POSITIVE SELF-TALK

Self-talk is the positive and negative dialogue that goes on inside an athletes head. Self-talk impacts performance by affecting attitude, which then affects behavior. The type of self-talk generated by an athlete will determine whether performance is improved or impaired. Researchers have found that Olympic qualifiers and national team athletes used positive self-talk as a motivation strategy and to enhance self-confidence. All athletes, who want to improve, need to increase the frequency and variety of positive self-talk.

An important feature of positive self-talk is to have a variety of reinforcing words. Usually, athletes do not have a rich vocabulary of reinforcing words. Therefore, it is important to increase the number of positive words and the manner in which you say them.

The following list contains synonyms for the word “good”. What other important and potentially effective words can you think of that have a strong positive connotation?

1. Top notch
2. Capital
3. First class
4. First rate
5. Magnificent
6. Stupendous
7. Superlative
8. Radical
9. Super
10. Fabulous
11. Amazing
12. Far-out
13. Dynamite
14. Phenomenal
15. Tremendous
16. Gorgeous
17. A-1
18. Grand
19. Beautiful
20. Incredible
21. Fantastic
22. Proud
23. Superb
24. Splendid
25. Right-on
26. Hot
27. Terrific
28. Great
29. Marvelous
30. Wonderful
31. Grand
32. Excellent
33. Unbelievable
34. Out of this world

When you use positive self-talk, the same word(s) should not be used on successive occasions. The repetition of the same content usually becomes boring and ineffective. It is important for you to vary the content of positive self-talk as much as possible. The actual expression that you use in positive self-talk is important. It is not sufficient to just say the words; the words must be self-spoken with emotion. Your positive self-talk should be enthusiastic and motivational. To produce such an effect, you can vary your voice by:

• increasing or decreasing the volume of the expression
• emphasizing or de-emphasizing the tone of syllables within the words
• changing the pitch of the words when you say them

By constantly changing the content and manner of presentation of positive self-talk, the nature of the positive self-talk will maintain meaningfulness.

Power Basics

Pedaling power is the amount of torque (turning force) exerted on the pedals or the rear hub multiplied by speed or angular velocity.

Power = Force x Velocity

Power is the capacity to do work and bring about change (energy). To create power the rider must push harder (torque) and/or pedal faster (angular velocity). Just like weight is measured in pounds, power is measured in watts. Riding at 100w is equivalent to the amount of power it takes to light a 100w light bulb and keep it lit. Some athletes are more powerful than others because more powerful athletes can do the same amount of work in less time, more work in the same amount of time, or more work in less time.

There is also a distinction between having power (potential energy) and producing power (kinetic energy). Think about the water atop a dam. This body of water that is being held back by the dam wall has potential energy. When the water is allowed to flow through the dam the water loses potential energy but gains kinetic energy. However, if too much water is released quickly the water behind the dam will not have an opportunity to replenish. In an endurance event, it is important to control the amount of energy used and conserve that energy so you get the maximum and consistent power output during the entire event.

Power, unlike heart rate, is the actual exercise stimulus that is not typically changed by internal or external factors. Heart rate is a response to a stimulus and can be distorted by many factors. Power is an instantaneous direct measure of mechanical work while heart rate is a response and predictor of training stimulus that takes several seconds to respond. It is also important to note that power is dynamic and subject to change whereas heart rate has a genetic limit. Heart rate is a component of training but power is the trainable component.

The benefit of using power allows the athlete to quantify his/her work by establishing honest baselines and peak power values. This valid and reliable data leads to precise comparisons to show progress and determine training requirements. This type of information is invaluable to an athlete and coach!

Cut Off Time

As most triathletes are aware all Ironman events have a cut off time of 17 hours for participants to be considered an official finisher. This cut off time has even been adopted by other Iron-distance events. Many people feel the 17 hour cut off is more than generous and should be shortened. Others will tell you that the cut off time should remain as it is or even extended. Here is a summary of the arguments:

1. Shorten the 17 hour cut off – As the sport of triathlon continues to grow the field of athletes continues to get more competitive and faster. If the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) wants to keep the title of Ironman elite and is looking to attract people looking for that elite status, the cut off time needs to be reduced to reflect the accomplishment of today’s faster, stronger, and smarter athletes. One of the more popular suggestions for a new cut off time is somewhere between 13 and 15 hours. However, this seems to be an arbitrary number loosely based on a time that a large portion of Ironman competitors could achieve. A mathematical suggestion might be based on the percentage of difference between the first winning time and 17 hours and using that percentage to calculate a new cut off time. For example, the first Ironman winner, Gordon Haller, finished in just under 11 hours and 47 minutes. That winning time is about 75% of 17 hours. Today it is common for an Ironman winner to finish in under 8 hours and 30 minutes. If we apply the same formula to the approximate wining times in current Ironman events, the new cut off time would be 12 hours and 15 minutes!

