Multi-Sports | Beyond Transition

11 Thoughts To Get The Mind Right to Race Triathlons

July 25, 2012 By Mark Sortino Leave a Comment

Having the right mental attitude on race day really helps you do well. A “lottery winner” training on the Queen K via Slowtwitch

Here are 11 thoughts that it’s worth having before and after a triathlon that will help you race better and get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of it.

I’ve written about athletes who train great but fail to produce time and time again in a race. There are many reasons why this might happen – lack of confidence, not following a plan, feeling as if they don’t deserve to do well, etc. So how can we increase the chances of performing well on race day? On race day, it’s all in the head.

First, at Team MPI, we spend a lot of time with athletes from the beginning on “thinking like an athlete”. We focus on training consistently, frequently and on how to know our bodies. We want athletes to enjoy training, so we help them understand the ebbs and flows of training – some days we feel fantastic and others we don’t. We have athletes look long-term with their goals and ambitions. Unlike many single sport races in which athletes train one sport and focus everything on that race, in triathlon with three sports we set our goals well past the first main race.

So we’ve set athletes’ heads up right in training, what do we do for racing? Below is a list of 11 thoughts – certainly not all inclusive – that we want our athletes to have before race day:

Believe that you deserve to do well.

Sound silly? Actually, this is more common than you’d think. Many athletes don’t believe they deserve to do well and self-sabotage themselves prior to the race in a number of ways: doing something silly and hurting themselves, trying new equipment or procedures that they’ve never tested, knowingly eating or drinking the wrong things prior to race, etc. So we work on getting you to BELIEVE you deserve it.

You’re the only one who really cares about your time

No kidding. While close friends, family and competitors may act like they care – none of them ever care as much as you. So performing for someone other than yourself is silly. Even your coach tends to look much farther than you beyond the race.

Don’t confuse a realistic goal with a breakout goal.

Ah, this is a big one. We have athletes set goals periodically throughout the season. All of them are “realistic” goals as in, what can they do right at that moment – not what they would love to do. So set your realistic goal, and then set your breakout goal – that “perfect” race where everything works out great and you perform beyond capability. BUT, don’t confuse the two!

Be very thankful of possessing the ability and health to race.

All it takes is an injury to remind you how lucky you are to be able to race. Don’t take it for granted.

Don’t be afraid to take risks and to fail.

Look, just “racing” is taking a risk. You don’t know exactly how you’ll do. But in order to have that great race, or even better, that breakout race, you have to put yourself out there, take some risks and don’t be afraid to fail! This is all about ego here.

No one race defines who you are as an athlete.

Got it? So if you have a bad race, learn from it, get over it and move on. See #2.

You do this because of the joy it brings you.

If it’s not fun, you need to re-evaluate why you’re doing triathlon. Is it your fear of failure? Your ego? Talk with your coach and remember, you’re not a professional.

Your Attitude Matters

I’ve seen it all. Athletes hyped up so much before a race that they’re mean to friends and family and practically have a nervous breakdown before they get to the water. Miserable athletes who are so mean to volunteers, I want to slap them myself. And athletes who seemingly can never be satisfied by their performance after a race making being around them completely miserable for everyone. Folks, GET OVER YOURSELVES. If you have these attitudes, you will NEVER perform to your potential.

Racing, like swim bike and run, is a learned skill, so it may take time to master it.

It really does take time to become a skilled racer. So know this, work at it, and think about these 11 tips.

There is no such thing as a perfect race.

There isn’t! So when a good race comes your way, enjoy it! Don’t be unhappy after the race by picking it apart finding every little thing that could have been better. Enjoy the moment.

Have a plan, execute the plan and know that it’s not easy – that’s what makes it special.

Sounds simple, but you need to commit to it or else you may find yourself doing crazing things. Guess what, racing hurts. It’s hard. So understand that you’ll be going into the “Pain Cave” at points. Believe me, when you cross that finish line, the pain will go away immediately. See #1.

Find out more about Mark and Team MPI’s triathlon coaching

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: Guest POst, Mark Sortino, Mental attitude, Multi-Sports, Organizations, Pain, Performance, Sports, Sportsperson, Team MPI, Tips, Train, Triathlon

How to Choose a Good Triathlon Coach

May 8, 2012 By Richard Laidlow Leave a Comment

Choosing a Good Triathlon Coach Image via HVTC.net

Racing triathlon means mastering the complexities of swimming, cycling and running. It can be difficult to navigate through all the advice on the internet and a triathlon coach is often a good way of saving time, effort and money in your pursuit of race performance. This article gives some tips on how to choose a good triathlon coach.

