The Four P’s

The Triathlete’s Guide To Mental Training (Taylor and Schneider, 2005) and several other mental training resources, including “In Pursuit of Excellence” by Terry Orlick (2007) identify FOCUS as one of the key aspects of the sport, of any sport. Focus doesn’t mean concentrating on one single thing for a long time, especially impossible in an Ironman, but it does mean keeping your mind on the most important things during all portions of your race. The four Ps can help you remember how to direct your focus. The first P is POSITIVE. Focus on positive things that will help your performance. Negative thoughts do not help you so learn to let them go when they pop up. The second P is PROCESS. Focus on what you need to do during the race, not on what may happen at the end of the race. Having an outcome focus (thinking of winning, losing, rankings or completion) means that you are no longer focusing on the things that will help you have aa great race – pace, exertion, technique and nutrition. The third P is PRESENT. Focus on what you can do at the present moment in the race. Ask yourself “How do I feel? Is my pace okay? What do I need to do right now?”. You can’t control the past, and you can only influence the future by being “here, now” and accountable for everything that is going on in the present moment. The fourth P is PROGRESS. Triathletes often compare themselves with other triathletes when their focus should be on their own improvement.  It’s more important to see yourself progressing towards the goals that you want to achieve.