How to Handle Triggers During Hard Training Blocks
Summary:
Hard training blocks can bring mental and emotional stress. Without alcohol, managing those internal and external triggers becomes even more important. This blog explores how to recognise, face and work through moments that could pull you back into old habits. From stress management to emotional awareness, we break down how sober athletes stay grounded when training gets tough.
How to Handle Triggers During Hard Training Blocks
You do not need alcohol to get through the hard days. You need tools. You need space. You need to understand what your body and brain are trying to tell you when the pressure mounts. Training blocks ask more of you. More time. More energy. More consistency. All of this can uncover old patterns that used to be masked by drinking. When you take alcohol away, those emotions are no longer numbed. They rise to the surface and that is where real growth begins.
Learning how to handle triggers during these periods is not just about staying sober. It is about facing discomfort head-on. It is about building a stronger emotional foundation that allows your physical progress to continue.
What Are Triggers?
A trigger is anything that sparks a craving, memory or emotional response linked to past drinking. It can be a feeling. A person. A time of day. Even a specific workout or moment of fatigue. Triggers do not always scream out loud. Sometimes they whisper. You might feel restless. Irritable. Alone or just emotionally tired. These are real and valid signals.
Understanding your own personal triggers is one of the most powerful steps you can take. Once you see them clearly, you can begin to respond to them with intention rather than reaction.
Why Hard Training Blocks Amplify Triggers
Long hours. Increased fatigue. Less downtime. More pressure. These are the realities of a heavy training block. Whether you are training for an Ironman or building toward a running race, the middle weeks are where the doubt creeps in. Your body is tired. Your mind is stretched. The highs are not as frequent. The excitement wears off and your nervous system is more sensitive. This is often the perfect storm for old coping habits to resurface.
In sobriety, you do not get to numb these feelings. You learn to sit with them. You learn to respect them and then, you learn how to move through them.
5 Strategies for Handling Triggers Without Alcohol
1. Name the Feeling, Not Just the Trigger
It is not just the craving that matters. It is what sits underneath it. Stress. Exhaustion. Loneliness. Disappointment. Once you can name the emotion, you are already more in control. You are not broken. You are responding to intensity.
2. Anchor into Routine
When your mind feels chaotic, your body needs something familiar. Morning routines. Evening wind-downs. Your daily walk. These small habits become emotional anchors. They hold you steady when the waves hit.
3. Reach Out Early, Not Late
A short message to a sober friend. A voice note to a coach. A journal entry. Do not wait until you are deep in it. Say something. Write something. Let it out before it becomes too much.
4. Choose a Healthy Replacement
The trigger will want a reaction. Give it one, but not the one it expects. Instead of reaching for distraction or old patterns, reach for a run. A cold shower. A breathwork session. Anything that moves energy without causing harm.
5. Reflect After the Moment Passes
Every time you survive a trigger, you collect data. You learn what helped and what did not. You understand yourself better. That is the foundation of long-term strength, reflection, not perfection.
What to Avoid When Triggers Hit
Do not bottle it up, as that only creates unnecessary pressure over time. Do not judge yourself harshly, because self-judgment only adds feelings of shame. Do not assume you have failed just because you are facing struggles along the way. Struggling is an integral part of the journey toward sobriety. It does not mean you are weak or incapable. Rather, it means you are building something authentic, something meaningful and real things always take time to grow and develop.
Why This Is Mental Endurance Training
Handling triggers is not separate from training. It is part of it. This is what sharpens your ability to show up no matter how you feel. Mental endurance is the act of continuing forward even when your nervous system wants to escape. Sobriety teaches that. Training reinforces it. You learn to sit with discomfort. You learn to move anyway. You learn to trust that strength is built in the quiet moments of resistance.
What Happens When You Get Through It
You realise that craving did not win. That emotional wave did not drown you. That pressure you felt? It passed. Each time this happens, your identity changes. You are no longer someone trying to stay sober. You are someone who handles discomfort with clarity and power and that becomes your edge, in racing and in life.
FAQ: Handle Triggers
What is the most common trigger during training?
Fatigue. Physical exhaustion makes the brain more sensitive. It lowers willpower and makes emotional management harder. That is why rest and awareness are key.
Is it normal to still get triggered even after months of sobriety?
Yes. Triggers are not signs of failure. They are opportunities to learn and adapt. Over time, their intensity fades, yet they still appear during stress or change.
How do I talk about this with my coach?
You do not need to overexplain. A simple “I’m navigating some mental stuff this week” opens the door. Good coaches will listen and adjust if needed.
Does handling triggers get easier?
Yes. With each experience, you gain more awareness, more tools and more confidence in your ability to respond without reacting.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Triggers are not something to fear. They are something to train through. Each moment you stay with it, breathe through it and choose something better, you prove to yourself that sobriety is strength, not limitation. You are not avoiding anything. You are facing everything with full presence. That is what athletes do.
FURTHER READING: THE SOBER ATHLETE
The information provided on FLJUGA is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical, psychological, or training advice. Always consult with a qualified medical professional, mental health provider, or certified coach before beginning any new training or mindset program.
