The Switch from Casual to Serious Hybrid Training

Every endurance athlete has their own story. Interestingly, some of the most serious triathletes I’ve met came to the sport in their late 20s / early 30s, including some who never expected that to happen. I’m no exception - I got into triathlon after a conversation with a friend during grad school at Berkeley. 

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If you’re just getting started as well, your evolution from casual to serious hybrid athlete might be similar to mine. I’ve outlined here some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. 

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Year 1: Fun and Experimentation

My first year was all about trial and error. I joined the Golden Gate Triathlon Club and Fat Cake Cycling, competed in an Olympic and Ironman 70.3 triathlon, ran a 50k, and trained almost daily with a former D1 Pole Vaulter. I simply wanted to get faster and I surrounded myself with others that enabled that vision. Simply put – my first year was a ton of fun. 

Year 2: Getting More Serious

Year 2 was more of the same – more triathlons, more running events, more training, and more KOMs. The fun factor was there but race times weren’t dropping consistency, I wasn’t gaining muscle, and there was no long-term vision. I toyed with the idea of getting a coach on/off and by fall I committed to my coach Chad and there’s been no looking back. By no means is this a must for every endurance or Hybrid athlete but this decision changed everything for me. For me it was either walk away or lock in – I’ve been locked in since January 1st of 2024. The rest of this article highlights how structured hybrid training transformed my approach in five key areas.

#1 Long-Term Focus

During my first conversation with Chad, he asked me point blank – “why are you here, Dave?” I said I was hungry to get fast. He said that’s not good enough, why are you really here? The deeper truth was that I loved endurance sports and wanted to see how far I could go with the help of a coach. Many athletes want to qualify for Boston, IM Worlds in Kona, or the CrossFit games – it’s what drives them. Yet how does one get there? Over my first year with coach Chad, the vision has always been to qualify for Ironman Worlds. That’s what’s been the driving force – it’s dictated how I’ve trained, what races I’ve competed in, and most importantly how I train for the future. Taking the leap into serious training has paid dividends – within 1 year of working with a coach, I smashed my long-term goal and qualified for Ironman Worlds next year. But I also DNF’d The Grand Traverse; for those not aware, the Grand Traverse is an overnight point-to-point ski mountaineering race starting at 12am, traversing the Elk Mountains from Crested Butte to Aspen. The Grand Traverse DNF still stings though, so I will be back for revenge at the start line in Crested Butte this spring!

#2 Cross-Sport Training

Many athletes fall into the triathlon camp because they love the multi-sport thrill – I’m no exception. These disciplines complement each other too: gains in one often carry over to the others.

Increasing FTP, V02 Max, Zone 2, LT2 times etc. – they’re not isolated. In fact, they’re very closely intertwined. It doesn’t just stop there. As someone who loves to backcountry ski and also has dabbled in Spartan Races, I’ve mixed in the Grand Traverse Ski Race (Round II) and Hyrox into the race calendar for next year. This is only possible because of the benefit of serious hybrid training – building a strong, versatile foundation creates a plug-and-play scenario into these adjacent sports. The opportunities are limitless here.

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#3 Discipline

Here’s everyone’s favorite topic – discipline. I’m not going to sugarcoat this – training for events like an Ironman 70.3 or a full Ironman takes a lot of discipline. Tough priority calls will be made – missed social events, early wakeup calls, and mixing in non-alcoholic drinks to name a few. At first, I struggled with this, but structuring one’s life around hybrid training has immense benefits. You will make time for workouts, you will say no to people, you will eat/drink in a healthy manner – not always because you want to at first, but because you have to. By the end of year 1, I can confidently say I moved the needle from the ‘need’ to the ‘want’ category and it feels amazing!

#4) Dealing with Adversity

As someone who struggles with anxiety, Hybrid training is a serious outlet for me. I can lock in and be extremely present. But let’s be real—it’s hard. Long training weeks and grueling brick sessions push you to your limits. The only way forward is to push through the impossible.

I use the word ‘through’ intentionally – knowing how to accept adversity and more importantly how to get through is key. You start to build trust and belief that you can say “yes” when your mind would otherwise say “no”. One builds trust and belief that they can say ‘yes’ when their mind would otherwise say ‘no’. Finding a way through looks different every time – the commitment to keep going is what matters. It goes without saying this skill has immense benefit in other areas of your life. It certainly has in mine.

#5) Enjoying ‘Race Day’

I used to dread race day – yes, I loved the idea of crossing the finish line next to friends and family, but I always felt nervous. I quickly realized this was because I wasn’t fully prepared. Race day is never a time to try something new, that’s for training. Race day shouldn’t be nerve-wracking – this should happen via intense training. Pushing through adversity and building grit should make race day feel less intimidating and more like a victory lap. Yes, it will be hard, but at this point you know you can do it. So, throw on a smile and enjoy the thrill!

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