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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats Cody. I've been following your blog since the days of the drilled top tube P2C :)

What's your CdA?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on the win! It’s been awesome watching your success.
You mentioned only really doing bricks leading up to this race. Given the recent brick thread on here do you think they helped with your performance? Will you keep them in your builds going forward?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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One more question, can you send me a case of those apple chips?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Wow

Huge congrats!

When you do your STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel is that an optional package which can be purchased with the STAC or do you have to go some place for that?

Thank you
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
I put together one of my best performances to win my Ironman debut in Mont Tremblant.

Ask away!


Yes, yes you did. Spectacular performance! And I'm just taken aback by your openness and want to say two things.


1) Thank you very much. Much insight to gain and things to chew on based on your candid responses. And you've left no stone unturned...

2) Congrats and best of luck in the future! Your attitude is top notch and you are a class act.

Dale


PS, a third thing-every consider going 1X?

(60.8 mph-OMG...a bunch of coasting brings that C number down too; 1 hr power of 279 and 3 hr power of 270?? that's just sick! )
Last edited by: dtoce: Aug 22, 18 19:07
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I cant believe i am saying this living in Penticton but man i miss those country roads around Guelph, Flamborough, Dundas! Great video.

It is a real pleasure watching you, Taylor and Lionel develop from your early MSC ambassador team days to winning big races. Congrats Cody. Please send my best vibes to Criag Taylor to in the Guelph circuit.

My Q now that you are past the race a few days, hows your recovery mentally? Still on a high? If youve mentally crashed (us mortals call it post race blues!) do u have a plan in place to regroup mentally?

Congrats again

Rhys

@rhyspencer
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
fulla wrote:
Why do you prefer a sleeveless suit to a sleeved suit? I only saw some video of the race on the run but presume you were sleeveless on the bike too?


Yes I do, for now. I've raced exclusively in a Kiwami ITU suit over the past few years. I tested high end sleeved suits twice in the wind tunnel and they were not significantly faster and sometimes even slower than my ITU kit. It's a myth that sleeved suits are always more aero. Data I've seen from other athletes also supports this. The main issue for me is likely that I always see wrinkling in the shoulder area with sleeves. I would probably have to go with a custom sleeved suit to see significant aero savings. I've been meaning to get on this for a long time, but I've admittedly been a little complacent since I'm already riding well.

I'm generally skeptical of most data showing huge drag savings with sleeved suits. There's a world of difference between a wind tunnel study in which suits are carefully put on wrinkle-free and a race in which they're hurriedly pulled on over a wet body and then abused for several hours. Look at race photos and you can often see all kinds of wrinkles and ill-fitting sleeves.

Two other concerns I have about sleeves are their effect on the swim and cooling. You can either swim in sleeves, potentially impacting shoulder mobility, or pull them on in transition, wasting time at a tactically decisive moment of the race.

The biggest waste of money currently happening in triathlon? Perhaps.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [jkhayc] [ In reply to ]
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jkhayc wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
fulla wrote:
Why do you prefer a sleeveless suit to a sleeved suit? I only saw some video of the race on the run but presume you were sleeveless on the bike too?


Yes I do, for now. I've raced exclusively in a Kiwami ITU suit over the past few years. I tested high end sleeved suits twice in the wind tunnel and they were not significantly faster and sometimes even slower than my ITU kit. It's a myth that sleeved suits are always more aero. Data I've seen from other athletes also supports this. The main issue for me is likely that I always see wrinkling in the shoulder area with sleeves. I would probably have to go with a custom sleeved suit to see significant aero savings. I've been meaning to get on this for a long time, but I've admittedly been a little complacent since I'm already riding well.

I'm generally skeptical of most data showing huge drag savings with sleeved suits. There's a world of difference between a wind tunnel study in which suits are carefully put on wrinkle-free and a race in which they're hurriedly pulled on over a wet body and then abused for several hours. Look at race photos and you can often see all kinds of wrinkles and ill-fitting sleeves.

Two other concerns I have about sleeves are their effect on the swim and cooling. You can either swim in sleeves, potentially impacting shoulder mobility, or pull them on in transition, wasting time at a tactically decisive moment of the race.


The biggest waste of money currently happening in triathlon? Perhaps.

X3. If you want sun protection or just want to look "cool", fine. However, if you really want to go faster then prepare do some meticulous testing and then make sure you go back to test after it is broken-in and is stretched. Otherwise wear a new one for every race if you can afford it.


