Breakdown of Liz\u2019s Wildflower race<\/a>:<\/p>\n 29:41<\/span> swim<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2:41:13<\/span> bike<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 1:27:21<\/span> combined run<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 4:42:17<\/span> total<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Prioritizing starting a family over competing as a pro triathlete earlier in life puts Liz in an arena almost all her own. But don\u2019t let that fool you into thinking she\u2019s at a disadvantage. If anything, it\u2019s quite the opposite \u2014 she\u2019s got the upper hand. In her training and day-to-day life, Liz is more zeroed in and efficiency-minded than most. Why? She has to be.<\/em><\/p>\n Greater responsibility at home has made Liz stronger than any version of her former 20-something self. This isn\u2019t coincidental \u2014 it\u2019s consequential. True triathletes, like Liz, thrive under pressure. Just as true triathletes thrive when they\u2019re pushing their limits physically. Liz has learned to exploit this trait. She knows that nagging feeling of wanting to get in her workouts and always push herself will likely never leave her, so she\u2019d rather tap into that resource sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n With this kind of mindset, Liz\u2019s decision to start a family when she did was easy. She knew she didn\u2019t have to choose her children over her triathlon career, or vice versa. Having both was just a matter of timing. Now, at 38 years old, she\u2019s capitalizing on those strategic planning skills parenthood requires and thinking more critically about how to make every minute she has available to train more impactful.<\/p>\n Right after she decided to turn professional she hired a coach. Justifying her decision she told us, \u201cTriathlon is complicated \u2014 you don\u2019t just swim, bike and run in a row every day. You\u2019d wear yourself down. So I always thought there must be a specific<\/em> formula for getting faster. I thought an experienced coach would give me that formula.\u201d Enter Cliff English. Every week Cliff, her tri coach from Tucson, Arizona, sets up Liz\u2019s workouts in TrainingPeaks \u2014 she follows them meticulously.<\/p>\n \u201cTriathlon is complicated \u2014 you don\u2019t just swim, bike and run in a row every day.\u201d<\/p>\n The training for the 5\u20196\u201d powerhouse has evolved a lot over the years. In the beginning, Liz had no structure and everything was based off of effort. With Cliff, she\u2019s fine-tuned her approach. Her swim and run workouts now consider pace rather than time; and her bike workouts are power-based<\/a>. Focusing on the latter has been the most game-changing.<\/p>\n Liz\u2019s commitment to indoor training on the bike clearly sets her apart from her competition. The de facto reason her trainer won her over? Time savings. When we spoke with her at the end of February, she commented, \u201cI could have ridden outside yesterday, but didn\u2019t because I ran out of time. If I don\u2019t prepare properly the night before \u2014 grab CO2 cartridges, get nutrition [Glukos energy gels], make sure I have my equipment together \u2014 I won\u2019t have time to get in my workout and get the kids on time.\u201d<\/p>\n All Liz\u2019s time training indoors has paid off. In an Interview with SlowTwitch<\/a> right after her most recent WildFlower win, she noted, \u201cI hammered the bike \u2014 but it was a different feeling because I didn\u2019t have to charge as hard as I did last year to catch Heather [Jackson] and Rachel [McBride] who are lights out bikers.”<\/p>\n \u201cIf I don\u2019t prepare properly the night before \u2014 I won\u2019t have time to get in my workout and<\/em> get the kids on time.\u201d<\/p>\n Other important aspects of Liz\u2019s race that played into her win was her equipment and gear. Here\u2019s the full rundown on what Liz wore at WildFlower, as well as what she likes to use in general during training:<\/p>\n Stop reading this for a moment and look at your clock. What time is it? Are you doing the thing you said you would be doing at this time? Is this moment in your day accounted for in your schedule? Beyond the level of intensity at which Liz works out, time management is another stand-out variable that sets her apart.<\/p>\n Take our interview with the pro triathlete, for instance. We knocked on her door at 3:59 pm for our 4:00 pm meeting. We waited precisely (no exaggeration) 60 seconds until she came to the door to greet us. Dressed in her slightly dampened workout gear, she explained she planned her indoor bike workout to finish at exactly 4:00 pm. Now that\u2019s<\/em> precise scheduling.<\/p>\n Another way Liz commands control over her time is by planning her training and race schedule around her kids\u2019 school calendars. When we asked about sacrifices, a common theme among triathletes, she only named one: not being able to volunteer in her kids\u2019 classroom. The potential to get sick is too high. So while Liz hasn\u2019t been gifted with an imperishable immune system, she does have power over when she trains and competes, which means she picks all of her races based on her kids\u2019 school schedules.<\/p>\n Now that Liz has properly defended her Wildflower title, she\u2019s already started preparing for IRONMAN Brazil. This will be her first full IRONMAN of 2016. Then, right after IM Brazil, she\u2019ll set her eyes on the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona.<\/p>\n If you would have told Liz when she was in her twenties that at 38 years old she\u2019d be a mother of two, as well as an incredibly accomplished and respected professional triathlete, she probably would have believed you. That\u2019s not because she\u2019s arrogant or naive \u2014 it\u2019s because she knows what she\u2019s capable of. She\u2019s always known.<\/p>\n To learn more about Liz Lyles, visit her website<\/a>, Instagram account<\/a> and Twitter profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready to start training like Liz on the bike, here\u2019s your shot to try TrainerRoad for one month risk free.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Liz](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/liz-lyles-winner-story-medals.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPressures of Parenthood Create Stronger Athletes<\/h2>\n
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\nTraining Evolves as Goals Get Bigger<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTraining<\/h3>\n
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Swim<\/h3>\n
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Bike<\/h3>\n
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Run<\/h3>\n
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Time Management Drives Efficiency in Training<\/h2>\n
![\"Liz](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/liz-lyles-winner-story-time-management.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s Next for Liz Lyles<\/h2>\n
![\"Liz](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/liz-lyles-winner-story-whats-next.jpg\")
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