What does Coronavirus mean for triathletes? Finding the silver lining in every cloud.
As we can see from the news (and our inbox), Coronavirus is having a lot of impact on training sessions and races around the world. Pools are closed, races postponed or cancelled and group workouts at gyms shut too. This is an inconvenience for all of us triathletes. However, we should be quite stoic about all this.
What do do when life means you have to do a sudden emergency stop.
Firstly although it is likely to be a mild illness for 80+% of the population, it will affect most people, and some will feel it particularly badly. The triathlon demographic is a fit and hopefully a healthy one (NB the two aren't the same!) and with triathletes jumping between sessions they are never more than a few minutes from a recent shower, and subsequent hand wash! Nevertheless, we all have to realise that this luxury is a privilege to be able to enjoy and certainly isn't our right. If we can't get access to pools, or our races close, it is a shame, but the world is more significant than "just a race". For some people or people, we know this is a dangerous and scary situation to be in. Empathy here for others will go a lot further than our own race goals this season. This needs to be re-iterated as this article is focussing on triathletes wanting to ensure they don't miss a season. At all times, though, let's not lose this perspective.
So what does all this mean for triathletes? What if your race or training sessions and gym look like it could be cancelled? Is the season over?
No, just no! The biggest mistake you will make is "giving up" because you assume your A-race will be cancelled. The race hasn't been cancelled until they say it is cancelled. You don't stop training for it until they cancel it. Doing nothing and worrying about this possibility while catastrophising that your season will be wiped out will not help. The world will move on, and you will be left behind. There is a very famous quote which is used all the time. "Control the controllables". You can't control the uncontrollable (or the things which are out of your control!). In this instance, you can't control if events are or are not cancelled. You can control what training you do now and your attitude to this situation.
What can you do right now?
Limit your potential losses: see if you can get race or travel insurance if you haven't already. Work out better processes in order to avoid this situation reoccurring. Above all else, ensure you remain fit and healthy.
There is no point in worrying about what could happen. What will be, will be and we will roll with the punch and work out "what next".
If your race or venue has been cancelled or closed, what now?
Evolution is a relatively significant part of human growth over the millennia, so we have to see what opportunities this brings. Here are a few ideas:
the gym is cancelled - build your own home gym exercises and get good at bodyweight work and the physio exercises you haven't done before
If your race has been postponed, reset and look towards that race (if it fits)
If it has been cancelled, look at ding a similar sort of event to get rid of all the pent up energy you have been building towards
Learn to love your indoor trainer maybe race on online programmes
Get off the treadmill and run safely outdoors
Hit the early season open water venues in a few months (or weeks)
Get some swim chords and use them instead
Find new training venues, hills or locations which help you do a unique style of session which you wouldn't have considered before. You might start using them permanently.
Take advantage of working from home to demonstrate more effective working skills to leverage this more in the future: create the environment you want to have going forwards after the Coronavirus pandemic has passed.
Innovation will be key here. Those who "give up" will not progress and find that they have wasted a season. For some, though it may be that we can turn this into a golden opportunity.
There is, of course, the danger of "doing more". The pool is shut so you will just replace that with running or cycling more. If you have been following a plan, it will have a steady build in the training load. You can't (and shouldn't) just start overloading other disciplines because you can't do one. You will get injured.
Be sensible; be clean and keep a cool head. What opportunity can you find to make this work best for you? Above all else: empathise and recognise that this is a tricky situation for many people. Our inconvenience is a privilege. We are fortunate to be able to challenge our bodies in the ways we can day in and day out.
We’re here to help
Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.