One of the nice things about competing in
triathlons is the variety you experience from swimming, biking and
running. It’s a nice mix of aerobic activity
that also provides the challenge of mastering all three disciplines.
Like most triathletes, the swim is not
only the weakest sport of the three; it is the one that can cause the most
angst and emotional stress. Swimming is a very technical sport and with the
added drag of the water, even small flaws in technique can have a huge negative
impact on efficiency in the water. Add to this swimming in open water with
several hundred our thousand other triathletes and the mental part of the sport
can make the difference between success and not completing a race.
Recently May and I visited a swim coach
to help us improve our swimming since we are both active triathletes and one
can never have too much coaching! While
there were many things that were interesting and impressive our about our new
coach, what intrigued us the most was how she began our session. She didn’t ask
about our technique, strengths or weaknesses, she began the session talking
about the mental aspects to swimming, in particular in open water triathlons
and provided us a set of mental tools we can use should the need arise.
Swimming is not the only sport that can
cause mental stress and impede performance. While swimming in the unknown can
frighten many people, I have known folks that have an equal fear of riding
their bike or running in the dark or in cold weather.
The tools she provided are very simple to
apply and can be used for any sport or life situation and I simply call them
“the Rainbow.” There are three mental
states a person can be in defined as GREEN – Stress Free, YELLOW – Stressful
and anxious feelings, and RED – Extremely stressful and all out panic. Your
goal is to always be in a Green state and should you move to yellow or red, you
need find your way back to green.
In the green state you are stress free
and all is well. This is likened to “The Zone” where you can function at your
best and without thought. This is the ideal state. Spend some time thinking
about what this feels like and make mental notes of your performance while
green.
In the yellow state, you begin to feel
uncomfortable or stressful. This may right before the swim start at triathlon
or if you get bumped in the water in an open water swim. To help back to green have some “yellow card”
thoughts such as recalling your best race ever, remembering your best swim, bike
or run and the best comeback from an adverse situation.
In the red state, you are in an all-out
panic. Timing here is critical as the body’s fight or flight mechanism will
take over quickly. To move back to green
you need some “red card” thoughts such as thinking of your dearest family
members, your most memorable personal achievement or a moment you changed
someone’s life for the better.
By understanding what the green state
feels like and creating yellow card and red card thoughts you can practice these
emotion changers daily so you can easily call on them when the need arises.
HERE’S TO
BEING FIT FOR LIFE!
Chris is a Certified Personal Trainer, USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, Group Exercise Instructor and endurance enthusiast. He
competes yearly in numerous running races, marathons, ultra marathons,
triathlons and other endurance events.