Cornerstones of QT2

“You sold a business that you have busted your a** building for the past 7 years.” My friend said to me, “This QT2 thing must be something important to you. You must really believe in it.”

That’s true. I do. I believe in it that much. That I was willing to sell what I built, created…. because I believe in it that much.

So what is it about QT2 that grabbed me? The whole package… to be honest with you. There are so many dimensions to what QT2 really is, but let’s start with the easy part.

The cornerstones.

QT2 operates within five cornerstones. These are not a secret. In fact check out this video, Jesse will tell you all about it. But as we say around here…… it’s not the secrets…. it’s how you use them. That can’t be more true.

So what are these cornerstones? These are what make up an athlete, and what guides the entire program.

1. Training

2. Nutrition / Rest

3. Race Fueling

4. Pacing.

5. Mental Fitness.

Now notice this……The first two cornerstones have to do with preparation. The second two cornerstones have to do with execution. The fifth one, is actually one that has recently been added….. but it’s important during the whole process in my opinion.

This is a good illustration of how these all fit together.

Breaking it down one by one, you can see how when we address these cornerstones and make sure they are dialed in, the rate of success for an athlete naturally will be very high.

1. Training: This is the no brainer almost. As I am navigating exactly how a program is assembled and how carefully the pieces are put together, the attention to detail across all programs is most fascinating to me (all programs meaning 1:1, Mission Plan, etc). We have a systematic way that we identify and address limiters, build strengths and plan the flow of a season so it brings out the best possible performance in each athlete. This is only one cornerstone however, and it directly related to the other four. I do think one misconception of QT2 is that we all follow the same protocols and plans, yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. We utilize certain protocols that actually allow us to be incredibly creative and allow us to use a systematic approach to again address individual athletes and measure their progress.

2. Nutrition / rest. I am not a dietician, but I know a lot of excellent ones. The difference here at QT2 is that we have them right on our team. Just like our coaches our RD’s are all on the same page, educated in the Core D. principles, etc. When you join us as a 1:1 athlete this is automatically included. If you are a Mission Plan athlete or heck, if you have a different coach entirely you can still come to us for nutrition help.

While I am a nurse and I have a vast background in nutrition, my area of expertise is really coaching. As I venture into this whole QT2 thing I get to really work alongside the dietitians and become even more effective for the athlete.

With that being said nutrition is often overlooked in multisport. When athletes train they often use it as a license to eat whatever they want. Nutrition is like the secret weapon in performance. The better your off the field nutrition is, the better your on the field performance can be. It’s not about taking away the good stuff, the cookies, the mellowcreme pumpkins (oh man, LOVE), it’s about using them to enhance performance and health.

Cookies can help? Heck yeah. It’s all about when you eat them. Again, it’s not about the secrets, it’s how you use them.

I have learned how to rebuild my health form a micro level, the benefits of that have been outstanding. It goes beyond performance truthfully. I am the healthiest I have ever been. Without health, we don’t have anything.

The rest component of this athletes in general are getting much better at. If it means you have to buy expensive things to assist you in doing this, so be it. Rest can be done in so many ways, however you get it is fine with me.

I always used to say that the easiest thing for me to do was to allow an athlete to physically kill themselves. The biggest work I have done as a coach is to constantly reel athletes in. I think the work-till-you-drop attitude is finally changing.

Rest and restoration is the biggest key, I think to all of this.

Stepping back a moment, look back at the above chart. These two just discussed points are part of preparation. If one of these areas is weak, the entire plan is unstable.

3. Race Fueling. This one I have had the most struggle with but finally after 15 years of trial and error, of this and that, I have nailed it (how, future post, it’s kind of funny actually).

QT2 has written hundreds of fueling plans fr all kinds of athletes, professionals, back of the packers, age groupers, everyone. These plans plain and simple….. work.

Have a solid fueling plan, practice this plan. Know this plan like the back of your hand. EXECUTE THE PLAN –> this is the biggest key.

4. Pacing. This fourth cornerstone might be the most misunderstood cornerstone of QT2. Many believe that we hold XX watts and XX  pace no matter what. Not true. We are not afraid of numbers, and we are not afraid of data. I can’t tell you how many athletes I have worked with who believe they understand their body, refuse to wear a HRM in an Ironman, walk the marathon…… and it could have been avoided if they just kept a loose eye on what their body was doing.

I look at data as I look at numbers on a scale. Some people get very freaked out by their weight. Some athletes get freaked out and controlled by numbers in a race situation. This is why we wear this stuff all the time and take a step back from it. Never allow a number to control you…… allow it to help you. Use it as a tool.

We set up race plans with several factors to take into consideration. Perceived exertion, heart rate and power / pace are all used together, in synergy to help guide us. Notice I did not say dictate us. If you tend to be dictated by a heart rate monitor, wear it more often. You need to desensitize yourself from it. Batteries will die, readings will fail….. if you see a reading of 220 and you know it’s not right……. let it go. But don’t deny yourself the chance to have a guide.

5. Mental Fitness. This one was recently brought underneath the umbrella but we all would agree that without mental fitness we can’t have any of the above four. Click here to read a good overview of what this cornerstone is all about. We will talk about it in the future here as well.

The cornerstones of this whole program allow us as coaches to give the best direction, guidance, give us the most tools to connect with athletes. They give us a comprehensive plan to work within to help us bring the best out of each athlete that we coach.

Not only do I believe in this system, I have been a part of it. It took me a long time to fully understand all of it, mostly because I was just too busy running my own business. But as I learned and became entrenched in all of this…. it felt strange to be living one way and coaching a separate way. Now I have the chance to be in it all of the time.

Dream. Come. True.

Next week we are going to delve a little into the various coaching plans that we offer, as I have had lots of questions wondering what the differences between the Mission Plan and the 1:1 coaching program are. We will answer all of those questions next week. I can say this……. the Mission Plan is a freaking steal.