[PREVIEW] Triathlon Injuries and the Five Stages of Grief

Race report - Victoria Half Multisport Festival

2nd race in 2 weeks! Was I able to bounce back and race hard or did I crash and burn? listen to find out. ---------------------------------------- Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete [https://www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete]

[PREVIEW] Race Report - Victoria Half Multisport Festival

2nd race in 2 weeks! Was I able to bounce back and race hard or did I crash and burn? listen to find out. ---------------------------------------- Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete [https://www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete]

Triathlon Injuries and the Five Stages of Grief

We all get injured and we all deal with it differently. It recently occurred to me that I seem to go through stages of grief when I am injured. And I don't make the best decisions for my long term health until I reach the last stage. ---------------------------------------- Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete [https://www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete] ---------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT Triathlon Injuries and The 5 Stages of Grief Today I want to use the 5 Stages of Grief as a framework to talk about how we, as triathletes, often experience injuries. The Five Stages of Grief weren't actually created to explain sports injuries—or even the grief we feel after someone dies. They were originally observations of people facing their own mortality. Modern psychology tells us grief isn't nearly that tidy. But I've found those five emotions to be a surprisingly useful lens for understanding what happens in my own head every time an injury threatens a session or perhaps a season. As a quick recap, 3 weeks before my end of June race, I hurt my back. And I mean, I really hurt it. I had to take 8 complete days away from training and there were a few moments where I entertained the possibility that I might not be able to race in the World Championship qualifying race that I had been training for for 9 months. With all of my focus on rest, recovery, nutrition, medical attention and every marginally effective treatment I could think of, I managed to get to a place where I thought I might be able to race pain-free. And then, on the Friday before the Sunday race I hurt a different part of my back or neck. Once again, I faced difficult emotions but with luck on my side (and a million units of pain killer in my system) I managed to perform an all-time best race and secure my invitation to join Team Canada and represent at the World Triathlon Championships in Germany next year. My plan was to recover this past week, then get in some short hard efforts next week and once again race a Standard Distance here in Victoria. A race where I came 2nd in my category last year. Yet when I woke up this morning, I had difficuly walking due to a really sore hip. So, once again, I am forced to take extra time off for injury. And it reminded me that I seem to go through the same emotional journey every single time I get injured. I don't think it's just disappointment—I think it's grief. Not grief because someone died, but grief because, in a way, the athlete I thought I was for the next few weeks suddenly disappeared. So, what are the 5 Stage of Grief? And remember, we don't always go through them all and we don't necessarily go through them in a linear order. Stage 1: Denial "I'll be fine." My typical thoughts: It's just tight. I'll loosen up tomorrow. I'll still do my long run. Maybe I'll just bike instead. As triathletes, or simply very motivated people, we often tend to ignore warning signs because training has taught us to push through discomfort. No pain, no gain, right? And if you are anything like me, you've probably Googled 'Can I run on a torn [blank]?' hoping the internet says yes. You know who you are. Stage 2: Anger "This isn't fair." This is where frustration appears. Examples: Why now? I was finally getting fit. Everyone else is training. I did everything right. The timing is unbelievable! If you find yourself in this stage my advice to you would be to avoid social media because it can be almost unbearable to see friends and competitors on Strava crushing their workouts. Stage 3: Bargaining This is probably the funniest stage. "If I only run easy..." "What if I skip intervals and do some Base work instead?" "I'll wear compression sleeves." "I'll ice it." "I'll take one more recovery day." "I'll only run downhill." This is where athletes become expert negotiators with themselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a logical, reasonable compromise to work around an injury but realize this is a very dangerous place to be. There is a fine line between "getting through an injury" and "making it much worse". Stage 4: Sadness This is the hardest part. The realization sets in: I'm going to lose fitness. That race might be over. My routine is gone. My identity takes a hit. We feel this way because training isn't just exercise — it's structure, stress relief, community, and confidence. Losing it feels much bigger than just missing a workout. Finally, Stage 5: Acceptance This is where good decisions FINALLY happen. Instead of asking: "How do I save this race?" You begin asking: "What's the smartest way forward?" Examples: Seeing a physiotherapist. Following a rehab plan. Adjusting goals. Cross-training. Sleeping more. Letting HEALING become the training. I've noticed that I can't skip straight to LOGIC. My brain wants to BARGAIN first. It wants to find shortcuts and loopholes. But eventually I reach acceptance, and that's when I actually start making good decisions. The sooner I recognize the emotional process, the sooner I stop fighting reality and start healing. I think it's been the realization that I need to go through these stages of grief when I am injured that have allowed me to stay calmer, cooler, less emotionally charged from my recent setbacks. It isn't easy at any level but the more quickly I move to acceptance, the more quickly I can begin to heal. And while we can't always control how quickly we get to that level the mere fact of recognizing what is happening to us emotionally is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle. So, if you're injured right now, maybe give yourself a little grace. You might not just be dealing with sore muscles—you might be grieving the session, sessions or even season you thought you were going to have. That's normal. Just don't make permanent training decisions based on TEMPORARY EMOTIONS. Until next time, Peace

