A Different Perspective on Goal Setting

Abraham Lincoln once said, goal properly set is halfway reached. In other words, setting goals is a job all in itself and a very important job at that! So how do you set a goal properly? I believe the answer lies in examining how your mind functions around goal setting. Your goals will be more authentic and true if you can set them in a positive frame of mind. They will mean more if you understand what is truly motivating you to set these goals. You will have vastly more success if you can get your subconscious on your side with the goals you set. Being able to use your mind to visualize this success will only perpetuate your ability to do the work necessary. T

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he following steps will help you set goals from the perspective of the mind. After all, the body goes where the mind goes.

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Step #1 Access a peak state:When you are ready to write your goals, the most important thing is to access a state of peak emotion. I don't mean bouncing around like a bingo ball, but instead accessing a feeling of confidence, power and possibility. Right now, think of a time when you had a great accomplishment in your career. It might be a race result in which you performed to your ability, or a great training session when you fired on all cylinders or a time when you handled a tricky situation with ease and grace. Take a minute to relive that experience. Recall the sights and smells and sounds and let the feeling you feel at that moment flow and flourish throughout your body wherever it wants to go.Now, when you have that powerful feeling fully charged, state your goal. Write down what comes to mind, even if you have to scrawl it quickly. You can go back later and smooth out the wording. At this stage, capture the essence of the goal.

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Step #2 Identify your rationale:When you have a goal statement in front of you, ask yourself as though there is a part of you who could answer. What is important about this goal? Wait for a response. You don’t have to do anything; just listen. When you get a response, ask about the response you just got, "What is important about that? Again, wait for a response, and when it comes, ask. What is even more important than that? Continue asking this question until you get an answer that sounds something like, "There isn't anything else. Scribble down the response you got. Now you know why you want to achieve this goal, down to your bedrock fundamental self.Look at your goal statement in light of this fundamental reason for wanting it, and if it helps you, revise your goal statement to make it more powerful.

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Step #3 Make sure your goal is stated in the affirmative:Our subconscious cannot tell the difference between a negative and a positive. I'll prove it to you don't think about an elephant. Are you picturing a gray animal with a trunk right now? The same goes for our goals. If we state a goal in the negative such as, I will not bonk in my next race. Our subconscious hears. I will bonk in my next race. To avoid this, be sure to state what you want and will move toward (and not what you don't want or are trying to get away from).

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Step #4 Make sure your goal is under your control:Our minds are much better at processing a goal that is completely under our control. For example, you might want to say. Finish in the top 10 and qualify for Kona. But there are other people racing, and you can't predict what they will do on race day. So maybe a more useful goal statement could be, run the second half of the run faster than the first.

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Step #5 Put a deadline on your goal:A goal without an end date is a mere wish. A goal with an end date is a problem scheduled for a solution, and our minds can process this problem and solution much easier. Parkinson Law states that work will expand to fill up the time set aside for the work. A small job can turn into an unnecessarily large job if you give it too much time. Set a reasonable deadline. For most triathletes, the deadlines are set for you—by the race director who picks the race date.

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Step #6 Make a road map to achieving your goal:Ask yourself how you will know when you are halfway to achieving your goal. If you are at point A and want to get to point C, how will you know when you have reached point B? Next ask yourself how you will know when you are half way between Point A and Point B. Break the journey down into as many small steps as you need and repeat Steps 1 through 5 for each of these intermediate goals. For example, you may have an ultimate goal of becoming a professional triathlete. Perhaps the halfway point to this goal is racing well enough to place in the top 10 in the age group field at a big race. Maybe the halfway goal to this is racing well enough to win the age group field at a smaller race.

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Step #7 See yourself achieving your goal:Make a mental movie of achieving your goal and rewrite the script in different ways. See it happening through your own eyes then see it happening as if you are watching yourself as a spectator. Make it color. Make it bigger. Add new characters. Add the other senses of smell, taste, touch. Choose a soundtrack for your achievement. You are the director: make the movie perfect. Keep playing with these shoots until you find the right combination that really works for you. It should be very powerful. You will know you have it when the goose bumps pop up on your arms.

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Step #8 Make it happen:Pick the first step from #6 above and get started. As you go forward be sure to continue running the final cut of your movie from step #7. Run it often. You might consider establishing a daily routine to run your movie, maybe first thing when you wake up or last thing before you drift off to sleep, or before you brush your teeth. Extra impact: run this video before every training session. After a couple of days, you may find that your movie takes now only a few seconds to run but you still get the full impact of its attractive and compelling force.Setting goals is essential.

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Setting goals in writing increases your chances of achieving them. Visualizing your journey and all the steps toward your goal vastly enhances your ability to realize your goal. These eight steps above will help you choose goals wisely, state them usefully and pursue them toward success.

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Will Murray is a four-time Ironman finisher and has an NLP Practitioners, Certificate. He works with athletes, students and non-profit leaders on mental conditioning.

In the middle of August, some triathletes may fall into a bit of a pit:

A. It's been a long season, and they are physically tired.
B. There are still races on the schedule, and they are trying to build up for competition.
C. They have been training hard for many months, and they may be getting more than somewhat bored with the same run course, the same bike route, the same swim routine.

How is a triathlete to regain or retain the motivation to train and race during the dog days of August? University of Colorado triathlon team member Sara Kiayni experienced this. "How do you keep your motivation?" she asked. "I'm having trouble getting up to do my swim workouts. It all seems so overwhelming." And understandably so. Sara is a college student, triathlete, and employee at a part-time job. She has a lot of demands on her time, all of which can sap motivation and make her view her upcoming workouts with dread rather than eagerness. She has races coming up on the schedule and wants to compete well, yet looking forward to her workouts causes her feelings that were the very opposite of motivation.

One of the things that Sara had been doing was to make videos in her mind's eye of the struggle to get up in the morning, the dread of heading to the pool, and the giant, tangled pile of workouts in her future. Making videos of future events in your head is a common thing that everyone does. How useful or unhelpful these videos are depends on their structure. When people make videos of some the bad things that might happen in the near future, they tend to dread those things and want to get away from them.

Imagine this: "I'm going to be really drowsy in the morning. It's going to be cold. I'm going to be tired. I will hate it when the alarm goes off. It's going to be awful." Now ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10 (10=high), how motivated does this little scenario leave me feeling? If you answered 67 below zero, you are not alone. Psychologist Fritz Perls called this activity catastrophizing, inventing in your mind a catastrophe that hasn't happened yet. Mark Twain described it, too: "My life has been filled with terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened."

You certainly can make a video in your mind's eye of all the reasons not to do your workout, and you know that there is no shortage of reasons. You could alternatively make a different kind of video in your mind's eye to amplify your motivation. Here's the technique Sara used to regain her enthusiasm for training: Before going to bed, identify which workouts you have on tomorrow's schedule. Make a video in your mind's eye of getting up, getting organized, getting out the door, and completing the workout exactly as you wish it would go. It's important to see this video through your own eyes, as though your eyes are the camera. Make it panoramic, full color, and sharp. If you like, you can set out your workout gear before retiring so that it's all ready to go in the morning. Now, go to bed. That's it! It really is that simple. Sara reported on the results of using this technique, "Got out of bed with no struggles. Amazing how that works. I was just doing the opposite before and thinking about the difficulty of waking up for my workouts instead of how easy it can be." Finding your motivation doesn't have to be a struggle to overcome. Simply lay out in your mind what will happen the next day before you go to sleep for the night, and when tomorrow comes, your mind knows what to do automatically. The struggle is over.

Will Murray is the D3 Multisport Mental Skills specialist, helping athletes navigate their training and race day challenges. Interested in gaining a new approach to race day, consider a consult with Coach Will. Learn more below!

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On August 25, 2007, the track and field world witnessed a display of greatness worth discussing, and our heroine didn't even clinch the victory. On this remarkable night, Kara Goucher secured a bronze medal in the women's 10,000 meters, surpassing her fellow American competitors and some of the world's best athletes. All three US women raced proudly, finishing 3rd, 7th (Deena Kastor), and 13th (Katie McGregor), crossing the finish line in commendable form.

The race conditions were harshly warm and humid, pushing the entire field to their limits. Despite the challenging conditions, four of the 19 finishers achieved season's best times, while three others were unable to complete the race and had to be assisted off the course. If drama is what you expect from a world championship, this race certainly did not disappoint. 'Worlds' represents the pinnacle of athletic competition and arguably defines an athlete's career more than even the Olympic Games, which, every four years, produce results that occasionally feel like a fluke.

Kara was not the sole athlete to compete with tremendous heart that day, and the outcome of her race wasn't as sensational as the Tyson Gay – Asafa Powell, 'Earth's Fastest Human' showdown. Nonetheless, it's what many people don't know about Kara Goucher that serves as the lesson here, offering both hope and reflection as we broaden our definition of 'greatness.'

As a sport psychologist, I specialize in mental conditioning skills. While much of our work may seem mundane and routine, collectively we provide a wealth of information, ideas, encouragement, methods, and techniques for learning how to relax, set goals, motivate oneself, concentrate, and manage distractions. We also assist athletes in navigating the emotional roller coaster essential to competing and performing when they're putting 'everything on the line'. As athletes progress in their abilities, the focus can become highly tailored to each individual as they discover how to train and compete 'in the zone', utilizing tools like imagery and visualization to transform their dreams into reality. Perhaps the most significant contribution we offer is in fostering confidence and managing one's self-talk. These aspects demand persistent attention and everyday practice. For those who closely follow sports, this is the norm during the best of times. But what about during the worst of times?