2. Keep the 17 hour cut off – The WTC has a long standing tradition and format with the Ironman branded events that, for the most part, works pretty well. WTC has made Ironman a household name and marketed the sport of triathlon to the masses. Currently people are fighting to get a spot in one of their events and there is not a good reason to make any changes. The 17 hour limit makes the 140.6 distance obtainable for most people that put at least some training into preparing for the event.

3. Extend the 17 hour cut off – Extending the time is probably the least popular cut off argument. However, it is a fact that some people don’t make the 17 hour cut off. Many athletes are stopped, or choose to stop, during the race because of the discipline specific cut off times on the swim and bike. If the cut off times were extended, it would give more people the opportunity to participate and join the ranks of the Ironman family. It is hard to say how much time should be added to the cut off because it is not known how long it might take someone to finish beyond the current 17 hour cut off.

I am not advocating any of the above arguments. However, as the popularity of the sport increases and more 140.6 events are added, WTC and other Iron-distance event organizers may be forced to address the issue of cut off times.

Pace vs Place

Is it more important for you to get a certain place (i.e. first, podium, top 10, etc.) or are you more concerned with your time? Here are a few scenarios to consider:

1. You PR (Personal Record) a race but your time is not good enough to get you on the podium.
2. You finish a race, it is not your best time but your time is good enough to get you on the podium.
3. You place 2^nd in a race with 10 (including yourself) people in your age group (top 20%).
4. You place 10^th in a race with 100 (including yourself) people (top 10%).
5. You place 3^rd in your age group that has only 3 people.

One of the things that makes the sport of triathlon so diverse is that some people are satisfied with crossing the finish line, while for others, satisfaction only comes with winning. Some athletes would rather race with a larger and more competitive field, even if it means placing lower among their age group. Their satisfaction comes knowing that they went up against a strong field. Other people may seek out obscure or smaller races to increase their chances at placing.

One of the things that I love about what I do is that I have an opportunity to meet a lot of different athletes with different goals. For example, it is not unusually to have two athletes at the same Ironman event that are polar opposites. One athlete may have the goal to “just finish” in 16:59:59 and the other athlete may want to “qualify for Kona”. In my opinion, one of these athletes is not better or worse than the other, they simply have different goals. One thing I do notice is the language that people will use when describing their accomplishment. I recently heard a person describe their recent Iron-distance experience as “finished 3^rd in age group”. While that was a true statement, they felt it necessary to follow up with “but there were only 3 people in my age group”. On the other hand, I don’t recall a finisher of a larger more competitive Ironman event ever saying “I was 10 out of 100 in my age group”.

There is not a right or wrong answer to the question I asked above. As a matter of fact, your answer may change based on a particular race or point in your season. The bottom line is to decide what you want to achieve and be proud of your accomplishment.

What is Limiting You?

Prior to May 6, 1954 it was thought to be impossible for a man to run one mile is less than 4 minutes. However, once Roger Bannister did the impossible and broke the 4 minute mile barrier, many more people were suddenly able to make it happen.

Many times people and organizations are held back by limitations unbeknownst to them. Not because what they want can’t be done but because that is they way it has always been done. A non-sports related example of this is the reason why the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) on the space shuttle are exactly 12.17 feet in diameter. The short answer is because 12.17 ft (3.71 m) is the width of two horses. Before you think I am totally crazy, let me explain:

The standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) in the United States is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That odd measurement is used because that is the measurement used on railroads built in England and it was English engineers who designed the first railroads in the United States. The English engineers used that measurement to build railroads in England because the first railroads were built by the same people who built the wagon tramways. These tramways were modeled from the same jigs and tools that were used for building wagons, which had a wheel spacing of 4 feet, 8.5 inches. The wagons had this odd wheel spacing because if any other spacing would have been used the wagon wheels would be damaged by the ruts in English roads. It was Roman war chariots that formed those initial ruts when Imperial Rome was building the first long distance roads in England. The chariots were made for Imperial Rome; therefore, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing because the Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the width of two war horses.

So what on earth does any of this have to do with the SRBs on the Space Shuttle? Well, the SRBs are manufactured at Thiokol aerospace and defense factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs calculated the ideal size of the SBR to be larger than 12.17 feet in diameter. However, the SRBs were scheduled to be shipped via train from the factory in Utah to the shuttle launch site in Florida. The only railroad from the factory to the launch pad runs through a tunnel in the mountains. The tunnel is only slightly wider than the railroad track. Because the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel the size of the SBRs was reduced from an optimal size calculated by the engineers to the width of two horses.

