The Sophomore Jinx!

I am a sports fanatic! I have often wondered about the dreaded sophomore jinx. Does it happen in triathlon? Why does it happen? Is it real? If it is real, what are the characteristics which contribute to it? Perhaps most important, can it be prevented!

It took many years and great experience but I think I have made some headway on the subject and thankfully it took my experience in triathlon to help me understand. There are in my mind ostensibly two reasons for the jinx. Lets for the sake of this piece call them 1) experiential 2) logical. 1 is based on the love and passion for the sport and 2), while logical and sensible, is dastardly, diabolical and cruel in its ever present hold on the athlete, is based on the rate and general curve which one athlete can improve, or not! 

I recently had the privilege of watching and cheering on some of our coached athletes at an event in Florida. At AETT we make a point of seeing all of our athletes race, its just part of the process and truthfully we LOVE it. What was interesting to me and what struck me and what led me to write this piece was that the two first-timers had amazing races, while the two second timers or sophomores had good races. The two sophomores were happy but reserved in their reactions. The two first-timers were over the moon.

I remember my first triathlon. I had been training for a few months but nothing too serious. I was a fair athlete with experience in a few other sports before I found this new sport called triathlon. What a rush. I entered that first race with no expectations and had the time of my life. As is usually the case with many who participate in the sport, I analyzed my results and realized there were areas for improvement. I also realized how much fun the sport was and so I entered another race straight away! At that very moment (we never realize it) the two lines; experiential and the logical sensible, started their powerful and often destructive path toward each other. The next race; better, but more room for improvement. The next race even better but more room for improvement. And so on and so on the pattern in that first season went. What I didn't realize then and do now is that those dreaded two lines were converging! At some point they would likely cross or at very least come close to one and other.

Another factor that exacerbates things in this part of the world is the seasonality of our sport. I improved a ton in the first year and got to work during the winter with high expectations the second year. The second year came and went in unremarkable fashion. Back to the lines. From an experiential standpoint I was still enjoying triathlon, I think. From a logical and sensible standpoint  I was still improving, I think. And there lies the point of the sophomore jinx. That first year, the experience was so great, so powerful, the level of improvement so great so powerful that how could it ever be repeated! Yes I enjoyed it the second year. Yes I improved the second year. Did I enjoy it as much? Maybe not. Did I improve as much, for sure not. Often (I say this with a bit of caution because not in all cases) our rate of improvement and enjoyment factor is never as great as in the first season. Thus creating this jinx! Remember, regarding experience, its hard to create the feeling of "the first time" for many things not just sport. And regarding logic, the better you get at a sport the harder it is to improve! (that's the diabolical part). Think about a swimmer who swims 100s of kilometers to improve by a second or tenth of a second. Think of a golfer who hits balls until their hands are bleeding to improve by less than a stroke on average. Think of a cyclist who rides a trainer all winter to improve by .............. I think you understand.

Can we control the sophomore jinx? Yes! The good news is yes. This bit of advice I would give to any athlete approaching the end of year one in the sport. Sit down with your coach. If you don't have a coach, then just sit down and think about how great the sport is and how enjoyable the first season was and what the next season should be. Choose venues in year two that you will enjoy.  Choose races you haven't done before! Make training fun! Cheer on some friends at their first races!!!! Volunteer at a race. Take a bike maintenance course. Go watch a kids race. Discover parts of the sport that you may not have known. Gauge improvement not only by race results but by quality of training, how you feel, fitness levels. Most important, set realistic expectations moving forward. 

In year two I would encourage all of you to strive to enjoy the sport and understand the possibilities and the probabilities moving forward. This will create Sophomore Success not the Sophomore Jinx!!