

Better Athlete / Better Person

Is it true that people who are working hard to become better athletes also become better people?

In my experience yes, and a lot of it comes down to one thing – Integrity.

Integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.

It means putting in the hard work because you know it’s the right thing to do and will yield the best results.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

This is true in sport, and also true in life.

When you examine your training can you put your hand on your heart and say that you never cut corners? Can you say with 100% truth that you completed every meter, every rep, every set AND every rest break?

Becoming a better athlete teaches us discipline and commitment. We set goals and we work hard to achieve them. We learn that if we can do this for our sport, we can apply these same skills to other areas of our lives such as work and family. As we achieve our goals we build confidence. We feel seen and feel that we have a greater sense of purpose.

When we encounter setbacks we learn how to deal with them, we develop critical thinking and problem solving, the art of not sweating the small stuff and always finding a positive.

Through all of this we become a better version of ourselves and the best bit is that those around us, that matter most to us, benefit from the person we are becoming.

Work hard to become a better athlete. Become a better person.

#1%BetterEveryday

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training

75Hard – a POV from one of my clients

I completed 75 Hard for the first time in 2022 (https://differentbreed.io/75hard-this-is-what-discipline-looks-like/) and knew that come 1st Jan 2023 I would be doing it again.

I opened it up to everyone I knew to see who, if any, would set up to the plate. The first time 6 of us started it and only myself and my friend Chris finished it. This time 13 of us started it and only 4 of us; myself, Chris, Pete and Lindsay (and despite this success rating so many people tell me it doesn’t sound that hard!)

I’ll be honest, Lindsay was one of the last people in my team that I thought would do it but she grabbed the challenge by the horns and fucking ran with it.

I asked her if she would share her experience and her it is, in her own words:

Last year my friend and coach Liza asked if I wanted to try the 75HARD challenge designed by Andy Frisella. I dismissed her as when she explained it I thought no way I can’t do all of them.

The rules are ,

Follow a diet to match your goals, no cheat meals and no alcohol – I could do that I thought
Take a progress picture every day – I could do that as long as no one could see them
Read 10 pages of a non fiction book – I could do that and a good excuse to have some me time I thought
Drink 4 litres of water a day – wow that’s a lot of water, wasn’t sure if I could mange that
Complete two 45 minute workouts every day, one must be outside – absolutely not I thought I haven’t got time for that and it was starting in January, not a good time to be outside.

Later on at the beginning of December she suggested it again and once again I said I couldn’t do it, ‘All I’m hearing is excuses’ I was told.

Those words must have resonated with me as later on that evening I thought yes she’s right all I’m doing is making excuses and after all this is a mindset challenge not a weight loss programme or an exercise challenge. So why not give it a go. So I toasted the New Year in with Nosecco and began.

I completed this challenge on 17^th March and wow it was tough but I did it.

What did I get out of it?

To start with I am the lightest I’ve been for many many years, I lost over 13 inches from my body and my fat% is down by a whole 5%.

I have proved to myself that I have the mental toughness to take on a challenge like this even when it was tough. I had a 30^th and an 80^th birthday to go to and a funeral where I was told, ‘go on just have one drink, surely it won’t matter and no one will know’ Well I would have known and I wasn’t going to fail so stuck to it.

I cut out refined sugar which meant no cake, chocolate, biscuits, yummy deserts etc and surprisingly once the cravings went I was okay with this. Even when at work the usual ‘cake and cookie table’ looked very appealing I didn’t succumb. Once my manager found out what I was doing I was asked to talk about the challenge to everyone in my office on our monthly coffee and cake catch up. After this I was told that I was inspirational and what an amazing thing to do.

I went to London for the weekend and was doing a 45 minute yoga session on the hotel floor late in the evening and got back home late so had to cram 3 litres of water in when I got home, I didn’t sleep well that night!

I spent many hours walking in the rain when it was miserable and cold thinking why am I doing this to myself when I could be in the warm and dry having a coffee.

My Results

My body composition has changed as I lost 5% of my body fat and my muscle percentage is up. I feel stronger and healthier than I ever before and ran my first sub 30 minute 5K.

The 4 litres of water was a challenge to begin with as that’s a lot of water but my body adapted to it and my skin loved me drinking that amount as it now feels softer than before.

Weight – Day 1 75.3kg; Day 75 67.9kg Total loss 7.4kg

Body Fat% – Day 1 32.8; Day 75 27.7 Total Loss 5.1%

Bust – Day 1 38”; Day 75 36.5” Total Loss 1.5”

Waist – Day 1 34”; Day 75 30” Total Loss 4”

Belly – Day 1 40”; Day 75 35.5” Total Loss 4.5”

Hips – Day 1 42”; Day 75 38” Total Loss 4”

Total inches lost – 14”

It’s been two weeks now since I finished this challenge and I am still sticking to most of the rules. Not because I am deliberately trying to but they have become a habit. I still drink at least 4 litres of water, I still generally do two workouts every day(not always one being outside) I am still not eating refined sugar apart from the one cake I had which although tasted good wasn’t as amazing as I expected, I still read most days as this was a great bit of me time.

Was it tough? – yes but it’s called 75HARD for a reason.

Did I Surprise myself with what I achieved? – yes physically and mentally, my day 1 photo is very different to my Day 75 photo.

Would I do it again? – yes definitely and if you are thinking of trying this challenge I would say go for it as you may just surprise yourself.

Why Lactate Threshold trumps Max Heart Rate for Endurance Training