Reviewing the Year: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Growth for Endurance Athletes
As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time for reflection of the past year. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner, a cyclist who’s conquered mountain passes, an open water swimmer who has mastered the waves and currents on lakes, rivers or in the ocean, a triathlete tackling long-distance events, or a person who has raced your first 5k, the end of the year is an opportunity to pause, assess your progress, and prepare for what’s to come. Here's how you can effectively review your goals, accomplishments, and the challenges you’ve faced.
1. Celebrate Your Achievements
Before diving into anything else, take a moment to recognize what you’ve accomplished this year. Endurance sports are challenging, and every milestone is worth celebrating—whether big or small.
Personal Bests: Did you achieve a new PR in your favorite race or distance? Maybe you shaved minutes off your marathon time or improved your bike split. These moments are tangible signs of your hard work and dedication. Even if your goal was simply to finish a race, celebrate the fact that you showed up and gave it your all.
Consistency: Endurance sports demand consistency. Did you maintain a regular training schedule despite life’s many challenges? Staying disciplined week after week is a huge accomplishment in itself.
Skill Improvement: Reflect on any skills you’ve developed, whether in your technique, strength, nutrition, or recovery strategies. Maybe you learned how to pace yourself better in long runs or improved your bike handling skills. These subtle improvements often lead to bigger gains down the road.
Tried Something New: Trying something new takes a great deal of courage and chutzpah. What did you try? What did you learn from this experience? What lessons can you bring with you into the new year?
2. Review Your Goals and Progress
It’s time to revisit the goals you set for the year. The beginning of each year can bring a great deal of hope and promise.
Goal Setting: Look back at the goals you wrote down at the beginning of the year. Maybe you aimed to race a specific event, run a certain distance, or hit a particular time. Did you meet your goals? Did they evolve throughout the year?
Training Milestones: Did your training volume or intensity progress as planned? Did you complete a key training block or incorporate cross-training to strengthen weaknesses?
Self-Care and Recovery: It’s easy to focus solely on performance goals, but endurance athletes need to prioritize recovery too. Did you integrate enough rest, yoga, or active recovery into your routine? Balancing hard training with appropriate recovery is vital for long-term success and injury prevention.
3. Acknowledge Challenges and Setbacks
No athlete's journey is free from setbacks. Reflecting on challenges and obstacles is not about dwelling on them but about learning and growing from these experiences.
Injuries or Illness: Did you face any injuries that caused you to miss training or races? Whether it was a chronic issue or an unexpected setback, acknowledging how you handled these obstacles is key. Did you take the time to rest and recover properly? How did you adapt your training when injury forced a pause?
Mental Blocks: Endurance sports can be mentally grueling. Did you encounter moments of self-doubt, burnout, or lack of motivation? Acknowledging these struggles is crucial for moving forward. Maybe you learned new mental techniques or strategies to deal with the mental demands of long training sessions or races.
External Challenges: Life outside of training—family responsibilities, work stress, or personal issues—can impact an athlete’s performance. Did you face a particularly challenging period this year? How did you handle it, and if needed, what can you do differently moving into the next year to stay on track?
4. Lessons Learned and Opportunities For Growth
As endurance athletes, we’re always learning—whether through successes or challenges. Use this end-of-year review as a time to identify key lessons and how they can shape your future training.
Adapt Your Training: If you didn’t meet some of your performance goals, maybe it’s time to revisit your training approach. What skills, tools, opportunities or supports were needed? Do you need more variety in your sessions? Should you adjust your periodization or perhaps work with a coach for personalized guidance? Reflecting on your training methods can provide insight into where you can improve.
Mindset Shifts: Maybe your goal for the next year isn’t just about physical accomplishments but mental ones. If you've struggled with confidence or perseverance, consider focusing on your mental approach. Set goals around self-talk, visualization, or mindfulness practices that can support your physical training.
Final Thoughts
As you look back on this year, take pride in your perseverance, dedication, and growth. Endurance sports are a marathon, not a sprint, and every year is an opportunity to learn, improve, and grow as an athlete and as a person.
Celebrate your successes, acknowledge your challenges, and approach the next year with renewed focus and purpose. No matter where you are on your journey, remember that each stride, pedal, or stroke is progress. Keep moving forward!
