Sometimes the shortest of blog pieces are the most informative and this recent post certainly fits that bill. Outlining the pitfalls of being an over-specialized “one trick pony,” the writer goes on to laud those athletes who “are focused on what they can do and optimize those abilities.”
The world of endurance sport is awash with all-rounders, although I sometimes do wonder if the term “all-rounder” is becoming less and less applicable in the seemingly increased specialization of modern athletics at all levels. Why is that? I’m not sure if I have the answer but it does provide some food for thought.
The recent Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships have been most entertaining, particularly in the athletics stadium. While I am not partial to track running as a participant, the sheer variety and intensity of the events definitely excites me as an armchair spectator. The decathlon events in particular were most entertaining to watch; well-muscled sprinters hurtling around the track in the 1500m leg of the competition was and is a sight to behold. Decathletes are perhaps the most rounded and versatile athletes around. Take Brian Clay for instance, whose sheer athleticism and adaptability saw him post the highest ever score in NFL fitness testing.
A most interesting result – at the elite level no less – is the Women’s Marathon competition of the European Championships. Podium places aside, if one scrolls down the results list the athlete occupying 24th position certainly has performed to her potential.
Nicola Spirig is the reigning Olympic Triathlon Champion. In perhaps the most intense branch of the triple-disciplined sport, the Swiss-native’s triumph in London was monumental. Under the tutelage of Brett Sutton, Spirig’s buildup to London 2012 was tailored to her unique physiology. A constantly evolving training approach specific to the individual no doubt played a critical role in her gold medal-winning performance. And this seems to still be the case, culminating in a very respectable 2hr37min performance in Zurich last week. But what was a world-class triathlete doing in the international marathon arena?
“Nicola was ready to give Ironman a go this year, but the sport did not want her,” explains Sutton. “She wanted some sort of diversity and couldn't travel too far with her young son, so we decided to focus on the European Championships taking place in her home town.”
The fact that Spirig had yet to run a marathon threw an interesting dimension into the mix, trying something new being the sort of challenge that would suit the articulate Swiss. As the aforementioned blog post attests, a multi-faceted athlete embraces “injury prevention as a transparent part of the training program” and Spirig is certainly no exception in this regards.
“We abandoned the high running mileage after Nicola became injured in the beginning of our preparation. Her legs couldn't cope with 150km/week but we wanted to race a marathon. Even the weekly long runs weren't working as they left Nicola with residual stiffness for days after, so we had to come to a compromise.”
Ever the innovator, Sutton adjusted his athlete’s preparation to ensure consistency spread over a lighter workload. Spirig focused on moderately long tempo runs and twice weekly sessions with the Swiss marathon squad, allowing her injuries to heal without losing fitness.
With Olympic triathlon becoming more and more specialized, how does Sutton view Spirig’s dabbling in track and marathon running?
“I don’t believe it has done her triathlon any harm,” he asserts acknowledging the fact that increased focus on running has led to Spirig’s scaling back her cycling.
“Even if Nicola is at fifty-percent fitness, she can ride with the ITU ladies. The extra time has allowed us to work on improving her swimming stroke, where the pool time has doubled up as recovery time too.”
With a training schedule seeing Spirig running every second day, athletics aficionados may well be left shaking their heads in disbelief. But this sort of innovative approach is what distinguishes a holistic and proactive coach-athlete relationship from a generic one. Spirig and Sutton are both aware of their limitations as well a need for diversity. Yet instead of living in denial and plugging away for the sake of conformity, an intuitive coaching partnership that embraces what the athlete can do most certainly leads to exceptional results.
Going back to 2012, those same aficionados were indeed shaking their heads when Spirig elected to race a half-ironman distance triathlon just two weeks prior to her Olympic triumph. The naysayers had written her off as a contender after that, but Sutton knew better. Spirig was desperate to race and was literally climbing the walls at her training base. Instead of letting his athlete over-exert herself in a concurrent ultra-competitive sprint race, Sutton opted for the longer event in attempt to avoid Spirig’s legs from filling up with lactic acid.
True genius some may say in hindsight, and rightly so. More importantly though, Sutton was doing what all great coaches do; allowing his athlete some freedom all the while protecting the athlete from the athlete herself. Focusing on what they athlete can do instead of the opposite.
It is all about compromise. Athletic greatness, no matter the level, requires the ability to adapt to many factors. Embracing these factors cultivates a well-rounded athlete and person to boot.
* Note: Header image of Brett Sutton swim coaching courtesy of www.trisutto.com
