How to survive low moments in an Ironman, other triathlons or life in general
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ~ Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning ~ “Low moments” in a race — especially an Ironman triathlon with its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run — and in life are inevitable. So how do you get through them? Attach “meaning” to your race (and this applies to the rest of your life, too). In other words, ask yourself the hard question:...
Read MoreYou are what you eat…err, rather, you are what think
“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” - Henry Ford (1863-1946) Remember the adage, “You are what you eat?” There is a corresponding adage: “You are what you think.” In other words, your thoughts influence your feelings, which influence your behavior. Think positively and you’ll have positive outcomes. Think negatively and the opposite holds true. One of the most consistent findings in sport psychology research is that confidence – a belief in one’s abilities – is a positive a predictor of performance. If you have...
Read MoreI climb smoothly and effortlessly – like a monkey
Alternatively, I could easily have titled this blog post: “How to get faster, stronger, smoother, etc…without training any harder.” Affirmations (like the title of this blog post) are positive statements of what you want to happen, but stated as if it already has happened. They are a mental training tool to build self-confidence, which, as research consistently finds, leads to success. I recently took up indoor sport climbing as an alternative to my regular exercise diet of swim, bike and run. I enjoy the challenge of learning a new sport from scratch. The quality of...
Read MoreTom overcomes at Ironman Lake Placid to PR by 100+ Minutes
My friend and coaching client, Lt Col Tom Impellitteri, USMC, successfully completed Ironman Lake Placid this past weekend, improving his 2009 finish time by more than 100 minutes with significant improvements in all 5 race splits: swim, T1, bike, T2 and run. Wow! What is amazing about his story is not how well he did, but rather how well he overcame three significant adverse situations during his race – any of the three could have derailed his race. Like life, racing an Ironman is full of challenges, many of which come at you unexpectedly. The key, I believe, to successfully navigating...
Read MoreAdvice from a River – Go with the Flow
From Advice From a River by Ilan Shamir: Live simply and gracefully in Your own True Nature moving, flowing, allowing, serene and on course It takes time to carve the beauty of the canyon rough waters become smooth Go around the obstacles Stay current The beauty is in the journey! My goal race and focus for this year is a sub-9 hour race at Ironman Coeur d’Alene (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run) the end of June. After racing 4 triathlons in 3 days from May 21-23 as part of Triple-T (TTT) in Ohio (read my Triple-T race report), I became just like “Angry Closet...
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