Your Most Important Piece of Equipment

I read a pretty cool article today published by the United States Triathlon Association and written by Dr. Mitchell Greene about the most important piece of equipment a triathlete has.

Basically Dr. Greene tells how with all the new fangled tri gear coming out these days that our brain is still our most important piece of equipment and for that there is nothing new.

Mastering the mental game and facing our fears and doubts is the key to conquering mental mistakes. Dr. Greene then goes on to outline some real thought provoking suggestions well worth reading.

You can find the whole article here at this link: http://www.usatriathlon.org/resources/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/your-most-important-piece-of-equipment

Enjoy The Moment

Have you ever seen this following a triathlon?

Someone finishes an amazing triathlon race and then begins right away to focus on all the things that they did wrong or could have done better to improve their time.

My point is that triathletes particularly seem to be kinda hard on themselves. Maybe because so many are Type-A personalities.

It’s true that this can be a tough and demanding sport both physically and mentally that requires discipline, techniques, gear and nutrition decisions and so it's true there is a lot you can examine to criticize about yourself.

But come on, give yourself a break and just remember that not every race will be your personal best. Weather conditions combined with how you feel that day and also how your equipment performs will all combine to help determine your outcome.

My point is to simply stop and take a deep breathe and appreciate what you have accomplished. Enjoy achieving a personal best or an improvement in any stage or just the success of finishing.

It’s always good to review and reflect on how you can improve and shave time off your next race. But it’s also good to enjoy the achievement of the moment.

Your comments?

Rock on!

Ready. Set. Go. Swim.

At the beginning of any Triathlon race, many triathletes feel nervous and unsure about how their swimming segment will unfold on any given race day. Just remember, It’s normal to feel a little anxious when entering the water… especially if you're a newbie.

For some people it may be their first time racing in an open body of water. Sometimes it feels little frantic when it gets down to the point where your age group is called into the water or to the starting line. Concentrate on being calm and on your race strategy including sighting out the first buoy as your first milestone to stay focused on.

If you’re focused on strategy and milestones, you’ll have less time to think about being nervous.

Some people may even experience a panic attack but this is where you draw strength and confidence from all your training when waiting for the gun to sound at the starting line.

The key at that moment is to start out both relaxed and focused. Yes, it will be a little frantic at the beginning but just remember to breathe, stick to the stroke you have practiced and protect the space around your head as you jockey for your piece of open water.

For more open water swimming tips, go to: http://openwaterswimming.org/

Open Water Swimming Tips For New Triathletes – Part 2

Ready, set, go. After educating and arming yourself with all the safety and swimming tips you can find on open water swimming, there is nothing else left but to simply jump in and practice. There is no substitute for getting a feel for the differences between open water and a contained swimming / lap pool. Now it's just like the saying goes, practice, practice, practice.

The first most important tip is safety first. Don’t ever swim alone in an open body of water of any kind. Go in a group or with a partner and even better yet go with a buddy in a kayak who can spot for you.

Practice sighting. One of the biggest differences from training in a pool and swimming in open water is that there is no big black line on the bottom you can follow to keep you on track swimming straight. Before getting into the water look for identifiable land markers like a tall tree, a building, or just anything you can see each time you raise your head and look forward. This will really help to keep you swimming in the right direction.

If possible, always try to get in the water a day or two before the race and test out your sighting. Also, you can get a feel for the temperature of the water, the conditions and surroundings.

Relax and be confident in your training. Some say that you should start out a race hard and fast to gain a strong position ahead of your competitors and maybe that is for you if you are experienced in racing and swimming in open water. But, if you are a newbie I would suggest just get started and swim to get comfortable and confident.

Do you have any tips you would like to add? If so please do.

Open Water Swimming Tips For Triathletes – Part 1

It’s perfectly normal to have a little fear when looking ahead to open water swimming in your first triathlon. I have been racing in triathlons for years and I still get a little afraid every time before an open water swim start.

Actually, I think it’s a bit of a good thing to be a little afraid because it keeps you alert and on guard for an open water swim among a group of swimmers thrashing, kicking and jockeying for space.

They say that the order of the triathlon events is based on the most danger to you as a racer / participant starting with open water swimming then biking at sometimes high speeds and then running which is the least dangerous of the three disciplines.

At the beginning of a race I always think to myself that if I can just finish the swim without getting kicked in the head it will be all down hill from there. Then I get to the bike and think if I can just finish the bike without any flats or crashes, I’ll be in good shape. Then when I get to the run I think that if I can just finish the run without any injuries everything will be good. Then before you know it the race is over and that feeling of accomplishment is indescribable.

It is thrilling every time you finish the swim portion because to me it feels like I’m conquering something big. That’s why it’s important to observe a few key safety tips and we’ll cover those in part two.