Given that my last race was Auckland 70.3 at the end of January I appreciate that this is long overdue. Since then other priorities have been keeping me busy and the enthusiasm to write this hasn’t really been there…
It is with a sad but content heart that I’ve decided to retire from racing triathlon; at any level for now at least, but certainly for good as a ‘Pro’ (in the loosest sense of the word – more on that later). Auckland was the final “test” to see what condition my body was in and what kind of performance level I was able to achieve with the heart, lungs and legs that have served me so well for nearly a decade in triathlon. Sadly though, the answer I got was a very clear “no” in terms of reaching anything like or beyond the levels I’ve seen in the past. I’m simply not able to compete at the world class level anymore… not even close!
Having finally got to the bottom of my health issues, allergies and such I had strung together a very strong and solid 5 months of training under the fantastic guidance and support of my coach Tom Bennett (from T2 Coaching). I was hitting PB’s in the water, as strong as ever on the run and working consistently and hard on the two wheels. However, despite all of this I just wasn’t able to get anywhere near previous performance levels, in particular on the bike (stagnating at roughly 60-70 watts lower than I’ve previously hit). The sessions were spot on, the work was being done, the guidance from Tom was world class but the body simply wouldn’t respond… and to be honest as time passed by, the heart began to weaken too. The desire slowly began to dissipate and the motivation became harder and harder to maintain.
I’m not saying I’ll never race again, I still LOVE the sport and will be keeping myself more than fit in the gym and in the pool; but in terms of dedicating myself to it full-time and trying to earn a living from it, that journey has ended. I’ll still be coaching with Windrush Tri Club and frequenting the Surrey hills on a bike too.
I’m happy to say that I’m very content with the decision. It is only sport after all and has never formed my identity or self-worth. Win or lose, train well or not, I’ve always known it need not affect who I was and what’s most important in life. Whilst I genuinely know that there is a lot more that I believed I could have achieved in racing, I’m immensely proud of what I have achieved in the last 10 years, even just finishing my last race in Auckland. I’m also eternally grateful for the incredible lifestyle I’ve had during this time; the amazing places it’s taken me and especially the people I’ve met along the way.
I’d like to take this opportunity to extend an enormous “THANK YOU!” to my amazing sponsors that have supported me for so long and in particular, stuck by me over the last 2 years of ups and downs. Powerbar, CompresSport, VO2 Performance Bikes, Profeet, Greepers, The Athletic Edge, FreeSpeed Bike Fit and my amazing coach & manager, now friends Tom Bennett and Luke. I wish I could have done more performance wise in the last two years to repay your support, but thank you!
And finally as a parting vote of support for the struggling Pro’s out there and maybe more importantly, some very important advice for anyone considering ‘going Pro’, a little note on that word ‘Pro’… ha… how to keep this short?
It is nigh on impossible (especially as a male triathlete) to earn a decent living from this sport. Very, VERY few do. Prize money is rare in the UK (though this would be easy to change at most races I believe) and where it is, it’s simply not enough to live on for more than a few weeks with the diet, travel and training required of a Pro. Even if you head abroad it’s difficult to turn a profit, unless you’re consistently placing top 3 in every race you enter; and that’s bearing in mind that at most 70.3’s nowadays the men’s field is at least 35 deep and sometimes 20+ of those men are truly world class. Any… ANY sub-top class performance and you’re nowhere other than a negative investment in going to and doing the race.
As an (excited) soon to be husband, I simply don’t want to be “Peter Pan in lycra”, and not accept my responsibilities, living off my wife’s income whilst I struggle to achieve results. I accept that I’m not (as already stated) able to perform at that level anymore; hence why I’m calling it a day. I have a great amount of respect for those who can and do earn a decent living from triathlon, but for the majority it’s simply not a viable “job”. Only the very few can call this a job when you compare it to other jobs, even sports-based ones. To give a little perspective, I’ll earn more in a month at my job now than I would have done if I’d WON in Auckland, beating Olympic medallists and world champions in the process. After tax(es), exchange rates and expenses, you’re left with nothing more than a below average month’s wage… and that’s for beating the best!!! I’ve never been here for the money and I’ve been in the sport long enough to know I’d never be able to afford to buy my fiancé an Aston Martin, but we can all hit a point where we consider or question just how fruitful and satisfying our work is and when it feels like you are voluntarily killing yourself at ‘work’ whilst actually earning so little. Then you know it’s definitely time to make some changes.
But rather than go on anymore, I’ll let two other great athletes put it better than I:
Rachel Joyce in a recent tweet wrote “At my US visa interview “you’re telling me you came 11th at the world champs and won nothing? I know people who win more in carpet bowls”
And Matty White wrote a great blog about it all which can be found here: http://firstoffthebike.com/news-and-features/its-not-just-about-the-t-shirt/
And just as if to ram the point home… this rather timely news broke this week..
http://www.trizone.com.au/20130403/hy-vee-professional-prize-purse-halved-to-500000/
Triathlon is a great, great sport filled with wonderful and inspiring people. But its potential is nowhere near being realised which is a real shame for all involved, at every level and age.
@JonHotchkiss
