‘Race day isn’t the challenging part, it’s the reward for the months of hard work while you were training.’
Well done!! You are now so close to achieving your goal of completing your first Ironmind Tri with A Lust for Life that you can almost taste it. I hope the tips provided in Mental Prep Part 1 and Part 2 have helped you in your training sessions over the past two weeks.
Today in this final part of the series, I’m just going to provide you with some quick preparation tips that will hopefully address some potential issues you may face in these final 48 hours before Ironmind Tri 2016.
#1: ‘The Butterflies’: Many of you may be starting to feel the nervous excitement building up inside you in anticipation of Saturday’s event. Remember, these feelings are totally normal. The key thing is not to let these feelings get ‘out of control’. YOU are in control of them, nor should your goal be to ‘turn them off’. Imagine a tap of running water; your goal should be to ‘turn down the tap, to reduce the flow and pressure of the running water’. Butterflies, and ‘feeling jittery’ are good things, they show you are excited, that your (sympathetic) nervous system is firing up. This will give you the required energy to complete the event on Saturday. In the words of a former Canadian Basketball coach, Jack Donohoe, ‘It’s not a case of getting rid of the butterflies – it’s a matter of getting them to fly in formation’. You can do this by practicing some slow, deep breathing, in counts of 4 …. ‘In … 2, 3, 4 and Out … 2, 3, 4. Really focus on each breath and on the count. Also some stretching exercises, such those I suggested last week using the technique Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) should also help you to ‘line up those butterflies’.
#2: ‘The Racing Thoughts’: At this point, many of you may also be experiencing ‘racing thoughts’ with lots of ‘what if’ scenarios spinning around in your heads. Niall has been answering many of your questions about specific aspects of the stages of the event on the A Lust for Life Twitter and Facebook page. I recommend that you read through the various questions and Niall’s responses to help calm you minds about issues concerning the swim section of the event especially. Try to imagine yourself in the water, on the bike and during the run feeling relaxed and moving along comfortably, in a smooth fashion. It is fine to take breaks if you need to during the various sections of the event too. Try not to place any unnecessary pressure on yourself regarding times and placings for the event. Remember this day is supposed to be fun, so give yourself permission to enjoy it. You are already ‘lapping’ the individuals lying in bed, or sitting on their sofas at home on the morning of the 9th July, remember that! Also, have a few little self-talk phrases ready to repeat to yourself when those racing thoughts start up at any point during the next 48 hours, For example, you could use phrases such as: ‘This is going to be so much fun!’ / “I can do this!” / ‘Nerves are good, they give me energy!’
#3: ‘Your Final-Checks’: Tonight imagine yourself arriving at the event on Saturday morning, preparing to take part in it. Notice what you are wearing and what you are doing. Write out a list of the clothing and equipment you need for each section of the event from your mental image. Then using this list, pack all of your gear into your sports bag. Give yourself time to check that all of your equipment is in working order and to buy anything on Friday that you might want to bring with you as you travel to the event on Saturday such as your favourite pre-race snacks, drinks, that new pair of comfy sports socks to wear – whatever you require to help you complete the event successfully and calmly.
I hope you find these three final preparation tips somewhat useful in these final days before Ironmind Tri 2016 on this Saturday. As I mentioned last week, if you are interested in this whole area of Applied Sport Psychology, you might like to consider applying for my IADT Certificate in Sport Psychology programme(a Level 8, Special Purpose Award) to learn more about it, which our A Lust for Life founder Niall (Bressie) completed, as have many other top athletes and coaches. Remember, places are limited to 25, so do apply quickly as only a few spaces remain. Email me at olivia.hurley@iadt.ie if you have any queries about the programme, or if you would like me to email you out the application form after you have completed Ironmind Tri 2016 and are hungry for more Tri experiences.
All that is left for me to do now is to pass on my very best wishes to you all for Saturday’s event. I hope to be there cheering you on (in a bright pink jacket!). It is sure to be a great day, so do remember to enjoy it! Life is far too short to worry at all about such things. They are not the serious events in life. They are the ‘Icing on your Life-cake’ J. As with my previous pieces I would also like to finish with some words of motivation, this time from Ironman World Triathlon Champion, Ms. Christine Wellington, who said: “Remember that everyone was a beginner once”.
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