Preventing burnout
Reflecting on the year so far, I can’t believe that we’re already past the half way point of the season and we’re looking towards the final races of the year. After months of training, early mornings, and what feels like hours on the bike, in the pool and wearing our running shoes, it’s natural to feel both accomplished and a little… exhausted!
Too many triathletes make the mistake of going full throttle all year round. The result? Fatigue, nagging injuries, and mental burnout. So whether you’ve done your main race of the year, or if your ‘A’ race is still round the corner, remember to be kind to yourselves and avoid burnout by:
Resting without guilt – Give your body and brain permission to recover. Think of resting as another essential training session and schedule it into your plan.
Cross-train for fun – Hike, go paddle boarding, or try something new to mix things up a little whilst continuing to work on your fitness.
Reconnect socially – Prioritise spending some time with friends and family. These people are often key to helping you to get down the red carpet so invest time with them - it can be good to talk about something other than training for once!
Reflect, don’t obsess – it’s good to stop and look back, but focus on celebrating the season so far, not just the areas where you still have work to do. Be proud of how far you’ve come and the goals you’ve achieved - Ironman training is hard so celebrate what you have done.
Burnout often starts in the mind - After a long season, it’s important to check in with your motivation. Are you chasing your goals for you — or just out of habit or comparison? Are you still enjoying the process? If not, can you reflect on why you started this journey and speak with your coach about how to find the enjoyment again.
Final thought - be kind to yourselves! Here’s to a strong and healthy end to season so we are ready to go again next year!
As always any questions let me know.
Happy training!