 The last week of before a big race can be one of the hardest for a triathlete to bare. You’ve done all the work, your training volume is way down and you may feel lethargic and antsy all at the same time. This is a perfect time to sit down and spend some time writing mental training notes for your big day. Sometimes we are super prepared on every other front, but we forget to have a concrete set of form cues and positive affirmations ingrained in our brains for easy access on race day. Writing things down in a journal before each race can help calm you down and give you concrete focus points. It is also great to go back and look over what you’ve written post race to see where you may have missed something or where you really succeeded mentally/strategically now that your performance is in the books.
Here are some suggestions for things to write about:
- put down realistic goal times for each discipline e.x.: I will swim 1:05, I have trained well in the pool, my form is improving all the time, remember that last time trial, this is totally within my reach
- write key words for each discipline that help you remember essential form cues or things that make you smile to get thru hard times. e.x. for swimming: “long an strong”, “catch”, “fishy”, riding: “pull up”, “patience”, “I rule”; running: “light”, “quick”, “chest up”, “Kenyans move over” etc… whatever works for you and makes you remember important things.
- don’t write passively, use powerful positive language: I will succeed, I will focus on my form and this will enable me to maintain my speed, my body is infinitely more powerful than I know I just need to be in the moment and free myself to excel, if I feel bad I may just need more electrolytes – do a body scan, I will get through hard times…
- write a newspaper headline about yourself “upcoming age-group athlete sets new bike course record”, “Mother of two conquers her demons”, “Irongeezer takes the day”…
Continue reading Pre Race Mental Prep
It is great to have big goals and to push yourself hard to reach them but it is important not to dwell on your shortcomings. As an athlete it pays to develop a selective memory. Learn from your mistakes, but remember the good stuff. It is easy to leave [...]
 We’re back, but with somewhat limited internet access. We’re committed to keeping the daily tips going and adding some video tips as well. We appreciate your patience as we get settled down in California.
This tip is about patience and about staying present. Do you find yourself rushing through your morning swim workout, to rush to work? Rushing thru meals to get to other activities? Worrying about workout number two in the midst of workout number one? If so you are falling into the mental trap of anticipation and likely detracting from the quality of your current activity. The more you are able to focus on what you are doing – keeping your catch strong in the pool, savoring that yummy meal so important for your recovery, posture and leg turnover during your run – the more enjoyable these activities will be and the more you will benefit. Learning to stay in the present is also critical for race day success.
Continue reading Being Present
I was looking at this picture the other night of the Ironman Coeur D’Alene start line. Heather is in the blue cap, front and center (Click to enlarge). That stance shows that she is thinking about one thing, and that is how quickly she’s going to get herself to [...]
What is your underlying motivation for doing well in triathlon? Material aspects of competition, such as prizes, trophies, money? More immaterial, egocentric aspects of competitive events, such as recognition and respect from peers? Or how about the desire for self-development, and to challenge yourself?
Sports psychology studies emphasize that athletes should be encouraged to improve performance using intrinsic (within yourself) rather than extrinsic (outside yourself) motivators. This is because, with extrinsic rewards, your self-confidence and overall satisfaction with training and performance are defined by external factors, which are out of your control.
For example, if you place poorly in a race, despite having performed above personal expectations, you may be very self-critical and get depressed, and this may affect future performance. If performance is evaluated by external factors, such as what other people may think of you, your objectivity goes out the window. You need this objectivity to learn from failures, and face personal challenges that may be inhibiting your further development.
Continue reading Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
 We spend a lot of time worrying about run mileage, frequency, and intensity but your running form is equally important. A lot of us assume that the way we run is the way we run and that there is little we can do to improve our natural gaits. Wrong. Focusing on proprioceptive cues (being mindful of specific things that you are doing with your body) while you run can make a world of difference. Those that paid attention to Craig Alexander’srun form in this year’s Ironman World Championships were super impressed with how he “popped” forward off the ground with each stride – basically he minimized his time on the ground and maximized the effect of that time on the ground. In the book “Brain Training for Runners” Matt Fitzgerald gives great examples of run cues and drills to help us do just that. One is to imagine yourself running on water. To avoid breaking through the surface you have to be quick and light, yet forceful. By thinking about actively driving your feet to the ground instead of passively allowing them to drop while running, you can increase leg stiffness on impact and improve your ability to generate forward thrust quickly, with minimal ground contact time. Also, if, in the instant before your foot makes contact with the ground, you contract the muscles in the glutes on that side of your body and keep them engaged thru the ground contact phase of your stride, you will minimize wasteful side to side rotation, maintain greater stability in your hips and generate more forward thrust. Next time you are running pick a single cue “run on water” or “butt squeeze” and focus on it.
You may also want to take a quick look at our tip on mimicking the best.
Continue reading Run on water
Visualizing your upcoming race, or even individual training sessions is an extremely important part of improving your personal performance. A lot of people make this part of their race week routine, but if you can make it part of your daily routine you’ll reap the rewards.
We tend to [...]
Studying pictures is a great way to improve your own form. Find someone who does it well and compare your own photos or video. They don’t have to be triathlon specific. What does Michael Phelps or Inge De Bruijn do that you don’t? Or, what COULD you do that [...]
If you really want to improve in triathlon, it is important not only to have some vague goal of “doing well” in your next race, but to write down specifics. When what you want to acheive is written out in front of you it solidifies your desire. You [...]
Breathing is something that we all take for granted, but supplying our working muscles with oxygen, and removing waste products is a critical part of any athletic performance. While racing we can sometimes do silly, subconscious things with our breathing. Shallow breathing, often in time with the peddle stroke [...]
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About this site:
These triathlon and endurance sport related tips have been compiled by Heather and Trevor Wurtele over the years of their progression from working age-groupers to full time professional triathletes. Heather is now a 4 time Ironman Champion and top 10 World Championship finisher. Trevor has an Ironman PR of 8:22 and a 2:51 Ironman marathon.
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