Distance running is a unique pursuit that demands countless hours of training and recovery, an ongoing cycle of building fitness season after season. For Kara, the recovery process was all too familiar for several years, becoming such an intrinsic part of her life that it felt never-ending. Even the strongest individuals can lose heart in such circumstances. She faithfully supported her husband, Olympian Adam Goucher, from the sidelines, inwardly fearing that might be the closest she would ever come to competing on the world stage. For years, her career was marked more by setbacks than achievements, until last year (2006).

From 1999 to 2000, Kara shone as a star runner at the University of Colorado, boasting NCAA Championships in the women's 3000 and 5000 meters, as well as in Cross Country. However, her fortunes took a turn for the worse. Initially, she faced fatigue attributed to anemia, followed by nagging injuries that disrupted a promising track season and the disappointment of being unable to defend her titles.

Yet, these challenges were just the beginning. Despite signing a contract with Nike as a professional athlete, her career was derailed by compartment syndrome, a patellar tendon injury, stress fractures, and multiple surgeries. It seemed as though procedures and injuries were increasingly defining her. Even after being screened for the female athlete triad, she missed season after season of competition and felt as though she was letting everyone down – her coach, her husband, her sponsor. Her mood plummeted, and she wondered if she would ever regain her health.

Change was imperative, and so Kara, along with her husband Adam, explored their options. After extensive research, they decided to train under the highly acclaimed director of the Nike Project, marathon great Alberto Salazar. They severed their long-standing relationship with Colorado's coach Mark Wetmore, sold their house, bid farewell to family and friends, and relocated to Portland. The Nike Project offered promise, excellent nutritional and medical support, and the expertise of Alberto Salazar, who revitalized Adam's illustrious career and helped Kara start hers. 2006 marked PRs for both of them, and Kara was able to compete for an entire season without succumbing to injury. Life changed dramatically for them that year, and the flickering flame of confidence began to burn brightly, fueled by exceptional workouts, sustained health, and PRs for Kara at almost every distance she contested.

Even then, a bronze medal at the World Championships seemed like a distant dream...but few people are aware of Kara's secret weapon. Her unique inspiration comes from 'gratitude' – gratitude for many things in her life: a loving family, a supportive and encouraging partner in Adam (who trains, eats, laughs, and sleeps with her), access to the best facilities, coaching, and support available, and finally...her burgeoning health, fitness, and racing acumen. Those who know Kara appreciate her warm and friendly demeanor. Those who have witnessed her evolution admire her dedication and resilience in overcoming every obstacle. 'Greatness' begins with courage and toughness, but it's never more deserving or welcome than when accompanied by gratitude. The wait was arduous, and the journey fraught with adversity, yet no one is more grateful for its trajectory than Kara Goucher, bronze medalist at the World Championships.

On September 2nd, Adam Goucher finished 11th in the 5000 meters, 7.3 seconds behind the gold medalist, Bernard Lagat. Kara's medal marked the first time an American woman had won a medal in the 10,000 meters since 1992 when Lynn Jennings clinched a medal in the Olympic Games.

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Not all triathletes are equally enamored with all the different training and racing components in triathlon. Some folks prefer swimming over biking. Others like the high-intensity intervals at the running track, but don't love the long, slow distance running. Some like climbing on the bike, but don't care so much for descending or power rollers.It doesn't have to be this way. You can learn to love all the elements of your training schedule equally. Since you are going to do these workouts and their specific elements anyway, why not enjoy them? After all, nobody is making you do triathlon this is supposed to be rewarding and enjoyable. So let's make all of it that way! How do you learn to love the things that feel like chores? Here's an easy three-step method that is fast, easy, durable and surprisingly effective.

Step 1. Recognize the difference between chores and fun. Think of something that you really like to do (maybe you want to keep this to yourself for now), something that you do for the sheer enjoyment of it, and that you have no trouble launching into because, well, it's just a ton of fun. Now, feel the sensation you feel when you think of actually doing that fun thing. Tingly limbs, warmth in your belly, and perhaps even a broad smile. Write down the specific physiological sensations you feel right now!

Now, clear your mind of that image, and think of something that's a chore. Something that you better do because if you don't, you get a bad outcome, but nevertheless, you don't like to do it. For example, doing your taxes for most of us, doing taxes isn't all that much fun, but paying penalties and going to jail is worse, so we do our taxes. When you think of this chore, how does it feel different from when you think about the fun thing?

Step 2. Recode your chores as fun. Select a type of workout or an element of your workouts that you know you should do, but don't really enjoy. Now, think of the very next time you need to do that workout or element. Re-access that great, fun feeling that you wrote down in step one, then in your mind's eye make a movie of yourself doing this activity. Hold that great feeling, and see yourself in this movie, in full color and panoramic, performing really well. Hold that great feeling, and run the movie again, this time at five times faster speed.

Step 3. Rehearse your training sessions in your mind's eye before you start them.

It's easy. Just say to yourself or aloud the purpose of the workout. If it's a tempo ride, say, "The purpose of this workout is to ride at race pace for a portion of the ride" If it's a recovery run, "The purpose of this run is to do some active recovery to get me ready for tomorrow."

That takes about 3 seconds!

Now, rehearse the workout the way you want it to happen. Make a short mental video of the workout from beginning to end and see yourself achieving the goal of the workout. Now go-start-your-workout!

That's it!

You will notice that you don't struggle any more with the internal voice that tries to talk you out of doing what you know you should. You don't dilly dally and put off your workouts; you just go get them done, as prescribed. And, by golly, all those 400 meter intervals, while challenging, are sort of fun after all. Who knew?

 Will Murray is the D3 Mental Skills coach. Will shares that he's been lucky enough to bring mental conditioning techniques to first-time athletes and Olympians, kids and seniors, triathletes who want to finish the race and those who are gunning to win. Improve your training and race outcomes, learn about our mental skills coaching services.

It's funny, but it's one of the most common questions I get during the last weeks of training before the season's first race is How can I be sure that I'm ready? Well,  If you're not ready by now, there's not much you can do. There is a TON of good advice out there on how to actually prep for a race, but the truth is that it's the weeks and months leading up to this point that will set the tone for what you can do with those last few weeks to fine tune what you've got.If you've been working and training hard, then it's time to back off a bit, taper and focus on the little things. Your training plan probably calls for taper repeats- 30-90 second bursts to race pace with full recoveries in between. This is when you should follow the book. 30-90 seconds. Means 30-90 seconds, not 2-4 minutes. Race pace means race pace, not track interval pace.

Full recoveries, means full recoveries to ZONE 1. OK, if your tapering for an Ironman or Half Ironman, it might be a little different, but you get my point. This is the time when it is so much more common to overdo and then be tired going into your race, rather than to under-do and not be ready, There isn't much fitness you can gain at this point, so work on things that you can gain. You can gain a little muscle memory that says "Hey!! This is race pace!! Remember me? without fatigue, if you do it correctly. That's what the taper repeats are for. They're not to gain speed. They might also give you just enough time to find that flow and that form that will get you to your goal on race day, but again, skip the fatigue part. You don't have to prove anything now. Prove it on race day.Now that you're tapering, what do you do with all of this extra time?? Well, for one- SLEEP. Recovery, and sleep in particular is when your body is rebuilding itself and this is the process where you actually get stronger. It doesn't actually happen during the exercise and training when you are breaking things down, so be aware that this taper is part of your training. Then you can also start to actually prep for the race.If you're still working towards other races and gaining fitness, strength, speed and power, there are still some things you can do to keep up the work towards your bigger races (which means fatigue) and still gain a little performance for this first race.

This is where you need to listen to your body. At times in your training you will have to overreach and at some point you may hit a limit of overtraining. You will likely teeter near this point several times during the season if you're really training hard. The key to going into the early season "training" races is not to let these races push you OVER the top. In order to manage this, you have to plan ahead and then work on the other little things with attention. The other things like recovery, nutrition, hydration, and sleep. So you don't want to taper for this race, but if you go into the race on the edge of overtraining, race hard, then just keep on going, you will likely end up WAY over that edge. At that point you will likely lose several weeks of training, or end up doing more damage than good. So pay attention to yourself. Is that extra workout two days before the race really necessary? Look at the big picture! Is that one long ride going to make or break your A race down the road? Is that one tempo run going to save you later? As I've said, it will really be the planning leading up to this point that will determine what you can do. If you've done it right, this race will fall in a recovery week, so there are really no key workouts this week. Now you can understand why we typically plan it that way.The days following the race should be a little easier as well. Look at that week and listen to your body. Maybe you move your swim to Monday and your tempo run to Thursday.

Trust me, if you try that tempo run a day or two after the race, you won't have what it takes to make that workout effective, so push it a little later in the week. You may have to skip a workout or two, but remember that key sessions typically mean you have to perform to make them key to your training.There are a few rules of thumb for the weeks leading into your race that can apply universally. Now isn't the time to add in other goals and objectives, like losing weight. It's not the time for new foods or supplements. And it's also not the time to pull an all nighter for class, or go out on the town and drink all of the fluids right out of you. I know this sounds like an obvious statement, but drinking caffeine and alcohol actually DE-hydrate you. I would avoid both leading into the race. If you can cut out caffeine in the two weeks leading up to the race, imagine how much more effect that coffee on race morning, or that Shot Blok with caffeine will have on race day! Plus you get the added benefit that you will sleep better. Did I make that point clearly enough? One of the SIMPLEST yet BEST things you can do going into your race to have a better performance has nothing to do with your training.

