Triathlon Mind Training » Triathlon Mind Training

Well it has been a very long time since I last posted here or published a podcast. I have had many challenges along the road of life for the last three year. I have fought thru and come out the other side bruised and battered by life but able to train again. I have been slowly been getting back into training and i have started back in the pool this week. My training plan in simple and short, swim three days a week, bike two days a week and run three days a week. Notice that I have not added any distance goals or time goals. My mission at this point is to get back into training and then set a goal for a race. Well I will explain more on this podcast and and in part two I will go more in depth for setting my goals for 2014.  I hope you enjoy listening!!

This is a awesome inter view with Brendon McDermott, Phd. Get your pen and paper ready to take notes. In this interview we discuss the importance and effective methods of hydration for the endurance athlete. I really have nothing to say here, the interview covers it all.

When training our mind for triathlon, we tend to over look the simplest training techniques. In todays show I talk about how gratitude can positivity and negatively effect your training and performance. Show notes: http://www.infinitnutrition.us (Discount code “trimind”) http://www.justsocks.com (Discount code “trimind10″) In Mobile Alabama for Junuior Tennis Regional Championships Ironman Louisville BIke course change Retraction of Oldham County hates Ironman cyclest statement. I am now coaching with TrainSmartMultisport.com Following my passion My Ironman Louisville race goals Kona Shirt…THE BEST DAM SHIRT EVER! Gratitude and its effects on training Closing statements… Enjoy the show!!

In this episode I talk about how to “Let It Go” while on a run in Augusta Maine. In this episode I talk about letting go when training. At times we are going to miss some training because life just flat out gets in the way. There is simply nothing we can do to correct it and fighting it will only negatively affect your training. When this happens we tend to get stressed and start to think of how we can make that training up and some times we tend to place the blame on the people around us. The best thing to do is to just let it go. Most of our training plans have this type of miss haps planned into them. When I build a training plan for a client I tend to figure missed days into it. It’s going to happen no matter how on track you think you are. I also talk about letting go during events. From the time leading up to and in an event we are stressed and it shows. Specifically during an event we tend to get more stressed than any other time leading up to the event. You can see this in other athletes as well. Some one will yell at you because you swam in front of them on the swim or yell at you because your taking up to much space on the bike. What ever it is or when ever it is during the event just let it go. Enjoy this episode and please leave any comments on any techniques you may use during these situations. Also below you will find some photos I took during runs in Maine.

When I started training for a Ironman distance event I was thinking “Oh my God, what am I getting my self into”? As I increased my distances in training I started to think what Ironman was about. Again, I was thinking that this is a sport created by United States Navy Seals…I’m a couch potato for crying out loud, what the hell am I doing attempting this. Well as crazy as I though I was I met the Old School Ironman, now this guy is crazy! When I first heard about the Old School Ironman I said “he’s nuts.” Well his story was so interesting I though “I really need to interview this guy.” And here it is, my interview with the Old School Ironman. So, kick back and turn it up. I have not doubt you will enjoy this one…

Pre-race apprehension is a very common issue amongst racers and competitors in all categories and types of events. This apprehension can become so overwhelming for some people that they decline to race at all! You may think it sounds crazy but I believe that pre-race apprehension is a GOOD thing. That’s right! People who feel anxious before racing often put great importance on how they perform… aka race performance pressure. The key is to take this apprehensive energy and channel it into positive energy to fuel your race. Learning to calm your pre-race ‘energy’ to a manageable level and training yourself to believe this is a positive (not a negative) are two very important steps. Race day visualization, positive mantras and deep breathing for relaxation are all excellent techniques to help keep race day jitters under control. In this episode I talk about how I handle pre race apprehension and what steps I take to re-align my thought processes to remain positive and confident that I can concur the race at hand. If you are bound by pre race apprehension I would suggest listening to Step 2 if the Triathlon mind Training Program and start to unlock your potential.

This is a really informative interview with a beginner triathlete Flip. Flip is looking to start training for a 70.3 distance triathlon and had some specific questions that I addressed in this interview. If you have any questions please email me and I will answer them as soon as I can.

