The Secrets to Nailing a Breakthrough Triathlon Performance

Three pro triathletes share their advice on achieving breakthrough performances. 

Endurance sports such as triathlon can be notoriously hard. The training can be long and arduous, the rewards are never guaranteed. But almost every athlete, no matter their age, ability, or experience, dreams of having that breakthrough performance, that “magic day” where everything clicks and your body and mind work seamlessly together to deliver a performance that is above and beyond anything you’ve achieved before. For age groupers, that might be a huge PR or a world championship slot. For pros, that might be a debut podium performance and a long-awaited prize money check. Whatever it might be, it feels sweet, exhilarating—and everyone wants to experience it for themselves at least once. Yet it can be elusive, frustratingly so. 

We talk with three pro triathletes who’ve experienced all kinds of breakthroughs—ones that have catapulted them from the age-group ranks to the pro division and ones that have led to Ironman titles and world championship top-10 performances.

RELATED: The Most Common Mistakes Tri Pros See Age Groupers Making

What Is A Breakthrough Performance—and How Do You Get There? 

While the dictionary definition of a breakthrough is “a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development,” when it comes to sports performances it’s often characterized as sudden, surprising, exhilarating, and entertaining displays (perhaps both for the athlete and the audience) that catapult the athlete into a new realm. And while it might seem sudden and surprising for everyone else, it’s usually the case that for the athlete and their coach or team behind the scenes, it’s anything but. They were well aware that something special was in the making based on data from training. But for those without that inside intel it is exciting, new—a breakthrough, even though, as the old adage goes, “every overnight success is 10 years in the making.”

Ten years in the making is about what it took for pro triathlete Rach McBride to finally achieve the Ironman swim performance they knew would move them closer to unlocking their full potential. At Ironman Canada in 2017, McBride—typically known for their bike-run strength—exited the water with a 2.5-minute lead, before going on to break the bike course record and lead the race well into the marathon, ultimately finishing third (their first Ironman pro podium). And when they reflect on that swim performance and what led to the breakthrough, McBride says it was a “perfect storm” of key swim technique tips finally coming to fruition “on top of the 10 years of focused training and attention.” And the confidence gained from that swim performance “absolutely changed my athletic career,” McBride says. 

RELATED: Triathlon Distances: From Sprint to Ironman and More

Consistency Counts

British pro triathlete Nikki Barlett, who’s achieved 25 podiums in pro-Ironman and 70.3 races since turning pro eight years ago, says it’s this continued focused training and attention to detail that matters. Indeed, routine and consistency are what she thrives on and are what has led to her greatest races. 

“I’m an athlete who gains a lot of confidence through consistency in training. I’ve had nine years of consistent triathlon-specific training, being a full-time athlete for eight of those years where I can take advantage of rest and recovery. That’s a lot of years doing swim, bike, and run, and along the way the consistency in results and training gives me confidence.”

And, in turn, it’s this confidence that allows her to set goals—and then go after them—in a way she might never have done before. “I would say it was only 2021 where I said out loud to Bex [Milne, her coach and soon-to-be wife] that I wanted to come in the top 10 at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. My training showed and gave me confidence that this was possible.”

RELATED: How to Taper (and Peak) for Your Next Triathlon

Bartlett went on to finish 9th at 70.3 Worlds that year—her first top 10 and what she considers to be her greatest breakthrough so far. Since the time of writing this article, Bartlett enjoyed arguably the greatest breakthrough race of her career with a top-five finish at the Ironman World Championship in Nice, France.

Know When to Push—and When to Rest

Of course, confidence matters—whether you’re an age grouper or a pro—and sometimes it’s not about having the confidence to go harder, but having the confidence to rest.

That’s what new pro Justin Riele did at the start of 2024, taking a three-week break in January when he and his wife spent three weeks in Argentina and Chilean Patagonia that involved zero swim or bike training. He returned ready for a strong training block ahead of his opening race of the season. 

