Anyone who has ever committed considerable time and energy to training and competing in a triathlon that is important to them knows the feelings. During training and the race, you are motivated, excited, and energized. As you cross the finish line, you are psyched, elated, and joyous at having accomplished your goal. Up to that [...]
Pain is an essential part of triathlon training and competition, and at the same time, the greatest obstacle triathletes face as they pursue their goals. Pain plays an important role in providing you with information about your triathlon, including your level of effort and the intensity of your training program. But pain is also a [...]
For the last several months, you have been training your butt off getting ready for your big triathlon. You are doing everything you can to have a successful race. You have been committed to your training program, missing few if any workouts and putting in your best effort in all aspects of your training. You [...]
So you’ve done a few triathlons. You’ve had a lot of fun and have enjoyed pushing yourself to heights that you never thought were possible. Your mail goal so far has been to just finish, but now you’re thinking that you can go faster. You know you need to adjust your training, but you may [...]
Doing an Ironman is not a part-time endeavor. The race will be, for the 6-9 months that you train for it, the guiding force in your life. You will spend many hours each week training for Ironman. You will spend even more hours each week thinking, dreaming, talking, reading, and surfing the Internet about Ironman. [...]
The most common question I was asked before my first Ironman was, “What time are you shooting for?” In my naiveté, I always responded, “Well, if all goes well, under X hours” (I will keep you in suspense until the end of the article before I tell you how I did). If you answer this [...]
Ironman is the ultimate in triathlon competition. It’s the standard by which triathlon is known to the world at large. When I began doing triathlons, almost every non-tri person I met would ask if I had done an Ironman (that’s all they knew), as if that is the only badge of honor in our sport. [...]
Like all endurance sports, triathlon success involves preserving and apportioning out your energy evenly during a race. Burn too much gas early in a race and you’re finished before T2. Run out of gas late in the race and you have no fuel for a strong finish. In either case, you’re in for one horrendous [...]
The most powerful psychological tool you have at your disposal to achieve your triathlon goals is positive self-talk. What you say to yourself when you’re in the pool, on your bike, or in your running shoes affects what you think, how you feel, and how you perform. It also will often determine the quality of [...]