Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Thursday, 21 February 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Most triathletes take several months to develop their bodies into the type that could finish the hefty races they take part in. A bulky six pack body isn’t what’s needed for trials of this sort, as this isn’t a test of muscle but more a test of endurance and stamina, and for that you need time to work on your body and take it to the next level. Most people who’d like to try their hand at major triathlons don’t go ahead with it most times as they think they won’t have enough time to do it, but in reality, it is possible to make time for something, if you truly want to do it. So, whether you have a full-time job, or three kids that need tending to, or both, here are some tips that might help you get through.
Drawing up a calendar and planning out all major work and family events, if it’s your daughter’s concert or the office’s annual sales conference is a good way to start. This will provide a visual map on what your life is going to be like and makes it easier to allocate the three elements you need to practice on. Keep in mind that swimming takes up a less proportion of the race than the others, so it makes sense to spend less time on that.
Letting your family know how important this race is to you will help reduce the weight on your mind. It would be great if you could get them on board and take them along on runs and bike rides. This will allow for both training time and family time also improving their physical health in the process. Win-Win!
A good night’s sleep is very important. Try aiming to hit the hay by a specific time, and make sure that time allows you to wake up early and get some practice in before work, while you’re fresh and fit. Extra tip to keep in mind, try to eat a minimum two hours before going to sleep, as eating just before sleeping has been known to cause disruptions in sleeping patterns. Another important point to make here is that you need to ditch the terrible snooze button on your alarm. If you do, you will realise how much time you can save by immediately jumping onto your feet and getting your blood pumping extra early instead of thinking ‘5 more minutes’ as your hand moves towards the snooze button.
Learning to say no to everything outside your priorities is a good way to be able to get in more time to allocate to your family, training or work. Saying no in these situations is how you can ‘make’ time just like how turning down a night of drinking makes a lot of time for you to train, or avoids the risk of being terribly hungover and ruining the routine for the next day too.
If daily plans of training are not possible, owing to the complete unexpectedness of problems coming up that need seeing to, a weekly plan would work. Try to target a set benchmark of running, swimming and cycling and if possible, try to increase the target each passing week. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or two. The main thing is to keep at it.
It helps to take part in other marathons and races a few months away from bigger triathlons you target. Take those races as a way to try to make a note of your shortcomings so that you can improve on them in the time you have left before the big race. This will also prepare you mentally for the bigger challenge ahead, and boost your confidence.
Taking up the challenge of So Sri Lanka Ironman 70.3 Colombo triathlon is no easy task, but with proper balance, it is possible. Creating the perfect balance between your work-family-exercise.