Swimming in the 2010 Ironman New Orleans 70.3 was a rude awakening for me to say the least. Although I have done open water swims and competed in two other 1.2 mile open water swims, I was not ready for the seas I encountered during this event. In this podcast Brett and I discuss step 3 of the Triathlon Mind Training program and how I used it to over come my fear and doubt during the swim. While Triathlon swim training in the pool is good I highly suggest that you get in open water as soon as you can. I would also extend that statement to say I would suggest you get into open seas as soon as you can. Training you mind for swimming in open water is one of the most effective tools that you have during an open water swim. With a properly trained mind you will be able to over come any obstacles that you normally experience while in the water. In New Orleans I had a few factors working against me from the beginning. During transition setup the announcer was asking athletes to check out the water conditions and he was suggesting that if anyone thought it was to rough that they pull out the swim and proceed to the bike and run portion of the event. Hearing this started to set doubting thoughts in my head about my ability to complete the swim. When I looked over the seawall all I saw were boats rocking with a 30 degree heel and kayaks getting tossed about. Seeing this combined with the announcers statements set the self doubt ball rolling. Once in the water it was difficult to sight the buoys and see the safety kayaks. At this point I could start to feel my emotions start to rise and I was starting to think that I was not going to be able to complete the swim. Once I recognized this I started to repeat the lesson on step 3 of the Triathlon Mind Training program and continued to swim. Once I calmed down and set my mind into a confident state the swim became natural and I started to swim my swim that I trained for. Below are a few steps that I suggest you review for swimming in rough open water conditions. 1. Try your race goggles in open water swims before the race. Unless you are swimming in the Gulf of Mexico or one of the oceans viability will be greatly diminished. I would suggest clear goggles if you are swimming in a river of closed lake. Believe it or not something as simple as goggles can severely affect your swim, so ensure that you’re confident with your goggles. If they leak, fog, or offer poor sighting in the open water, get a new pair. I use and highly suggest TYR Nest Pro Goggles. You can click here for the lowest pricing on TYR Nested Pro goggles or any swimming equipment you may need. 2. Swim with your high elbows. Choppy open water will take your smooth swim stroke and completely swallow up your recovery and entry unless you get the arm sufficiently above the water. You can practice a high elbow recovery by “tracing your thumb up the side of your body with each stroke. 3. Sight off landmarks, not buoys. With the splashing, extra bodies, and overall commotion, buoys can become very tough to see in some open water swims. Try to focus on larger objects, like stationary boats, bridges or houses on the shore. Try to line these up as close as possible to your swim course, and you’ll have a much easier time staying on target. 4. Swim on the inside (the shortest distance). In a large triathlon with many participants in each wave, you’ll experience less frustration and be able to maintain a steadier pace if you stay to the outside or inside of the group. While drafting may not be as readily available, you’ll waste much less energy changing your pace to match the group. Remember that when you swim on the inside of the group, there will be quite a bit of traffic as you approach the turn buoy, so be ready to fight off other swimmers. 5. Swim in groups when you can. Many of us comfortable when swimming alone in the pool then, completely panic when swimming with a hundred other athletes. I would like [...]

When I started training to become a triathlete, I was focused more on the physical side of training and I neglected  my nutrition as part of my training plan.  My frame of mind was that I could eat anything I wanted becaue I was a triathlete. Well, after 6 months of training I was still at 185 pounds, it was obvious to me at that point that I needed to start paying more attention to my nutrition. After searching and experimenting with nutrition plans I happened upon raw living foods as a diet plan. Once I dove into this lifestyle of eating it became apperent that this was the best nutrition plan that I have ever implemented into my life. In this podcast Brett and I discuss how implementing the raw food diet into our lives has benefited us in gained performance and health. We discuss how we implemented the living Raw Food  programs and how easy it is to maintain this way of eating. Enjoy this podcast and remember if you have any questions or comments please feel free to email us or simply post your comments below.

Raw Food is the goal for fueling me as a Endurance Athlete I this podcast I discuss a lot of what I a doing in way of nutrition and how I have benefitted for this change. I also discuss my plans for this coming season. For the past three months I have been transitioning into a 100% Low Fat Raw Vegan life style with great success. During this process I have found that I am in a clearer state of mind and that I have more control over distractors that have typically interfered with my training. I have also noticed some very significant increases in my performance during training. The most noticeable gain is in my running. I have noticed a drop in my heart rate at a higher pace and my recovery time has dropped dramatically as well. Below are some of the show notes with topics I cover in this episode. So have a listen and enjoy. If you have any question or comments please email me and I will respond within a day or two. Thanks for Listening… Flying the solo podcast. Customizing my nutrition with Raw foods to improve my endurance. Trying to get rid of gels in my nutrition plan. Training with family and time commitments. Winter training. Changing my saddle and bike fitting. (http://www.ttbikefit.com) Send suggestions to info@triathlonmindtraining.com. Benefits of custom ear plugs for swimming. Focusing on my running this season. Benefits of pursed lip breathiing when running. Kelownagurls Buckeye Challenge. (http://kelownagurl.blogspot.com) Future interview with Michael Arnstein.