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
I swim harder, longer and more often than ever. And with the group, it's way more fun! I was previously doing most of my swimming alone, with only occasional group sessions and training camps.

Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Big congratulations Cody, I've followed you since I first came on here and can also claim one of the most beautifully cabled P3Cs in triathlon thanks, in part, to you :-)

Cody Beals wrote:
From a financial perspective, I made more money from winning IMMT than I would for anything below 5th at Kona. Anything beyond 10th would make the trip a money loser. The system is deficient in that regard. If WTC, sponsors and fans want to see all the best pros in Kona, then it needs to be more worth our while. I'd love to see a smaller pro field in Kona (30ish) with all expenses covered and/or prize money paying down to the last finisher. Having just bought a house, I don't quite have the financial security to take a gamble as big as Kona quite yet.


That's interesting, we are all a bit Kona obsessed and I for one probably didn't think of the risk vs reward that way.

Who's up for a ST-sends-Cody-to-Kona gofundme? It would be ground-breaking! The ST community can be your WC sponsor.

One condition: you have to wear our sponsor logo on your tri suit-


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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats and all that on executing your race plan mo bro. As a fellow (past) MSCer, its been great to witness your ascension, and live a bit vicariously through your racing.

Curious about your 'perfectionist tendencies' and how that fits with how you think / feel prepping, during and after a race.

Many folks with perfectionism are either not self-aware of that aspect, or are too fearful to admit aloud, let alone publicly, often denying it with some variation of "I'm not a perfectionist, that would be a flaw."

So, for you, what's the most challenging part of changing / managing your perfectionism tendencies?

If a race goes well, like IMMT, how does how your thinking / feeling differ, if at all, from races that don't go as planned?

How did you reward yourself, if at all, after IMMT?

----------------

And another question / comment about your training: for the most part, you seem to design your own training plans, not unlike Lionel. But a lot of folks on ST are criticizing Lionel for his self-coaching approach.

So it would seem the top 2 guys at IMMT are mostly self-coached, yet you're getting praised on and Lionel is getting pissed on for similar approaches. People are funny.

So my question - and it may relate to the perfectionist questions above, or not - is why are you taking this approach to designing your training? Why are you not giving yourself completely over to a coach?

Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
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"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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I saw you absolutely flying down Duplessis on your second lap, my first. Congratulations on your win. For us slow folks, it was hot as hell out there. You owned it.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [TriguyBlue] [ In reply to ]
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TriguyBlue wrote:
Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?

I've wondered. I definitely have some aspects of the required physiology: extreme durability, freakish fueling ability... I'm still going to say no though. I'm not sure that anyone will ever do this without bending the rules (i.e. all outside, no crutches, no doping). I'm a little curious to give ultra-endurance sports a try after my triathlon career, but I'd never attempt something as crazy and potentially dangerous as 50 IMs in 50 days!

As a side note, the 2015 Ultraman World Champion, Mike Coughlin, is a coach here in Guelph and also a friend of mine. I followed his build up to that win and regularly chat and get advice from him. He's a smart dude who's given me even more respect for the ultra-endurance community.

As another side note, my sister recently completed the Triple Crown of endurance hikes: the Appalachian Tail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. They each take several months and she did one per year for three years. She didn't go after a FKT, but she and her husband went ultralight and finished the hikes remarkably quickly. As kids, my sister was always the more promising athlete and it's apparent that we share some good endurance genetics.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ffmedic84] [ In reply to ]
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ffmedic84 wrote:
Congrats on the win! It’s been awesome watching your success.
You mentioned only really doing bricks leading up to this race. Given the recent brick thread on here do you think they helped with your performance? Will you keep them in your builds going forward?

I think the long bricks I did were excellent prep, but not absolutely essential. I've found success with 70.3 racing only doing bricks very infrequently. In this Ironman block, I did several ~5 hour bricks (~4 hour ride, ~1 hour run). If nothing else, they were great opportunities to rehearse fueling and other logistics (transitions, gear). They were also time efficient. Getting all my training done by early afternoon allowed me to recover better for the following day. I often backed these long Saturday bricks up with a hard Sunday morning track session with Jack Laundry on tired legs.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Sean H] [ In reply to ]
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Sean H wrote:
One more question, can you send me a case of those apple chips?

Enter my next Martin's contest! :P

Depending on where you are, you can find them at Costco, Sam's Club, Loblaws, Winners, Starbucks, Porter Airlines flights, maybe some HEB and many other retailers.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [RBR] [ In reply to ]
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RBR wrote:
Wow

Huge congrats!

