How to Stay Motivated in Triathlon – Insights from Mark Allen: Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of my conversation with the incredible Mark Allen! 

Dubbed the greatest endurance athlete of all time by ESPN, Mark is sharing the secrets behind his amazing results. Today in particular we’re focusing on mindset and motivation.

If you haven’t heard part 1 yet, I highly recommend you do that first so you don’t miss any of the wisdom he shares. 

Mindset is a big part of triathlon training and races. Whether you’re gearing up for a major training session or standing at the start line, the thoughts running through your mind greatly impact your performance.

He shares the moment from his first triathlon when he realised what a difference they made. When a competitor passed him, he felt the doubt creep in, his body tightened up and everything started to feel harder. Taking a moment to clear his mind he was able to acknowledge there was still plenty of time to retake his position. This allowed him to regain his stride and overtake the competitor, securing fourth place amongst legends like Dave Scott and Scott Molina.

A lot of people use affirmations to fight the doubt, and while it helped for training, Mark found they felt hollow when the fatigue of race day set in. Instead, quieting your mind reduces anxiety and allows you to give your best.

It’s also a great tool outside of racing. Whether it’s an intense workout or one of life’s difficult moments, the ability to pause and find that quiet is invaluable. Realising it’s okay to let certain tasks wait if a larger priority needs attention helps in balancing life and triathlons.

We then pivoted to an important aspect of training—periodisation. Mark suggests training should be broken down into manageable segments, so you can avoid risk of becoming overwhelmed.

Many athletes make the mistake of constant training without rest, which can lead to physical and mental fatigue. But Mark emphasises the importance of recognising and addressing feelings of burnout or self-doubt.

Sometimes a lack of motivation might be a signal to rest or recalibrate your goals.

This is particularly important for age groupers juggling various commitments alongside their training. It’s about consistency and realistic goal-setting—stretching just beyond your comfort zone to discover what you’re truly capable of.

Finally Mark shares how the lessons learned in triathlon can be applied to life. Accepting that achieving big goals often takes longer and requires more energy than anticipated can prevent burnout. And a mindset of patience and learning will make the journey rewarding, regardless of the outcome.