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The TRI-FYT coaching philosophy draws on best practices learned while being trained by nationally recognized coaches, coaching (as a personal trainer at Boston Sports Clubs, Fitness Together and the YMCA at various times during my career, as well as in coaching competitive athletes), a masters degree in exercise science, and finally, triathlon-specific expertise as a USA Triathlon Level 1 coach. To sum up the TRI-FYT philosophy, it’s better to be 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained (Ironman for Mere Mortals, Cartwright, 1998; Runners World, Leilani, 2005). The Rules Don’t Always Apply
Certainly, there’s a basic code, balancing pushes and pulls in lifting and keeping your ego in check in group workouts, but to quote a line from Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s really more of a guideline. The guideline may make sense, but sometimes life intrudes – and frequently life takes priority. Through experience, I know I can’t add 4-6 sets of tennis to my weekly triathlon training schedule; I need to substitute an hour of tennis for a running workout.
Hard work and intensity do pay off, but consistency is the bottom line, and results alone are not enough to keep you going. For you to be consistent, your workout has to be fun. Since a lifetime of fitness is the real goal, slightly lesser short-term results with more fun will result in more successful long-term training than that one-week boot camp with phenomenal short-term results. What should I do about Nutrition?
Nutrition is another important piece of the puzzle. A good general nutrition plan is to eliminate cream, butter, cheese, fast food and junk food – and to replace these with calories from fruits and vegetables.
 Should I be Strength Training?
You’re sure strength training help you; all your friends are doing it. But what kinds of exercises should you be doing? Machines or free weights? Upper body or lower body? Pilates? Core exercises? It’s easy to get lost in the maze of information that’s out there, and keeps getting added to every day. The most important thing to know is to use free-standing exercises that train movements, not muscles. The cornerstone of the TRI-FYT philosophy is lifelong exercise and peak health. Last, it is also important that the trainer not only trains the client but also teaches the concepts (overload, periodization, progressive resistance, specificity, recovery, nutrition and hydration) so you have the tools to continue training on your own. It is important you enjoy the training plan and can, and will, continue to follow it even when your trainer is away competing in an Ironman.
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