What is my point? In most cases, previously established standards will limit what you can achieve. Now, ask yourself – is your performance limited because of the standards you are conforming too? Are you following a one-size-fits-all training plan? Are you swimming, biking, and running in the most efficient manner for you or are you conforming to the norm?

Keep a training log and communicate to your coach what you are feeling after each workout. Did you feel strong or did you feel tired? When training, it is important to make the most out of each workout. Whether you have a coach, training partner, or workout alone your training needs to be in balance with your life and in the end both will be elevated to a new level. Control your training, don’t let your training control you!

Training Partners

When you race in a Triathlon you are racing as an individual (unless you are part of a relay team). Many people are members of a team or club but when the race starts it is each athlete for him/herself. This however, doesn’t mean you have to train alone.

Having a training partner is a great way to stay motivated and focused on your goals. You may want to intentionally seek out a training partner and make a deal to motivate one another during each joint training session and encourage one another when not wanting to train. Unfortunately, finding a training partner may be as tricky as finding a spouse. When choosing a training partner you should find someone who shares the same training philosophy and is at about the same fitness level as you. It is also important to have a lot in common with your training as you will be spending many hours with them. Having someone to chat with will motivate you if you are feeling down and will be able to help get you in the mood to train. Training partners will keep each other occupied so the training doesn’t become tiresome and boring. Having someone to talk with will also make the time go faster. Some studies have shown that the benefits of having a training partner will make you smarter because a good conversation while training will stimulate more areas of your brain. It is important to remember that this is about training. It is key to have a partner that will motivate you and push you. However, you don’t want to train with someone that is more interested in practicing the art of one-upmanship than getting in a quality training session.

You may find yourself going through many training partners before you find the right one. When you do find the ideal training partner everything will being to fall into place. Your training sessions will be more enjoyable, you will be more motivated, and you will push harder. Much like finding a spouse, maybe you will find your ideal partner when you are least expecting it and that person will just come into your life. The “relationship” might start out casual, with an easy ride a few days before an event that you both happen to be racing. If that first experience is positive, more training sessions will follow and before you know it you have a training partner and maybe more!

Small World

I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. While I was searching for the perfect bananas in the produce section I looked up and noticed something very familiar around the neck of a woman who was selecting some strawberries. What caught my eye was that the triathlon necklace that she was wearing was one of mine. This was pretty exciting because this was the first time I have seen the jewelry being worn by a customer in public.

But wait the story gets better! When I told her who I was and that the necklace came from my store she proceeded to tell me that her sister, who lives in California, bought her the necklace and the matching ring as a gift. How cool is that? A woman who lives in California buys a triathlon necklace and ring from my store and gives it to her sister who shops in the same grocery store as me. It truly is a small world after all.

Ironman Lake Placid – July 25, 2010

I spent the four days leading up to the race icing my foot and eating Ibuprofen like candy to try and “heal” my injury with no luck. I did get my foot taped on Saturday night which made it feel somewhat better but the tape came off during the swim…more on that later.

The morning of the race went smoothly, I was awake, ate breakfast, and headed over to the transition area. After body marking, I did a lot of standing around waiting to head down to the swim start. I got into the water with enough time to warm-up and go over my swim strategy. My strategy was simple…get into the middle of it all and take my “licks”. When the cannon sounded, I went straight for the first buoy. It was chaotic at first. I was kicked in the wrist during the first five minutes of the swim and lost my Garmin 310XT (see Data Driven). About half way to the turn I found some open water until it got congested again at the first turn. The swim back to the beach during the first lap was not too congested until I was bottle necked with the other swimmers coming out of the water. During the second lap I found some open water on the buoy line. I did not have to sight the entire way out because of the underwater cable. Again, at the turn it got congested and was a bit crowded coming back to the beach.

T1 was slower than I would have liked but I made a decision to change into my bike jersey and put on dry short. Heading out of the changing tent my bike was not waiting for me so I had to get it off the rack myself. The bike mount was very busy, as I had expected, so I took my time because the last thing I needed was to get knocked over.

The bike started out well and I felt strong. I told myself to hold back because I knew it was going to be a long day and without my Garmin I did not have any feedback or data to help me monitor my performance. I was gradually passing people on the first loop which is not unusual for me because my bike it the strongest of the three disciplines. Many times as I would pass people I knew I would slow down and say hello and offer some encouragement. One of the times when I was doing this I was given a blocking penalty. I have no problem with getting the penalty because I was clearly riding next to another rider. However, I was surprised that I could not go to the bathroom when I was at the penalty tent.

Going through the crowds at the end of the first loop and the beginning of the second loop was awesome and it was nice to see some faces that I recognized. I started to feel a bit sluggish on the initial climb out of Lake Placid. I took the decent into Keene probably a bit slower the second time because I did not want to push it and make a mental error that would end my day. As expected, the final push after Wilmington felt much harder than the first time through.

