Hi! My name is Lovis, I'm 22 years old and a triathlete. In my sport, I mainly compete in long (Ironman) and middle distance races. Since I train myself for the most part, I've built up a lot of knowledge about endurance training and everything that goes with it over the years. I'd like to share this with you, give you an insight into my own training and maybe even write about the things that you sometimes prefer to keep to yourself. I'd like to make the connection to competitive sports as much as possible and give you a large package of knowledge, understanding and questions.
But what is a triathlete doing here on the website of an athletic trainer who mainly plays handball and soccer? I'm not a typical triathlete who has only done swimming, cycling and running all my life. I started playing soccer and tennis as a child, then moved on from basketball to football and then to ultimate frisbee. Today I'm just a triathlete, I like to go surfing to unwind and I'm studying sports science with Felix at the CAU in Kiel. Through my work as an athletic trainer for goalkeepers and as co-trainer of the Holstein Women's U23 team, I have also developed an affinity for coaching in game sports and have gained a lot of experience. Nevertheless, endurance and endurance sports are what appeal to me most.
I train on average between 12 and 15 hours a week throughout the year. Then there are training camps and competitions, which are planned before the start of the season. Since the long-distance competitions last up to 10 hours for me and maybe even longer, you can't do that many in a year. I'm currently concentrating on one top-notch competition a year, which I work towards all season. Then there are a few preparatory competitions, which are mainly about testing form, equipment and the process, and they're also good training stimuli for the mind and body, because I don't go to a competition without thinking about giving it my all.
"Why do you do this to yourself?" is a question I hear very often. And to be honest: I don't think I've ever given a good answer... But how could I? If I asked you, most of the answers would probably be: "I love the team spirit", "Sport simply fulfills me", or "I love letting off steam". I can agree 100% with almost all of these statements, but I still don't think that can be the reason. So why train for hours on end, week after week? For me, the answer is as simple as anything else: "Because I love it!" And to be honest, I don't expect anyone to understand me. If you don't know the feeling, you won't be able to understand it. Most people expect an answer that they can understand and respond with an "OK" or a sarcastic "What an answer". But honestly: That's just how it is. Sport is just great and if you don't know the feeling, you should definitely experience it!
If you are interested in these topics, please check out the “Personalities” blog at FB Athletics from time to time. Next up is an article about the training schedule and content I am currently using to prepare for my competitions.
Thank you for your attention and see you soon!