Andy Potts
Insights on Kona Training
What does a typical training day look like?
Long! 2.5-3.5 hrs biking, 40 minutes to 1.2 hours running, 1.5 hours swimming, then add in stretching and core/weight work – hard work pays of in our sport!
What’s your pre-race meal?
I try to keep it really simple and fairly light pre-race. I will eat what’s available but typically stay away from foods high in fiber as that could be dangerous on race day.
What is your favorite workout to test your fitness prior to the rest race of the season?
We don’t have a favorite workout. We are monitoring and measuring daily. By using a HR monitor daily,we can recognize the body’s response to the various training loads and know how the body is adapting.
What’s going through your mind as you’re approaching the finish line in Kona?
Without fail, whether a good day or bad, it has been “man, I have given that everything I had and boy was it hard… no regrets.”
What do you think sets you apart from your competition?
One of the main things I believe sets me apart is that I know that I do not know everything, so I am always willing to seek out answers and consistently learn. It’s that humility, willingness and desire to understand and to improve that drives me.
You’ve participated in sports your entire life, can you talk to us about why it is important for you to live a healthy and active lifestyle?
Being active and living a healthy lifestyle is about more than just sport. For me, it is about getting the most out of myself. As an athlete, I perform better when I am eating right and exploring my potential as an but a healthy lifestyle means I am doing the right things for my body and my mind to be able to be the dad, husband and man I am trying to be.
You swam for legendary coach Jon Urbanchek while at Michigan. What about that experience has stuck with you through the years as you continue to train and compete?
I have taken every lesson I have ever learned in my swimming career with John and my high school coach, Todd Kemerling, and I have applied it to my career as a triathlete. People talk about how the lessons they learn as an athlete apply to more aspects of their life and for me there was a direct transfer of traits I developed by working with these great coaches. Things like perseverance, mental toughness, how to get the most out of yourself when you feel terrible and what it means to be dedicated.
Kona is a large part of the conversation when it comes to triathlons. Can you talk about your experiences in Kona and what that place means to you?
Kona is special in the triathlon world because it put the sport on the map and it is kind of the god father of the sport. Success in Kona means a lot because there is something about when the best in the world show up, on the same day, and lay it all on the line. I have had some success there but I am ready to continue to climb the ladder to see how high I can go.
What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?
In regards to triathlon, the best piece of advice is to make the big thing, the big thing. Meaning, if Kona is the big thing, focus on Kona. If the Olympics are your thing, then focus on the Olympics. If you are a terrible cyclist, make it a priority. Whatever the goal is, make it both a micro and macro focus.
Follow Andy on his road to Kona on his social media channels at:
Instagram: @Andy_Potts
Facebook: AndyPottsRacing
