I met Johanne years ago when I was an exchange student in Germany. She lived in the same village as I did and to this day we are still in touch. When she told me she wanted to do a triathlon I pulled up an old beginner plan that I had done for a beginner class we did at Carolina Triathlon about 5-6 years ago. She followed the plan and had a blast and is now an official triathlete!
Racer's Mindset: 11 Mental Prep Techniques for Triathletes
By Melissa Mantak
On race day, it's often the competitor with the stronger mental approach that reaches his or her goals and dreams. You have the power to train your mind as you train your muscles, and it takes observation, practice and a desire to change what is not working. What are the messages you tell yourself? Are they positive and helpful or negative and detrimental? How can you change that message and change your performance?
Whether your goals are to finish first or "not finish last", the following tips are applicable to all levels of triathletes.
Goal setting and Achievement
Whatever your goals, set them for the short and long term: daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Write them down and revisit them often. The goals you set begin the visualization process, so remind yourself how much you want them and how hard you're willing to work to achieve them. Once you've written down your goals, go back and make sure you have both process (ex: focusing on a strong arm pull in the swim) and outcome (specific finish places, times or qualification) goals.
You Have the Power to Choose Your Thoughts
Many athletes wrongly assume that the mental aspect of performance is innate and unchangeable. In reality, systematic mental training can have a similar impact on performance as physical workouts do. Choosing your thoughts and attitudes can make or break your race experience and result. When negative, powerless thoughts arise, simply flip the switch.
Train Your Brain as You Train Your Muscles
Triathlon is a sport of repetitive motion. On the swim, bike and run, you repeat the same motion over and over again, and it takes millions of these repetitions to improve. The same concept applies to mental skills acquisition. The more you practice, the more you strengthen your mind and attitude.
Be Courageous
"I was afraid, but I did it anyway." We all face fears. It's up to you if the fear wins or if your dreams and goals win on race day.
Control
You may not be able to control what confronts or challenges you on race day, but by training the mind, you can control your reaction to those variables. Uncertainty is a common anxiety trigger and is inherent in all triathlons. The one thing you can control is your own preparation, so this should have your full attention and focus. By developing consistent routines and ways of coping with distractions, uncertainty can be reduced and you are less likely to be negatively impacted by external factors.
Refocus
Distractions occur constantly at the race site: friends, family, environmental conditions, last-minute course changes, delays, irrelevant or unhelpful thoughts, coaches, teammates, opponents' comments, etc. Learn to clear your mind, remove yourself from these distractions and refocus on your tasks and routines.
Emotions
In the pre-race timeframe, days or hours before the race, triathletes become excited and nervous as the body readies itself for competition. The key to achieving an appropriate mindset is to analyze the changes in your mood state and channel your emotions in a positive direction. Practicing this on a regular basis creates a new normal in your thought and emotional process.
Strategy to Deal with Pre-Performance Stress
Even the most experienced and accomplished triathletes get nervous. It's your interpretation of physiological changes and emotional triggers that directs your emotional response. If you experience negative thoughts and fears in the days leading up to your race or the morning of, know that you can change them. Create a new response to negative thoughts or emotions that arise. Replace them with positive, powerful messages that will flip the switch on your mindset. Visualize yourself performing well, bringing up images of when you had a good race, workout performance or goal achievement process.
Challenge the belief that emotions and mood states are simply reactions to external events. You have considerable control in this area. Simple acts such as changing your location or listening to music can help you control your response to stress triggers. Everyone has their own coping responses, whether it's calming or stimulating. The key is to find coping responses that are automated and can be consistently applied in changing circumstances.
Specific Mental Preparation Routines and Visualization
Rehearse in your mind what you are going to do during an event--what could happen during a race and how you would deal with any challenges that come up. Use imagery, a form of visualization that includes an all-sensory experience. Imagery is a powerful technique because the brain interprets the imagined scenarios very literally and can therefore positively influence your confidence and execution.
Positivity
Positive self-talk, positive thinking and positive self-statements (affirmations or mantras) have a strong impact on physical performance. An affirmation such as "I have trained hard and am in great shape," or "I have prepared to the best of my ability" work by occupying our attention and then changing our belief system over time. We begin to focus our attention on events that reinforce our belief system that we are achieving our goals and dreams. Negative perceptions are then tuned out.
Importance of the Warm-Up
The warm-up can be important for both physical and a psychological preparation. By developing a regular warm up routine, you can decrease uncertainty as you direct your attention to preparing your body to meet the physical demands of the competition. The final few minutes of your warm up routine can be systematically designed to promote optimal functioning for your performance.