Actually, I think that most of the things that you can do for "race prep" have nothing to do with your swim, bike, or run training. By that I mean getting your gear physically ready and getting yourself mentally ready. Check everything on your bike- your cleats, your race helmet and race kit, your shoe laces. Is anything worn or need replacing? Do you have a race belt, water bottles for the bike, sunscreen, etc. Use this time to prep. Don't wait until the night before the race. Also, take one of those EASY days and add in transition practice.You can even do this in your head. There are lots of ways to visualize racing, but one way that I've found to be effective is to concentrate on the little things. This way, when you get to race day, you've been over those little things and won't get hung up on them. So start with picturing your transition setup. Each detail. Where is your helmet? Your sunglasses in your helmet and your running hat on your shoes so you can't forget them. Picture the little things you need to do before you leave transition. Then move onto the race start- where will you start? If it's open water, will you be towards the front, towards the back, right in the middle. Picture yourself starting perfectly and finding the right group that you're swimming fast with. You can skim through the actual swim. That's not what THIS visualization is about. You get out of the water and run to transition. If you know the race, picture it exactly as it is. If not, that's ok, the principles are still the same. Move your goggles up to your forehead, but don't take them off. They're just one more thing to drop. Unzip the wetsuit as you're running to transition. You get the picture. Imagine each specific detail going through your transition and the bike mount. Fly through the bike and then picture EACH detail of T2. As you're doing this, you might also remember to check your running hat or your bike gearing on race morning. If you can find time to do this in the weeks before the race, then on race morning, you'll be ready and confident that you know exactly what you need to do. And you've done it a dozen times in your head, so while others are freaking out and running around looking for that extra CO2 cartridge, you are cool in the head and warming up your body for the race.So, hopefully this will give you a little insight on one way to look at what I call race prep and fine tuning.

As always, the most important thing to remember is to ENJOY every step of the race. It is part of the journey, so make sure you take it all in, thank that volunteer that hands you water, and smile for the cameras

In North America, the IRONMAN calendar has had a shift in timing of their events. There are now 17 IRONMAN races in North America, and all but four races take place after July. That means that training in January gives you a minimum of 7 months to prepare, and in some cases over 9 months. What does this mean for your training through the winter months?

Classic Periodization

Many athletes take the approach of using the winter months to build a solid base, then switch to more speed and race pace work through the spring and early summer, and then have a final race prep period. This approach is often referred to as Classic Periodization plan.

In my view, this is a bit of a backwards approach. Why do all the specific training early, then move to the intense work as a way to “sharpen up”? Rather, it would be best to set up your training so you are performing your most specific training closer to race day.

Reverse Periodization

Often referred to as Reverse Periodization, you are more likely to be successful by focusing on building your power and strength first, then moving to the over distance training necessary for IRONMAN.

When you consider the time of year, this begins to make even more sense. Trying to build base while on the trainer or treadmill is demanding both physically and mentally. Instead, using shorter, more intense sessions will make you a faster and stronger athlete. Then, when spring arrives and you can enjoy longer days in warmer temperatures, you can begin work on extending your power and speed. Even if your longest ride is three hours through February, you would have a minimum of four months to build your long ride to six hours.

General Phase

IRONMAN is raced at 65 to 75% of your Functional Threshold Power (FTP)/ Lactate Threshold Heart Rate. So, if your FTP is 250 watts, you would be racing the bike around 175 watts. If your FTP is 280 watts, you can race at 195 watts and be going faster even at the same output percentage. Like the old saying goes, “all boats rise in a high tide”.

The winter months are the perfect time to train in what I call the General Phase, which can be 12 to 16 weeks. It is during this time that you can focus on building your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) / Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) for the bike and your Lactate Threshold Pace (LTP) / LTHR on the run. Achieving these goals is done with shorter workouts, so you don’t mentally drain yourself with long sessions indoors or fighting the cold temperatures.

On the bike, this can can be done on shorter rides of 90 minutes to two hours where you focus on riding at 90% of your FTP/LTHR. You can also do big gear work to help strengthen the exact muscles you need for a strong bike.

For the run, the same principle applies. Don’t slog away for 2 hours on a treadmill and instead work in intervals at 90% of your LTHR/LTP . Do not be too concerned about pace when you start. You won’t have your goal race pace fitness yet, but as you stick with it, your efficiency will increase as will your speed. Starting in January, this phase would last until March or April.

Specific Phase

After focusing on power and speed during the winter, when spring comes and the weather lets you ride and outside you can take your new power levels and start working on your endurance. Think of it as building power, then building your ability to sustain that power over time.

The Specific Phase can last 12 to 16 weeks depending on your past training history and goals. Starting this phase in March means you can be ready for an IRONMAN in August or later without pressing your build up. If your longest indoor ride was three hours, you can still easily work your way up to a long ride of six hours over 12 weeks.

Benefits for 70.3 Races

Another benefit to this approach is that you will be sharp and strong for any shorter races you do in your lead up to IRONMAN. You may be doing a 70.3 in June, and with months of power and speed work under your belt you will be primed and ready to have a great race. If you’ve spent months riding moderately for long periods, you will struggle to cope with the intensity of shorter racing.

So this year, try an approach that will leave you stronger and more motivated during the winter. Avoid long sessions done in the isolation of your basement riding and running in place. Instead, focus on building core competencies like power and strength. When spring comes and the weather is more cooperative, you can then work on building your endurance with long and enjoyable rides and runs in the sun.

Do you want to build your power and strength this winter? Coach AJ is offering a 20% discount on his 16 week Ironman Winter Training Plan. Use code D3Athlete20 to save! Learn more here. 

AJ Johnson is USAT Level I Certified Coach and Training Peaks Certified Coach. He notes, “one of the things I love about triathlon coaching is that no two athletes are the same – even when their goals are. I view each person that I work with as a puzzle with unique abilities, motivators, lifestyle and potential. There’s nothing I enjoy more than helping someone incorporate the individual pieces to get the results they looking for – because when it all comes together, it’s amazing!”

"April is the cruelest month." Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

For many athletes in the northern hemisphere, race season seems so far away. The length of daylight still seems short. Snow may continue to pile up outside, with biting cold and discouraging winds making running or cycling outdoors a real challenge or at best ill-advised. And it may be months before your next race. Yet, for athletes who have early season races, this is the very time that training volume and intensity begin to really ramp up in the annual training calendar. It's an important time in the annual training plan.

How do you find the motivation at this time of year to successfully complete the workouts that your training plan calls for when the short days and grumpy weather make the thought of race day loom very small, distant, and dark?

**Step 1. Decide what training you want to have done.**
Remind yourself of your annual goal. What are your top priority races (A-races) in which you intend to race to your potential? Now ask yourself, "The day before my A-race, what will I wish I had done way back in early spring? What will I want to kick myself for not doing in my spring training sessions?" They may be all those glute-activation and strengthening exercises, or short-rest sprints at the pool, or VO2 max sessions on the indoor bike. Write those things down, right now, on paper.

**Step 2. Transport yourself to the day before race day.**
Now in your mind's eye, see yourself on the day before your A-race as though you have already done those things from Step 1. Notice how you feel physically, how your workouts have progressed over the months and how you regard your upcoming race the next day. How do you see that all those workouts from Step 1 have positioned you for your race tomorrow? Utter a short phrase to yourself about how glad you are you completed those workouts. Write down your phrase now.

**Step 3. Gather the magic.**
When you recite your phrase, gain a sense of how glad and appreciative you will feel the day before the race with the complete knowledge that you did indeed complete your workouts from Step 1, knowing how much they will help you and support you in your intentions for your A-race. When you can feel the actual feeling of gladness or whatever you feel, in your mind's eye grab a little pinch of that feeling, some way to hold a bit of that great feeling.

**Step 4. Sprinkle the magic.**
Picture your calendar from race day back to today. Now, in your mind's eye, sprinkle a little bit of the magic from Step 3 backwards, from the future to today, all along your calendar. Picture that, when that workout element comes up on the calendar, you will automatically remember the magic and you will hear the useful phrase from Step 2.

**Step 5. Prep your workouts.**
Every time you see in your workout schedule that you have the kind of training element you identified (and wrote down, right?) in Step 1, recite the phrase from Step 3 and sprinkle a little of the magic from Step 4. Many athletes find that they really gain terrific benefit from doing this step the night before their workout, often just before going to bed. They find that the next morning they just get up and go about the workout as planned without having to think about it all that much or struggle against it. It becomes almost automatic. You can use this technique over and over on different training elements that you really want to do now. Just do the technique with one training element at a time and wait a day or two between treatments.

How many times have you felt regret during the race season for training that you could have done could be doing, at this time of year? One of the great things about having a brain is that you can turn hindsight into foresight. Use the five simple steps above to create hindsight from next year's race season, call it future hindsight if you like, and turn it into the foresight to do right now what you know will be most helpful to you come race day. Don't regret; be glad. Be glad in advance for what you are going to do now that you will be so happy for on race day, that very same race day that today seems far, far away in another time, when the wind gasps warm and friendly, the days are long, and tomorrow's race start is something you can hardly wait to jump into, you are, yes indeed, that well prepared.

Will Murray is a Mental Skills Coach with D3 Multisport, is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Certified Coach, six-time Ironman finisher, USAT All American and co-author, with Craig Howie, of The Four Pillars of Triathlon: Vital Mental Conditioning for Endurance Athletes.

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There are numerous personality types in the world, each influencing how we approach training, from Type A individuals to Nurturers to Introverts and beyond. But have you ever considered whether your personality type might be hindering your progress?

I've found myself gradually identifying more with the Type A description over the years, but I've realized that this might not necessarily be helping me become faster, better, or stronger. This realization extends beyond just training and racing; it affects my mental game as well.

While discipline and establishing a consistent routine are vital aspects of training, it's equally crucial to know when to ease up. Waking up for early morning workouts multiple times a week year-round can take a toll mentally. It's essential to recognize when your mind needs a break from the structured training regimen, just like your body needs recovery.

Similar to how muscles can fatigue, mental focus can wane, impacting the quality of your workouts. It's vital to pay attention to your mental state during training to ensure you can embrace good workouts and overcome less-than-stellar ones.

