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Lessons learned from Kona - choking under pressure

The triathlete who qualifies for IM Kona will have invested a lot of time, money and energy into the craft of preparing the body and mind for this grueling 140.6 mile event. There are no shortcuts or secret sauces. It's a lot of hard work, sacrifices and investments. It's understandable that many Ironman athletes experience tremendous pressure to perform incredibly well on race day.  Far too many athletes arrive to a race fit, ready and prepared only to underperform compared to performances in training. It's likely that anxiety, fear or stress gets in the way.  Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and change the winning formula. Rituals and routines that were once in place to build confidence for race day or quickly replaced with haphazard, last-minute decisions and changes - all due to worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ironman World Championship is a big spectacle but racing with an outcome focused mindset can paralyze your abilities to have a great perf...

IM Kona Race Week - Mistake #5

RACING UNDER PRESSURE For many months, Ironman World Championship participants have been dreaming about race day. And now, with only one more sleep left to go, excitement suddenly turns into nerves and a calm mind suddenly goes into overdrive. When you are racing against the best athletes in the world at the Ironman World Championship, it's easy to feel intimidated about everyone around you who is in the best shape ever and ready to perform at the top of their physical game. But don't let this psych you out. Athletic excellence on race day comes when your mind is as strong as your body. Don't let yourself get intimidated by the other athletes around you or by the challenging course. You earned your right to be at the start line and you know what you are getting yourself into. Trust yourself that you have the capability to reach the finish line.  Here are my simple tips to help you perform under pressure while making the most of your Ironman World Championsh...

IM Kona Race Week - Mistake #4

RACING WITH A SPREADSHEET Racing an Ironman triathlon is dynamic as there are so many variables that affect your performance. Some are within your control and others are out of your control. No matter how hard you trained, you will never feel fully prepared for everything that happens on race day. And in Kona, the unpredictable nature of the wind and heat make for an intimidating racing experience. Going into the race with expectations and assumptions of how the day will go is just fine if that approach brings you confidence and excitement. But remind yourself that a great race day performance requires flexibility and adaptability. With a spreadsheet, metric-obsessed mindset, it's easy to fail to reach athletic excellence on race day. Although it's the approach of many athletes, you can't go into an Ironman and expect your body to go on auto cruise for 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2 miles of running by trying to hit certain paces/watts/speeds for ...

IM Kona race week - Mistake #1

DON'T CHANGE THE WINNING FORMULA Almost every athlete that competes at the Ironman World Championship has received a spot to the starting line by performing well at a qualifying event. Rarely does an athlete earn a spot to this notable triathlon event on a whim. The triathlete who qualifies for IM Kona typically invests a lot of time, money and energy into the craft of preparing the body and mind for a 140.6 mile event. Thus, it's the commitment, consistency, flexibility and goal-focused mindset in training, along with the understanding of the right gear, nutrition, mental skills, pacing, training and taper that contributes to athletic excellence on race day. This is the winning formula that helps an athlete qualify for the Ironman World Championship.  Far too many athletes enter race week in panic mode and begin to change the winning formula. Rituals that once helped an athlete build confidence for race day are replaced with worry, fear and self-doubt. Sure, the Ir...