Grant Paling. I’ve been writing for a while now for AI Endurance, using the product as an ambassador but also to really try and ask myself - is it really working? Am I getting the results I want?

Results of course must be measurable. And that all comes down to goals.

So what are mine?

This season it was this:

• Place in the Top 10 in my age category at the British Standard Distance Triathlon championships ☑
• Qualify for the European Standard Distance Triathlon championships for 2026 ☑
• Qualify for the World Standard Distance Triathlon championships for 2026
• Qualify for the World Standard Distance Duathlon championships for 2026
• Run a Sub-18 minute 5km
• Run a Sub-39 minute 10km

As you can see I’ve already hit two of those goals. For the rest - well the qualification for the other two championship races is still in progress due to the timelines of the qualification process and dates of the races.

For the 5km goal, my last effort was 18:03. 3 seconds to gain and I just got a new pair of running shoes recently - I’m pretty confident that one is going to come before 2025 is out!

And if that one comes, the 10km goal I feel should inevitably follow. I’ve been getting some good endurance miles in so if I have the pace and the endurance, it should simply be a case of having a good day when trying that effort!

All of these goals are measurable, there is nothing down to chance. But there is also the feeling, that’s what I’m chasing more than the goals. The feeling of improvement, the feeling of the racing, the feeling of being satisfied with my performances.

Taking the over 40s open category win at the Bridge Triathlon in June

I’ll be honest, that’s the hardest part. Because having a feeling of “yeah I’m absolutely killing it” is actually something that probably wouldn’t be good for me. The motivation comes from trying to get better, not from going out and doing everything perfect every week.

It is a very interesting dichotomy.

It is only at times like this when I sit down and write in fact, that I appreciate and feel happy and satisfied with the progress.

Because as much as I will always feel I could’ve done more, I am still on course for my goals. Let me take three practical examples to show you what I mean…

1️⃣ The British Standard Distance Triathlon championships back in May.

My first race of the season. I joked before this race that I probably shouldn’t be having the British Champs as my season opener. But a lot of truth is said in jest! I wasn’t ready. I knew I wasn’t ready but by the time I got to the start line, I couldn’t do anything about it!

So I came out of the race, despite having met my goal above of finishing in the Top 10 in my age category, feeling like I could’ve done more. Feeling like I could’ve been in the Top 5 if I’d just been a bit more prepared - a bit more training, a practice race…whatever.

But there were good reasons those things didn’t happen. I have a family, I have a busy job, I can’t always fit in all my training sessions and the race I had planned to start my season with got cancelled.

But despite all of this, I still hit my goal.

Feeling happier than the immediate aftermath of the race at the British Age Group Championships

2️⃣ Eastbourne Standard Distance Triathlon, a qualifier for the European Championships at the distance next year.

A bit of a redemption race for me. I had taken a bad fall on the run two years ago in the same race, causing one of the worst 10km times in triathlon I have run in years.

I wanted to go faster this time, and not just on the run. I wanted to qualify automatically for the European Champs in 2026, not be hanging on into next March / April for a roll down place as one of the “next best” athletes instead of the Top 20 for GB.

The race went well. A choppy swim where I still managed my 2nd best ever time. A very hilly bike where I felt I climbed well and had some good fun racing others in my category. And a run which, whilst not quite as fast as I wanted - after a hilly bike and in hot conditions, it was still a solid performance and a 7 minute improvement on that horror showing in 2023 when I took the fall.

And yet in the immediate aftermath I hadn’t come top 4 in my age category, I hadn’t automatically qualified. I was disappointed. Asking myself questions, could I have gone quicker on the bike? Should I have done more speed sessions in the build up to sharpen up my running?

All these questions, this self-doubt.

And yet sat here a few months down the line and actually, after the final qualification race recently, I have qualified in that initial Top 20.

Ultimately that was my goal, and I have achieved it and I will once again race for Great Britain at the European Championships next June.

High fiving my little boy on a hot 10km to finish off the Eastbourne Triathlon in June

3️⃣ Finally the World Duathlon Standard distance championship qualifier at Belvoir Castle last month.

One of the hardest races I’ve ever done. One where I died and came back about 5 times 😂

It was tough. Rainy, muddy, endless hills on the two runs, 10.5km run followed by 46km bike followed by 5km run at basically full throttle…I mean writing it out makes me realise that just getting through it was an achievement!

But I did more than that. I have put down again, a good qualifying time for the World Championships. I look on course to qualify and give myself the option of going next year to my first Worlds (that was the intent behind the 3 goals of qualifying for European and World Champs - to have more choice for next year, not to do them all….and of course the achievement if I were to do so 😜)

So back to the race. And I was 6th in my age category. Outside the Top 4 where I had hoped to be but like with the triathlon - with a very good chance of still having done enough to make that first round of qualifiers.

And if I look at it, again I was hard on myself. Questioning the performance.

But on the flipside, I’m on course to achieve the goal. It was only my 2nd ever Duathlon (and yes - it’s different to triathlon!!). And it was the highest place I have finished in a World or European qualifier.

Belvoir Castle Duathlon in July. It was “a bit wet”!

The Point

Ah yes. Getting to the point…!

The point is, exactly like I made in my previous blog on failure, it’s all ok.

I haven’t failed to achieve any of my goals (yet at least - some are still pending!). All I’ve had is what I would call “micro-failures”. And to be honest, it’s the perfect mix.

Enough successes to achieve my goals, enough micro-failures to keep learning, keep building and keep high levels of motivation.

And all the while my mind is wandering around these deliberations, doing its merry little dance - I have a rock, a constant. My AI Coach.

My AI Coach doesn’t bother about such fancies; they leave that to me. My AI Coach analyzes the data, sets the plan and keeps me on track.

That’s why I am such an advocate of AI Endurance. Whilst I’m pondering everything in this overactive mind (and I know that I’m not alone there!) I always come back to the plan, to the data and the measurement of success. Success is what you define yourself but to help you get there and keep you on track - you need that reassurance that you are on track, that you can be confident.

It’s something that is never lost on me. And it’s why I write these blogs.

If you read them, you might think that sometimes I don’t talk about the product. Sometimes I do of course, like the last blog about integrated chat, but I like to keep that healthy balance - I’m here as an active user of AI coaching. Here to share my experiences and highlight the human side. Here to help you understand that all those self-doubts, all those “micro failures”, all those times of questioning yourself - they’re normal. They’re human.

And in a world where the impact of AI continues to snowball, I believe that highlighting that humanity is more important than ever.

It’s then that we can embrace the notion of AI-augmented performance. AI is amazing. AI Endurance is amazing. And you are too. Don’t forget it. I guess sometimes you need to be told.