We are often asked by Triathletes who are staying with us, the following kinds of questions:

What makes a good coach?…. How do I find the right coach for me?…. How much should it cost?…

The 2012 race season is upon us (for some it has already started), we are of course looking at ways that we could improve. Our dreams are taking shape, goals are being set, races have been entered and the desire to achieve our best occupies our thoughts.

How do I improve? What can I do to change bad habits? What distance suits me best?

How can I fit all my training around my family and work commitments? For Triathletes, each New Season can be an exciting time, and these ambitions can be aided by the support of a good coach. In reality if you are already a part of a club you will already have access to coaches, but their time maybe limited and it is rare that club coaches are in a position to offer individualized programs as they are often trying to fit in their day jobs!

Maybe you have a great personal coach already and you are busy working towards your goals as we speak, maybe it is time to switch to a new coach completely? Maybe you have never even contemplated employing a coach. If so this short article may be of interest to you.

Why do I Need a Triathlon Coach?

There is no need (in our age of easy, quick and affordable communication) to waste your valuable training hours on wrong or simply uninformed training, when there is a wealth of very good coaching information available. If you are currently self-coached, a good coach will help simplify and structure your life. Through constant feedback and support they will take care of your training and the details of your program in order to maximize your performance from the limited time you have available, freeing you up to concentrate simply on the enjoyable bit, the actual training.

An experienced triathlon coach can offer you both his expertise and experience, helping you to fast track your learning process by sharing his knowledge with you. They may have been a high level athlete themselves so can also provide a personal insight and an additional level of understanding. A good coach will motivate you to train, give you a kick up the bum when you need it and hold you accountable to your goals, training and racing.

A coach will teach you how to become a complete triathlete by bringing all the necessary components together at the right time. They will teach you when and how to train, race and recover, give focus for your goal setting and nutritional advice and support. They will provide technical and analytical advice, help tune your mental skills and provide clear programs, which work with your lifestyle, tapering, planning and periodizing your plans for you. A coach can provide an objective viewpoint on both your racing and training. Through constant feedback and support they will communicate in a constructive manner about what they see as your strengths and weaknesses enabling you to become a better triathlete.

If all that fails, remember you are paying for the coaching services. That in itself may be enough to get you out the door!

There is of course a plethora of options out there at incredibly varying prices. Fundamentally you need to consider what services and programs a coach can offer and is what they can offer suitable to your level, lifestyle and budget at this point in time.

What Makes a Good Triathlon Coach?

Passion

A coach should be more than an IT wiz who uploads snazzy looking weekly training programs, or someone who stands at the side of the track or pool timing and counting laps. They should be someone who is passionate about what they do and why they do it,

Professional

A Professional who is comfortable wearing many hats: training partner, teacher, mentor, role model, technician, facilitator, and without doubt someone you can identify as a friend, someone who you can effectively communicate with. The relationship between a coach and their athletes should be open and two way.

Authoritative

A good coach is often an experienced, knowledgeable and balanced individual, who naturally commands respect, so while formal coaching certifications and/or personal athletic achievement can be excellent qualities in a coach they do not automatically make an excellent coach.

Experience

A coach, who has continually worked with different levels of athlete across the different disciplines over the years, has pooled more experience and knowledge and should be better informed to bring out the best in you as an individual. They will need to ask for key information about your past and current fitness levels, racing history, future goals, plus a lifestyle audit to enable them to design a program specific to your needs.

Empathy

A dedicated coach needs to have empathy and compassion, and understand what it is like to be an athlete (although not necessarily be a current or former professional athlete), but also be capable of applying the science and appreciating that each athlete is an individual, who responds differently to varying approaches.

Personalised

They coach each athlete as an individual and are creative, knowing how to keep a training program interesting and enjoyable and how to integrate it into the life constraints of the athlete. This should be reflected in their enthusiasm for the sport and for coaching.

So How Do You Find the Right Triathlon Coach for You?

Ultimately, you are looking to build a relationship over time with this person, so it is important that your coach possess many of these qualities, plus others too that you may feel you need from a coach. Can you talk to them and get sound advice when you need it? Do they offer camps where you can get individual attention at an affordable price? Do you share similar values and philosophies?

Cost of a Triathlon Coach

A good coach should happily put you in contact with athletes whom he is/has coached and/or provide references from coached athletes. Remember you are paying for a service and just like any other service you want to ensure that you are getting a good deal. So whatever the cost, ask yourself quite simply does it represent good value for money?

