Review and takeaways 2023 season

My first season as a professional triathlete is already over. In this post, I'll give you an insight into my personal experiences and takeaways for the 2024 season.

To swim:

I'm now in the water 5 times a week instead of 3 times a week, which equates to about 15-20km. During the first half of the season, I made great progress in training. However, the results of the first competitions were rather disappointing in my opinion. I wasn't able to transfer my performance from the pool to the open water. I was surprised by the high swimming level of my competitors, and I lacked experience in mass starts. The disappointing swimming performances also affected my motivation to train in the pool almost every day. Despite this, I implemented my training as planned, but I knew I had to change something.

So I sought support and now have a dedicated swim coach who coaches me poolside twice a week while I swim laps with the training group. Training in the group has definitely motivated me to push myself even harder in the water. For next season, I hope to close the gap to the fastest swimmers and finish in the top third.

Ride a bike:

Cycling has always been my strongest discipline. But this year, things weren't going well in the first half of the season. I felt weak on the bike throughout the first few races, and my performances were below my expectations compared to previous years. As a professional in my first season, I naturally hoped to make progress. It was frustrating to see that my performance seemed to be moving in the opposite direction.

It wasn't until the first hot days of summer that I finally managed to flip the switch. Race by race, I gradually returned to my old form, and by the end of September, I felt fitter than ever before. Unfortunately, due to illness, I couldn't demonstrate my improved form in competition. Nevertheless, the period between August and October provided me and my coach, Florian Heck, with valuable insights and guidance for the coming season. We now have a more precise understanding of how my body responds to different training approaches, allowing us to take a big step toward the podium in 2024.

Run:

For me, running is a challenge and a love-hate relationship. My running technique and motor skills aren't yet at the level that would allow me to compete with the best in the world. Due to my hamstring tear and the resulting consequences, it was difficult to accumulate enough running kilometers to make significant progress. Nevertheless, I'm proud of having improved again in competitions compared to last year. Next year, I plan to increase my weekly running volume with my coach and continue to hone my running coordination and technique through short, intense intervals—because, as we all know, running comes from running.

I am looking forward to implementing the learnings from the 2023 season this year and achieving new personal bests.