Whether 2015 was your first season of triathlon or your tenth, you need to ask yourself if you are 100% satisfied with your race season. For the most part, there are always improvements that can be made to an athlete’s training consistency, pacing, sleeping habits, nutrition, recovery…the list goes on. It’s best to make a list of the improvements that you would like to make so you can reflect on past seasons and facilitate changes for the next season.
Now it’s time to set some goals for your next season and beyond. It’s important to be realistic with your short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal would be something that you want to achieve within the next few months or year. Some examples of this would be trying to increase your long runs by a few miles so you can run a half marathon, or improving your swim stroke mechanics so you feel more comfortable in the water. A long-term goal would be something that you would like to achieve three to five years from now. An example of this would be training to compete in a marathon or Ironman triathlon. Most people lack the foresight and patience to set long-term goals, but it is important for every endurance athlete to realize that it takes thousands of hours of training for your body to be able to handle the stresses of long-distance endurance events. Therefore, setting long-term goals is important for successful and injury-free race seasons.
How exactly can athletes (especially new athletes) set realistic goals? As you look forward to your first or second season, keep this in mind as you train: long-term development and enjoyment. A lot of people have a “fast food” mentality when it comes to endurance events. This essentially means that they want to accomplish everything the sport has to offer in one or two years. Twelve years ago after I completed my first triathlon, all I wanted to do was train for an Ironman. This is very common with endurance athletes, but it is not an ideal approach to sports. Not only is it important to have a significant physiological and musculoskeletal foundation under your belt, but also athletes are much more susceptible to injury if they jump into training for such distances too quickly. Thus, it is important to be realistic and challenge yourself without risking injury.
I leave you with this final thought regarding the “fast food” mentality: think of triathlon or running as a mountain, and let an Ironman or a marathon be the top of that mountain. A less experienced hiker might choose the most direct path to the top, although that path is rockier, more challenging, and even risky. However, a more experienced hiker will chose the longer, less rocky, and more scenic path. This choice will mean a longer route to the top, but the journey will be more enjoyable and will be more likely to be successful.
Jason Kilderry
OwnerETA Coach LLC
Cythera Health LLC
