I know many of my friends burn out from consistent training. I’m also afraid I may end up losing steam at some point. I wish I could keep doing triathlon until I’m too old to do it.
Sustainability is not just a mindset thing but also a time management and physical fatigue issue. So this article will talk about how I personally manage these 3 components to make triathlon sustainable for me.
Number 1: It’s not only about the race.
I see a lot of people get burned out and retire after completing their goal race. That’s because they probably sacrificed a lot time spent with family or work to train for it. And when the race is over, they may feel they need to get back lost time and take a break from training.
For me, I view races as just a test of fitness, maybe have a kick at the podium if I’m good enough. But I won’t sacrifice another part of my life in order to train that extra mile. Even if the race is over, training continues as per usual. So I feel it’s important not to place too much emphasis on a single race, so that you can keep training at a sustainable level all year round.
Number 2: Indoor Training
It’s hard to not talk about indoor training in a sustainability video. Indoor training is like the ultimate level of productivity. 1 hour of work is 1 hour of work. There’s no travelling time, no waiting for stop lights, no waiting for other people. It’s just you and what you want to do with that 1 hour.
Indoor training has really helped me find extra time in the day. Imagine if I had to travel 30 mins to training, spend an hour there and another 30 mins travelling back home. That’s half the time travelling already.
Another hack is that I actually do my work on the bike. If I have an easy ride, I can actually do my school work on the trainer. I love my trainer so much because I feel more productive. But when it comes to swimming, I’ve got no choice but to travel to the pool. That’s where the next point comes in.
Number 3: Commuting everywhere
Last year, I bought a $260 polygon just to cycle to school. $260 may sound like much, but I’ve already made back the money by not paying the bus or train fare. What’s more, I save 20 mins off my travelling time each direction. Yes, I cycle faster than the bus or train.
What’s even better is that I get to clock that distance as part of my aerobic ride for the week. In a week, I may clock an extra 2-2.5 hours of cycling just by commuting. I would do that anyway even if I wasn’t training, so that’s why it’s sustainable.
Number 4: It’s only 2 hours a day
This one’s a bit more psychological, but it’s basically finding 2 free hours in a day to train. That’s less than a 10th of the 24 hours in a day. So if you really have no time, wake up 1 hour earlier or sleep an hour later to find that time for training.
And I bet some of your time may be just lazing in bed and doing nothing. If you find you still have time for that, you definitely have time for a bit of training.
Number 5: Community
I’m so glad the triathlon community in Singapore is a small but strong one. I think without it, I probably would not swim 3x a week because I think swimming is so boring.
The community is like the gel that keeps you in the sport, they also keep you accountable for your training by making sure you’re not slacking. For example Strava and Instagram.
Another reason is killing the social aspect and the training bird with the same stone. As humans, we need social interactions (it’s the number 1 indicator of a happier life). So if I’m training with my friends, it’s another multitasking activity for me as well.
Number 6: The goal is to be better than last year
Right now I have more trivial goals rather than specific goals for triathlon. I don’t really have race goals like I gotta hit this time or get this position. Stresses me out and I won’t be able to perform well anyway.
So my triathlon goals are pretty simple; to be as fit and healthy as possible, break barriers that I’ve never done before. That’s also the beauty of the sport, you would never know what you’re truly capable of. It’s thrilling just to think about it.
When I race, I still get race nerves, but now I try to think less about the outcome but more on my performance. Even if I got last, but I performed better than what I expected, then it’s a win for me. That’s how I also try to keep other’s expectations away from my head and have a good time racing. That brings me on to my next point, which is…
Number 7: Enjoy the process
I’ve seen so many athletes dread training. Hopefully you’re not one of those. For me, training gets me excited and I always look forward to training. I love the hard interval sessions. I don’t know why. Maybe I’m slightly crazy. Who knows.
I wish my love for training would never go away. I love going fast. Moving above 40 kmh makes me happy even though I maybe hurting.
Number 8: Mental and physical breaks
At the start, you just want to hammer yourself everyday because you are so excited to get faster and faster. I know, I’ve been there. But when the initial excitement goes away, that’s where the daily motivation kicks in. And you have to balance that well and it’s the same concept as over training.
Most often during the 3rd hard week in a month, we would likely be dreading training already and can’t wait for the rest week. So I use the time in rest week to catch up on other things in life and reset my mental capacity for triathlon again. Usually when the rest week ends, I’ll be ready and excited for the next block of hard weeks because I can’t wait for all the gains. (:
Number 9: Triathlon does not have to be expensive
If you keep buying the latest toys once they are released every year, triathlon will probably cost more than your car. In the long run, that’s not very sustainable either. Unless you are a pro, triathlon is just a hobby to most of us and so I feel you shouldn’t be spending so much money for that 1% more performance. You’re better off getting that performance boost from training, which is free.
I’m always on the lookout for good deals in 2nd hand websites like carosell and togoparts. Almost everything I have is 2nd hand. From my treadmill to my 4 bikes to my gym equipment. What’s even better is that I could sell most of these items at the same price or at a small profit too. Yeah, so triathlon does not need to be expensive at all.
Conclusion
My most important goal for triathlon has been and will always be longevity in the sport. I only hope when I start working next time, triathlon will still be part of my life that keeps me fit and in tip top shape.
This is my 7th year in the sport and I have been through my share of “burnout” and have some very very low points too. But I’m glad that I’ve always found a way to get back up again.
This article could be for someone who may be struggling to find a balance between life and triathlon or someone who may be having a burnout phase. In any case, I hoped this has helped you and took some value from it. Feel free to comment below if you have your own tips to share. Would definitely love to hear them! Thanks for reading and talk to you guys again soon!
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