Understanding your personality type and how it influences your mind and training can help you find balance in the sport. One strategy I've employed to mitigate my Type A tendencies is to identify the essence of my workouts before starting. For example:

Let's say you have a 60-minute run scheduled with warm-up, drills, and accelerations. If you find yourself short on time or unable to complete the full workout, focus on the essence of the session—whether it's endurance, tempo, speed, or strength. Adapt the workout accordingly, rather than adding junk miles or skipping it entirely. Quality over quantity is key.

Knowing when to walk away from a workout is crucial. If you're struggling or not feeling your best, it's okay to call it quits. Listen to your body and prioritize quality over hitting specific metrics, especially during the early season. As you progress toward your target race, you can become more focused on pace and power, but don't force it too soon.

Remember that data like power is just a tool—it doesn't define your performance. Many successful athletes race without relying on such metrics, opting instead to go by feel. If power or other metrics detract from your enjoyment of training, consider ditching them.

Ultimately, training and racing should be enjoyable. Balancing technical feedback with emotional feedback can lead to a more fulfilling experience and, ultimately, better performance. With dedication, discipline, and perhaps guidance from an experienced coach, anyone can improve their efficiency and reach their goals.

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Finding Free Speed

It's very easy in any Triathlon to dismiss a few seconds lost, or gained, as inconsequential to the end result.  However, if you are in the race to PR or perhaps podium, and many people have one or both of these goals at sometime in their career, think again.   I am not talking here about gaining on your competition, or yourself by performing better I'm thinking of free speed.  Things you can do to shave a few seconds here and there that don't cost any energy expenditure, just attention to details and practice.

It's hard to imagine that after 8+ to 17 hours of racing in an IronMan you could be seconds away from your competition but it happens.   Consider the IronWar of 1989.  The differences between Mark Allen and Dave Scott were as follows.

Swim Scott +1.4 sec, Bike Allen +0.9 sec, Run, Allen +59 sec, Overall Allen +58.1 sec that was after 8: 10 min of competition.  FYI their run splits that year are still the two top times for the race (and back then the T2 transition was included in the run split).   There was no time for a few lost seconds in transition or in the portable toilet that day.

My own more modest experience tells the same story, don't waste any unnecessary time.   In 2011 I lost a Kona slot by 1 sec (yes one second).  That was lack of attention to who was closing fast in the final 200 yards to the finish (stay focused).  In 2012 I got a Kona slot with an 18 sec margin.  This was due to lack of focus of a friend Patrick Bourdillon.   For a few precious seconds on the bike he failed to back out of the draft zone (apparently the most common reason for getting a drafting penalty).  Fortunately Patrick did not give up and qualified later in the season.   In 2009 I qualified at Buffalo Springs by about 20 sec.

In Kona I have twice been less than 10 sec ahead of Scott Balfour, this year for a second and third place AG finish.

So how do you save a few seconds, the details, and practice.  Don't leave anything to chance that you can control.  Obviously you can influence your swim, bike and run pace thru good training but assuming you have done that what else.

The Gear

Most important make sure your equipment is in top condition race morning.  What you do certainly depends on the importance of the race.  Any A race for which you have already invested a lot of time and money should get the royal treatment, don't go cheep at the last minute, you have probably spent a lot of money already.  Here are some things to consider.

Swim Gear Not much can go wrong here but make sure the zipper in your wet suit or skin suit is healthy.   Don't use those old goggles that leak and fog.  If they did not leak of fog when new get another of the same make/model or take the time to find one that works for you leading up to race day.  If the water is expected to be extra cold get a neoprene swim cap.  Make sure the goggle doesn't fog in cold water.

Use New or Almost New tires 

Don't use tires with noticeable tread ware.  As the tread gets worn there is less rubber to absorb small sharp objects without going thru into the tube.  A new tire is much less likely to puncture than an old one with even a few hundred miles on it.  Carry a new spare tube or tire (if using tubulars).  Don't use a tire with any deep cuts that can catch something and obviously puncture more easily.  Practice repairing a flat or replacing the tubular.  Carry a razor blade to cut off a tubular.

New or Clean Chain

I just found a very interesting web site that tells me I have been right to focus on chain condition https:/www.friction-facts.com.  All chains come with a factory lube, cleaning the chain and re-lubing with a light oil results in a savings of 3 watts for some chains.  So racing with a dirty chain would probably cost you even more watts, that's real free speed.

Other Bike GearBrake and derailleur cables, they don't need to be new but they should not be old or have any fraying.  Pedals and any other bearing that can be lubed by you should have been re-lubed recently.   The Friction-Facts show that you can save even a few watts with well-maintained pedals.  Cleats: make sure they are clean when you leave the bike to go swim and you can clip in and out without difficulty.

Almost New Running Shoes

They should not be just out of the box but before an A race it is time to get a replacement for shoes you have been running in for more than a couple of 100 miles.  This becomes more important as the distance of the run increases. Running 26 miles on shoes that have lost some of the cushioning and support can cost you seconds and sometimes many minutes as your muscles fatigue more quickly.

New or Almost New Tri Suit (one piece or separate)    

I keep my best gear for A races so that I am not buying new stuff all the time.  Make sure what you wear on the bike fists snug.  Anything that can catch the wind is lost speed or more power output.  Test your gear in the conditions you expect on race day.  I did not quite do that this year testing a new pair of shorts in the dry Colorado weather.  In Kona with the huge increase in humidity and consequent sweating I got some ugly chafe from the edge of the chamois.  It might also have been caused by another second saving skill, peeing on the bike.

Race Day Planning

On of my coaches suggested to me several years ago that I write a detailed race report before the race started, a couple of weeks before.  Much of that is to help visualize the entire race but it should also include the details of the pre-race preparation, starting with getting up and breakfast right up to the gun, and the Transitions.  The details of the pre race and transitions should have been thought out and practiced months in advance while you were in the middle of your training.

My planning includes, when I get up, what I eat/drink (breakfast if you have some should be at least 3 hours before the gun) and when and when to leave for the race venue.  Once there I have a detailed plan of what and when including last min preparation of my bike and laying out the transition area, where (figured out the day before) and when to start my land warm up, get into a wet suit and get into the water in time for an in water swim warm up (if allowed).  I'll even look for a nice place to relax if there is some time before the race.  There usually is some time because I always get to the race when the gates open.  Rushing everything make no sense just to get a few more minutes in the sack.  Better to be able to prepare things in the most relaxed way possible reducing stress even when the unexpected happens, like a flat tire (that should not happen if you have taken the tire advice above but stuff happens including a leaky tire valve, I've seen it happen more than once.

Transition Set Up

This varies a lot when including races were there are changing tents.  Be sure to review the race web site for all the details well before race day.  It's too late if you wait until the race meeting the day before there may be something you need to buy to make the transition smooth and fast.

I have a standard set up that I have developed over a number of years depending on the transition set up.  If new to the game make sure you figure it out and test it in your B and C races.  If you realize there is something you can improve from the last race make sure to practice the solution.  Here are some of my ideas

Helmet  

Best placed on the Aerobars (see caveat below) upside down with the straps hanging carefully over the side and the front facing you as you stand in front of the bike.  All you should have to do is pick it up, keeping the straps out of the way, and pop it on your head.  Sun Glasses are open inside the helmet positioned for a one-motion installation on your nose and ears.  If there is any chance that the helmet will get knocked off it's perch put it on the ground (many bike racks are not very stable and bikes get knocked around as other athletes remove the bikes.  I find that in most cases I am putting the helmet on the ground.

Placement of Other Gear

I place my gear as follows on a towel from front to back, helmet and glasses, race belt and number (if required, more on this in a minute), socks (either on the ground, if shoes are clipped in or in the bike shoes.  In Olympic races and shorter all my nutrition and fluids are on the bike.  Behind all that come run gear, shoes first with socks in them (I only change socks for IM races) and the hat, fuel belt (if needed).  All my run nutrition/fuel are on the Fuel Belt for shorter races.  IM events I might have a zip lock bag that I stuff with what I will add to pockets as I run out of transition

Race Numbers on the bike

There are free seconds to be gained by careful placement of the numbers on your bike and on your race belt (often required in IM races).  If you spent good money on a well fitting low drag outfit for the race and much more for an aero bike don't just slap the number on any old way.  Number on the bike should be stuck on somehow and follow the form of the aero tubes.  I use clear packing tape and cover the entire tag.  I will trim it as much as possible to conform to the shape of the bike.  If a race number is required on your back use a race belt.  I pin the tag on the belt so that the top of the tag is underneath the belt.  I make sure it lies flat on my back.  Having a number tag flapping on your back is lost free speed and adds up to more that just a few seconds in an IM.  Same thing with the tag on the bike.

Socks  

Many shoe types these days have been designed to be worn without socks.  Test that theory before race day more than once.   If you are using socks putting them on can be fast with preparation in the early morning.  Put them on and fold the top down so that the heal is just visible.  Grab the toe and top of the sock, which should be almost touching and pull the sock off.  Place the sock either inside the shoe or on the towel with the heal on the bottom.  All that is needed to put them back on is a quick pull over the foot and then grab the top to pull it over the ankle

Laces  

Don‚Äôt tie them; pick one of the different lace kits that let you get set up fast.  I like the elastic types for short races and solid laces with a plastic lace lock for IM (more support for the longer distance).

IronMan Races, or Races with Changing Tents 

IM races require you to put your bike and run gear in a two bags that you drop off the day before the race.  You pick up on your way into a changing tent in the race.  This makes for a very different transition and some new options.  You could swim bike and run in the same clothing, a Speedo if you like the Farris Al-Sultan retro look or a one-piece speed suit.  This is clearly the fastest way thru transition but with a changing tent consider comfort.  I have evolved from staying in the same clothes for an entire IM to changing after the swim.   I don't like wasting time changing clothing in T2 but comfort is worth a few seconds.