[PREVIEW] Triathlon Injuries and the Five Stages of Grief

We all get injured and we all deal with it differently. It recently occurred to me that I seem to go through stages of grief when I am injured. And I don't make the best decisions for my long term health until I reach the last stage. ---------------------------------------- Join the fun at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete [https://www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete] ---------------------------------------- TRANSCRIPT Triathlon Injuries and The 5 Stages of Grief Today I want to use the 5 Stages of Grief as a framework to talk about how we, as triathletes, often experience injuries. The Five Stages of Grief weren't actually created to explain sports injuries—or even the grief we feel after someone dies. They were originally observations of people facing their own mortality. Modern psychology tells us grief isn't nearly that tidy. But I've found those five emotions to be a surprisingly useful lens for understanding what happens in my own head every time an injury threatens a session or perhaps a season. As a quick recap, 3 weeks before my end of June race, I hurt my back. And I mean, I really hurt it. I had to take 8 complete days away from training and there were a few moments where I entertained the possibility that I might not be able to race in the World Championship qualifying race that I had been training for for 9 months. With all of my focus on rest, recovery, nutrition, medical attention and every marginally effective treatment I could think of, I managed to get to a place where I thought I might be able to race pain-free. And then, on the Friday before the Sunday race I hurt a different part of my back or neck. Once again, I faced difficult emotions but with luck on my side (and a million units of pain killer in my system) I managed to perform an all-time best race and secure my invitation to join Team Canada and represent at the World Triathlon Championships in Germany next year. My plan was to recover this past week, then get in some short hard efforts next week and once again race a Standard Distance here in Victoria. A race where I came 2nd in my category last year. Yet when I woke up this morning, I had difficuly walking due to a really sore hip. So, once again, I am forced to take extra time off for injury. And it reminded me that I seem to go through the same emotional journey every single time I get injured. I don't think it's just disappointment—I think it's grief. Not grief because someone died, but grief because, in a way, the athlete I thought I was for the next few weeks suddenly disappeared. So, what are the 5 Stage of Grief? And remember, we don't always go through them all and we don't necessarily go through them in a linear order. Stage 1: Denial "I'll be fine." My typical thoughts: It's just tight. I'll loosen up tomorrow. I'll still do my long run. Maybe I'll just bike instead. As triathletes, or simply very motivated people, we often tend to ignore warning signs because training has taught us to push through discomfort. No pain, no gain, right? And if you are anything like me, you've probably Googled 'Can I run on a torn [blank]?' hoping the internet says yes. You know who you are. Stage 2: Anger "This isn't fair." This is where frustration appears. Examples: Why now? I was finally getting fit. Everyone else is training. I did everything right. The timing is unbelievable! If you find yourself in this stage my advice to you would be to avoid social media because it can be almost unbearable to see friends and competitors on Strava crushing their workouts. Stage 3: Bargaining This is probably the funniest stage. "If I only run easy..." "What if I skip intervals and do some Base work instead?" "I'll wear compression sleeves." "I'll ice it." "I'll take one more recovery day." "I'll only run downhill." This is where athletes become expert negotiators with themselves. Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to find a logical, reasonable compromise to work around an injury but realize this is a very dangerous place to be. There is a fine line between "getting through an injury" and "making it much worse". Stage 4: Sadness This is the hardest part. The realization sets in: I'm going to lose fitness. That race might be over. My routine is gone. My identity takes a hit. We feel this way because training isn't just exercise — it's structure, stress relief, community, and confidence. Losing it feels much bigger than just missing a workout. Finally, Stage 5: Acceptance This is where good decisions FINALLY happen. Instead of asking: "How do I save this race?" You begin asking: "What's the smartest way forward?" Examples: Seeing a physiotherapist. Following a rehab plan. Adjusting goals. Cross-training. Sleeping more. Letting HEALING become the training. I've noticed that I can't skip straight to LOGIC. My brain wants to BARGAIN first. It wants to find shortcuts and loopholes. But eventually I reach acceptance, and that's when I actually start making good decisions. The sooner I recognize the emotional process, the sooner I stop fighting reality and start healing. I think it's been the realization that I need to go through these stages of grief when I am injured that have allowed me to stay calmer, cooler, less emotionally charged from my recent setbacks. It isn't easy at any level but the more quickly I move to acceptance, the more quickly I can begin to heal. And while we can't always control how quickly we get to that level the mere fact of recognizing what is happening to us emotionally is one of the biggest pieces of that puzzle. So, if you're injured right now, maybe give yourself a little grace. You might not just be dealing with sore muscles—you might be grieving the session, sessions or even season you thought you were going to have. That's normal. Just don't make permanent training decisions based on TEMPORARY EMOTIONS. Until next time, Peace

Triathlon Milestone

I've trained consistently for years. I've dialed in my nutrition. I've focused on recovery. I've managed last minute injuries. And it all came down to today's race. ---------------------------------------- Come join our community at www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete [https://www.patreon.com/thelonelytriathlete]