Crossing the finish line of your first Ironman or 70.3 is an unforgettable moment. The months of dedication, training, and sacrifice all come together in that final stretch, leaving you with an overwhelming sense of achievement. But once the medal is around your neck, the towel over your shoulder and the soreness begins to fade, an inevitable question arises: What’s next?
Rather than letting the post-race blues take over, this is the perfect time to reflect, reset, and set new goals to keep your triathlon journey alive. Here’s how to plan your next steps.
1. Reflect on Your Race Experience
Before setting new goals, take the time to analyze your race. Consider:
- What went well? (e.g., pacing, nutrition, mental strength)
- What could be improved? (e.g., transitions, endurance, bike handling skills)
- Did you enjoy the process, or were there moments where motivation was lacking?
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help shape your next training plan and race choices. Spending time thinking about these points and then followijg it up with a post-race meeting with your Coach s a great way to debreif from a race and be clear on what (if any) areas you need or want to improve on.
Something that I like to do is write a race summary whilst it is fresh in my head. I then put that online as a blog post for a couple of reasons:
- There will be friends, family, associates and complete strangers who will find it interesting.
- Making it public makes me more accountable to it and gives me a nice resource to refer back to. You don’t need to make yours public, but writing a race review is something I ask all my athletes to do. If you’d like to read mine, you can do so here
2. Define Your Next Challenge
Now that you’ve completed a major milestone, it’s time to set new objectives. Your next challenge could be:
- A Faster Time – If you loved the race but feel you can improve, set a PR (personal record) as your next target.
- A Different Distance – Move up to a full Ironman if you completed a 70.3, or try shorter races like Olympic or sprint distances to sharpen your speed.
- A New Race Destination – Travel to an iconic race venue for a fresh challenge and a change of scenery.
- Multisport or Off-Road Adventures – Consider duathlons, XTERRA triathlons, or ultra-endurance events to keep things exciting.
3. Talk to your Coach!
Once you’ve chosen your next goal, you need to communicate that with your coach. At GPC, we like to ensure our athletes have a proper preparation for their events so we need to know everything that may affect that. Holidays, work, a new baby and boys trip away, weddings etc all play a role in impacting on your ability to train so we need to know well in advance to ensure we are programmingcorrectly for you. We understand things happen at the last minute, but the more notice you can give us, the better.
As a coach, it is also our job to be honest with you and to advise against doing an event that may mpact another part of your training in a negative way.
For example, if we had an athlete targeting the World Triathlon Sprint Championships later this year in Wollongong come to us saying they wanted to also race the Melbourne Marathon, then our advice would be to pick one and not do the other. Both are on at the same time of the year, but both have VERY different ways of training for.
4. Stay Motivated and Connected
Post-race motivation can fluctuate, so staying engaged in the triathlon community can help:
- Joining in on our weekly squad sessions
- Set mini-goals, such as mastering a swim drill or achieving a new FTP (Functional Threshold Power) on the bike.
- Use the ‘down time’ to really focus on a skill such as swim technique, road riding, transitions.
5. Balance Training with Life
As you set new goals, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance with work, family, and social life. Training smarter, not just harder, ensures longevity in the sport and helps prevent burnout. Adjust your schedule to fit your lifestyle while still making progress toward your next big event.
Keep the Momentum Going
Completing your first Ironman or 70.3 is just the beginning of an exciting journey. Whether you aim to go faster, race further, or explore new challenges, setting clear goals and staying consistent will keep the fire burning for years to come.
So, what’s next for you? Whatever it is, discuss it with your coach and get those plans in place!
