KATIE ZAFERES
She’s one of the fastest female Olympic-distance triathletes in the world and she’s here to share her top tips for getting the most out of this awesome sport!
1 TAKE DOWN TIME AS SERIOUSLY AS IN-SEASON
Once your season is over make sure you take a couple weeks off to reset both your brain and your body. Both things need time to recover and get ready for the next season. I always make sure during this time that I disengage, and only do physical activity if it’s something I really want to do.
2 DO YOU!
Be confident in doing your own thing if it’s what’s best for you. Don’t get caught up in running too fast or doing too much because you’re comparing yourself to others. If that timing isn’t right for you don’t force things if the cost outweighs the benefit.
3 GET TO KNOW YOUR BRAIN
In my opinion, the physical part of triathlon is the easy part; it’s the mental strategy that really distinguishes athletes. Get to know strategies to help you get the most out of yourself in training, racing and just life in general. This can be things from visualisation, meditation, self talk, etc. One of the things I’ve learned is the more strategies the better, and the more consistent work I put into this the better I become as an athlete and person as a whole.
4 EASY DAYS EASY, HARD DAYS HARD!
It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to do things fast and efficiently. However, with three sports, it’s important that on easy sessions you let your body recover so it’s prepared for the focus session of that day/week. Run and bike at a conversational pace and have recovery swims implemented throughout the training programme. And when your coach, if you have one, says easy – do easy! It’ll make you better on the hard days, and add more longevity to your triathlon life!
5 STUDY UP!
With all the resources available nowadays you don’t have to wait until you get to a place to start scouting out the race courses and venues. Get to know where you’re going before you arrive! Go through the course on Google maps so you can really get to know it, I even map it out on a gmap-pedometer. com or Garmin to know elevation gains and such. Look for places to stay that suit your needs, whether that’s being close to the course or in a place where you don’t have to go far to find food and whatever else you need. Preparation equals relaxation upon arrival.