Other Thoughts

Swimming a full IM with any kind of bike clothing under a wet suit is an invitation for chafe.  So in wet suit races I wear a Speedo.   The advent of the swim specific skin suit has the same issue as the wet suit.  The current legal skin suit does not give quite the same unfair advantage of the ones in use a couple of years ago but tests show there are some seconds to gain if not minutes.  Generally they don't work well for the bike and run, no pockets.  Most are also black but most that are black are made from a new material that is claimed to keep you cooler.  The lack of pockets is a showstopper for me in an IM event.  I put gels and supplement tablets (in small plastic zip lock bags found in hobby shops) in the pockets.

Getting out of a swim speed suit is not difficult.  The Wet suit is something again.  Pam is a popular aide.  Be sure to put it not only on your skin but also on the outside of the legs at least up to the knees.  Rubber does not slide well on rubber as you push the suit over your legs.

Getting into a tri top is a problem when you are wet.  Leave it in the bag with the zipper open.   Don't put it over your head, step into it first then put your arms into the holes.   Just the same as if you were putting on a one-piece suit.  You may be able put some gels in your pockets and/or supplements without having them fall out when you are changing.  The secret is putting in and taking out the Tri Top or full suit carefully.  A good idea is to put this in last into your bag and put it on first, then dump the rest of the bag in front of you on the floor, they usually have seats in the changing tents.

To summarize, after months and perhaps years of training don't forget the details leading up to and during race day.  Don't go cheep at the last minute and jeopardize that hard earned fitness.  Try to think of every contingency and have a plan to deal with it.  Work out the best way thru transitions and practice that procedure.

Perhaps the best advice is something I saw recently in one of the tri magazines. "The fastest way to the finish line is not to crash" so go fast by all means save seconds but be careful and have fun.

(As an aside: Mike was asked me to write something concise about training for endurance events as a “senior” and the keys to absorbing that training. He did not choose my favorite name for someone of my age, which is ‘Seasoned Athlete’. A name that does seem to give me some credentials for taking on this subject.)

Seasoned Athletes can go the distance; there are three Octignarians in this years IM in Hawaii. The not so good news is we can’t swim bike or run as fast but the really bad news is we can’t train as hard and as often. Recovery is important at any age and anyone can dig themselves into a hole. The problem for Seasoned Athletes is climbing out of that hole takes much longer (and we don’t have the time for that).

Assuming you have been in the sport for a while, the most concise way I could put it is don’t do anything different than you have done in the past. And, if you have dealt with a bout of over training along the way great, remember it well. If you do the same thing at an older age recovery will take all that much longer. All the old rules still apply, you get stronger only if you let your body rest to repair and build stronger muscles.

The ability to absorb the affects of training doesn’t suddenly start when AARP starts calling on you. It is a gradual process. Like much else with humans this is a very individual thing but at some point you will find you can’t do what you did when you were younger. If you are lucky it will sneak up on you gradually but it can also take random jumps.

From my own experience and that of a number of friends accepting that fact, when it starts to get noticeable, is very difficult. For us that change started in our mid to late 40’s. We still could swim or bike or run (or all three) very fast but injuries started to crop up when they had not a few years earlier. Those of us who accepted our fate are still racing.

I was very fortunate to have a long chat with Jim Ward when he was in his late 70’s and I was getting notions of stepping up to Iron Man racing. Jim I believe was the first 79 year old to finish in Kona, he tried when he was 80 but did not make the cut off. I met him after he had once again won Gold at the ITU World Championship (Olympic). At that age he was still doing the Olympic distance in the 3:30 range. He told me he could still do all the workouts, long and intense, he just needed days to recover. A weekly plan did not work for him. His week had in essence become 10 days. He had at least a day recovery between each harder/longer workout sometime three was necessary. Naps and the getting enough sleep, 8 preferably 9 hrs were key along with a good diet. He was a big believer in supplementing his diet with vitamins. He no longer was following a calendar-based block of training. Rather he added additional recovery days as he felt his body needed it.

(For those of you who never heard of Jim Ward he was someone very special. A former Marine, multiple times US Ambassador who spoke several languages and an amazing athlete. He died with his boots on out on a ride with his friends near Tampa at 82, stroke I believe).

The multiple day recovery time is certainly not a necessary feature of training in your younger years but getting enough rest and eating right should be nothing new to a seasoned athlete of any age.

In my own training I learned the ropes from reading Joe Fiel’s Triathlete Training Bible and Joe’s and Gordo Byrn’s Going Long. In my late 40’s when I got serious about training I worked on a four week block of training with the last one a recovery week of about 70% of the earlier volume. A day off a week was also standard. When we moved to Colorado and I hit 60 this became a three-week block.

This past year under the direct guidance of Gordo (first time I have had a coach) my training has become a bit more like Jim’s in that I am not following a strict calendar based plan. Sure I get recovery breaks but they are when I need them. Two things stand out looking back on the year. Sleep/naps were critical. I knew this in theory but had never felt I had suffered unduly if I did not get what I figured was enough (perhaps I am getting older). Anyway this year if I did not get a nap every day and/or 9+ hours of sleep (some nights approached 10, it helps to be retired) I was noticeably not on form the next day.

The other factor was fueling during training and to some degree calories in general. Leading into major races I used to always practice my fueling plan or try to more than once. It is not always easy when there are no aid stations and I never really got this down perfectly (and I don’t think I executed my fueling plans in a race well). When a race was not close the fueling/hydration got very spotty. What I did not realize was that by doing that I was compromising upcoming workouts (I thought I could catch up when I got home).

Twice this year I got the message hammered home that fueling correctly all the time is critical. In February I joined one of Gordo’s camps getting in 26hrs of training in 6 days. The last day ended with a 100-mile ride with a 4,000ft climb to Kit’s Peak in the middle. I maintained my FT Power up that climb for a full hour. There were of course sag wagons and unlimited amounts of food; the only other thing we had to do was sleep. My wife was not happy when I returned home and only wanted to sleep for a few days. I did get a great bounce from this camp and had a great first race of the season 4 weeks later.

Then after the Boulder 70.3 in August Gordo laid out three weeks with 25 hours each. Some performance measures did not look as good as they should and one cause was not enough recovery from the race (I did have a week of easy training). In the end I did not manage the complete block as planned, had to back off a bit for a few days in the last week. However on the last two big days (swim 3800 bike 100m run 10k Saturday, run 90 min Sunday) everything came together. The difference between that and earlier weekends was fueling on the bike and three very easy days. Power output was what we expected it to be and importantly it no longer faded towards the end. The run up the same trail was 2-3 min faster. My legs felt they had worked hard the day before when I ran on Sunday but I was running well. The next weekend I repeated the fueling plan at the Harvest Moon half ironman distance race and in had one of my best races at that distance in many years. Hopefully I can repeat that at a full IM on Oct 8.

One other surprise for me was/is the value of a coach having a coach, especially one who can look you in the eye and see how you are doing physically. A long and trusted spouse can do the same, especially one who has suffered having a jock (not sure what the female word for Jock is) in the house.

I have learned a lot this year and hope to pass this on to others. I asked Gordo to coach me when I learned that he had coached another Seasoned Athlete, Ron Ottaway, and his book credits helped as well. I also wanted to get a different perspective on coaching from my own experience.

In conclusion, knowing yourself, eating the best you can, and taking enough hours each day (week) to recover will enhance your experience as a ‘season athlete’.

(Simon Butterworth finished 3rd in his AG at the Hawaii Ironman in Kona).

In the May 2015 edition of The Extra Mile, Coach James published an article called Tame Your Open Water Swim Fear. Coach James relates stories about athletes feeling panicky in open water and offers solid advice to prepare yourself as an open water swimmer: swim in open water frequently, start outside the main pack of swimmers, check your equipment and other tips.James attributes much of the discomfort of open water to unhelpful self-talk, that inner voice that creates a bad emotional state. He states, everyone, and I mean everyone, battles with mindset negativity at some point. In addition to his tips in the article to help make you a better swimmer, you might be interested in some fast, easy techniques to address directly the self-talk that promotes mindset negativity. Here are six techniques that you can do in less than 10 seconds to address unhelpful self-talk, leading to a calmer, smoother open water swim.

To prepare for these six techniques, first recall an unhelpful inner voice, and hear exactly what is says. Some athletes hear a voice that says, "You suck" or "You don't belong here or "Let's just quit" or other charming sayings. What is the most vexing phrase that comes into your mind's ear, when you are open water swimming or at any time? Get the exact wording now and estimate on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (HIGH!) how intense is the feeling you feel when you hear that inner voice.

And now try this:

1. Slow it down. Say the exact phrase, but with a five-second pause between each word and a 10-second pause before the last word. What is the intensity of the feeling now (1-10 scale)?

2. Change the location of the voice. Have the voice say the same phrase, but from 40 yards behind you. What happened? What is the intensity of the feeling now (1-10 scale)?

3. Change the pitch of the voice. Imagine a big balloon filled with helium. Have the voice inhale deeply from the helium balloon, then have it say its phrase. What is the intensity of the feeling now (1-10 scale)?

4. Drop out the letters. In your mind's eye in front of you, see the words in the phrase as though they were written in the air before you. Now let all the vowels in all the words fall to the ground, followed by the rest of the letters. What is the intensity of the feeling now (1-10 scale)?

5. Turn the words to sand. In your mind's eye in front of you, see the words in the phrase as though they were written in the air before you. Now turn all the words to sand, and let the sand fall to the ground. What is the intensity of the feeling now (1-10 scale)?