RELATED: How to Get Started in Triathlon

“That mental and physical ‘reset’ allowed me to train in an incredibly focused and motivated way in the 10 weeks leading into 70.3 Oceanside, where I put together some of my most consistent training,” he says. “It was nothing special, but zero bad weeks and very few bad days.”

And it was that 10-week block that then led to him having a breakthrough performance, finishing 8th in a world-class pro field. “While it wasn't my highest finish of the year in the Ironman Pro Series [which was 4th at 70.3 Mont Tremblant in June], it was the first race where I came off the bike with Lionel Sanders, Sam Long, and Jackson Laundry, and took down some of my long-time idols of the sport in a deep field. I felt like I really belonged in the pro field after that result.”

RELATED: The Real Reason You’re Not Getting Faster at Swimming

Indeed, a boost in confidence and a feeling of belonging can often be natural consequences of a breakthrough performance, helping to fuel further gains in training and racing. As McBride says: “Every breakthrough took my mental game to a new level.”

But it’s not all plain sailing—and for every breakthrough moment, there are sure to be many more days of frustration or disappointment. So how can you stay the course if you’re feeling defeated by a lack of improvements? 

How to Overcome a Performance Plateau

Breaking through takes time and, as Riele says, “progress is not always linear.” This means staying the course, even during the tougher times, if you want to stay on track for your goals. But plateaus, both in training and racing, are incredibly common. They are also incredibly frustrating and, if not dealt with well, can derail any athlete’s motivation and, ultimately, even their continued participation in the sport. Knowing how to remain patient and overcome a plateau can be a huge asset—and it might take one or more “fixes.”

McBride says the hardest thing can be feeling as though you’ve put so much work in “all to have it come to what feels like naught.” But McBride says one thing that’s helped is having a “goldfish memory,” adding: “Once the next season came around or I set myself on a new race then my interest and passion were renewed.”

RELATED: How to Train for Olympic-Distance Triathlon

Sometimes it can be as simple as needing to remain consistent, doing the right things, day in, day out, and focusing on the basics: executing training as planned, recovering well with good sleep and nutrition, surrounding yourself with the right people. But if you’ve been doing all of that well [for a year or more] and you’re still experiencing a plateau then it could be time to switch things up, which could mean a change of coach and/or a different approach to some of your training. McBride uses the example of doing some mountain power hikes to supplement low-volume run training. 

Among the top of Bartlett’s list of ways to navigate a plateau are patience and rest. “Sometimes it’s not more training that you need, but time off,” she says. “Honestly reflect on your training history, health, lifestyle, and happiness to help you arrive at the right answer.”

She says she seeks the opinions of those she trusts and respects to have these honest conversations with. Ask questions such as: Is the fun still there? Are your goals motivating you? Are you bogged down with technology and data and need to remove yourself from that—or conversely could more data in your training help, such as HRV tracking? She also places great value in training with others and finding or building a social and supportive community of people to train with and share the process. 

RELATED: Stepping Up: How to Go Longer in Triathlon

She says building that community, as she has in Loughborough, England, has helped her navigate the darker times—such as a plantar fasciitis injury this past winter which prevented her from running for four months. And then it’s those very same people with whom she thoroughly enjoys celebrating all the podiums and successes. 

Patience, Process—and Breaking Boundaries

“I cannot emphasize enough that you mustn’t panic; it’s about having patience and trust in the process,” she says. She recalls being 22 minutes away from the win at her first pro race in 2015 and then finishing in 25th place at her first 70.3 World Champs in 2016, some 26 minutes behind the winner. 

“Those are some big gaps, but even then I had big ambitions to win races and be on the podium,” she says. “It’s about patience and trust that things take time, and putting a plan in place to love the training. Work out how that looks for you and understand that if you’re enjoying it then you’ll have longevity in the sport.”

It can, too, be about being willing to take chances and break boundaries when the opportunities arise, as McBride says about their biggest breakthroughs: “Sometimes it really is about taking chances and showing up to see what kind of physical and mental boundaries I could break. Sometimes it’s just about having the courage to just go for it or bust!”