Training vs Training with Purpose

​On my athletic journey over the last several years, I have logged many miles running, swimming and biking. Just looking at my lifetime Strava statistics, I am clocked at 26379 km of bike riding, 1908 km of running and 45 km of swimming. Swimming seems a bit low, but Strava and Garmin devices don’t necessarily play nice with swim tracking.
That is a lot of miles, a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of fun.  It has been an incredible switch from my previous life as a couch potato. When I first got into Multisport (triathlon) I was very casual about my training, not understanding the difference between training, and training with purpose.  Wanting to be competitive, and wanting to do well at triathlon, my workouts were spur of the moment, and stuffed into a busy schedule that included, work, parenting, kids activities, and well, LIFE. I now realize that I could have achieved my competitive goals if I had been more organized
If you are one of those people that desire maximum results for a minimum effort it is imperative that you make each workout count. Each workout, should have a purpose, create a desired body adaption and get you closer towards your goals.
One of the best ways to create purpose, is set yourself a goal. That means you would need to select a suitable race to enter. Having a goal race, puts a deadline on your calendar and a countdown to get in shape. Now an athlete has a goal, a purpose, a deadline and a commitment.    
Now all of the workouts you complete should be with the intent of improving as you get to get closer to the goal race.  How do you know that the workouts you are doing are working? Well this is where either a lot of reading (for self-assessment) or hiring a coach can help. A coach can test your performance as you make gains during your training.  As evaluations occur, adjustments and tweaks to training can be made.

Remember, keep your eye on the prize!
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Coach Mike