One January day I was swimming alone in San Francisco Bay. The water was rough with a short, sharp chop and cold, about 49 degrees, and I was swimming pretty far from shore. A voice came into my head, saying, "You can't swim." I found this curious, as I was actually in the very act of swimming when it said that, so this sentence was obviously untrue. Having nothing else to do as I was swimming along, I decided to find out more. I asked this voice, "Since I'm obviously swimming I must be able to swim, and I think you get that, so tell me, what is it that you want?" This question presupposes that this voice has a positive intention underpinning its communication to me.

I received an instant reply, in a rushed tempo: "It's cold and rough and there's nobody else out here. For God's sake, go swim closer to shore in case something happens. I took that as quite useful advice. I could just as easily swim laps along the shoreline as trudge along a half mile from the beach. So I said to the voice, Hey good idea. Thanks. The voice replied, "No problem." And from then on, the voice was no problem. It had registered its positive intention, which happened to be an excellent piece of advice and completely pointed at my best interest so I followed that advice.

Here's how you can do the same technique. Get another unhelpful voice that you sometimes hear when you are confronted with a tough open water swim or other situation. On the 1-10 scale, how intense is the feeling you get when you hear this voice?

6. Ask the voice, as though it can answer, "What is your positive intention for telling me this?" If you get a response (remember, all you are doing is listening for the response; you don't actually have to do any thinking) and the response makes sense, say thank you and do what you need to do. If the response doesn't make sense, ask again, "What is your positive intention for that? Often, the answer to this second question will make sense to you, and you can thank the voice and do what you need to do. If you don't get a response, tell the voice thanks anyway and that you really do want to listen to what it has to say. The voice will often cease or may later give you its intention. Now check your 1-10 scale.

There is a funny story about the psychiatrist who asked the patient, "Do you hear voices in your head?" The patient replied, "Why yes I do." And the psychiatrist thought, ‚Aha, patient hears voices in his head.

We all do, throughout our day. Sometimes those inner voices are helpful, and sometimes they sound anything but helpful. In an open water swim situation, with poor water clarity, cold temperatures, marine life and swimmers surrounding you, your inner voice may say things that promote a panicky feeling. But it doesn't have to be this way. Before you dive in or once into your swim, you can try one or more of the six techniques to calm the inner voice and thereby calm yourself for a smooth, confident swim.

There are dozens more techniques for working directly with your inner voice. I recommend most enthusiastically Steve Andreas's book, Transforming Negative Self-Talk which takes you through these techniques and more to ensure that negative self-talk transforms into useful advice.

Will Murray often hears triathletes saying that the sport is at least 50% mental and 50% physical, but has come to notice that they spend very little (if any) time doing mental training. Fortunately, it's easy and fast to train-up your mind to help you achieve your triathlon goals. Learn how here.

I have the belief that, as the duration of your event increases the training becomes more simplistic. Again, most of us are training for a 10-17 hour day of aerobic exercise.Many athletes are under the impression that there is a magical approach to training for an Ironman. The truth is there are no magic workouts, supplements, or shortcuts that will make you a better Ironman triathlete. Athletes that excel at the Ironman are those that put in the time and have consistency in their training.

The most important piece of training advice that I can give a person is simple: Consistently train! This may sound simple, but with the complex schedules that a lot of us have to train around, finding the time is the hard part. Most athletes have many things going on in their lives besides triathlon. Work, family, and other commitments limit the amount of time that can be used for training. Triathlon training must work in harmony with our everyday lives. This sport is fun and when it starts to become another stressor, then it may be time to take a step back.

The best approach to being consistent in your training is the Basic Week approach.

Schedule a week that has a little less training than you feel is attainable. Now, it may seem odd that I am telling you to schedule less. Whatever happened to, setting your goals high‚ or aiming for the stars? I've fallen into this trap before, setting my expectations too high and have designed basic weeks that I am unable to hit. I would design a schedule where every minute of my day was used. I thought to myself, alright, a monster training week just like the pros. What I failed to realize is there are going to be distractions, unexpected events, or hold-ups that put me behind schedule. It looked good on paper, but it was not feasible. I didn't give myself any flexibility if things didn't go right in my 'dream plan'.

I'll admit, it is fun to try and test your limits, but in my experience, the continued failure to hit your basic week only leads one down a path of inconsistency and frustration. Successfully hitting your targets week after week is far more rewarding than falling short each time.

How do you design a basic week?

Once you have finished your early season base preparations, begin to develop a weekly plan with targets/volume that you can reasonably handle. Don't be in a hurry to rush right into your normal training volume. Build volume gradually as the season approaches and your fitness increases. Remember, we are preparing ourselves for a long day of aerobic exercise where strength, endurance, and durability are superior to speed.

The key to your early season basic week is frequency, not volume. You will achieve volume through frequency.

During the year, your basic week will change in focus. For example, during the winter months, it is hard to put in the bike volume required to excel at the Iron distance. Instead, focus on the frequency of swimming, running, strength and flexibility. You can add cycling volume to your basic week once there is more daylight and the weather becomes nicer.

Reminder: Within this basic week don't get caught up in the magic workout‚ or with the tweaking of main sets within workouts. By being patient and training consistently, you will have a great platform to build upon once spring arrives.

As an age-group or beginner triathlete, anything you consistently do will increase your fitness. The process is simple and doesn't need to be so complicated. Most people are looking for an easy way out, but the truth is, you have to do the work. Hitting your weekly targets, week after week leads to successful months, which leads to successful seasons.

Success in any aspect of our lives is the result of linking up thousands of successful moments over time. Our current situation is created from decisions of the past. Keep that in mind as you train for an event that is over 140 miles long and maybe 6 months from now!

If you are new to triathlon and want to get a handle on a coach's honesty, and diplomatic skill, tell your prospective coach you are looking for someone to train you for your first ironman distance race. You can tell him about the few sprint races you've done and perhaps are a bit more seasoned in one of the three sports. Then listen carefully for the answer.You should hear something along the lines of "Don't do it", and if not, you are not getting an honest answer. For sure there will be some questions from the coach to understand more about your athletic history but if you stick to the script you should be advised against it. How gently the coach lets you down will tell you something about their diplomatic skills. If it is a very soft landing hire the coach as your psychologist (I was told in my USAT certification class that a coach is sometimes called on to be a psychologist or at a minimum a friendly good listening bartender).

So what is it that propels some people to want to take on this challenge now with limited endurance training (or none) and not later? Why go Long (What's wrong with shorter distances). I'm not a physiologist but most of the credit must go to the organization behind the Ironman brand.  Marketing of Ironman events have unquestionably been extremely successful greatly helped by NBC and originally ABC Wide World of Sports. That success can be measured by the mistaken idea of many casual spectators of the sport who think that Ironman events are triathlons and the only ‚"Real Triathlon‚" distance.

The only other triathlon that gets attention on national TV (in the US at least) is the Olympics (every 4 years). Since there are not masses of armatures following the pros around that course it's easy to understand why the public in general does not associate this type of racing with amateurs.That's most unfortunate. If you have watched the Olympics, or any other professional race over the same distance you will know that it requires an amazing level of fitness. It's a different type of fitness from IronMan competition but both deserve a jaw dropping respect from the public.The effort for amateurs who compete in shorter races should command similar respect.  Completing a sprint race is for many more effort than running a ¬Ω marathon. An Olympic finisher is working as hard and longer than many take to complete a marathon. The amateur winners of a Half IM are at it for twice the time of the winners of a marathon. To have a good day in a shorter than Ironman race, is every bit as physically challenging as a full length Ironman. Don't forget the challenges of managing a career, relationship and a family too!If you do have your mind set on doing a long distance triathlon, such as Ironman, think long term. Consider this: To get in a swim at a local pool you have to allow some time to get there, back and change. Say 15 min to get ready and get to the pool, 5 min to change, 10 min shower and dress afterwards and at least another 10 to get to work or home again. Total non-exercise time 2 hrs per week assuming three workouts.

Non-training time for biking would be similar to running so that's 3.5+ hrs a week for all three events. Now add the training time. Some coaches say you can do an Ironman on 12 hrs a week; I am not one of those. But at that level you are looking for another 15.5 hrs a week out of your life to train for an IM, 18.5 hours if you use my minimum time.  But there are even more factors that play into Ironman success. Read on.Years ago at the annual party of my Triathlon Team (Team Runners Edge) back in NY two friends asked me what it took to train for an Ironman. Don and Scott were two of the best 40 something AG athletes on LI at Sprint and Olympic races. Their wives were with them, neither athletes themselves. They each had two young children and a long commute from LI to NYC.I started by saying you need at least 8hrs of sleep a night and more if you want to be at the top of their AG in Ironman events. I was not able to finish my thoughts with how much training time was needed. Their wives had erupted in laughter. Everyone knows that the biggest commodity while raising a young family is sleep. To Don and Scott's credit they stuck with Olympic distance racing.  

When their children are older I suspect they will move up to longer stuff and they will be very good at it.If you are building a career, family or both think about moving up in distance and if it's right for you. Sure there are plenty of athletes out there racing Ironman distance who have both but a great many of them have a very big support group, paid and unpaid. It takes a lot of sacrifice from your entire team to make it work.On the other end of the spectrum, someone coming off the couch looking to compete in a sprint triathlon, is a huge goal. Just how big that goal is was brought home to me when a friend finished her first triathlon.  Not that Mindy was a novice to endurance sports, she had finished marathons, but overcoming the demons of open water swimming and running after a hard bike ride put her in the clouds. And she did that while raising a family and working. In my experience, Mindy is doing it the right way, by building from small races up to the longer ones.

