Pain threshold varies amongst people and gender and the same goes with athletes and non-athletes. Different studies will back-up or reject the above statements, although in general latest research demonstrates the ability of athletes to handle pain better than ordinary people.
People doing triathlon like us, are considered as abnormal or out of their mind because they put themselves through hard training sessions and out of the ordinary training hours and competitions.
Whether we are mental or not, can be explained by a recent study published by the Journal of Pain, which indicated that triathletes have higher pain tolerance than recreational athletes. This study was part of an ongoing research which evaluated the factors that can help in reducing or regulating the pain of those suffering daily chronic pain.

Being a member of a team is crucial in order to develop and mature as an athlete. To achieve this development you need someone to guide you (a coach) through the different processes of the sport and the team. A coach is needed whether you are doing a team sport or an individual sport.

During the last few months the group I am training with is getting bigger and bigger day by day. I am not a psychologist nor a specialist in coaching but after interacting with my coach for the last 3 years, I have decided to pay a tribute and explain the importance a coach plays within a team or to an  individual.

I have been coached by a handful of coaches in three major sports (swimming, Triathlon, water-polo). All the coaches I have trained with played a huge role in my maturity both in and out of sports. I am concentrating on my current coach Christos Christou since he has the difficult job of training me at present (mature athlete) and a big group of amateur athletes in Triathlon. I put down difficult job since it has been known that I am not one of the most patient or easy going people/athletes around.