How taking a break from triathlon training has improved my mental health
It began in late 2017 and lasted until mid-2023
Triathlon training. Lots of it.
The result…
Many medals, finisher towels and t-shirts.
Boxes of cycling gear, worn-out running shoes and swim caps now fill my garage.
The damage…
Apart from the obvious — physical toll on my joints & muscles — many years of mental health struggles got overlooked. Told to be quiet by the sounds of training.
Hours spent in the water doing endless laps in the swimming pool blocked out the noise of life.
The repetitive beat of trainers hitting the pavement zoned the mind to stay within the target pace per KM.
Heavy breathing and sweat dripping down my face created a bubble while cycling along the congestive roads.
If I wasn’t training the mental health issues started to crawl back up into my consciousness demanding attention.
Like many individuals who enjoy exercising— If I didn’t run, cycle, swim or simply do something active I slowly turned into a different person. The longer those hours evolved the worse the anxiety & stress became. On the rare occasions the hours merged into days the pain squeezed the mind harder and harder.
