Three pages into his book, triathlon coach and former pro athlete Matt Dixon sets a great foundation with his four principles for strong performance: consistency, specificity, progression, and patience. He builds on this foundation with real life examples of successful pros, elite triathletes, and even his own experiences as an elite swimmer. In one of many “Aha!” moments, he explains how one triathlete focused exclusively on motivation and work ethic (to the exclusion of planning and structure), leading to “an accumulation of fatigue and a path of failure.”

To reach self-awareness, Matt recommends balancing of sleep, performance and nutrition, and an awareness of accumulated fatigue. He introduces with an overview and then proceeds to specifics on flexibility for workouts, rest, diet, weight, recovery, race preparedness, and more.