Tag: training mindset

As many of my athletes are digging deep getting ready for some short course races here in south Florida I wanted to discuss mental skills and specifically short course racing and high intensity training.  Typically athletes racing short course will be pushing a higher intensity than those doing 70.3 or Ironman distance races.  It is just the nature of the length of the race.  For a sprint triathlon you can literally push your top end the entire race, but if you tried that for a long course race, you would most likely finish poorly or not at all. Mental skills are actually some of the most important skills any triathlete could have in order to be successful (short course or long course) and they are required at any level. If you signed up for the race to begin with you had to overcome your mental objections to do so and that is a mental skill in itself!

But, I want to get a little more detailed and ask the question “How do you get through the toughest of your training workouts?”  You know those days when you want to quit but have 3 more intervals or when it is SO hot, you feel you may pass out or when the finish line is 200 yards away and you start to sprint for it. What do you say to yourself to push through and get the job done?  This is what I want to know.

I have done some research and have also been using a few tactics that work well for me, but I would love to hear from you as well. Everyone is motivated by something different and driven by different motivators. So What Is yours?

Is it the pizza and ice cream after the race that helps you push though?
The chance at beating your local rival/ buddy for bragging rights?
Beating your own best time and creating a Personal Record (PR)?

I can tell you for me, always working to just be better than my last race is what drives me. I have been racing for almost 20 years, sometimes I am just happy to be out there and could care less how I do because I had been injured and couldn’t race for a while. Sometimes I am in shape but using the race as a measuring stick to see how much more into training I need to get if I want to PR. And Sometimes I am dialed in and ready to have my best race. Here are some strategies I have found that work for me and others I investigated:
COUNTING – Whatever the race/ workout I always use my counting tactic. When it gets tough I just start counting my exhales up to 11 and then start over. Simple and yet so effective to distract the mind away from the discomfort (pain!) This is called dissociative strategy- basically thinking of anything except what you are actually doing- it’s a great skill to practice to get through some tough training and racing.

Associative strategy: Focus on the job at hand and how you can make it better, relax shoulders, arm swing if running, form for swimming and running.  Another method is to recall prior tough training sessions or race results that ended well. Remember how good it felt when you succeeded before and really push to get those same results and feeling.  Say to yourself,  “I’ve been here before I can do this again.”
Goals: Achieving the life long goal can be a huge motivator so always reviewing your goals and why you are doing what you are doing can be super helpful in getting through a tough race or workout.
Repeating a positive mantra: “I am a strong efficient runner” vs “I suck at running” which do you think will give a better outcome?  Pain is temporary quitting is forever- one of my favorites!

Here is a link to one of the articles I referenced:
http://www.trainingsmartonline.com/images/Free_Triathlon_Articles/triathlon_psychology.pdf

And an awesome webinar that talks about mental toughness and it is a skill we can all attain!
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/webinar-developing-mental-toughness

Now it’s your turn.  I would love to hear from you what strategies you employ when you need to DIG DEEP in that suitcase of courage.

I look forward to your responses so others can learn from you as well!

I hope everyone is surviving the heat!  I’ve had several athletes tell me about “MELT DOWN” on the workouts over the weekend.
Here are some tips to implement to insure a solid training session despite the heat.

• Start earlier I know this can be more difficult on the weekends when we want to sleep in, however getting out there early and before the temperature gets too high makes for a much better training session and then you can come back and take a nap mid-day in the cool AC!!
• Super Hydration before the workout. Be sure you have been hydrating with ½ your body weight in ounces of water with a small pinch of real sea salt in every 12 ounces that you drink.  Add on to that with coconut water, Kombucha or green tea (organic of course) but make sure you are getting your minimum amount of water in daily and the morning of your workouts.
• Keep core body temperature as low as possible using cooling sleeves, gloves, ice, cold water
• Take walk breaks when heart rate starts to get too high
• Rest in the shade
• Pour ice cold water on your arms, face and head every chance you get.
• Wear a visor instead of a closed off ball cap.
• Take sunglasses off so the wind can cool your face.
• Call it a day if it’s just too much heat.

Ben greenfield just posted this great article with even more tips on how to stay COOL in the Heat- check it out here.

Oops I Did it Again… by Coach Erinne Guthrie

Does anyone else remember that Britney Spears song, or am I dating myself?  Anyway, that song was stuck in my head about a month ago when I was saying to myself, “OOPS! I did it again.”   I seemed to have re-injured my hamstring that was torn two years ago and took me away from running for over 12 months. The 2nd “Oops” was that I felt like I was back in Adrenal Fatigue.  I had no energy to get through my workouts and didn’t have the “dance to work” attitude I usually enjoy.  I really had to take a step back and take a look at what had been going on the past few months and it was all clear.

Where Performance Meets Balance:  If you only train hard all the time, there will be a time where your body will tell you it has had enough. Here is one way I use and recommend to my athletes to ride the wave of working out and working “IN.”

I know, I know many of you are opposed to the thought of having to sit still in silence for any amount of time and I was the same way. Until I found these two resources below that have a short audio section where you listen first followed by a short block of time with calm music. For me this makes all the difference in the world.

I came to meditation through yoga. I have been including yoga in my triathlon training practice ever since I got adrenal fatigue in 2008. With yoga came more of an interest in meditation to help create the balance I had been missing in my life. I can train hard with no problem but I always left out the other side of the coin and I paid for it big time when my body just shut down.

