Niggly shoulders. Muscular fatigue. Creaking joints. Psychological strife. It wouldn’t be triathlon if you didn’t enter a world of pain on the way to the finishing line on both race day and in training. No other sport gives athletes such a head-to-toe physiological and psychological examination, after all, and that’s what makes any multisport achievement whether that’s a super-sprint finish or Ironman PB such a towering high.
But, given pain is part and parcel of our sport, just how do you embrace the discomfort in pursuit of glory? Is that old cliche of ‘pushing through the pain’ really so wise? And, perhaps more crucially, can you prevent the pain from rearing its ugly head in the first place?
Here we’ll look at some of the most common instances of triathlon pain - from blisters to saddle sores and cramps - to try and understand why you’re hurting and whether or not you should DNF or crack on to the finish line.
THE PAIN 1 RACE-WEEK TRIANOIA
The Slateman. The Brutal Half. London Marathon