She's patient and as a coach, that's what I like to see.Even at the professional level, most of the well-known athletes started out with smaller, shorter The most famous members of the sport like Dave Scott, Mark Allen and Paula Newby-Frazer all participated in shorter races. All of the top pros of today started racing at shorter distances. They also started out as armatures. No one, not even Chrissie Wellington, arrived magically on the top of the podium of an Ironman without paying some dues (Chrissie just flew under the radar for a while)I think it is fair to say that the best athletes in any sport enjoy what they are doing. It is especially important for amateur athletes that sports should be a fun, as it is supposed to be a diversion from the other stresses in life for most of us. If in short order you add another 18+hr workday to your life that is not likely to be stress free.  If the success of that endeavor is uncertain, and be assured it would be if you jump in too soon, then there is more stress.Would it not be better to pick off lower hanging fruit to start? If you are worried that your time will run out before you get to the big event remember that there were 5 athletes in last years IM World Championship, 4 finished, in the 80-84 Age Group. Yes that is an awesome inspiration to go out and do an Ironman now but think long term.My advice to you, as a seasoned coach and veteran racer is to enjoy the shorter races, learn all you can and when the time is right, move up to the longer distances so they are just as enjoyable and worthwhile. Be patient and when you're ready to move up in distance, you'll know it.‍

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Coach Simon followed his own advice in his racing career.  Starting with Sprints in 1992, and moving to Olympic distance in '95 he made made Team USA in '97 for the next 3 years (riding a QR). In 2001 he qualified for Kona in Lake Placid in his first IM. He has now raced in Kona 14 times with 5 podium finishes and one win.  His coaching will ignite your passion for racing!

There comes a time in every triathletes racing when they start to get curious about going longer distances. The curiosity to train for the longer distances becomes a stronger pull. If you think you might be ready to make the move from Olympic distance racing to long course racing, consider the following workouts to help you shake things up and test your determination! When looking to move up in distance, keep in mind the two main changes are going to be the pace of the your workouts and your nutritional plan. Since you'll be going twice as long on the bike, know that instead of racing at Zone 4 HR on the bike or Zone 4 power (90% of threshold or higher), you'll want to ratchet down the intensity to Zone 2 and 3 on the bike and Zone 2 and 3 power ranges or about 80-85% of threshold. In terms of nutrition, instead of planning for a 2-3 hour event, you will be planning for a 4.5 to 6+ hour event, and that is a major difference.

The plus side is that the swim distance doesn't change much, so those workouts can remain relatively similar. The only change I would make is to make certain you have one, straight, long swim each week. This can be something between 2,000 and 3,000 yards. Swim this in tempo effort at the same effort / pace as you would like to swim in your Half Ironman race.

Bike / Run workouts for HIM distance:

1. Simple yet effective:

2.5 hour ride, with the first two hours at Zone 2 HR and / or 70-75% of threshold power. The final 30 minutes should be at HIM HR and power (Zone 2 and up to 85% of threshold power.)

Run off the bike: 30 minutes at 30‚ a mile slower than HIM goal pace.

2. Getting in the range:

3 hour ride with 3 25 minutes at HIM watts. After warm up, ride 25 minutes in Zone 3 HR / up to 85% of threshold power. Recovery is 10‚ easy. Do this 3x total. Easy spin to the finish and right to the bike.

Run off the bike: 1 hour with first 10‚ easy, then 40‚ at HIM goal pace, and 10‚ cool down.

3. Bulls-eye!

This is THE workout to do 3 weeks out from your goal HIM race (this is a 3 hour bike workout):

20 warmup, then 3 40 at 80-85% of threshold power (Zone 3 HR). Recovery is 10 at IM watts and HR (72% of threshold and Zone 2 HR). Easy coo down and right to the run.

Run off the bike: Easy 2 miles at Zone 2 HR, then 2√ó3 miles at goal HIM pace, with 1 mile easy in between, then an easy 1 mile cool down (This run should be 10 total miles and should take you about 75-105 minutes total, depending on fitness level).

These workouts are pretty basic, however, quite effective. We aren't throwing in any intensity over Half Iron effort, so that should make them easy to complete and recover from. Taking a long term approach to your training means being consistent on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Know this: going too hard, too early and too often can lead to missing too many workouts due to fatigue and injury. Follow the workouts above and stay consistent with your training so you can have a great transition to the half iron distance.

Whether you're getting ready for your first or fifteenth full or half distance race, it can be easy to lose sight of the details that will get you across the line. In short-course racing, mistakes are often forgiven by the shorter duration. At long course, it's very difficult to recover from mistakes. Go out too hard on the swim or over ride the bike, even by just a little, and you're shuffling (or walking) your marathon. When the wheels come off at this distance, they come off. Here are some tips I wish I had fully understood before my first full distance race.

1. It's the inputs that matter. What many triathletes get focused on are the wrong things, things like a finish time and age group placings and qualifying slots. These are outputs, you don't directly control them. Some outputs you don't control at all. So spend exactly zero time worrying about them. What you do control are the inputs, the quality of your training, having the right, well-maintained equipment, properly pacing your race, mastering the mental aspects of racing. Practice the inputs every day and you'll see the outputs you want on race day.

2. Goal setting. Your first goal is to finish. Second, finish with a smile. For most age-groupers, that's it. Everything else is gravy. Note that "finish time" was on the list of outputs. Does this surprise you? You're the racer, don't you control this? You do, but not the way most inexperienced triathletes think they do. You control your pacing and nutrition, these two elements make up at least 80 percent of your day. Get either one wrong and things get sideways, likely irreparably so on race day. So DON'T SET A TIME GOAL even if you think you're going to Kona. This is an output. See item 1.

Instead, set process goals that will ride 92 cadence at 150 watts during the first hour of the bike and build gradually to 170 watts by the last hour. If you hit all of your process goals, you'll be happy with your overall time because it will be the best time you're capable of racing. The problem with a time goal is that all sorts of things happen on course that you have to work with and around. If you set an 11 hour goal and go 11:30 because the bike was slowed by wind, would you be disappointed that you missed your goal, or happy that you're an Ironman who adapted well to the conditions of the day? To answer that question, you'll look at your inputs, you hit your process goals, there's nothing to be unhappy about. You'll have raced your best race.

3. Get your nutrition and hydration right. Your race day nutrition plan will be individual to you so I won't be able to offer a formula here that will work for everyone. Make sure you discuss your plan with your coach well in advance of race day so you have plenty of time to practice during your long workouts. Why do you think you have those 6 hour rides on your plan? It's really not primarily about the physical training. Just about any ride over 4 hours is about the mental training along with race day logistics. Simulate race day on your long workout days and practice what, when, and how you'll eat and drink.

Can you eat in aero position? Do you crave (or tolerate) the same food during hour five that you did during hour one? Are you drinking enough? Can you use concentrated bottles? How will you get the calories you need?

Talk to your coach. If you go into race day thinking that you'll eat when you're hungry and drink when you're thirsty (or have some other non-plan), you've just thrown away six months of training. I guarantee you're going to have a bad day.

4. Practice transitions. Fast transitions are less critical at long course, but you should still have a plan. Read the athlete guide for your race and understand how transitions will work. For example, at Ironman you generally won't have your own transition area like you do at most other races. Practice your transitions the way they'll be on race day. Make yourself T1, T2, and special needs bags and practice with them in the weeks leading up to the race.

5. Wear what you will perform best in. Most athletes will wear a trisuit throughout the race, but you might consider a complete change into sport-specific clothing. I know this is not what you commonly see, but it only takes an extra minute or two in transition. I've raced both ways and though you don't necessarily look like a triathlon pro when you ride in a cycling kit and run in running clothes, there's a certain logic to it. It's hard to put a price on comfort. Obviously, this plan only works if there are changing tents (common at full-distance) at your race so be sure you know how transitions will be set up at your race.

6. Know the course. You definitely want to know ahead of time that there's a killer hill at mile 90 of the bike, or there's no shade during the first half of the run. At a minimum, read the athlete handbook or study the course on the race website. Check out the course in Google Earth.

If you can train on the course in the weeks and months leading up to the race, do it! If not, simulate your course as best you can. Should you drive the course in the days before the race? I think you should, but know that driving often takes longer than you think it should and some athletes fell like it makes the course seem daunting‚ especially the single-loop full-distance bike courses. Trust me‚ not as long on race day as it seems in the car.

7. Don't pay attention to that guy/gal at packet pickup. Check out Coach AJ's hilarious video about how to psych out the competition and then don't be this person. More importantly, don't pay any attention to this person. Don't let what you see or overhear change your confidence. Relax and enjoy the whole experience. You're ready for race day, nothing anyone else has done to prepare him or herself takes away from your race. There will always be someone who did a longer long run or nuttier swim set. Good for them (or maybe not). This has nothing to do with you, so be confident in your own training and your own race strategy.

8. Nothing new on race day. For the most part, this is definitely the way to go. Everything you do should be tested in training so you have confidence on race day. Eat what you've eaten in training, wear shoes that have been broken in, even wear the visor you always wear. For experienced long-course racers, you might try one new thing‚ something minor‚ adjust to fine-tune your strategy for future races.

9. Pace your race. No one cares who gets into T2 first. Maybe you've heard someone say they were having a great race until the run. This is almost always baloney. It means they swam and/or rode too hard, they just didn't know it until their race fell apart on the run. At full distance, if you go for it early, you'd better have the strength and endurance to handle it. The swim IS your warmup. Build into it gradually and don't worry about racing. You can't win any triathlon in the water. For almost everyone, swimming 5 minutes slower than your potential best time is the best strategy at full distance. Keep the entire swim comfortable and highly aerobic so you come out of the water ready to ride. Keep most of the ride in Z2 even though it may feel too easy, only pushing into Z3 later in the ride. Stay well clear of threshold unless you absolutely have to go there to get over a steep hill. If you ride with a power meter, know your goal IF and don't deviate. Ride with a smooth, consistent cadence and avoid bursts of power. Run the first 5-10 miles very easy‚ back in Z2. Don't try to build off your bike right away, especially at full-distance. Settle into a controlled pace and only pick it up when you're ready (according to your plan). Don't worry about who passes you early in the run. Stick to YOUR plan.

