How to make triathlon a part of life? 4 athlete tips that will lead to success

Triathlon is a very versatile sport. It combines three disciplines at once: swimming, cycling and running. It requires a whole set of different qualities from athletes. And here, as in many other areas, the question arises: how to start? Let’s try to deal with what exactly a newly minted triathlete needs to know.

triathlete, Vice-President of the Russian Triathlon Federation

Triathlon is difficult, expensive and hard. Mainly because of trying to fit a strict training schedule into a life with work, family and hobbies.

Sleep

This is exactly what the first mandatory item of a triathlete’s life sounds like. It would seem, what’s so difficult? But in fact, many people treat sleep extremely negligently, while all the most important recovery processes in the body take place during this period.

What is needed for a strong and quality sleep? First, work out the mode, it is very important for the body to build an “internal clock”. Secondly, turn off all sources of light in the bedroom and curtain the windows, also if possible it is worth getting rid of all sources of noise. And the last point: you should be comfortable to sleep, here play a role and the mattress and pillow, and the quality of bedding.

If you follow these rules, over time you’ll notice that waking up is easier, you’ll feel more alert during the day, and the efficiency of your workouts will increase.

Victoria Shubina: of course, I sometimes get tired, because I had a lot of events that took away my energy. If this happens, I will continue to organize my life in such a way that I will definitely recover. I will get enough sleep, go to spas, theaters, meet with close people.

Planning

Time is one of your most precious resources, so you need to take control of it. There is one simple thing you can do to help you – get a planner, day planner or calendar and make a daily schedule. It doesn’t matter whether you write it down on paper or electronically. For convenience and to develop a habit, you can write down all the tasks for the next day every night, and then monitor their fulfillment.

Calculate your time, adjust your workouts to your life and your life to your workouts. This is where another point comes in – mindfulness. Look at your schedule carefully and as objectively as possible, evaluate what you spend your time on, find something “extra”, pay attention to even the smallest things.

Take social networks, for example – you can go to them without even noticing. Try to control this moment: instead of flipping through the news during the day, take 30-40 minutes in the morning and evening for such leisure. Then you will be able to optimize your day and increase the amount of free time.

Victoria Shubina: I am in no hurry to get anywhere, rushing causes tension, which leads to unnecessary nerves and failures. To manage everything in time, you need competent time management. If you understand your main goal well, you do only what leads to it, removing secondary things. I don’t watch TV at all, I don’t use social networks much.

Training and its effectiveness

The right training process is an incredibly important criterion, so it must also be built competently. To do this, analyze it, monitor your body’s reaction to the exercises and progress. How many kilometers did you run in the previous month, and how many can you run now? If the result is satisfactory – move on, if not – think about what exercises to add to improve training.

The key to success will be the right goals and plan of action, they are built on the basis of the competition to which you aspire. It is important to consider the timing of your training, your baseline and your body’s capabilities. Your sports activities should be complex, multidirectional and, most importantly, safe. You need to be ready for them both mentally and physically.

Victoria Shubina: there are different workouts, you need to understand the essence of each one, realize what it means to you, what qualities you are developing at this moment. All this can be called a conscious and competent approach. In this case, a coach leading you to the goal correctly and effectively will be very helpful.

People

Man is a social creature, so the people around him play a very big role. To start your journey, it is important to choose a good coach who will motivate you and mentor you, help you reach heights and overcome yourself. After all, it is not just a professional, but also your mentor and friend.

Your family and friends will also be your support and encouragement in overcoming this difficult task of adding sport to your life. Try asking them to join you for a workout or as a support group at the start, go jogging or cycling on the weekend with your family and friends. This will not only motivate you, but it will also unite you with your loved ones through your love for the same cause.

How to get rid of the fear of failure?

Victoria Shubina: The first IRONMAN, when I thought I wouldn’t make it to the finish line, was an ordeal. I went off the course to finish it, but in the end I rested and continued the race. There were a lot of emotions: happiness at the finish and disappointment that something went wrong, even though I had a lot of good starts before.

Thanks to this race I learned 3 basic rules:

1. Things can go wrong the way you planned.
2. There is always a chance to rest, recover and continue what you started.
3. “As long as there is tomorrow, I’m in.” There is a next day in which you can change everything and try again.

Busecret of motivation is simple: you need to enjoy the process, and it’s very easy to do. Find something pleasant in every action, if you haven’t found it, create it. For example, you love the sea and want a vacation on the coast, then you will be suitable for the start of MRIYATHLON, held in August in the Crimea. You can take your family, relax with good weather under the sound of waves and overcome the cherished distance. Such a pleasant feeling and memory associated with sports will give you a carload of emotions and a charge for training for the year ahead.

It is safe to say that triathlon, like any sport, will not consume your life completely, but will only make it brighter and more interesting. Of course, you will have to try and understand how to train and organize your daily routine, but this is only a small price to pay for success on the distance.