The benefits of Pilates
DION HARRISON
Dion Harrison – 2008 Amateur Long Distance Triathlon World Champion, British Triathlons Age Group Athlete of the Year 2008, ICAP Square Mile Sports Awards Sportsperson of the year 2008. Dion is half way through his first year as a professional triathlete and is currently based in Boulder, Colorado, preparing for Ironman Florida in November.
When Chrissie told me she was also doing an article for this news letter, it made me think...what the heck am I going to talk about when the Women’s Double Ironman World Champion has had her say?!....I guess as a first year pro, I can relate to what the majority of people in London are doing and how hectic life can be when trying to combine work, social and training commitments into daily life.
My first triathlon was Ironman Lanzarote in 2005. Prior to that, I had completed the London & New York Marathons to raise money for the National Meningitis Trust so it was the logical next step to continue raising money. I swam and played rugby competitively at school but I wouldn’t have considered myself a natural triathlete. It wasn’t pretty and never in a million years did I expect that 4 years after that day in Lanzarote, I would be a member of Team Activinstinct and have the chance to train with world class athletes in SA & the US. It was only really in 2006 that I started taking a real interest in multisport and was fortunate enough to have 3 injury free years where I could constantly build on and improve my training and results. This culminated in winning the ITU Long Distance World Championships in September 2008 which was the catalyst that enabled me to work with my sponsors and take a break from working at Lombard to pursue a career as a professional athlete.
Whilst living and working in London, I always attempted to book a weekly massage with Gemma at Physio4Life/Pilates4Life but, life sometimes took over and treatment tended to take a back seat to training. However, as the weekly mileage increased, it soon became clear that if I was going to continue to juggle my work life balance and remain injury free, foregoing an extra hour of training to make time for a massage was the sensible option. Last year, one of my aims was to qualify for and compete in all 4 Triathlon World Championships (IM, 70.3, ITU Olympic & Long Distance) in the same season. I’m certain that without weekly massage (and physio as and when I had minor injuries) there is no way I could’ve completed the training and qualifying races, never mind arrived at the Championships in the best shape possible.
Since leaving work at the end of January, the past 7 months have been a fantastic experience and living with World Class athletes has really enabled my training to progress to the next level. Moving from a 45hr working week, with up to 20hrs training squeezed in around it, I couldn’t help but think that I’d a) have much more free time as a professional athlete or b) be able to squeeze in hours more training. In reality, neither is particularly true...and I have no idea where a full working day used to fit! In short, I guess there’s just so much more time to do the little things right and also do the things that I often neglected in the past. There’s obviously time to do more training (I average around 30hrs a week) but then there’s all the specific strengthening work in the gym as well as stretching after training that was previously overlooked.
Spending time with guys who have been pro for a number of years has also allowed me to see what is important in their routines, from massage 3 times a week in some cases to daily ice baths in others. Afternoon naps and early nights are also high up there on the list of things in my routine that were previously impossible. I’ve also learnt that sometimes it is important just to relax which is something I never really had time for in London.
I guess there are a lot of athletes out there who are in the same position as I was last year...weighing up the pros and cons of life as a fulltime athlete. The decision is a very personal one and it certainly shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. In our sport, pro life certainly isn’t glamorous and once you reach the top of the amateur ranks, the small percentage gains to be truly competitive in the pro ranks require huge amounts of time, effort & patience to achieve. Whilst I was working, swimming, biking and running were a great way to relax and provided a release for working at a desk all day. Every time I pulled on the trainers and hopped on the bike, it was because I absolutely loved being outdoors and training. For the most part, I still feel the same way but as with anything else, when a hobby becomes a career, it’s impossible not to view in a more practical way. In short, what will help me be the best athlete I can be? What sacrifices in daily life must be made? What technology truly makes me go faster? And what can I do to maintain my body whilst pushing it to its limit?
I used to love training and racing in equal measure. Now it’s impossible not to view each race as a target that must be achieved to prove to myself that all the hard work is paying off. I guess everyone is their own harshest critic!
Despite having more time to spread training sessions throughout the day, I’m more tired each evening than I was cycling to work and squeezing training in late at night as it just means I’m able to put more effort into the key sessions. I also miss the mental stimulation of working fulltime and as a substitute, I’ve turned into a bit of a book worm in an attempt to maintain my mental agility. Filling the downtime with activities that aren’t going to negatively impact on the next training session is harder than it sounds! Living in Boulder, there are so many distractions and opportunities to get out into the mountains, it’s difficult to ensure that specific training remains the number one priority.
But....I wouldn’t change it for the world. I never want to look back and wonder...what if. Could I have...? So far, this year has allowed me to develop a solid platform to build on through the rest of 2009 and into 2010. And as importantly, I’ve been able to experience living in some phenomenal locations and experience life from a different prospective. The standard of competition is always improving and I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Dion Harrison - 2008 Amateur Long Distance Triathlon World Champion
