American pro athlete Taylor Knibb is one of the sports strongest female competitors. She blasted onto the Ironman scene after a hugely successful short-course career and dominated from the start. Knibb pivoted quickly from the 70.3 distance to the full Ironman with continued success. As she reveals in the Ironman pre-season YouTube video series A Fighting Chance, her training philosophy embraces a body and mind approach.
As she gets ready for a season of Ironman Pro Series races, PTO T100 Triathlon World Tour, and with an eye to Ironman Texas on April 26, Knibb offered some insight into what goes into a winning race preparation. While Knibb is out for this weekend’s T100 race in Singapore, sighting “personal reasons,” she is still planning on racing T100 San Francisco on May 31.
Key training principles to a successful race
To conquer the physical and mental demands of long distance, Knibb highlights the importance of structure, strength and mental resilience.
Preparing for an Ironman requires a meticulously training plan. Knibb credits intentional structured training blocks with specific focus on building endurance, strength and mental toughness. Above all else, sticking to the plan is critical. Though it may be tempting to push harder when feeling good, or pull back when unmotivated, Knibb said following the structure and being consistent leads to the best performance.
Sticking to these key principles will give you the best chance to nail your next race.
Progressive overload: Gradually increasing training intensity will help prevent burnout and injury.
Race-specific workouts: Simulating race conditions will help your body and mind prepare for the real event.
Recovery as a priority: Rest is just as critical as hard training, so your body can adapt and get stronger from the work you put in.
Playing the mental game
Beyond the physical demands of triathlon is the mental piece that tests your grit and determination. How you breakdown the race in your mind, and the tricks you use to manage the overwhelming nature of it can make or break you in a race.
Knibb said she uses mind games like counting the miles in the marathon from one to 26 as opposed to counting them down, which many athletes will do. This puts a positive spin on crushing nature of the marathon as she ticks off successes, one mile at a time.
Constantly focusing on what’s left can be overwhelming, she explained. Shifting the mindset to acknowledge each milestone as an accomplishment can make the challenge feel more manageable.
This simple yet powerful shift in perspective can make the difference between finishing strong or mentally unraveling.
Learning from past experiences
Reflecting on her race at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Knibb said each Ironman course requires different tools, strategies, and mindset shifts.
With different terrain, climate, and race conditions for each race, it isn’t as simple as repeating what you did in the last race. Each race build requires that an athlete adapt and evolve so they can refine their training and develop a race-specific game plan.
Using techniques like visualization has also helped Knibb by “seeing” her success and realizing it in her mind. Visualization your race can help build confidence, create a mental blueprint for race execution and prepare athletes mentally for those inevitable tough moments you will encounter. Using visualization techniques allows athletes to practice all these elements of race day before the actual race.
The community of competition
Beyond the physical pain and mental stress of a triathlon, there is a communal suffering that heightens the experience and enhances a feeling of achievement.
Ultimately, athletes need to find joy in the process to embrace and excel at triathlon. The struggle of tough endurance racing helps build a connected community of athletes and fuels motivation. When all your energy is spent and your brain is running on empty, that community is sometimes the lift you need to get across the finish line.
