How to be a Student Athlete
I recently finished 6 years of school completing my undergraduate degree and post-graduate degree. Training for triathlon can be tough for anyone. School is a time for finding yourself and there are so many opportunities. I am going to lay out some tips on how to train for triathlon during the post-secondary school year.
- Always have your training gear with you. You can always squeeze a workout in for a study break or between classes. I found myself swimming between classes when I was not swimming for my varsity team.
- Join a varsity team. If you feel confident in one of the sports, joining a varsity team can help you improve that sport and also help you meet like minded people.
- Pack your meals!! I can’t say this enough. When training, you need to be prepared to have good food ready. This is especially true if you plan to swim in the morning, have a full day of class and then squeeze in another workout later.
- Studying on the trainer can kill two birds with one stone. I find myself looking over notes while doing easy spins. When you are time crunched it just makes sense.
- Try to become a morning person. University is tough in that respect because of classes all the time, but getting a workout done in the morning is one less thing to worry about.
- Sometimes you have to miss a workout and that’s okay. Sleep and school is important. If you have a big essay or mid-terms coming up just let it go and move on. Triathlon will always be there but school won’t.
Balancing triathlon and school is tough but very rewarding. I could not imagine not racing triathlon in university. I was able to train and race on the swim and cross country teams at my university, represent my school and country at the world university triathlon championships, and also keep myself healthy physically and mentally. Just remember, work hard but also realize it is okay to miss a few workouts! Happy Training!
-Stevie Blankenship