Triathlon combines three sports that each requires its own sport specific fitness, strength and skill. But the key ingredient in triathlon is motivation. Without it no amount of talent or athleticism will help you reach your goals.
If you haven't competed in a triathlon recently it can be difficult to regain the motivation to maintain a training routine.
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There's no magic bullet to getting faster. Improvement demands application of consistent, focused training to step up your performance whether you're training six or 16 hours per week.
You can't out-race your training. Your results directly reflect the quality of your training, period.
If you log all your training sessions, fuel and hydrate your body properly, and let your body adequately recover you'll make consistent progress toward your race goals.
If you regularly skip training sessions, have that extra glass of wine or two the night before a big training day, or try to cram for your next event it will show up in lackluster results.
Here's a guide to unlocking your inner motivation and getting back into the triathlon training groove.
Start With Why
Why you want to do triathlons is far more important than what event you want to do or how you're going to do it.
More: 10 Lifestyle Factors That Affect Training
Why is the emotional linchpin. It's your reason for doing what you do. Your reasons "why" fire-up your level of desire. The more powerful your desire, the more motivated you are to do what it takes to achieve higher levels of performance and inspire others to willingly join in support of your journey.
In the words of visionary thinker, Simon Sinek, "people aren't inspired because of what you do, they're inspired because of why you do it."
How to Begin
Since participation in triathlon is voluntary, start your 2013 plan by clearly and thoroughly answering the following question: Why do I want to try triathlon over all the other activities I could do instead?
1. Do I want to get fit?
There are a lot of ways to go about improving your fitness that demand a great deal less time and energy than taking on a complex sport like triathlon.
