mental prep:training
OffseasOn Training: inTervals fOr The Mind
By Cheryl D. Hart
T
he lakes and roads are frozen. Your wetsuit and bike are tucked “The performance profile”). On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being
away with memories of sun and sweaty miles. What’s one to do the best), rate your mental skills in the following essential areas:
when bored to death with treadmills, hot yoga and that endless determination, consistent effort, courage, confidence, self-talk,
black pool line? motivation, concentration and anxiety-management.
Consider using the offseason to develop your mental or Next, list in order the aspects that you have identified as
psychological skills in order to enhance your performance and weaknesses and consider what you might do in each area for
enjoyment of triathlon. It’s now widely accepted that races are improvement. Break this down into manageable increments, choosing
won by athletes who train hard both physically and mentally. one area to work on each week. Plan and implement specific
Mental toughness can make the difference between a sub-optimal strategies, setting small goals for each week, and even smaller goals for
performance and one in which you realize your full potential. More each day both during your training and everyday life. For instance, if
importantly, it means the difference between having a positive you struggle with pre-competitive anxiety during race season, practice
experience or feeling miserable during and after a race. maintaining calm when stuck in a traffic jam, making an important
So why not use the offseason to give yourself that extra edge? presentation to the board or when awaiting a dreaded medical
Competitions are often won or lost by inches or by fractions of procedure.
seconds. And most of these small differences are a result of what’s in Though he didn’t own a wetsuit or tri-bike, we can learn a lot from
the small space “between the ears.” Willie Mays, who said, “What shape your mind is in, is what makes the
S.L. Parker, author and co-founder of MaxPitch Media, Inc., says, biggest difference of all.”
“At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling Don’t just hibernate this winter. Dig deep and develop mental
water, comes steam. And with steam, you strength, stamina and speed. Just think of it as interval training for the
can power a train.” Just one degree of mind.
extra effort can result in dramatic
changes – evidenced when ask Cheryl
you transition from a winter Q: How does mental training work to improve an
season devoted to mental athlete’s performance?
strength training into spring a: Every move we make in life is coded like a
training. blueprint in our minds and nervous systems. So, if
How does one begin? we mentally practice a competition, we are actually
Self-awareness is the key blueprinting each move and sending a message to the
to any positive and lasting muscles involved with instructions on how to perform
change. The first step is to correctly. That sets the stage for the desired movement
know what you need to work to become automatic and natural. Similar to physical
on. Let’s begin with a modified training, in order for psychological skills training (PST) to be
self-evaluation of your strengths and most effective, it must be consistent and systematic.
weaknesses (Butler & Hardy, 1992,
Q: If you had to pick just one mental skills aspect to work on that in
your experience most affects athletic performance, what would it be?
a: Self-awareness and confidence are foundational to performance
and impact your life (whether positively or negatively) like a ripple
effect beyond the athletic realm. Be aware of how you see yourself
(self-concept) and carefully monitor what you think and say about
yourself (self-talk). Create new “tapes” that are patient, kind and
encouraging. Try each day to find even the smallest, seemingly
insignificant ways to bolster your self-esteem. Without that, athletes
focus primarily on avoiding failure, out of fear of what others will
think, rather than on setting their own standard of excellence.
Cheryl Hart, M.S., owner of 2nd Wind Motivation and Hart to
Heart Talk Show, helps individuals, teams, and businesses establish
and achieve goals. She is a sport psychology consultant, motivational
speaker and instructor of sport psychology at the University of
Louisville. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Psychology from
the University of Tennessee, and a B.A. from Centre College, where
she competed in and coached cross country. She recently was
inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Cheryl has run 44
marathons and is an All-American triathlete and duathlete, competing
internationally on Team USA with podium finishes. She has received
numerous awards, including National Inspirational Athlete, Kentucky’s
NCAA Female Athlete of the Year, SCAC Runner of the Year, and SCAC
Coach of the Year. To contact Cheryl, call (502) 693-7443, e-mail
offrunnin@yahoo.com or visit
www.2ndWindMotivation.com
50 USA TriAThlon winter 10
USATTriWinter10pgs3-51.indd 50 12/9/09 1:38:55 PM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140