First off as you may have already guessed from the title I would like to announce that my time as a triathlete has come to an end.
WHY?
You might ask the question why now? It may look like from the outside that I have given up before I really put my training to the test. These thoughts had passed my mind too.
I could carry on and could put in the training hours to get me to a good standard for the next season (this time next year), but the reasoning behind that route would be to prove I can. Whilst this is appealing, and I really would like to compete, I'm not intrinsically motivated to commit to a sport that I'm not in love with.
I wanted to complete a triathlon and be proud of my efforts up to the event and give it my all. The next step was to either tick it off the list and move on or to carry on and progress further in the sport.
What I can come away with are the skills that I've learnt that I set out to achieve (which is all that I really what I wanted from it. I knew that after 6 months training I wouldn't be at an elite level and would only scratch the surface of what this sport really had to offer. Competing may have lit more fire in the belly to continue, however, I know that I need to find new challenges that push me to be better.
I would say I have the ability to keep growing in the sport. I have the greatest respect for the athletes who have mastered the skills and endurance for these three disciplines.
What I learnt from it all:
Skills that will definitely be transferable in what I do next (this has been decided and will be announced in my next post)
Overall fitness - Quicker recovery time. Able to train for longer bouts. Far better muscular endurance. Better VO2 Max and lung capacity/efficiency.
Building endurance - Both physically and mentally. To enter the pain cave and be able to push through.
Knowledge on work rates and threshold - The technical aspects I only really started to understand in the last couple of months. They are extremely helpful, especially to a novice where pace is not their strength.
Skills to be more efficient and prevent injury - The drills (especially in the pool) were the most tangible factor of the sport. Putting skills into practice and seeing immediate results.
Developing my mindset - MOST IMPORTANT and I will expand on this in my next post.
The fact that I've been able to make this decision (giving up before an event) and seeing it as a positive step, as well as allowing myself to be open about why is something I don't think I would have been able to do a year ago.
So, new chapter. New sport. Change the training method. Change the body composition. Develop the mindset even more.
