Due to the current situation that we, and the rest of the world, is living in, we have had to adapt quickly to the idea and daily grind of training in isolation.
Athletes and triathlon Coach alike have moved from group rides to solo or online rides. Our Park Runs and track sessions with a coach present for immediate feedback have had to move to the open spaces with just our own thoughts or favourite playlists as company. Our usual squad swim sessions where we push each other along have been replaced by swim specific S&C and open water solo swimming. For some athletes, having to adapt to such changes in such a short amount of time is a great a physical challenge as it is an emotional one. However, there are many things that you can do to stay connected and active in your club sport.
It has been long proven across many sporting codes that the more we stay in a group environment, even in an online setting, the better we will perform. The group effect can be defined as a force that all athletes can exploit to attain far greater heights together than they would do alone. As Matt Fitzgerald explains on his book How Bad Do You Want It, every group, from local communities to whole nations, excel in a sport as long as there is a high participation in terms of quantity and intensity. The dominance of a sport is a function of the scope and intensity of participation of every member within it. This explains why certain countries are better in some sports than others (Cuba with Boxing, Kenya and Ethiopia with Running, Brazil with Soccer).
The next step would be to see how you can stay connected with your friends, squad and training mates to stay active. Luckily, the internet offers many options to stay connected, from easy to access apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to more sports focused apps as Sufferfest and Zwift. Getting to ride or run with someone, even online, is proven to increase the levels of serotonin in your body (and adrenaline if you feel like racing). Just by knowing that you have someone there riding with you, even if they are not physically next to you, will improve the way you perform and the experience you get from each session.
Remember that even if you don’t feel the benefit right away, by merely staying connected, your performance, your gains and your motivation will stay much higher than if you were training on your own. For some, an even greater motivation can be derived from the common online platforms ability and drive to increase the ability for others to “like”, “ride on” or simply “follow” you or your club. This may seem like such a small and insignificant thing, but just one click of a button could be helping someone achieve their dreams.
Stay safe, stay fit, stay healthy and stay connected.
For online triathlon training program options you can follow Davey Black Triathlon. If you are looking to stay fit and healthy, or to supplement or compliment your sports training, you can also join online Spin, Strength and Conditioning and Yoga classes via the Davey Black Sports Performance online session options.