What I also learned is meditation does not have to mean sitting cross legged and chanting OM, although that does work. It really is just focused relaxed attention on one thing with a low heart rate. So for me and what I learned from OSHO (a famous Indian mystic, guru and spiritual teacher) is that it can include running, biking or swimming but just at a very low intensity while staying focused on the activity of the breath or movement, not on how hard we can push it. When other thoughts come in, gently notice them, no need to beat yourself up about it and get back to breathing and moving gently. It takes a little  practice to get good at anything, and mediation is not any different, it is a skill worth practicing.

There are 2 FREE ONLINE Meditation Offers from my two favorite resources for easy to implement mediation audios.  I have the APP on my phone and listen on a midday break or before I start my Day.

https://chopracentermeditation.com/experience  This one is a FREE 21 day meditation challenge. I own several of these programs and I highly recommend the one titled Perfect Health, found below:

https://chopracentermeditation.com/store/product/2/perfect_health

This series of meditations really frames how our mind plays such an important part when it comes to our bodies.  If you are recovering from injury or sickness I cannot recommend this meditation enough!

Here is a second Free meditation from the workings of OSHO

http://www.mentorschannel.com/Osho/MeditationforBusyPeople/Online/

Kaizen – Japanese for “improvement” or “change for the best,” refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement.  Setting goals, creating the plan to get there, following the plan and putting it all together on race day-This is how to reach your goals in triathlon- continuous, steady improvement!  You weren’t born swimming, biking and running, it takes time to master the skills of each sport.

Triathlon was only just invented in the 80’s!  It takes a few years of consistent training in all 3 sports to be able to put it all together well.  I am not saying you have to wait a few years to get better because every individual is different and will excel at different rates.  However, I have seen it time and time again when there is consistency in training and recovery, great things happen.

Of course, having a coach will greatly increase the learning curve.  I speak to many athletes each week who have big triathlon dreams but tell me they want to wait until they are more in shape to hire a coach.  Training with a coach from the beginning will help you avoid making simple mistakes that me or my athletes or all the triathletes who came before have already made over the last 30 years. You get the benefit of jumping to the front of the line in terms of experience, technology and innovation.

From the beginner to the most experienced triathlete, I truly believe that everyone can benefit greatly from having a coach.  I always use a coach for myself as well. Having someone besides yourself and your ego to consult with is essential.  A coach can guide you on every detail of triathlon training and racing.  There are so many details within each discipline; swim, bike and run along with strength (injury prevention), nutrition and of course, putting it all together.  It can be a big commitment or a simple one. Just need to find the coach that works for you.

There are many things to consider when looking for a coach, but they need to be able to meet you where ever you are with respect to ability and skill level, time commitment, and expectations.  Personalities need to mesh too, every coach won’t work for every athlete. I personally like to work with athletes on a closer higher level so I can help them achieve the results they are seeking. However this year I am offering a group program, reach out to me for more information,  erinne@fullcirclecoaching.co.  See below on tips to consider when looking for a coach and a coaching program.

TIPS:  Some things to consider when looking for a coach or training program.
Budget- You get what you pay for!  Are you looking for a social club?  Other athletes to train with?  A more laid back approach where there is no commitment from you in the way of feedback and logging training?  If you answered yes to any of these then a group training plan is the best choice.  Please consider however if you do not receive the results you were hoping for it is not the plan or the coach’s fault, a generic plan will not specifically help you as an individual to improve your limiters. If you are looking for more contact from your coach and you have some specific time goals then you may be ready for a more one on one approach to coaching. This type of coaching can get you where you want to go in a shorter period of time. Also, using technology like a garmin can help the communication and measurement of improvement. This however will require more od a financial commitment and deeper relationship with your coach that should improve over time. Weekly feedback is a must and having the coach be able to see you whether in person or with video is always a bonus.  It all depends on what your goals are, what you want to achieve and how fast you want to get there.

Time- Knowing how much time you have to train on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis is another important factor to consider if you want to hire a coach.  There are plenty of FREE training plans online that you can download and fit into your schedule.  However, if you have these triathlon goals and you have no clue how to fit them all in hiring a coach is the way to go.  Many coaches will change your training schedule according to your work, family and other life commitments and still allow the training you need to reach your next PR (Personal Record).  Also the longer you work with a coach who you gel with the better the results tend to get over time.  That is a win, win!

Experience- Your coach’s credentials are not always the whole story.  It is a great idea to consult with your perspective coach and ask about their education and experience in coaching, training and racing.  A good coach should have a little bit of everything and maybe specialize in one area.  Another good thing a coach should have is the ability to have a whole team to support the coaching practice. One coach can’t be all things to every athlete. It is an added bonus if your coach has a massage therapist, bike mechanic, physical therapist, strength trainer, sport psychologist or any other specialist or strategic partner to refer athletes to  that support the same vision for their athletes.  Please don’t be fooled by the coach who may be an excellent athlete but have difficulty transferring that knowledge to others they are coaching.  Every athlete is different and requires different stimulus, recovery, and strategy.  Finding a coach that understands this and allows for KAIZEN is the right choice, not necessarily the one that can beat you at the race!
Do your research, ask the questions, try a few classes and find the coach that inspires and motivates you to achieve your triathlon dreams!