5 harsh realities of triathlon

It’s fun being a triathlete, but every now and then, there are some brutal truths that you have to face. These don’t ruin the sport, but they can be tough to accept when they come your way. The bad news is that they’re pretty much universal in the sport, so there’s no avoiding them, but the good news is that you can mentally prepare yourself for them by thinking about them now. So, without further ado, here are five harsh realities about the sport you know and love.

You’ll eventually see your last PB

Triathlon is a great sport because you can do it for years and years. If you keep healthy and fit, you could be doing this into your 80s. However, with the territory of aging in a sport comes the tough reality that, soon enough, you’ll see your last PB. Maybe you’re already there and your PBs are long behind you.

This can be upsetting, because as triathletes, we’re always trying to beat our own records, but this doesn’t mean you have to stop chasing personal bests. Instead, just re-evaluate your goals and focus on setting new bests as you age. See if you can complete an Ironman faster than you did last year. Try to run a 5K within a minute of your best from five years ago. Whatever the goals are, they will keep you excited to train and motivated to push onward.

Odds are that you’ll never be the best

A select few triathletes are going to become world champions and Olympic medallists, and while it would be nice to be included in that elite group, try not to let it get you down too much when you accept that you might not ever join it. Instead of focusing on everyone else, look to yourself. Chase PBs, push your limits, and try to be better than you were yesterday in training. You might never be the best in the world, but you can still be the best version of yourself.

Not everyone cares about the sport

You love triathlon. We love triathlon. But non-triathletes… They don’t care about triathlon. We know that you love talking about the sport, your history in races, upcoming events, and so on, but it’s not the best topic of conversation for parties. This is a tough reality to accept, but maybe stick to triathlon-talk when you’re with your training buddies (or if someone specifically asks you about it).

You’re probably going to get hurt at some point

If you spend enough time in the sport, at some point you are going to get injured. This is a depressing moment for any athlete, but if you know it’s coming eventually, it’ll hurt less when it does happen. Plus, knowing that you’re not indestructible can encourage you to take extra care in workouts (with things like prehab, warmups, and cooldowns).

There is more work to be done

Even if you have the race of your life, you’re going to realize that you can still improve. Your swim maybe wasn’t as dialled as it could’ve been, or maybe you felt a little drained on the ride. Perhaps you started your finishing kick too soon and lost some gas before the line. Whatever the case may be, even the best race ever isn’t perfect. This might be upsetting to hear, but try to look at it in a positive light—sure, there will always be more work to be done, but if you reached the top of the mountain and officially did have the perfect race, what more would there be to do in the sport?