Triathlon legend Mark Allen talks about his sporting WHY, and asks what is yours?

My professional triathlon career spanned 15 years. During that time, I literally logged thousands and thousands of hours of swimming, cycling and running.

Getting as fit as possible took priority over just about everything else. I minimized distractions, maximized recovery and sought out the very best advice and guidance to help me with one singular goal: to be the best in the world.

I had a gift. My genetic toolbox was optimized to be a triathlete. Other sports? Not so much! There are not enough golf balls on the planet to get me through 18 holes. I’d get crushed to a pulp in the first play at the line of scrimmage in a football game. But I had few equals when it came to being born with the gifts to be able to swim, bike and run.

My triathlon journey

And I don’t say this to brag, but to give you a perspective of my triathlon landscape. People would ask me how I stayed motivated to put in 15,000 miles of training every year. My answer when I raced was simple. My overarching motivation was to see how good I could get.

But that was a long time ago. I can now see that my answer was incomplete. That level of dedication was also fueled by the fact that I was exceptionally talented at it. And that got me thinking even more. For those who will never win a race, what is it that makes this sport still be so special and exceptional for them?

It’s now been 30 years since my final IRONMAN World Championship in 1995. I’ve had a lot of time to think about that question and to see the sport from a different perspective because of the people I coach.

I only coach Age Group athletes. None of them are going to win a race outright. Yes, some have won their age group, but most are in the sport for very different reasons than trying to be the best in the world. That’s the pointy end of the spear.

Everybody’s ‘why is important

The reasons, the magnetism that draws people into any sport including triathlon and keeps them going are more universal.

It’s things like the community they get to be around. It’s about getting a little scared of the goals they set for themselves but then finding the courage to commit anyway. It’s the incredibly satisfying feeling of getting that 1% better today than they were yesterday on their personal scale of excellence. These are the “whys” that fuel most people’s passion for sport.

And none of those reasons are trivial in their impact on a person’s life. They are huge. When you get involved with a community to pursue a goal that sits outside of your comfort zone and over time make those personal gains, it changes your character. It gives life spice and propels you down the road to understanding yourself and life better overall.

Why ‘average’ was still fun for me

During my youth I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years. I was the “age-group triathlete” equivalent in that sport. My genetic toolbox would never take me to the top of anything in swimming. No one was going to ever write an article about a race that I won because it was rare that I did win swimming events. And when I did, it was because the other guys in my race were right in that “average toolbox” category.

But I loved swimming for all the reasons I just mentioned. It was fun. I had community. I set goals to get a second or two faster in my key events which often felt out of my capabilities, but when I eventually hit them, I was over the moon happy.

And that’s also why I love coaching. I am very familiar with the top of the pyramid and know how to help people get there. But I also know what it’s like to have passion for a sport where I will never be part of the newsfeed. It’s personal, and it’s exceptional!

I’d love to hear about your “why” and if any of this rings true for you!