Coming into T2 I decided to get my foot re-taped before the run because, as I mentioned, the tape from Saturday came off during the swim. When I entered the medical tent I was told that the orthopedic staff was not there yet. They asked me a bunch of questions totally unrelated to my foot (how much have you drunk? How many calories have you eaten?) and took my blood pressure. The only thing I could think of is that they were not going to let me leave for some reason. There was no Kinesiology tape to be found in the medical tent. So the guy proceeded to tape my foot with masking tape! I went to stand up and I stumbled a bit and about four people tried to grab me and asked if I was ok or if I was dizzy. By this time I was just ready to leave and I said “I am fine and I am going to finish this bitch”. When I got into the changing tent I tore the masking tape off my foot and got changed for the run.

The run felt good for about the first 4 miles and then the foot pain started. The remaining 22.2 miles was a combination of running until the pain became unbearable and then walking. It was great to see so many friendly faces and people I knew on the run course. It almost had the feeling of a small local race where you know everyone.

Will I do it again? Right now I have mixed feelings on that subject. I know a lot of people did not like the swim but it was really not a big issue for me. Unlike most people, I did not like the bike course. The run course was challenging but fair and I would like another chance to see how I could run it without an injury to my foot. I know I will not be back in 2011 unless I go up to watch and/or volunteer. As for my foot, the pain still exists. I am hoping it is a muscle issue and not a stress fracture. I will give it a few more days to heal and see how it feels.

Data Driven

I never really knew how much I relied on the data from my Garmin 310XT. However, I found out very quickly on Sunday during Ironman Lake Placid. Prior to the event, I adjusted my speed/pace settings to reflect my race goals and made sure the fields were set to display the data I wanted to see.

Before I entered the water on race morning, I turned on the 310XT and started the Auto Multisport mode. Within 5 minutes of the mass swim start of 3,000 athletes, I got kicked in the wrist and my Garmin plummeted to the bottom of Mirror Lake. Other than being upset about losing an expensive piece of equipment, I was not affected by the missing device during the reminder of the swim because I wouldn’t typically look at any data during the swim.

However, it was on the bike and run that I felt lost without the constant feedback from the unit. I had no clue of my speed, pace, or heart rate. The best I could do was to ask other athletes or spectators for the time of day and do a quick calculation based on the 7:00 am start time. For distance I had to rely on the course markings. I never realized how much I relied on the distance data until now. For example, the last distance marker before the finish of the bike was at 100 miles. Not knowing how close I was to the finish, during one of the most challenging sections of the bike course, made a huge impact on me psychologically.

Not having heart rate data was also a major issue, especially on a course with so many hills. It would have been helpful to be more aware of my Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and how it relates to my heart rate numbers.

I had some other problems during the race that led to my less than impressive finish. However, I think not having any of the data and feedback that I am accustomed to played a big role. As I do with every race, I will learn from my mistakes and misfortunes and use this knowledge to help myself and others improve future performances.

How it Started

In 1982 my mother was leading a tour group in the Islands of Hawaii. One of the stops on the tour was in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. She had been there many times before and always stayed at the Kona Seaside Hotel. When she arrived at the hotel she immediately notice that something was different. The normally quiet hotel was very busy…something was happening. After making few inquiries, she learned that in a few days the area was going to be transformed in to the venue for the 1982 Triathlon World Championship.

Stan, the proprietor of Stan’s Restaurant located on the lobby level of the hotel, told my mother about the outside seating area just above the restaurant that would give her a view overlooking Kailua Bay, the location of the swim, and the finish line on Alli Drive. Although it was a total fluke, my mother now had a front row seat to the 1982 Triathlon World Championship.

When my mother arrived home she was excited to tell my father, sister, and me about the event that she witnessed. Later that year, the event was shown on ABC’s Wide World of Sports allowing the world to witness the spectacle that my mother had watched in awe many months before. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the television watching the event. It was unforgettable when the female race leader Julie Moss, a college student who entered the race to gather research for her exercise physiology thesis, collapsed due to fatigue and dehydration just 440 yards from the finish line. She struggled to her feet and wobbled to within 100 yards of the finish where she buckled again. She started to crawl, but was passed by Kathleen McCartney only 10 yards from the finish line. Jim McKay of ABC Sports called it “heroic…one of the greatest moments in the history of televised sport”. Scott Tinley, the overall winner of that race, made it look easy finishing with a time of 9:19:41.

I remember saying “I can do that”. A few days later I went for a run. I think I made it about a half mile before I was so winded that I could hardly breath. That was the extent of my Ironman experience…at least for a while…[to be continued]