When you do your STAC Virtual Wind Tunnel is that an optional package which can be purchased with the STAC or do you have to go some place for that?

Thank you

STAC got started making trainers like the Zero and Zero Halcyon, but the Virtual Wind Tunnel is a completely independent offering from the company. I've suggested offering VWT analysis as an add-on package for bike fits, since they're complimentary. To get VWT scanned, you just need to find a STAC partner offering the service (listed here). The scanning is really quick and painless. All the data processing and analysis happens back at STAC headquarters. In addition to allowing you to evaluate position and equipment changes, the scanning also gives you CdA numbers which can be used for modeling with tools like Best Bike Split. I've done half a dozen VWT sessions over the past few years and used the tech to continually refine position and equipment. Most recently, I switched back the LG P-09 helmet and brought my elbows narrower after my latest round of testing. It's an iterative process of testing and validating.

STAC is still ramping up availability of the VWT, but this small company has too many innovative, awesome ideas to pursue! I almost used a prototype aero technology that STAC is developing in IMMT that would have drawn a lot (too much!) attention.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [dtoce] [ In reply to ]
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Dale, thank you so much!

I have considered going 1x, but it's not a high priority. I've not gotten around to personally aero testing 1x, but I've seen conflicting aero data. Some people have seen drag savings, others have seen substantial added drag switching to 1x. So, like most things, it's not a given that it's more aero. It probably depends on the bike, chainring, cyclist's position and maybe even cadence. It's been speculated that part of the issue is that current tri bikes are all designed around 2x with respect to aerodynamics and chain line. Maybe we'll see purpose built bikes for 1x that realize the potential savings. Increased drivetrain friction due to suboptimal chain line is also a concern.

I also like the simplicity of running the same bike setup for all my races. I don't like to mess with equipment changes before races, even something as simple as swapping a crankset (not all courses are 1x appropriate). This reason, and the fact that I do all my own wrenching, have contributed to me having very few mechanical issues in races compered to other pros.

All that said, I have a sweet cross/commuter bike with SRAM 1x, which I love. I'm open to testing 1x for triathlon. I still don't have a component sponsor... cough, cough...

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [rhys] [ In reply to ]
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rhys wrote:
I cant believe i am saying this living in Penticton but man i miss those country roads around Guelph, Flamborough, Dundas! Great video.

It is a real pleasure watching you, Taylor and Lionel develop from your early MSC ambassador team days to winning big races. Congrats Cody. Please send my best vibes to Criag Taylor to in the Guelph circuit.

My Q now that you are past the race a few days, hows your recovery mentally? Still on a high? If youve mentally crashed (us mortals call it post race blues!) do u have a plan in place to regroup mentally?

Congrats again

Rhys

Thanks for following my career! Having ridden all over the world, I feel fortunate to have such great cycling right out my door in Guelph. I can be on quiet, open country roads in minutes. Taking my cross bike out opens up even more options with dirt roads and rail trails. It may not be the most spectacularly scenic, but there's a variety of terrain, decent roads, manageable traffic and lots of training partners.

I haven't abruptly come down off the psychological high from the weekend. I was expecting a crash, but it's been more of a gradual relaxation, not at all unpleasant. I had a really difficult year in my personal and professional life in 2017 (partly detailed in my last budget blog post). I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but it did help me better appreciate an amazing year like this one, when everything is going smoothly. I don't take that for granted. Facing some adversity during a couple periods of my life has really helped me keep things in perspective and be grateful for the good times.

Having been through some highs and lows in the sport, I know that the post-race blues is inevitable to some extent. It's probably a biochemical process that's somewhat impossible to control. If I'm feeling down, I just have to interrogate those feelings and remind myself that there's really no reason to be in a slump. I just let the emotions wash over me and accept them as a fundamental part of the sport I love.

My bf, family and friends are a key part of bouncing back after any kind of performance, good or bad. I have outings and get-togethers planned with them every day this week to distract myself and forcibly remove myself from the triathlon vacuum!

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations, Cody!
I don't have any specific questions, I only have a selfish wish. I hope you won't stop posting your annual budget review now that you're even more famous :) Those articles are such a rare insight into a pro triathlon world like nothing else. The world that seems so far and distanced and you made it feel more real in the past thanks to your blog.
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [SteveM] [ In reply to ]
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SteveM wrote:
Cody Beals wrote:
I swim harder, longer and more often than ever. And with the group, it's way more fun! I was previously doing most of my swimming alone, with only occasional group sessions and training camps.


