One of the things I love most about being a triathlete is the range and intensity of emotions our sport evokes in me. Doing triathlons is like living life with the volume turned up. There is something about triathlon that peels away the layers of our emotions and causes us to feel them in their [...]
My experience, both professionally and personally, is that few people emerge from childhood unscathed from their upbringings. You get your psychological and emotional baggage from your parents (e.g., neglect, abuse), peers (e.g., rejection, bullying), traumatic experiences (e.g., loss of a parent or sibling), or popular culture (e.g., unhealthy values, expectations), to name a few. Sadly, [...]
I was recently interviewed by Parker Biele for the Sync Performance podcast, This Week's Stoke. In the podcast, I share with Parker my years of ski racing and professional experience in the psychology of ski racing including exploring topics such as mental imagery, routines, and mental health. Thanks to Parker and Sync for giving me [...]
Performance slumps are one of the most common, yet mysterious and frustrating, phenomena in triathlon. Typically viewed as unexplained drops in performance, slumps are a source of concern for triathletes and coaches alike. Despite its visible place in the collective psyche of the triathlon community, little is known about the causes or cures for performance [...]
With the U.S. and the world continuing to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the sad developments in Afghanistan, and the current unsettling political zeitgeist that has taken over our country, I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom and what it means in our lives. You would think that, given that it is a central principle on [...]
Trust is the final piece of the triathlon puzzle when you are about to begin the swim. Yet, you have probably never thought of trust at all in our sport. Despite this neglect, trust is fundamental to your performing your best consistently in races. It is what brings everything you’ve done up to that point [...]
Breathing may be the most under-rated tool in your mental toolbox as a triathlete. In fact, you may have never even thought about your breathing in your tri-life at all because it is something that you do without conscious thought every moment of your life. Breathing is, of course, essential for living. It supplies your [...]
One of the most fun aspects of being a triathlete for me has been buying all the cool gear including a fast triathlon bike (Diamondback Andean), a power meter (Quarq), bike computer (Garmin 830), super shoes (Saucony Endorphin Pro), TT helmet (POC Cerebel), the list goes on. I appreciate that all of this gear can [...]
In Part I of my two-part series exploring the powerful impact that routines can have on your triathlon efforts, I explained why routines are so important to every aspect of your training and racing. I also showed you how you can begin using routines in your conditioning workouts where the simpler environment enables you to [...]