[Ed. The majority of triathlon coaches cost between $100-200 a month. This usually gives you a monthly plan - updated to take account of life events, with email and telephone support plus an in depth analysis of you as a triathlete at the start of the process. Top end coaches can cost up to $1500 a month and this will include them training with you a number of weekends during the year, attendance at key races and daily analysis and modification of workouts]

We like to think that we tick most of the boxes and so have spent the last 9 years doing just that in our base in the South of France…Where full time Coach Richard Laidlow (BTA and British Cycling Coach) can offer you just such knowledge and expertise, at an affordable price. For more on Richard’s coaching services and all year round triathlon training camps in the south of France visit www.sancture-sportifs.com

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: coach, How-to, Multi-Sports, Richard Laidlow, Sport, Training, Triathlon

BUCS Sprint Triathlon Championship 2012

May 7, 2012 By Denis Oakley Leave a Comment

Sam Nunn finishing the BUCS Sprint Triathlon

Sam Nunn reviews the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sports) Triathlon – the championship race for British University triathletes.

Triathlon Name

BUCS Sprint Triathlon

Country

Calne, Wiltshire, UK

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Triathlon Date

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Who Are you?

Hi, I’m Sam. I’m 18 years old and I’m in my first year at Loughborough University where I’m on the triathlon squad. This is only my second year in triathlon, so I’m still a little new to it!

Race Category

Male Students

Why did I do this race?

BUCS is the national student triathlon championship in the UK, so the whole club from my University went down.

The Swim

The swim was a 750m pool swim. There were 5 people per lane, and 6 lanes, and about 6 or 7 waves, so a big field! There was no overtaking allowed until the end of the lane, so that led to a little confusion if you were drafting someone, as sometimes people had to let 2 through! There were plenty of marshals around the pool so it wasn’t a problem if you lost count of laps like I did!

The Bike

25k bike. Course was one loop, and I found it a little tough to get any rhythm until about 12k in, as it started off up an incline until then so it was difficult to get the legs spinning. However, that meant that on the way back it was a super quick course! I think I was averaging about 25mph for the last bit, so can’t complain! One minor inconvenience was the amount of flies on the bike route, everyone had a problem so glasses are a must!

The Run

Out and back road run, relatively straightforward, heads out of St. Mary’s school and through a housing estate, before running along a pavement following part of the bike course. The run course was fairly fast, and as it was out and back there were some good opportunities to see team mates for a quick high five or words of encouragement!

Transition

Transition was a nice surface to run on. Grass and then fabric matting, so kind to the feet. It was a very long run out of T1 and into T2, with a few corners, so was tricky with your bike. It was also quite bumpy at one point, and I found that my shoes were knocked out of position on my bike as a result.

Race Organisation

The organisation was great, with marshals at every corner, and because everyone was starting at different times for about a 4 hour period, there were plenty of people around the transition area to cheer you on too.

Top BUCS Sprint Triathlon Race Tips

My main tip would be to relax into the bike and not worry about not going very fast to start with, because it really gets quick later on! Also, elastic band trick is a must if you’ve got SPD shoes, because the transition would be far too long to run in them!

How did you do?

Overall fairly pleased with my result, but there were so many times during the race where I thought ‘could have saved 30 seconds there’. My T2 in particular was awful, I was all fingers and thumbs and couldn’t get my bike racked properly. I also ran far too hard out of T2 which meant I got cramps and a stitch after about 1.5k. However, first race of the year, and plenty of easy mistakes to iron out before then next one, so hopefully much slicker next time!

Verdict

Great race, well organised, great team spirit, great day out!

You can follow Sam on twitter as @Nunners56

If you have done a triathlon and want to post a triathlon review then send it through. Every review you do for BeyondTransition helps us write better race guides and other triathletes enjoy their races more.

Filed Under: Triathlon Reviews Tagged With: 2012, BUCS, Championship, Course Review, Loughborough University, Multi-Sports, Sam Nunn, Sprint, Triathlon, UK, Wiltshire

How to Cope with Challenges and Limits as a Triathlete

May 2, 2012 By patriciabrownell 1 Comment

Coping with Challenges is part of what makes us Triathletes(C) Lois Schwartz via triathlete-europe.com

All triathletes face challenges and limits in their triathlon journeys. Patricia Brownell is no exception, in fact she’s had a tougher challenge than most of us who merely struggle with jobs, family and financial constraints. She’s a Type 1 diabetic, has celiac disease and it was doubtful whether she;d ever run again after 2 hip labral tears in her mid thirties. Using her experience as a coach and triathlete she describes how limitations like these don’t stop triathletes determined to succeed.

