Author: Matt Dixon
A Tough Question
With the release of the Fast Track Triathlete (did you hear? another book! You should grab a copy), I have been doing the tour of various performance and triathlon radio and podcast shows. These 30 to 60 minute interviews can be enjoyable experiences, if not sometimes repetitive in nature, with most interviewers genuinely interested in the approach and mindset of aiming to integrate triathlon training into a very busy life. I must admit that I am always somewhat surprised that the topic of the book is presented as somewhat revolutionary, as though the goal of integration is some wildly novel topic. Surely it should be the baseline goal of every athlete, right? Regardless, one of the better interviews recently included this question:
"As you are often guiding and helping athletes successfully build training into life, do you ever have pushback from your individually coached athletes, telling you to just focus on triathlon? In other words, do some people resist guidance and education in the wider elements of health, work, and life?"
The fundamental ask behind the question is whether coached athletes should expect a simple prescription of the swim, bike, and run, with some help in triathlon performance areas such as strength, nutrition, and hydration and then be left alone to go and manage the life pieces on their own?
Why Purple Patch Coaches Towards Global Human Performance
In the context of the overall interview, it was a good question, and it was one I found myself considering long after the discussion was complete. Interestingly, the answer I gave live was in line with how I think globally, and I am happy with what listeners will hear, but I think it is worth expanding to you. In short, my answer focused on two main factors:
- Purple Patch is not for everyone.
- Our culture is wrapped around thriving in sport and life - hence all education is unavoidably immersed around sport and life performance.
In addition to these two areas, which I break down below, I wish I would have added that I don't believe a coach in this setup and sport can be successful if they myopically only consider the performance of their main subject matter. In fact, if we consider human performance globally, there is an undeniable positive trend in the understanding that we cannot think myopically about health and performance in different categories of life. In other words, the version of yourself that you create outside work will be the version you bring to work. If you are healthy, thriving, and vibrant then you will be a better performer in the work place no questions asked. You will also have more energy to give to family and friends and be more likely to excel in any sporting goals (or whatever your hobby is). We no longer think about physical and mental health separately from performance in work, so we shouldn't try to build sports performance plans without strong consideration of life and work commitments. For me to be the best coach I can be, for me to do my job well, I must consider, guide and educate around all elements of human performance.
I cannot go back and add that to the podcast, so that will be for next time, but I can expand on the two key points that relate to being a Purple Patch athlete.
Purple Patch is Not for Everyone
While we welcome and embrace all levels of athletes, I do believe there is a certain commonality in the mindset that most of our athletes have. At the most basic level, it is a pursuit of self-improvement, but I believe it goes well beyond that. I see most Purple Patch athletes retaining a wider sense of where the sport fits within their life, with the global pursuit of performance always sitting within the context of life commitment and set up. While most of you are highly motivated and committed, I think we are lucky to attract less of the obsessive monk-like athletes that miss the broader context of the joy of the sport and self-improvement. I also notice two trends that emerge from our athlete population:
- A quest to understand the 'why' behind the training.
- A thirst for a wide scope of quality knowledge and education.
These two qualities lend themselves to a broader lens of sports performance, leading to improved human potential. This filter diminishes push back on education and encourages guidance of a more global nature.
The Purple Patch Culture
When we review our various click-through rates and time on page analytics (and other stuff like this that I don't truly understand or claim to be an expert in), most of our most popular education has no direct link to triathlon performance. Video interviews on sleep, daily nutrition, and travel are some of our most viewed topics. The popularity and demand for this type of information speaks for itself and stems from our company culture of trying to help you thrive in navigating training and life.
When the program attracts globally minded athletes, who are delivered guidance and education that is based on global performance content, then it would be strange to receive too much pushback in coaching with a global mindset. Perhaps that simple paragraph should have been my answer to the podcast question!
Finally, I have been asked several times in the recent podcasts what I believe the main driver behind the Purple Patch success we have had with amateurs. It is never an easy question to answer, but I do think that a large contributing factor is an unyielding quest for a global performance mindset, which creates sustainable training in even the busiest lives. These factors are much bigger drivers behind your great results than simply the intervals and prescribed sessions.
A Final Note
With the above topics in mind, if you are one of the Purple Patch athletes who simply receives the workouts and doesn't participate much beyond, I have a quick personal message for you:
Are you nuts?!
I write with a 'smile', but also a deadly serious call to action. Get involved! Immerse yourself in the community, embrace the education, utilize everything we have to offer that you can. The more immersive your experience, the better athlete you will be. If you are not sure how then let us help! Reach out to plan support and we will set up a complimentary call to guide you through the education and resources you have available. We are here to help, always.
