Everyone has their individual pressures and constraints on their training time. Family, social commitments, work, health, motivation, etc. I could go on. But it’s hard to argue with this fact: There is a direct correlation between doing well in a race and the amount and quality of training you do. There seems to be another interesting hypothesis that I have explored over the past several years. Due to the lack of scientific collection and examination, it is clearly more conjecture or theory than fact. The results of my study are do not show statistical significance, only personal observation.
The theory I have is this. As much as there seems to be a perfect correlation between doing well in races and the amount / quality of training one does, there seems to be a perfect negative correlation between doing well in races and making money. I wouldn’t go so far as to draw a perfect correlation (-1 negative correlation) between doing well in Triathlons and doing well in business, because the word “well” is very subjective, but there seems to be a high R^2 between the two if “well” is defined as making money. Relatively speaking, I see very few pros and/or elite athletes sitting in jobs making millions a year. I do know a few elite runners and/or bikers, heck just look at Thomas Weisel, an avid biker and incredible athlete. But these are all one-sport athletes, not three sport athletes. To excel in 3 sports takes 1.5 – 2.5 more time in training, which seems to necessitate compromises, elsewhere in one’s life, typically work.
For those who read this, I know that this claim will probably draw a lot of rebuke or comments, but honestly, this is what I am hoping for. Remember, this is all testimonials from personal experience. In my three years in this sport, I have rarely seen a podium finisher that is also a businessman / woman who makes millions a year unless he/she is retired after making millions.
I am not claiming that triathletes “lack” the skills necessary to do well in business as we all know that we athletes have to be extremely disciplined in time management skills. But, there is something to say for the fact that those hours we spend early in the day, at lunch, or in the evening, are probably being spent by our non-triathlete colleagues getting ahead in business. They are less likely to skip a business dinner because of a planned work out. Less likely to take a lunchtime spin class than to have lunch with coworkers developing key relationships. And on weekends, they are less likely to spend the 3-5 hours a day doing a long run or bike versus reading work materials and catching up with family.
Clearly, training for and doing triathlons forces us to budget our time successfully and to develop incredible time management skills. Without these skills, we would either fail in business, with our family and personal life, or both. But I have been told by too many successful ex-triathletes that I should be careful about drawing a parallel between doing well in the sport of triathlon and doing equally well in my career. “Something’s gotta give Jeff” one fellow ex-professional cycler said to me. “You cannot take the skills, dedication, motivation and perseverance you need to be successful in triathlons over to the business world. It just doesn’t fit. They are not portable except on the rare occasion.”
That’s not to say we cannot do well in our respective careers and have an active life in the sport outside of work. Nor does it mean we have to give up something in our careers or personal life to train and have successful, positive experiences in the sport and around the sport. It simply means that if you intend to become an elite athlete, a pro, or even a top age grouper in this sport, it is likely you will have to make significant career or family sacrifices and need to be aware that this may result in being less successful in areas of your life outside of this sport.
My thought is that it has to be a conscious choice that we make in order to feel good about the consequences of that decision. If we go into the sport and do not achieve the results we want, while at the same time suffering or causing stress in other areas of our lives, well then, that would really suck. If we go into the sport achieving our sport related goals and understanding the toll it may take elsewhere, well then, that’s great. We made a simple choice and are living in that choice.
Personally, I’ll take the feelings I get from training and competing in the sport over another $100,000 / year any day of the week. The sport of Triathlon makes me feel good, look good, and perform well as a father, a mentor, and friend. I also believe that it enhances who I am in my career so that I am considered a better-rounded person. Could I drop all training and use the hours to get those documents read, write that proposal, or call one more client? You bet I could! And I could feel badly about myself that I’m not part of something outside of work, something much greater than little old me, you bet I could!
I used to be called selfish by my ex-wife when I would head out of the house to get to a Mossman Triathlon Club meeting. All I can say to those types of comments are: 1) she didn’t understand the level of commitment it takes to do well in three sports, back to back to back, and 2) that there were important things in my life outside of being a husband and a father. I knew deep down inside that being a positive role model to my children meant engaging in healthy activities outside of catering to their every need. I also know that in time, through my children watching me, they will be joining me in the sport as either a participant alongside of me, or a volunteer and supporter. I already have them involved as a volunteer and a participant. My participation has been and will continue to be a good influence on them overall and for the rest of there lives. So giving up a few hours of direct parenting time here and there has been well worth the expected payoff in the end.
I can honestly say that as of now, that I am already seeing the payoff in my children’s eyes and enthusiasm about the sport itself. At ages 7, 9 and 11, they are already asking when they can upgrade to a “thin-wheeled bike.”
Life seems to be all about the balance we have between work, the Self, the family, and our communities. We are all individually responsible for the Self, as without a strong sense of Self, we are less of a contributor to the other areas of our lives. Triathlon makes me want to be a better person. It doesn’t define me, rather, it teaches me about balance, about life, about dedication, goal setting, and about so much else.
The lesson I have learned here is that although there are fewer podium millionaires and this sport clearly does not have the endorsement deals that baseball, soccer or football has, it is not all about money. We participate because we want to. We train and sacrifice because we choose to. If life and this sport was just about money, our self worth would all be measured by our bank accounts and we’d have few people showing up at the starting line. I am glad we have something we can all enjoy that is healthy without expecting anything more than a hug at the finish line. Isn’t this sport great!
Jeff Dyment lives and works in Weston CT, New York, and Naples FL. He has been doing triathlons for the past 3 years, and competes in IM, ½ IM and Olympic distance races. He is single with three children and still has all his toenails.