I have type 1 diabetes, I have celiac disease and I’ve had two hip surgeries. I’m also a triathlete and a coach. More often than not, when I’m asked to write an article, I’m asked to write about one or more of my maladies as they relate to triathlon. So when I was asked to write something triathlon specific with the topic matter of my choosing, I jumped at the opportunity to NOT specifically write about one of these topics so familiar to me.

How Successful Triathletes are Similar

As I tried to pick an area to focus on, my mind started to wander and I began thinking about the recent successes of some of my friends, teammates and clients. At some point during my momentary lapse of concentration, I began thinking about how most of these successful athletes rolling around in my brain were a lot alike in the way they approach their training. I started creating a mental checklist of those specific characteristics which include, but are not limited to:

Self-confidence;

The ability to learn and move on from failure;

A high level of discipline and willingness to make sacrifices for training (they do the work necessary to achieve success); and

Ability to realize and accept their weaknesses and a desire to improve said weaknesses.

This is True for Triathletes at ALL Levels

I’m sure you’re probably thinking that this is no big revelation — there have been studies done on Elite athletes that have proven most possess like sets of the mental toughness and discipline necessary to achieve success in sport. But what stuck out in my mind was the likeness of these athletes regardless of their “status” as an athlete. The people I had rolling around in my brain ranged from an Elite runner who qualified for the Olympic marathon trials to a close friend who is trying to qualify for Kona to another friend who recently qualified for USAT Paratriathlon National Championships. Some of these athletes have been gifted with natural talent and have no physical limitations while others have been handed challenge after challenge along the way and a few have a little of both.

Overcoming Challenges is Key

Take for instance, a successful triathlete without any specific limitations. Let’s say this athlete has a great bike and run but a poor swim. Let’s also say that he/she lives in a cold climate, has a car that often doesn’t start in the winter and swims in a pool that is away from his/her home. I’ll bet if said athlete had an important swim on his/her schedule and woke up to a dead battery, that that athlete would hop on his/her bike and ride to the pool in the freezing cold in order to get that swim done.

And is Still Key if you are A Challenged Athlete

Now let’s take another successful triathlete who has type 1 diabetes (I know I said I wasn’t going to talk medical “shop” but it’s the example I can best articulate). Let’s say this athlete also has a poor swim but a great run and bike. Let’ then say he/she has an open water swim scheduled in the morning and a bike ride in the afternoon but wakes up with a very high blood sugar level which forces him/her to take a shot of short-acting insulin. I’ll bet you anything that this athlete decides to ride his/her bike on the trainer in the morning in an environment where it’s safe for them to monitor his/her blood sugar and moves the swim the afternoon where he/she can complete it with a more stable/safe blood sugar level.

Accept Your Limitations and Work Around Them

In each of these examples, the athlete knows that it’s important to swim because of the need to improve upon their weakness and they make every effort possible to get that swim in. A lesser motivated athlete would probably use the car failure or high blood sugar as an excuse to skip the workout. Again, a very similar work ethic and dedication between these two athletes is seen. And I’d bet my life that if the first athlete suddenly developed a limitation, they would do everything in their power to remain successful and work through that limitation. In fact, I’ve seen this in some of my own teammates who have developed type 1 diabetes later in life after having achieved a successful athletic “career.” They accepted the disease, learned how to manage it and continued to achieve the same, if not a higher success in sport after diagnosis.

Limitations Don’t Stop You – Your Excuses Do

My point is this: If you have the drive, motivation and willingness to work towards your goals, you can achieve the same successes as an athlete with limitations as an athlete without any. There is no doubt that you may need to exercise those fantastic traits which make one successful more often and perhaps a tad more precisely than others, but in the end, that might also make achieving success a bit more sweet (no diabetes/sugar-related pun intended)!

Patricia is an associate coach with E3 Training Solutions in New England and also races for Team Type 1

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: Diabetes mellitus type 1, Disability, Guest POst, Ironman Triathlon, Multi-Sports, Olympic, Parartriathlon, Patricia Brownell, Sport, Sportsperson, Track and field, Triathlon

The Turtle and The Triathlete

April 25, 2012 By James Stewart Leave a Comment

Turtle on Speed via Toyebot on Flickr

We must all try to exhibit a little patience and persistence in training to help us achieve our triathlon goals. Slow to start…. but soon you’ll be a rocket turtle!

Where Do You Want to Go Today?

Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss patience as something newcomers to our sport or distance must display to get ready for the impending challenge. We must all stop for a moment and realise one of the most beneficial things we as athletes can do is take a step back, relax and think about a plan for the forthcoming season or seasons. How are we going to reach the goals we set ourselves and what are we going to do to get there? To step up a distance, the commitment to go for a qualifying slot or PB should be planned after taking that step back.

