Mark Allen: Consistency Over Perfection, And Other Reflections On Endurance Training

Nov 3, 2023

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I’m so pleased to welcome Mark Allen back to the show!

Mark, aka “The Grip,” is also the greatest triathlete of all time, and he’s here today to share many of his unique insights and spiritual approach to grueling endurance sports. Mark, a contemporary of mine from the triathlon circuit, is now one of the most prominent coaches in the triathlon scene today.

Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from Mark’s early racing days and the things he would do differently knowing what he knows now to the adjustments he had to make at the end of his career to doping in elite sports. As the conversation winds along, you’ll get to hear more of the spiritual side of Mark that he has become known for as he talks about the many years he has spent working with a Huichol healer and the retreats they put on together, as well as what he has learned from the time he has spent with other native Huichol people in Mexico. Even if you are not a triathlete, the insights you will get from this show can be applied to all our peak performance goals in life!

TIMESTAMPS:

Mark Allen is one of the most prominent coaches in the triathlon circuit. What would he have done differently? [00:47]

After the break from Covid, the competition has really been fired up. [05:43]

This year in Kona, the women had their separate race on Thursday, while the men raced on Saturday. [08:02]

Mark and Brad discuss doping in the profession. Shelby Houlihan got a bad deal. [12:51]

Many athletes don’t understand the best way to recover. [15:56]

How do you take that fitness and then continue to build it without burning yourself out? [21:05]

What does overreaching mean? [24:17]

The signs of exhaustion from overreaching are (1) Slowing down in your swimming and (2) having a hard time getting your heart rate up, even though you feel like you’re pushing really hard, and (3) You can be out for a run and get full of lactate. [29:25]

What is different that the guys now are breaking 8 hours in the Ironman? [31:34]

If Mark could do something different, what changes would he make? [41:59]

One of Mark’s training ideas was actually training his mind to deal with boredom. [48:13]

If the aspect of recovery had progressed as much as the aspects of training, we’d see more amazing results. [51:03]

Are we still battling the influence of the ego or the constraints of technology? [57:10]

In today’s world there is no downtime with social media. [01:03:55]

Since Mark’s last big race in 1995, what has his fitness journey been? Without consistency, as you age, your body falls off quickly. [01:06:58]

Anybody out there who is not exercising at all or as much as they want, you know it doesn’t feel good. Be consistent with your exercise. Don’t back off. [01:16:20]

Mark spends time among the primitive population of Huichol Indians in Central Mexico, and has learned a whole new way of living. [01:18:08]

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