Train With Feel, Not FOMO

Welcome to part 2 of this mini-series pairing my Training Maxims with the performance philosophy of coach Matt Dixon. Today, we focus on something that’s becoming harder to do in a data-heavy world; trusting feel, and mastering the basics that actually support performance.

Maxim 3: Don’t Get Distracted by Data & Tech

• Easy effort should feel easy, conversational, nose-breathing, no tension.

• Threshold work should feel “comfortably hard”, breathing is noticeable, but under control.

• Intervals and sprints feel hard, sure, but they shouldn’t destroy the session that follows.

While heart rate monitors and GPS devices offer valuable data, they can’t fully capture the nuances of your body’s daily fluctuations. Factors like sleep quality, stress levels, hydration, and even ambient temperature can significantly affect your performance. Relying solely on gadgets may lead you to push too hard on off days or hold back unnecessarily when you're feeling strong.

Training by Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), tuning into how your effort feels on a scale from 1 to 10 promotes a more intuitive and adaptable approach. It encourages you to listen to your body's signals, fostering better pacing and reducing the risk of overtraining. This method not only enhances your physical performance but also builds mental resilience, as you're more attuned to your body's needs and responses.

Incorporating RPE into your training doesn't mean abandoning technology altogether. Instead, use data as a secondary tool to triangulate, validate and refine your internal cues. Over time, this balance can lead to more consistent progress and a deeper understanding of your personal performance thresholds.

I rarely use GPS or Power to chase pace. I listen to breathing, ground contact, rhythm. And in the pool? Unless you have a watch that you can start at the beginning of the session and stop at the end then leave it in the bag! Every stroke is a rep. You need total concentration and not button pressing.

Beware the Strava Effect

Data doesn’t just come from your watch, it comes from everyone else’s, too.

Platforms like Strava can be motivating, but they can also become noisy, performance-distorting feedback loops. You start comparing every effort. You push when you should hold back. You choose routes or sessions to “look good,” not to train well.

It’s not just a distraction—it’s a data trap.

Your training isn’t a performance for others. It’s an investment in yourself.

Use Strava if it fuels connection. But don’t let it dictate your effort or your confidence. Your best training happens when you run your plan, not someone else’s highlight reel.

Dixon’s Alignment - Intuition Trumps Output

Matt Dixon frames data as helpful, but never definitive. “The athlete is flying the plane. The data is just your heads-up display.”

He wants athletes to develop awareness - how they feel, how they respond to stress, how they recover. Metrics like TSS or HRV are only useful if they confirm what you already suspect, not if they override your intuition. You are not a robot and you shouldn’t train like one.

Maxim 4: Set Yourself Up to Succeed

If you want to train consistently, you’ve got to build the capacity to absorb training.

That means:

• Protein every day (especially post-session).

• Heavy lifting once or twice a week.

• 8+ hours of sleep per night (which means 8.5–9 in bed).

Strong, rested athletes don’t just train better, they handle setbacks better too. You can’t build fitness without building the systems that support it.

Dixon’s Alignment: Master the Basics First

Dixon has a similar list he calls “the non-negotiables”:

1. Sleep

2. Post-workout fueling

3. Daily hydration

4. Strength work

5. Easy effort discipline

6. Recovery nutrition

7. Clean, professional standards

His message: “Nail the simple stuff before chasing complexity.” In other words, the best performance plan in the world can’t overcome bad habits or chronic under-recovery.

Your Take Away - You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your system - James Clear (Atomic Habits)

• Audit your post-workout nutrition - are you fueling early and enough?

• Track your average sleep. Can you push closer to 8 hours?

• Pick one recovery habit to tighten up, and stick with it for a week.