It’s a very easy thing to say; “yes” – but not always easy to achieve, yet if we carry out our planned routine and respect the challenge we have set ourselves then great things can be done!

I want to Go Fast. NOW!

One of the most frequently asked questions new and experienced athletes alike ask of me as a coach is,

“how long will it take for me to get fit enough to get where I want to be….”

The answer isn’t always well received, we’re all looking for the quick answer but it isn’t always that simple. It can take years to develop strong “bike legs” giving us the performance we desire, and just as long to perfect that elusive swim stroke! On top of that we need to run like the wind and transit between these disciplines like a well oiled machine! Time focussing on our weaknesses is always well spent, and we all love training in the discipline we’re best at. If we approach our goals like they are our favourite discipline and a plan we can move towards where we want to be. Knowing this won’t happen overnight needs a patient outlook, overcoming problems and issues is a challenge but becoming a master of solutions and options will give you the tools to succeed.

But the Tortoise Beat the Hare…

Adaptation comes as we rest and recover, an often overlooked scenario, and if we remind ourselves of this we will start to develop a patient approach. Trust in yourself and where you’re going by being honest about how you are feeling and where you want to end up; this will bring out your best in both training and racing.

Though we must overcome the fear of failure and the unknown, (but that is whole other story!), our team of supporters can help us through. It isn’t just the athletes who need to display the qualities we’re talking about.

Get Faster Year by Year

Taking things slowly with a structured training program, from a professional coach, a Tri Magazine or from the internet, will reap the most benefits as you will unknowingly become patient by committing to the written word. As the weeks and months go by the benefits will be greater the more you commit to your chosen path. These benefits will ultimately see you successfully across the line

Friends and family are one of the most important tools in your training repertoire, long distance racing is less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle. A supportive family network means more harmony at home and the workplace giving the athlete less to think about and greater focus on training. Athletes will spend a great deal of time in working towards their chosen goal and happier athletes are faster! I speak through direct personal experience… I must encourage enrolling the talents of a core group of trusted sports professionals such as a coach, physio., chiropractor or sports massage therapist, expanding your circle will keep you literally moving in the right direction.

So in our ever changing efforts to be a better athlete remember, those who take it slower usually end up fastest.

For more about James visit www.jpssports.net or on twitter @JPSSportsCoach

Filed Under: Guest Posts Tagged With: Coaching, Guest POst, James Stewart, Multi-Sports, Training, Triathlon, Turtle

Nutrition and Triathlon Performance – April Tweets

April 9, 2012 By Denis Oakley Leave a Comment

Triathlon Nutrition and Performance: Racing Weight with a BeyondTransition Flapjack

Every month we try and theme our tweeting. In April we are focusing on Nutrition and Triathlon Performance

Tweets are inspired by Matt Fitzgerald’s Book Racing Weight which is a detailed research supported book that describes how and why triathletes should reduce their weight to improve triathlon performance. Some of it’s common sense. Some of it is less intuitive. All of it is based on solid scientific research.

For example my wife thinks that reducing your weight should focus on the volume that you eat. In fact the timing of when you eat has as much an impact as how much you eat. A large meal at breakfast will generally reduce amount of food that you eat later in the day for example – thus reducing overall volumes.

Racing Weight is full of tips and tricks like this that are focused on helping you to become lean and race faster. This series runs until May 5th – Ironman St George Day

We’ll be tweeting nutrition and triathlon performance tips and tricks roughly 8 times a day – with no repeats! If you want a full list of the tweets send us an email and we’ll send you out an ebook at the beginning of May

Here’s the low down

A 5-Step Plan to Optimal body composition and better performance
Racing weight is the first book to explain how endurance athletes – runners, cyclists, triathletes, cross country skiers, rowers, swimmers – should lose weight. Using sound scientific principles gleaned from the latest sports research Matt Fitzgerald lays out 5 easy steps to get lean for races and events. Hi guidelines will help you hit your target numbers for weight, body composition and performance whilst maintaining your strength and conditioning.
Fitzgerald makes good nutirition simple with great recipes from pro triathlete and dietician Pip Taylor and a look at the diets of 14 elite professional athletes. He explains the most common mistakes in training and how to embark on a strength training programme that works
The Racing Weight plan will help you close in on your performance goals whilst feeling – and looking – great.

And here are the tweets – as they are posted…

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Health, Ironman Triathlon, Matt Fitzgerald, Multi-Sports, Nutrition, Racing Weight, Sport, Training, Triathlon, Tweet Series, Weight loss