Firstly thanks for doing this, it’s been really interesting & congratulations on the win.

Could I ask, when/why did you start swimming 6+ times a week?

I've done swim focused weeks or months in the past and a couple swim training camps (with Magnolia Masters in Texas), but it wasn't until I moved back to Guelph last fall that I began consistently swimming 6-7 times most weeks of the year. That was also when I began consistently swimming with a group (mostly Guelph Triathlon Project, sometimes LPC).

Despite being my first competitive sport, swimming has always been my weakest discipline. I've had some shockingly poor swim performances and lost at least half a dozen races in the swim (if that can ever be said). Even last year, my swim performances were unpredictable and I often found myself in the unfortunate position of leading the chase pack (ideally, you're at the back of the fastest pack you can hang with). I knew that something had to be done about my swimming if I truly wanted to be a world class triathlete.

I experimented with various swim changes, everything from stroke analysis (mostly not helpful), technical/drill focus (complete waste of time), USRPT (good, but brutally hard), training camps (helpful, but hard to maintain gains). The two things that I found most helpful were swimming with a group and swimming more frequently. Those two factors go hand in hand, since it's easier to swim more when you're having fun with great lane-mates!

Another factor in my swim progress that I forgot the mention earlier was my switch to mostly two beat kicking. I gradually began introducing two beat kicking as an alternative to my usual and the more common six beat kick. At first, it felt awkward, but gradually became more efficient at slower speeds. The pace break point at which it was more efficient to switch from two beat to six beat gradually sped up. Now I'm at the point where I almost exclusively two beat kick and it's more efficient for anything up to high end threshold (~1:11/100scm). In long course races, a two beat kick feels so cruisy and efficient. I now use a two beat kick almost the entire swim and reserve the less efficient but more powerful six beat kick for the fast start, any surges and briefly at the end to wake up my legs. This kicking change was the closest thing I've had to a technical epiphany in swimming.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Rachela] [ In reply to ]
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Rachela wrote:
Congratulations, Cody!
I don't have any specific questions, I only have a selfish wish. I hope you won't stop posting your annual budget review now that you're even more famous :) Those articles are such a rare insight into a pro triathlon world like nothing else. The world that seems so far and distanced and you made it feel more real in the past thanks to your blog.

+1.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [knighty76] [ In reply to ]
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Lol, the day I accept a GoFundMe is the day I retire from the sport. ;) Even if I had a catastrophic accident, our (socialist!) Canadian healthcare system has got my back.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Cody Beals] [ In reply to ]
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Cody Beals wrote:
TriguyBlue wrote:
Could you do 50 IMs in 50 days ?


I've wondered. I definitely have some aspects of the required physiology: extreme durability, freakish fueling ability... I'm still going to say no though. I'm not sure that anyone will ever do this without bending the rules (i.e. all outside, no crutches, no doping). I'm a little curious to give ultra-endurance sports a try after my triathlon career, but I'd never attempt something as crazy and potentially dangerous as 50 IMs in 50 days!

As a side note, the 2015 Ultraman World Champion, Mike Coughlin, is a coach here in Guelph and also a friend of mine. I followed his build up to that win and regularly chat and get advice from him. He's a smart dude who's given me even more respect for the ultra-endurance community.

As another side note, my sister recently completed the Triple Crown of endurance hikes: the Appalachian Tail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail. They each take several months and she did one per year for three years. She didn't go after a FKT, but she and her husband went ultralight and finished the hikes remarkably quickly. As kids, my sister was always the more promising athlete and it's apparent that we share some good endurance genetics.

I wouldn't if I were you, specifically because of bike safety. That would require riding tired on a lot of open public roads you aren't familiar with. If you're asking for the perfect formula for a horrific bike crash or to killed by a car, 50/50/50 is pretty much it.

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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [ZenTriBrett] [ In reply to ]
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Cody, yeah yeah, you won your debut and beat me by a little over 3 hours. I PR'd by almost 3 hours.... top that!

Seriously though, congratulations on an epic day. Having a long term plan really pays off. It helped me substantially and I see nothing but a bright future for you as a pro.

You have a great head on your shoulders.

Cheers!
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Re: Ask Me Anything: Debut Win & 8:10 Course Record at IMMT! [Scotttriguy] [ In reply to ]
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Scotttriguy wrote:
Congrats and all that on executing your race plan mo bro. As a fellow (past) MSCer, its been great to witness your ascension, and live a bit vicariously through your racing.


