Leaving sport due to burnout

 

As a long-distance triathlon coach, I realize that there will be a time when an athlete will no longer need my coaching services. When this time comes, my hope is that my athlete is not leaving the sport with resentment but instead, due to a new life chapter. It's also my hope that the athlete continues to swim, bike and run, even if it's not to be competitive or to participate in events. Far too often I hear of athletes leaving the sport of triathlon on bad terms. Instead of reflecting on all the great experiences, accomplishments and memories when moving on to the next chapter, the athlete sees triathlon as a waste of time/money/energy, the athlete sells all equipment/gear and family/friends are very bitter about how time/money/energy was spent over x-years/months on a "lifestyle" hobby. 

As a collegiate swimmer, I experienced a bit of burnout before my senior year.  I didn't hate the sport of swimming but mentally I needed a change. I picked up cross country running for one season and realized two things: how fun it was to run off road and how much I missed competitive swimming. I ended up finishing off undergrad with four years of collegiate swimming. All I needed was a short break to realize how much I loved swimming. Still today, I love to swim. I've been swimming for almost 30 years and have never gone more than 2 weeks without swimming. 

Every athlete has his/her own threshold when the rewards are not enough to maintain the effort. Burnout is a response to the demands and stressors of a sport without appropriate physical and mental rest and recovery. Burnout is not the same as overtraining although overtraining can play a role in burnout. Sure, sometimes your heart just isn't into it anymore or you need a change but far too often, athletes let things build up for far too long (too much of the same thing) and instead of making small changes, it all comes crashing down.  Unfortunately, many athletes experience signs of burnout like staleness, fatigue, reduced interest, and lack of focus, drive and motivation but an acquired resilient and mentally tough mindset can prevent the athlete from recognizing that there is a problem.  Instead of taking a step back and making small changes for better life/training balance, the athlete quits the sport all together. It's not uncommon for sport to harm an athlete's well-being. 

Endurance athletes are known to put too much on the daily plate and fail to value rest and recovery. Most endurance athletes do not get enough sleep to feel rested and do not prioritize nutrition to be well-fueled and nourished. with so much going on in life - family/work/social life/extracurriculars/travel - training for sport is usually added to an already busy lifestyle. There are also endurance athletes who become fully consumed by sport as a way to fulfill or reinvent identity as an athlete or to escape the stressors of life or to feel a sense of control and a training passion turns into a training obsession. And what once started as a fun new active lifestyle of growth, development and exploring your capabilities can easily spiral into burnout due to perfectionism, high expectations, rigid standards, inadequate rest and recovery, inadequate energy intake and overexertion. Regardless of the reason, many athletes begin a sport with good intentions but leave on bad terms.

To reduce the risk of sport burnout, here are a few tips: 

• Don't rush the process. Stay patient and always remember why you started the sport. 
• Focus on yourself and your own journey. Don't compare or try to keep up with the training of another athlete. 
• Focus on the process, not the outcome. 
• Have hobbies/activities/friends outside of sport. 
• Don't set high or unrealistic expectations.
• Avoid a perfectionist mindset. 
• Communicate with your coach. 
• Enjoy short breaks away from sport. 
• Take care of yourself physically - rest doesn't not mean you are lazy. 
• Take care of yourself mentally. 
• Stay passionate, not obsessed. 
• Don't feel pressure to look a certain way (ex. change your body image). 
  
• Address self-talk. 
• Find ways to feel satisfied and accomplished. 
• Involve others/socialize when you train. 
• Keep training fun. 
• Work with a sport psychologist.

It's normal to lose interest and motivation in your sport, to take an extended time off from training or to move on to a different sport. But more often than not, I find that triathletes will leave the sport due to burnout - too much accumulated too quickly.

Take care of yourself mentally and physically and remember, sport is fun.  If you find yourself obsessing over outcome goals, training with a perfectionist mindset or holding yourself to high personal standards, there's a good chance that you are increasing the chance for sport burnout. Sport should add value and meaning to your life without compromising your mental and physical health.