Triathlon

Can you describe a time when you felt like you were rushing the process in your triathlon career and how it impacted your performance?

Concussion Rush: How Not Accepting Reality Hinders Progress

Yeah, so a time that I felt rushed in my career was after a concussion. I had a life-threatening bike accident that resulted in a concussion pretty bad and I just jumped right back into life. I couldn't even remember the next two days what happened and I was back to working in a week or so and just felt the stress of life and demands and just did not want to take a break. I just did not recover from that concussion and I could not be present in any area of my life and just really struggled for a long time until I accepted where I was and accepted the situation and I was able to start progressing from there. I think that's similar to training. If we don't accept where we're at and train correctly in the zones that we should be training, we just won't progress at the rate we think we should. We end up training too hard and compromising the progress that we need to make in the current moment rather than accepting where we're at, knowing where we're at, and training correctly currently to make progress and gains moving forward.

I felt rushed in my career after a concussion, which caused me to jump back into life without taking time to recover. To make progress, I had to accept my current situation and train correctly within the zones that I should be training.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/ioz12blb0ogjcauo3boo.vtt

After experiencing a life-threatening bike accident that resulted in a severe concussion, I found myself rushing the process of recovery in my triathlon career. Instead of taking the necessary time to heal and properly rehabilitate, I immediately jumped back into my busy life. I couldn't even recall what happened during the following two days, yet I resumed working within a week. The stress and demands of life overshadowed my need for rest and recovery. As a result, I struggled immensely, unable to be fully present in any area of my life. It took a long time for me to acknowledge and accept my situation before I could truly begin to progress again.

This experience parallels training in many ways. If we fail to accept our current level of fitness or skill and don't train appropriately within those parameters, we won't make the progress we desire. We might push ourselves too hard, compromising our potential growth in the present moment. It's crucial to accept where we are, understand our capabilities, and train accordingly. By doing so, we can make steady progress and achieve the gains we seek as we move forward.

Can you describe how you eventually accepted the situation and adjusted your approach to get back on track in your triathlon career?

Triathlete's Journey: Accepting Setbacks and Seeking Help

Hi, so what finally allowed me to accept my situation I was in, I with the concussion I had and to start seeing progress, I had to accept the state I was in so I could be present and work on what I needed to work on in the moment. What allowed me to do that honestly, was we're meeting with a sports psychologist, actually just a psychologist. I didn't come to that realization on my own. I had too many things I wanted to try to do, too many goals and when that happened, I didn't take the time to take a step back and focus on accepting and doing what I needed to do to improve and get better. So for me, that's what it took. It took help from somebody else and often times we try to do it all on our own and sometimes we need a little help from a professional or someone close to us.

Meeting with a psychologist helped me to accept my situation and start making progress.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/xqnmnsyggrtrg4lauyl7.vtt

To accept my situation and adjust my approach in my triathlon career, I had to reach a point of realization. The concussion I had made it necessary for me to acknowledge and be present in the state I was in, so that I could focus on what needed to be worked on in the moment. This realization didn't come on my own, however. I had too many goals and aspirations, which prevented me from taking a step back and truly accepting my circumstances while prioritizing improvement. Seeking assistance from a sports psychologist, or any psychologist for that matter, played a crucial role in helping me reach this acceptance. It taught me the value of seeking support from professionals or those close to us when we face challenges that we can't overcome alone.

Wesley Johnson answers your Triathlon questions. See all the advice Wesley Johnson has and get answers to your own Triathlon questions.

Follow me on AnyQuestion

2019 USOPC and USAT Paralympic Coach of the year, 2021 USA Triathlon Development Coach of the Year, Level III USA Triathlon Coach, Head Triathlon Coach of University of Arizona  and Balanced Art Multisport 