ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: Connor Reynolds
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT- Connor REynolds
Here at AP Racing we have a lot to celebrate.
We get to celebrate the friendships we make through sport, the experiences we create together, the amazing growth our athletes have, and we get to celebrate each other.
Today, we get to celebrate AP Racing 1:1 Coached Athlete Connor Reynolds and his recent AG win and 4th OA at IM1406 Mt. Tremblant.
I got a chance to sit down with Connor after his race and dive a little deeper. I hope you enjoy our conversation:
Andy: Hi Connor, Congrats on a great race at IMMT! Coach Daniel has been telling our staff at our monthly meetings that you were ready for glory on race day. It was so great to see your race unfold and to be able to see you cross the finish line with a 20+ minute lead! I can’t wait to see what’s next, but let’s dig in a little here to how the last 6-12 months and race day unfolded-
For everyone out there, what’s your name, what do you do or did you do for a living, where do you live? Tell us about yourself a little-
Connor: My name is Connor Reynolds, right now I'm trying to make a living as a triathlon coach and in the interim, I am also working as a YMCA swim instructor and as a sales guy at my local bike shop. I used to be a Logistics Coordinator, but really did not love “office life.”
I live in Holland, Michigan. Other than triathlon, I enjoy anime and reading manga.
Andy: You are an AP racing 1:1 coached athlete- How long have you been working with AP racing? Tell us a little bit about your experience?
Connor: I have been working with AP racing for just 1 year exactly, I started last September. So, Happy Anniversary! Lol. It has been a pretty amazing experience- I have been coached a few times now, but never really found the right rhythm. I was typically overtrained and just slapped with a ton of intensity, or unrestrained and not able to tap into my full potential. Working with Daniel I think it has finally clicked and my times are definitely showing that. I mean in IMMT I PR’d in everything Swim (5min), Bike (2min, but my PR was in IM Florida), Run (10min, PR was also in IM Florida). Daniel has this really weird sixth sense to understand exactly how a workout is going to affect me and how to then stack workouts to get the most out of me at the lowest cost.
Andy: How has your training this year been different than it has in the past? What are some things that were really good and some that were not so good?
Connor: I have done a lot more of everything, the longer bike and run days really helped me conquer the distance and really figure out what nutrition I needed. The thing about it is that I was better prepared for the long workouts and they were really well balanced so that I could be consistent week after week. I don’t know what magic formula DB and the AP racing team has to figure it out but it works. An added benefit of the ‘more training’ is that I have really learned how to manage my stomach and GI issues I had in the past. Last thing is the swimming volume. I noticed that a lot of coaches or programs swim ‘less’ but AP Racing really knows how to cycle swimming in to build aerobic capacity without the cost of weight supported sports. A few other big differences this year for me were:
1) We have not done any weight training. I really thought this was strange because I thought I needed it to get stronger on the bike. While the team does coach strength training, we took a different approach this year where DB was getting me strength work through my bike and run workouts. They were sport specific strength/load workouts and helped with time management.
2) Recovery Weeks & Periodization: I used to spend 5-7 days every third week doing low intensity workouts for rest. Now I recover on intermittent days instead of intermittent weeks. This has really helped with consistency & managing my life.
Andy- How did it feel to complete this race, go 4th overall and be crowned AG Champion while punching your ticket to Kona?
Connor: DUDE, I cant even describe it. I was in disbelief. I thought it couldn’t be true. Finally all the hard work I put in, all the IMs I did and never came close to that AG win. Just tears, so many tears of joy…haha. All the blood sweat and tears paid in full.
Andy- What’s next? Races? Life?
Connor: Next IM AZ baby, then next year 70.3 Utah, 70.3 Boulder, 70.3 Michigan then Kona.
Andy- Is there anything you would tell anyone who wants to compete in a World Championship or even someone trying to just get into triathlon?
Connor: “Whatever works” and “consistency and patience are king.” That’s basically what I live by. There is so much to this sport, so many things you can try. But it comes down to whatever works for you. If the super shoes hurt dont wear them. If the aero tri suit is uncomfortable don’t wear it. Dont worry about what other say, just do what works for you. Also it’s all about consistency. It’s not about how hard you train or what your longest training session was, it’s being able to consistently train day in and day out for weeks/days/months/years without getting injured, sick, or burning out. Life is going to happen so you’re going to have to take days off here and there. But because of the huge training base you can build by being consistent those few days off don’t really matter. It’s when you sacrifice sleep, or don’t listen to the body and push through pain so a new injury shows up or you get sick that can really derail a season especially it is re occurring. I always like to think races aren’t won in a training session they’re won on race day.
Oh- and most importantly- get one of the best coaches ever, like DB or any of the AP Racing Coaching Staff!
Andy: Anything else you want to share with us?
Connor: Kona!!! LET’S GOOOOO!!
Andy: Thank you so much for sharing with us and for letting us be a part of your triathlon journey! Keep up the great work and #GETSOME!!!