How Are Professionals Different?

Are professional endurance athletes different from you and me?

In order for a woman to be paid for competing in marathons, bikes races, or triathlons, she has to be wicked fast—but how does she get that way? Is it training? Guts? Talent? Desire? Luck? I’ve asked several top athletes how they achieved their status, and the answer has consistently been some variant of, “I don’t have a lot of talent, so I work really, really hard.” Many lesser athletes work “really, really hard”—or at least think they do. What really makes the professionals special?

1) Professionals train a lot. Training is their job. Twenty hours per week is a minimum commitment. Five to fifteen or more hours per week is not uncommon. The professional’s definition of “really, really hard” may differ a bit from that of amateurs.

2) Top racers don’t fool around. Every minute, training or not, they focus on their goals. Every stroke, step, bite, or sip they take contributes to their competitive performance. They know that for each woman being paid to play, there are hundreds ready to take her place if she makes any error. Rather than becoming anxious, top racers turn this situation into motivation to work harder, to train more efficiently, and to do nothing that undermines their competitive abilities. If they don’t know the best approach for achieving something, professionals don’t fake it or let it slide. They find the answers. The successful racers in individual sports tend to be surrounded by teams of experts: doctors, cooks, physical therapists, sport psychologists, coaches, supportive significant others, and so on.

Getting the necessary guidance to train efficiently—and then doing a lot of training—is within the realm of possibility for most competitors, professional or amateur. The following issues may be tougher for many aspiring athletes to resolve:

3) It takes two to three years of high quality, high-volume training to approach one’s aerobic potential. Then, depending on the sport, it can take additional years to learn tactics or pacing, and another year to gain the attention of team managers. Reaching the professional level typically takes three to six years after taking up a sport. Not many athletes have that level of commitment—although many think they do, as they begin training.

4) The training years have to be completed while the athlete is still young enough to get a sponsor. Fortunately, for women, the window of time during which they can be competitive at a professional level in aerobic sports stays open at least to their mid-forties.