reflecting on your 2024 season: analyzing success and preparing for 2025
Coach Julie has some great thoughts on how to leverage your 2024 as you prepare for 2025:
“As we close the chapter on the 2024 triathlon season, it’s time for all athletes to take a moment and reflect on their experiences. Each race, training session, and challenge faced has contributed to your journey. By analyzing the highs and lows of this past season, you can gain valuable insights that will set you up for success in 2025. Here’s how to effectively assess your 2024 season and leverage those insights for the upcoming year.”
Read the full article here.
what to read / watch / listen to:
Coach Shana:
Watch: “Project Iceman” is a documentary about the quest of Anders Hofman to become the first person to complete an iron distance triathlon in Antarctica. Yep Antarctica! It’s a wild story of dreaming big, building a team and pushing past obstacles with a belief that “the only true limits are the ones you accept”. On AppleTV or YouTube.
Listen to: “Elite Endurance Master Cam Wurf on Effective Training, Achievable Goals, The Power of Consistency, and What it takes to Win,” Episode #866 of The Rich Roll Podcast (on Apple Podcasts or Spotify)
Cam Wurf talks about how he balances being a pro cyclist for INEOS and a pro triathlete. He’s clearly passionate about both sports! Some of their discussion was his prep for the 2024 Ironman World Championships. After this was recorded, he finished 7th at Kona.
athlete win of the month:
Coach Alison: Don Wilson
Unbeknownst to me, Don had decided that 2024 was a “make or break” year for him with triathlon. Don had a lot of success with triathlon pre-pandemic, but between the race hiatus during the pandemic and injuries afterward, Don had lost his mojo.
For 2024, Don signed up for 70.3’s in July, August, and September. In July he had horrible leg cramps on the run. In August the heat and humidity did him in. September, which was originally intended to be a “for fun” race as we knew the final weeks of pre-race training would be wonky, ended up being his best of the summer.
At 70.3 Michigan, Don had his all-time 3rd best swim split and his all-time 3rd best run split. Combine that with a solid bike split (in fact, his 3 bike splits of the summer were almost 7 minutes faster on average than his previous 15 combined) and Don finally had his “make it” race.
The lesson? If you want something, don’t ever give up on it. And show up at every race with an open mind: you never know where your fitness – combined with some steely determination – will get you.
what makes us better:
Coach Julie: Lessons from the Ironman World Championship
Watching the Ironman World Championship goes beyond witnessing a race; it’s an inspiring journey of human resilience and determination. Here’s how this powerful event can make us better:
Embrace Triumphs: The victories we see remind us of the dedication and hard work required to achieve our goals. They inspire us to pursue our own aspirations with commitment and passion.
Learn from Struggles: The moments of suffering displayed by athletes teach us the importance of grit. When faced with challenges, we can learn to dig deep and push through, strengthening our resolve.
Understand Limits: Observing those who choose to step away highlights the significance of knowing our limits. It’s a valuable lesson that strength isn’t just about finishing; sometimes, it’s about prioritizing our well-being.
Cultivate Resilience: Those who persevere against adversity embody resilience. Their stories motivate us to tackle our own challenges and develop the skill to overcome obstacles in our lives.
Ultimately, the Ironman World Championship teaches us that our greatest growth often stems from struggle. By applying these lessons of perseverance and community support, we can strive to be better athletes and better individuals in every aspect of our lives.
meet a teammate:
Teammate: Justine Dobert, coached by Coach Shana, resides in Bolton Landing – a small town in the Adirondack region of NY state – with her husband, Stan and Kitty Luna. Her son, Marvin (22) and daughter, Kiki (20) are both away at school and home on breaks.
- Favorite race: Tri for the Cure- Maine. I participated in the survivor wave … felt very grateful to be a part of it. My husband, kids, brother, father and dog were all there to cheer me on. (that was after a year of chemo, radiation, and multiple surgeries…)
- Walk-out song: Drops of Jupiter, by Train
- 3 Words that family/friends would use to describe you: Friendly, Caring, Animal Lover
- Worst style choice you’ve ever made: Neon turquoise parachute pants – I loved them!
- If you could have an unlimited supply of 1 thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Unlimited supply of peanut butter would be awesome.