Curious about your 'perfectionist tendencies' and how that fits with how you think / feel prepping, during and after a race.

Many folks with perfectionism are either not self-aware of that aspect, or are too fearful to admit aloud, let alone publicly, often denying it with some variation of "I'm not a perfectionist, that would be a flaw."

So, for you, what's the most challenging part of changing / managing your perfectionism tendencies?

If a race goes well, like IMMT, how does how your thinking / feeling differ, if at all, from races that don't go as planned?

How did you reward yourself, if at all, after IMMT?


I'm well aware that perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's driven me to most of the accomplishments that I'm most proud of. On the other hand, it's also made my life quite unpleasant at times, negatively motivated me through a fear of failure and caused me to struggled with an "all or nothing" mentality. When I was younger and less self-aware, my perfectionism ran rampant as a student. Before sports were the outlet they are now for me, I poured myself into my university studies with a compulsive intensity. I was top of my class every year, but I graduated as a burnt out insomniac with a borderline eating disorder, anxiety and no social life!

I wrote a two part piece on my blog a few years ago on my development and the role that perfectionism has played, both good and bad. The story is framed by a comparison with my sister, who obviously share much of my neural circuitry, but is very different in some ways. The second part is more about perfectionism. It's the most deeply personal writing I've shared.

The Jock, the Nerd & Lady Luck (Part I)
The Perfectionist & the Elephant in the Room (Part II)

Here's a relevant excerpt from the conclusion:

"Perfectionism may be esteemed by some, but I am too familiar with its ugly side. In a sense, perfectionism is like hyperactive delay of gratification; you never really allow yourself the satisfaction of a job well done, ever fixing your eye on a greater prize. . . .


. . . . my decision to race as a professional triathlete may not strike you as the best course of action for a recovering perfectionist. I beg to differ. Triathlon certainly rewards discipline and attention to detail, but training and racing are exercises in mitigating the suboptimal, the unforeseen and the uncontrollable; in effect, a perfectionist’s worst nightmare.


There is a clear distinction between behaviour that optimizes performance—grounded in reason and forethought—and behaviour fueled by compulsion. I still struggle to choose the former and override the latter, but my progress since graduating has been heartening. My journey in triathlon is helping me learn to control perfectionism and not let it control me."

The satisfaction of executing a plan I've been working towards for years with near perfection is all the reward I need. All the positive attention, a $20k+ payday and the new opportunities have opened up are an added bonus.

I'm not too hard on myself after disappointing races anymore. I have a 24 hour pouting policy. That means that for 24 hours after the race, I allow myself to fully experience the depths of whatever emotions I have. After that, it's no more pouting and on with life.

Scotttriguy wrote:
And another question / comment about your training: for the most part, you seem to design your own training plans, not unlike Lionel. But a lot of folks on ST are criticizing Lionel for his self-coaching approach.

So it would seem the top 2 guys at IMMT are mostly self-coached, yet you're getting praised on and Lionel is getting pissed on for similar approaches. People are funny.

So my question - and it may relate to the perfectionist questions above, or not - is why are you taking this approach to designing your training? Why are you not giving yourself completely over to a coach?



David Tilbury-Davis did coach me completely over the first few years of my pro career. I only took back the reigns last year. I really needed his leadership as I was getting over some personal challenges; recovering from overtraining, low testosterone and related issues; and still learning so much about the sport. I've always enjoyed having a hand in directing my process, but I recognized that I had fucked up and needed someone else to steer the ship. In effect, I fired myself as the captain! After a few years, I felt as though I'd matured and learned enough as an athlete to avoid past mistakes with continued oversight and reality checking from David. Both then and now, our coach-athlete relationship has always been a dialogue, not a dictatorial "my way or the highway" approach.

I'm fascinated by sports science and coaching and love nothing more than experimenting on myself. I also like that I can take risks that most coaches wouldn't be comfortable taking with their athletes. I think my training is pretty sensible (due to David's influence!), but I also have some relatively extreme practices, such as several 50k run days in this block and full marathon, up to 9 runs a week, 6 hour trainer rides, etc. I think that taking the lead may have put me on a faster trajectory to a performance like IMMT, though probably a rockier one than if I'd let a world class coach like David take full control!

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Last edited by: Cody Beals: Sep 5, 18 15:55
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