“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”
― Harrington Emerson

My favourite Christmas present should you be considering one for me (thanks in advance), is a book voucher. A book voucher is a gateway to endless possibilities. A key to unlocking knowledge in a new area, or a story that drags me into a whole new world. My wife always buys me a Waterstones voucher for Christmas.

Earlier this year, as I wandered the shelves, scanning titles, a thought struck me – aren’t there a lot of ways to “lose weight”? Keto. Paleo. Intermittent fasting. The cabbage soup diet. The moon-phase cleanse (yes, really). Each promises a shortcut. Each claims to be the answer.

Of course, if any of these methods worked for everyone, there’d only be one weight loss book. Waterstones could devote more space to books on submarines (they only had one—don’t ask!) and fewer magic-method guides. The principles behind weight loss are simple (despite what the social media influencers may tell you) but the methods? Endless. Their guiding principle being simple: Is it marketable?

Which of course, inevitably, brings us to triathlon training. I’ve watched athletes chase every new trend. Zone 2; Double-threshold; The latest Instagram craze. Exciting? Yes. Promising results? Always. A shortcut? Never.

The problem is not that these methods don’t work (for some), it’s that something that works for some, never works for all. Yet the principles that these methods rely on, whether through design or through luck, are no different to the fundamental principles of any successful training programme. Double threshold or single threshold? Specific, controlled intensity work. Zone 2? Accumulating workload at a level which allows a lot of volume. Specificity; Stress; Recovery; Volume. “Magic” methods are just re-packaged principles.

Methods are seductive because they appear to give answers; principles often lead to more questions. But in reality this is the reverse of how they manifest. The same session that lifts one athlete can crush another. One thrives on long, steady endurance. Another flourishes on sharp, precise intervals. Applying a rigid method to a complex system is a recipe for disaster. Instead we need to reverse the thinking – The method is flexible; the principles are absolute. This is why individualised guidance matters. Helping athletes translate principles into methods in a way that fits them. Their body. Their life. Their goals. That’s where real progress happens – not in chasing the latest hype.

Harrington Emerson never raced a triathlon. As far as I know he never raced anything like an endurance event. But in his words there is a fundamental truth that so underpins endurance sports performance that I keep his quote above the desk where I work on athletes’ training as a simple reminder: We can chase every new thing or we can anchor ourselves in what actually makes you stronger. That choice defines your journey.