Going Long Quotes

“This has been the secret to many athletes’ best races—a sharp focus on the present. The past is gone, and the future will take care of itself.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge

“remember that an Ironman-distance triathlon involves a lot more “waiting” than “pushing.” Successful long-course athletes practice a combination of patience and fortitude.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge

“One thing for sure is that most working athletes would go faster if they managed to get an extra hour of sleep every night. Sleep is a natural performance enhancer, and a lack of it is probably the single greatest challenge facing most working athletes.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge

“In the Base period, when training volume is relatively high and intensity is low, eating a diet rich in “good” fats is beneficial to improving your ability to burn fat for fuel while conserving glycogen stores—a physiological goal of training at this time of the season.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge

“it is best if strength training is the first workout of the day in order to get the full benefit from your session. If this timing is not possible, you should try to get as much rest as possible between your morning aerobic session and your evening strength session.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge

“In a hilly, long-course race, your focus must be on “smoothing” the course. The power on uphills must be restricted by gearing down and keeping your power output below your functional threshold power (FTP) (or even lower on longer climbs). The typical newcomer to Ironman-distance racing pushes far too hard on hills, especially early in the race, and pays the price later as high fatigue sets in. •  For short climbs of up to 5 min. duration, athletes should consider an effort ceiling of 90–100 percent of FTP. •  For longer climbs, consider an effort ceiling of 80–90 percent of FTP. •  For all climbs, it is very important to “save some watts” for cresting the apex of the climb. Novices tend to have their highest watts at the base of a climb. The intelligent athlete will have his or her highest watts over the top of a climb and accelerate down the backside. Experienced power users know that higher lactate levels can be cleared during the descent and after the rider has returned to cruising speed. •  On the downhill side, stop pedaling and coast in the aero position when your pedaling cadence becomes so high that you begin to breathe more heavily. If in doubt, coast the downhills so long as your speed is well above your average for the race.”
― Friel Joe, Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge