Triathlon is one of the most challenging sports consisting of multisport race that includes swimming, cycling, and running over specified distances to victory.
Here the triathletes compete for the fastest time in completing the whole sport. The player with the best timing record wins.
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Is a Triathlon Harder Than a Marathon?
People who are not into triathlon but love watching it are scared generally of the swim portion.
When compared to a marathon it is quite difficult which we will study below. They believe that the swimming part of the triathlon is the most challenging.
If you ask someone, who is into triathlon then the answer is very different.
Yes, the swimming portion is challenging but there are many things apart from that worry a triathlon participant. Below we will be mentioning what is the hardest part of a triathlon.
One of the hardest parts of triathlon is the constant mental game played by your mind. It has been seen that most of the individuals are scared of open water swimming.
Fearing this sport, many have put a barrier to even start a triathlon. Once the swimming portion fear is overcome, several things are aligned to scare you.
There are mental games taking place in your mind at all times and most of it is without us realizing it.
One of the greatest fears is the training sessions held in cold weather. There is no option but to train in these deadly weather conditions if you looking forward to success in the sport.
There are several mental challenges that one has to face while preparing for a triathlon, some of which are mentioned below.
Overcoming The Fear of Swimming in Triathlon
The first mental challenge that has to be overcome is the swimming portion.
Several people do not take up the sport. In triathlon, you can swim breaststroke and it is even possible to take breaks during the swim, which is remarkable.
Initially swimming in daunting waters can be challenging but with the help of some practice, it is very manageable.
This is the first fear that one has to overcome to start preparing for a triathlon.
What Motivates You To Train Hard and Consistently?
The second fear is training. A triathlete has different reasons and motivations to start practicing the sport.
Once you have been able to ascertain what motivates you then training sessions become easier.
To practice well it is necessary to ascertain that you are training with a long-term goal in mind. It is not about achieving a certain position but about keeping yourself fit for the upcoming events.
Knowing when the vent is about to occur gives you an upper hand.
You can plan your entire season having some intermediate goals set up.
Take Some Days Off From Training
Once you are into training you get too engrossed in the same and restrain from taking rest for a few days.
If you have an event lined up then it is advised that you take a rest for some time so that your body is prepared for the event.
The main challenge here is taking some rest off from training when you are too into it.
Many times the reason is that an event is coming soon and you do not feel to take rest, as you believe it will make you weak or get you slow.
The best advice to overcome fear before any event is to plan your rest days for the best results.
Taking a rest on the first day of the week and then training the rest of the days might not unfold well. One tip to do it graciously is by exercising every day until you have reached the last day of the week.
If you have been able to train every day in the week then on the last day of the week you can take a rest for the best results. This approach is more successful as many triathletes do the same.
Never Give Up
We all know that triathlon is a challenging sport as it consists of many sports combined in one.
The thought of triathlon can give you a serious challenge but one thing that will keep you going is to never give up. If you are having a tough exercise or training session then your heart might want to stop.
Give yourself some rest in between running or swimming as it is allowed. If you think, you cannot push yourself to do an activity then slow down instead of giving up completely.
The key to motivating you here is to naturally differentiate the mental game and the physical problems.
Mental reasons maybe you want to stop or take a break and physical problems that may arise are dizziness, dehydration, or physical pain due to continuous training.
When you can differentiate both then the sport becomes much easier for you. If you are finding it tough to continue due to mental and physical pressure then it is advised you stop and take some rest.
Stopping due to physical and mental pressure is not giving up.
Keep Things Simple
Triathlon is already a very complicated sport and it is advised to keep it simple rather than making it more complicated.
Many triathletes are worried regarding their nutrition for the sprint triathlon. For sprint triathlon, it is not required to carry any bars, gels, and water bottles as the event is short and will not require all these. Keep it simple and you will see how you succeed.
It goes with the gears too. As a triathlon is a combination of many sports you, may think that many gears will be required for the same.
This is not true as you will not be requiring all the gears though you may be a gear freak and love them using for specified sports.
Try to keep it simple and use gears that are only necessary for the best results.
Referring to the above-mentioned points you can easily prepare yourself for any triathlon event. Triathlon is a very fascinating game.
Though it requires a lot of energy, practice, and motivation, a sport can bring huge challenges.
Keeping it simple, never giving up, and taking offs from the event will prepare you mentally for the sport and eliminate all hurdles that come in the way.
