Transition Zone
ELBOW SIDE PLANK WITH LEG LIFT
By Sage Rountree
It’s a lot of work to find ways to balance your training in three disciplines with your work and relationships, I know. It’s hard to find time for extra training — for strength, for flexibility, for recovery. That’s why knowing some yoga poses to do at home is critical. Include a few poses in your cool down a few times a week, and you’ll be training smart and preventing injury.
Here’s a great pose for multitasking: side plank on the elbow with a leg lift. Holding this pose for 1-3 sets of 5-15 breaths will strengthen your shoulders, hips, and everything in between.
Lift to a plank position on your side — forearm to the floor. Fiddle with elbow and hand placement until you find something comfortable. Flex your bottom foot and hold a long line all the way down your body with your core muscles engaged. Lift and hold your top leg. For more, work in some reps of lifting and lowering — both the body from the floor and the top leg from the bottom. Finish with several breaths in child’s pose to relax.
SAGE ROUNTREE is the author of “The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga” and “The Athlete’s Pocket Guide to Yoga” and a USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach. Her latest book, “Racing Wisely,” is available at
racingwisely.com. Visit
sagerountree.com for her schedule and free post-workout yoga videos.
YOU BECOME WHAT YOU TRAIN TO BECOME
By Cheryl D. Hart
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN OPPOSED to putting in “junk miles” when pursuing peak performance. Quality, however, isn’t limited to speed work, hill repeats and fartleks. Quality means being purposeful in your training.
To reach full potential, every skill involved in competition must be trained individually. If any piece is missing, you won’t succeed. If you can’t sustain the mind to go the full distance, then physical endurance and speed won’t matter. It’s essential to see the connection between practice and competition and set specific goals for psychological skills training accordingly. To achieve mental toughness, each workout must have a predetermined answer to, “Why am I doing this?” and “How is this going to help me on race day?”
Awareness is key and this requires concentrated thought. Don’t let your mind just wander during training and then expect to be fully focused in competition. Practice remaining fully present in each moment. Be aware of your inner critic, which is the biggest distraction of all. Replace negative dialogue with positive, motivational or instructional phrases. Do a mental checklist to maintain proper form and mindset.
There are no shortcuts to mental toughness. Training your brain to be as tough as your body requires that you get out of the comfort zone and dig deep. Learn what it feels like to push the limits and become comfortable with the veil of discomfort.
Cheryl Hart, owner of 2nd Wind Motivation, is a sport psychology consultant who works with athletes around the world. To reach Cheryl, call 502-693-7443 or visit
www.2ndWindMotivation.com.
18 USA TRIATHLON FALL 2013
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