In late September, Danish professional triathlete Rasmus Henning announced that he would be retiring from professional competition following Saturday?s Ironman World Championship race. LAVA sat down with Henning to talk about his decision to retire, and how he would like to be remembered.
LAVA: When did you make the decision to retire?
Rasmus Henning: Already last winter I was pretty convinced this would be my last season. Although, at the time we were still living in the Canary Islands, and I was still very focused on my training for this season. The weather is always nice there, and so it was easy to stay motivated to train. It wasn?t until we moved back to Denmark in June that it was really set in stone.
LAVA: Was there anything in particular that made you realize it was the right time?
Henning: There were a few instances, actually, and they all kind of helped me realize that I was making the right decision. For instance, at the Abu Dhabi Triathlon, I came into the race very prepared, very focused, and I was able to take the win. It was a great day, and I though to myself, ?Should this change my mind? Should I rethink retirement? Could I still be a contender in Kona after this?? But then when I stood on top of the podium, I realized that the answer was no. I needed to move on, and retirement is the right decision. Not because I cannot perform at a top level anymore, but more because I am just ready to move on with my life in new ways. If not even winning such a huge race could change my mind, then nothing would.
LAVA: Do you have any regrets?
Henning: I actually think I am in a really good position. I have achieved almost everything I?ve ever set out to do in this sport. Obviously, I would?ve liked to have won in Kona, or to podium in the Olympics, but I?m proud of my performances, and I?m proud of who I am. I?ve achieved much more than I ever thought I was going to do. It?s given me so many great experiences and so many opportunities for the future, which I?m very grateful for. I?ve just reached a point in my life where thinking about the other things I want in life is more exciting to me than thinking about another year or two of professional competition.
LAVA: Once you decided to retire, how did it influence your training and your mental outlook for this race?
Henning: The big change happened in June when we left the Canary Islands and moved back to Denmark. Not only is the weather not as nice, and it was a rainy summer, but the whole set-up and the logistics of training were just way more complicated than they were in Spain. Everything there was focused around me and my training. Whereas in Denmark, my wife started working, my kids were back in school, and everything is in different places so I was spending a lot more time and effort just getting from place to place. Also, there is just a lot more to do in Denmark. In the Canary Islands, apart from training and spending time with my family, there wasn?t much to do. We have so many friends and family members in Denmark, and so there were a lot more things I wanted to do and time I wanted to spend with them. I think I reached a point where missing out on that just doesn?t make sense to what my goals are. The value of my goals has diminished, which kind of sums everything up.
LAVA: When a professional triathlete decides to retire, what exactly is involved? Who did you tell first and how did that process all go down?
Henning: It has been a long process with my family. I?ve been talking it over with my wife, and the other people closest to me for some time. My manager, my coach and my wife kind of had to discuss the best way to announce it, and more importantly when to announce it. We didn?t know if we should wait until after Kona. But then we realized that not telling everyone was putting me under a lot of pressure. I don?t like being dishonest with anyone. I hated that part for the past few months; having to talk about my future plans in racing with people and that kind of thing. I still had to tell people stories about next season and whether or not I would be in the Canary Islands, and I really hated being dishonest with people. So we decided to announce it. It was a big relief. Everyone has really responded to it very well, and that has been great for me. I?m happy to be able to make this decision before I?m too old, too injured or too weak to perform.
LAVA: What about your retirement is most appealing to you right now?
Henning: Well, I?m excited to not have those long travels away from my family. I?m likely to keep myself very busy, and I have other goals, but I always want to make sure I can be there more for my family. I look forward to not absolutely having to go out and do a lot of hard training no matter how I feel, or no matter what the weather is outside. I am looking forward to just enjoying it. I think I will actually still train quite a lot, but I will just look at it differently.
LAVA: Do you have any projects in the works?
Henning: Yes, I?ll be starting up a business, which is very much triathlon-related. I want to focus more on the Scandinavian market. It will be called TriNordic. I will be doing a lot of public speaking, training seminars and training camps and that type of thing. And we will also be selling some products, which should be pretty exciting.
LAVA: If you had to sum yourself and your career up in a few sentences, what would those be?
Henning: I would like to be remembered as a good, strong athlete who could perform very well on his best days, but also a guy with a lot of integrity and loyalty. That is how I would like to be remembered.
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Source: http://lavamagazine.com/features/19234/
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