10. Champions adapt. We used this phrase all season with the 2014 collegiate national champion University of Colorado Triathlon Team. There will be ups and downs throughout your training and on race day. The best racers adapt to the challenges that are put before them. You need to be able to make assessments on the fly and change plans as circumstances dictate. If you make these inevitable adjustments within the limits of your skill and fitness, you'll be happy with your results. Know that it will never go exactly the way you plan. That's okay. Be prepared to have a great day regardless.

Bonus: Celebrate and say thanks! Long course racing is about the journey to race day as much as it is about race day itself. In many ways, race day is the reward more than the obstacle. Make sure that you celebrate every finish. Don't fall prey to what I call the Boulderization of triathlon: it's not JUST a half-Ironman, it's a half-Ironman, dagnabbit! In the days and weeks after the race, enjoy telling the story to your inquisitive and sometimes incredulous friends. If you didn't have the day you wanted, don't make a big deal of it with your admiring fans. (Learn, apply, and move forward.) Plan a special dinner with your family and biggest supporters. Remember that your training was a part-time job over many months. You probably spent most of this time away from family and most friends. Remember to say thanks.

USAT National Championship 2015, thoughts from a 15-year Ironman fan/ athlete.The last time I raced a USAT Nationals was 2003. The races were well run back then, but could not compete with the atmosphere of the Ironman events back in the day. After a weekend in Milwaukee at this year at Nationals, and it's Ironman that has some catching up to do in my mind.

Part of it was Milwaukee, but by no means all. The venue was exceptional. I suspect that some of the IM venues in Europe rival the fun of racing in the middle of a big city like Milwaukee, but none of the NA events are quite like this weekend. Even Boulder, which is an awesome location, does not have everything happening in the middle of town (it helped to have a lake downtown). A huge part of the event success was the atmosphere and organization. It was first class!

I missed out on the excitement of Kona this year (12x finisher!), but I did volunteer and watch the Boulder IM and had athletes racing in Canada, Arizona, Boulder and Chattanooga in the past year as well as a number of friends. I also raced in and had athletes racing in shorter events around the country. Looking at the faces of finishers in local races and at Nationals got me thinking why do we, the general public and many triathletes, feel that completion of an Ironman event is a mark of some extraordinary achievement and other races, while impressive, really don't count much.

Consider this. Is this year's male Ironman World Championship achievement more significant than his Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympics? Olympics are only once every 4 years and most athletes are at the peak performance in their lives for not much more than 4-6 years. So timing to reach your peak only comes around a few times. I think the Gold is more impressive.

Is anyone who decides to make a significant change to their health and fitness, and set out to not just finish, but finish well in a Sprint or Olympic race, and race at the National level any less inspirational? Here is some of the inspiration I got from the USAT Nationals this year.

MilwaukeeThe top men were running 33-36 10k with bike speeds over 26mph with even faster pacing in the sprint. The top women rode a bit slower, but Olympic winner Abby Levene (Boulder resident) was right up there with her male counterpart when she got her running shoes on, they went 34:53 and 33:47 respectively. The winner of my AG (65-69) in the sprint ran a 20 min 5k. If that was not enough we had 78-year-old Sheila Isaacs, a friend, winning the sprint and 85-year-old Winston Allen winning the 85+ category followed by 91-year-old Robert Powers. Winston swam 19 min, biked at 15mph and ran a 14 min mile. When Robert got on the stage I realized I had a good 20 more years in the sport.

Sheila incidentally set out in her late 50's to race in a triathlon in every state of the Union. She finished that quest in grand style in Kona, in 2004. If you want to read more about Shelia go here.

Following are some other stats from the Olympic Nationals. To finish in the top 20% of an AG you would have had to go approximately under:

M85+ 3:30

M80-84 3:30

M75-79 2:43

F75-59 3:37

M70-74 2:43

F70-74 3:11

M65-69 2:35

F65-69 2:57

M60-64 2:28

F60-64 2:47

M55-59 2:21

F55-59 2:36

M50-54 2:16

F50-54 2:31

F35-39 2:24

M35-39 2:09

I did not list all AG because I think you get the idea, the performances are impressive. Can you complete an Olympic course (Nationals bike had a few short climbs, but was generally quite flat, the run was flat) at these speeds? This is no tea party!

Another way of looking at this is Ellen Hart, a very well known 55+ Colorado athlete finished 4th at Nationals and won her AG in Kona. The run course was too short for her always fast run splits.

So why do we put finishing an IM in such high regard? Ironman got its name by chance from the wonderful crazy Navy Seals in Hawaii who dreamed up the first competition. I don't think any focus group has ever came up with such a perfect brand name. It also helped that the Championship evolved in Paradise, at least as far as a destination is concerned.

That brand name is polished hard every October and a marketing juggernaut has evolved over the years. Swimming, biking and running 140.6 miles is not enough in the minds of many, it has to be an Ironman branded event. But, I think many would be well advised to reset that thinking. You can just finish an Olympic or Sprint Tri as many set out to do when they tackle an Ironman, or you can set some serious goals to start moving that PR steadily upward in shorter events.

Doing that does not require the massive amount of time and resources it takes to tackle an Ironman. You can train and spend a good bit of the weekend with your family friends and kids! You do not have to drive yourself nuts, and those around you, as you make every second of your day count. Most importantly you are not stressing yourself so much that you are putting your health at risk.

And, when you do get to race at the levels I have been talking about, and you still want to do an Ironman, you may find yourself qualifying for Kona much easier than you might imagine. Shelia did on her first attempt!

Coach Simon Butterworth believes winning does not have to mean being first. It was never more clear to me  than  Hawaii 2009 when circumstances conspired to put me out on the run with many for whom winning was just finishing. Being first in a triathlon is great for the lucky ones.  I have been lucky at times, but it's for whatever reason can be just as much fun and many times even more rewarding.  So my goal for anyone I coach is to help them win!

Triathlon workouts take time. A two-hour ride takes, well, two hours. Fortunately, mental training is quite fast, even just a few seconds.

Take this fast mental conditioning to an extreme: here are five mental conditioning techniques that you can do in five seconds each. Yes, five seconds. Try these:

1. **Breathe.**
  - Step 1: Think of a situation that causes you to have some fear. It could be anything, triathlon-related or not. Hold your breath. On a scale of 1-10 (one is low, 10 is high), how intense is your fear feeling right now when you put yourself in that situation? Put a number on it.
  - Step 2: Now, do four deep breaths, inhales and exhales.
  - Step 3: Feel that fear feeling now, and assess how intense is the feeling (1-10 scale). Compare to before you did the deep breathing. Now you have excitement, not fear.

2. **Make a good feeling bigger.**
  - Step 1: Think of something you really like and enjoy for its own sake. Maybe you want to keep this personal; that’s your decision. Make a picture in your mind’s eye of this thing or event or activity.
  - Step 2: Make the image bigger and closer, just a little and not too much, and notice how the intensity of the enjoyment increases.
  - Step 3: Once the intensity of the feeling stops increasing and starts to diminish, stop enlarging the image, make it just a little smaller, and leave it there. Enjoy the feeling.

3. **Make an unpleasant feeling smaller.**
  - Step 1: Recall an unpleasant feeling. Maybe it’s that bonky feeling you get when you run out of fuel or the butterflies in your stomach you get before a race.
  - Step 2: Locate the precise place in your body where you feel this physical sensation, a place you can point to in your body.
  - Step 3: Reduce the size of the feeling by seeing it get smaller and smaller until it is about pinpoint size.
  - Step 4: Assess the intensity of the feeling and notice how much it has diminished.

4. **View through a camera.**
  - Step 1: Think of another experience that you don’t like. It could be getting a flat tire on the bike or having an argument with your child or an unpleasant episode at work. Make a clear picture in your mind’s eye of this unpleasant thing.
  - Step 2: Imagine that you are seeing you over there, through a small, grainy, black-and-white TV screen like the ones that you see in the movies in the security room.
  - Step 3: Notice how the unpleasant feeling has diminished.

5. **Smile.**
  - Step 1: Frown as hard as you can and say aloud, “I feel great.” That was unconvincing.
  - Step 2: Smile as hard as you can and say, “I feel terrible.” Notice that you just can’t do it.
  - Step 3: Smile and say, “I feel terrific.” That’s better.

Whenever you feel bad, whenever you have doubts, whenever things are going astray, just smile. Smile when you hurt. Smile when you feel great. Smile when you feel worried. Smile when you feel confident.

Try all five of these five-second fixes and see which one you like best. Then use it, or any of them, or all of them, whenever you need.

Will Murray is a sought-after mental skills coach for endurance athletes and is D3 Multisport athletes’ favorite coach for assistance with concerns such as open water swim fears or descending hills fast! Learn more about Will and how his strategies can transform your race day experience by clicking on the contact us button below.

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, "The Triathlon Minute" Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn't know.

Fear of the unknown can get the best of us, especially if we are racing a new distance or experiencing a new sport. Learn how a Slovenian phrase can help you rethink those fears from Coach Martina.

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, "The Triathlon Minute". Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn't know.

What's the beauty of a power meter? It's purpose is in this week's video tip above.

Learn how Coach AJ's expertise in power meters will help you improve your training.

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D3 Multisport is proud to release the video series, “The Triathlon Minute”. Invest 1 minute each Friday and you may learn something you didn’t know.

Train Like You Race! Coach Mike shares a tip to help you think more strategically about your training and get you race ready.