Mike Pigg Triathlon Plan
Success Story - Anthony Christian

Athlete: Anthony Christian   Age: 38  Years competing in Triathlons: 2

Anthony's story: The first year I trained, I would swim with the swimmers, bike with the cyclists, and run with the runners, and try to keep up. Each group was doing two hard workouts a week, and that meant that I would end up doing six hard workouts. I needed a plan that understood how to balance the effort in the three sports – that had the rules built into it.

I learned a lot about training and coaching by following Mike's plan this year. I was already training with a heart monitor, and I knew that I should alternate hard and easy days. But when I followed the plan I found that Maffetone was suggesting that my easy days be 10 beats/min slower than I was used to. I tried it for a few weeks and found out in a hurry that I had been going too hard on my recovery days. I had been training for 18 months, and had a resting heart rate of 55 or higher. Usually, after a hard workout day it would spike up. After 6 weeks of following Mike's plan, my Resting Heart rate was down to 49. Best of all, when I had a hard workout day it wasn't elevated the next morning. That meant my body was absorbing the workouts and staying fresh.

The best part about the plan was that, last year I was really ready for the end of the tri season to come. I was just tired of it and wanted to move on to something else. This year I didn't feel that way – I was having fun, a lot more fun, all through the season. My times were coming down too. Before using Mike's plan, I was never able to break the 6:00 run barrier, but now I've achieved times as fast as 5:45. Likewise on the bike, I was a 21 mph guy until this season. Now I go 23.5 mph and I'm still improving.

In my personal training business, I am always looking for a new way to encourage people toward a healthy life. I try to tell my clients, most of which are not competitive athletes, that there is no single best exercise – the best one is one that they will do! If they enjoy it, it will become a permanent part of their lives. Following Mike's plan taught me that same lesson about myself: if it isn't fun, I'm doing something wrong, or probably doing too much!"

Anthony is a Personal Trainer and private consultant for nutrition, stress management and wellness issues. He trains and lives in San Antonio TX.

(Anthony is just one of the many Mike Pigg success stories we've heard this year. Triathletes by the hundreds are discovering that heart rate training can help then achieve success, stay healthy, and help them enjoy their sport!)