Time to take a break from structured triathlon training?
I hazard to guess that burnout is common in the sport of triathlon (and likely other sports as well), especially if you’ve been in them for a while and have made them a priority in your life. Sports psychologist Radecke defines burnout as a “withdrawal…noted by a reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation/resentment of sport, and physical/psychological exhaustion.” So there’s both a physical and psychological component to burnout to differentiate it from over training, which is more physical. Although the symptoms of burnout are unique to each athlete, a good way to tell...
Read MoreThe End of a Triathlon Season or an Athlete’s Racing Career?
I make my living in the sport of triathlon, not as an athlete, but as a coach and event director for the Luray Triathlon and She Does Tri Camps for Women. I started racing as a triathlete in 1995 and have completed something more than 100 triathlons including 28 Ironman-distance events since then. If you believe in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s model from Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, it takes either learning new skills and performing increasing challenges (e.g. getting faster, placing higher in a big race, etc) to continue to obtain true enjoyment from an...
Read MoreForeclosure Looming: Managing the Stress
“What is to give light must endure burning.” - Viktor Frankl On Tuesday, I received a notice from my mortgage company’s attorney saying that the mortgage company is moving forward with foreclosure on my townhouse in Reston. There is still a chance that my mortgage company will modify my loan as I requested back in February, but the decision is still pending. According to the attorney I spoke with, the mortgage company has up until the day of foreclosure to make a decision. Assuming the mortgage company decides to do nothing, I have approximately 1 month until actual...
Read MoreGetting AMPT: Athletic Movement Performance Testing with Natalie King
I got AMPT on January 29. I met with Natalie King, PTA, CIMT, for an innovative series of functional movement tests, postural assessments and gait analysis called AMPT. Being a triathlete herself and recognizing the challenging demands that training for each of the three sports – swim, bike and run – places on a triathlete’s body, Natalie has developed AMPT specifically for triathletes. The entire test took about 45 minutes after which Natalie emailed me a detailed breakdown of my limitations and weaknesses along with her assessment of my condition and recommendations for...
Read MoreOvertraining: There Is a Silver Lining in This Cloud After All!
“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” - Walt Disney After three weeks of feeling sorry for myself and high anxiety, I am now in a different place. I have have transformed my HATE relationship with overtraining into a LOVE / HATE relationship. I still HATE overtraining because of the uncertainty it has created for my future as an athlete. On the other hand I LOVE the fact that I became overtrained, because I now am being forced to rest. The past few weeks have been a challenge for me. Suddenly, I’ve...
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