Long Course Triathlon: More Than Just the Distance

Last weekend, I completed by second Olympic distance triathlon. With just a month to go for my Ironman 70.3 race, this was somewhat of a test. The last six months have been exhausting, painful but every bit as rewarding (I know, it seems counterintuitive).

But that’s endurance sport for you, it is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, but strangely also a very humbling experience.

While everyone has a unique experience, here are some of the lessons I have learned, which is true of sport, work, and life.

• The art of being organised – You need to be really organised, methodical and meticulous if you want to succeed at this sport. In the beginning, triathlons felt like a logistical nightmare (still does, if I’m being honest). It is a multi-disciplinary sport, which means there are three different sets of equipment, gear and accessories and the added complexity of transitioning from one to the other (under the pressure of time). So, unless you have a game-plan in place, and have thought through every step of the process, you’ll run the risk of feeling like a mess on race day.
• Think on your feet – It’s a long day, and hours spent out on the course (I took 4 hours to finish an Olympic distance triathlon). There will be things you will experience that will catch you off-guard, derail your perfectly curated race plan and leave you feeling anxious. I had my jaw whacked during the swim leg, the bike course was on the national highway which had a lot of heavy vehicle traffic mixed with the muck on the roads from the rains the night before, and the run leg was all rolling hills. Accepting that unfamiliar experiences will come your way, embracing the unknown and dealing with whatever happens is just a part of race day.
• Go slow, to go fast – cheesy, but 100% true. I used to be someone who was very impatient (I still am, but far calmer now). When you are out there for 7-8 hours, there is no way you can rush through it. Learning the art of pacing is a big part of the training process. The last six months has been a lesson in slowing down. On sunday, I had a 4-hour training block – 3 podcasts and 30 mins of hip-hop later, I was okay to get on with the rest of my Sunday. Going slow doesn’t mean you’re less efficient, it just means you are more intentional about your movements, thoughts and actions.
• Be comfortable with being uncomfortable – it’s taken me a while to learn this. During the bike leg of my race I was reminded of this lesson - I’ve never been so hyper-focused over a 40km stretch. 20km of the bike course was on the highway and add to this a lot of rolling hills. My quads were aching, but all I focused on was not colliding or skidding off the road.
• Be intentional with your time – With 12-15 hours of training a week, time at work and the hours spent sleeping, you’re left with precious little. So, it’s really made me think about how and with whom I want to spend my time with. And that has made all the difference.

?Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to this experience (my muscles might feel otherwise!).