VICKY HOLLAND’S BEGINNER TIPS
Olympic bronze medallist Vicky Holland shares her failsafe tips for a successful journey into and through the sport of triathlon
1 BALANCE IS KEY
Training, nutrition and sleep are all important, but so are friends, family, and enjoying life. Obsession isn’t healthy and alienates people – remember why you love the sport and focus on that.
2 CELEBRATE VICTORIES
Whether it’s winning a race or achieving a target time, making a team or completing an Ironman – celebrate these moments because triathlon is fraught with tough ones! Injuries are common, bad races come to us all and time on the sidelines is hard to endure, so don’t take the good times for granted!
3 SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE
Train with people you like to be around, who motivate you, make you laugh and keep you honest. It’ll make getting through the long days and tough sessions so much easier.
4 HIT THE GYM
Strength work is important for both injury prevention and making you stronger and faster. Take the time to put a simple gym programme together to do once or twice a week. You don’t have to go crazy on the weights, but wellstructured, regular strength work will keep you on the racecourse more than on the sidelines.
5 ENJOY THE TRAVEL
Over my career, I’ve spent far too much time holed up in hotel rooms and not taking in the places I’ve travelled to. It’s not always possible to explore – and not recommended pre-race – but, if you can, try to take a day to appreciate the places and experiences that triathlon gives you.
6 MORE ISN’T ALWAYS MORE
By nature, us triathletes aren’t afraid of pushing ourselves to the limit – the harder the better. But I’ve had to learn and accept that this isn’t always true! Being able to push on is a great trait, but also knowing when to back it off and let the body recover is more important for athletic progression and the avoidance of injury and fatigue.
7 PMA
A positive mental attitude is a winning asset in triathlon. The training is hard, the racing doesn’t always go to plan and injuries are frequent. Plus, the British weather often adds an extra challenge! Every now and again we all moan or have a bad day, but maintaining a positive attitude to what you’re doing helps both yourself and those around you. Positivity is infectious and a big weapon in your armoury.