Healthy coping during stressful times

In today’s fast-paced, stressful and unpredictable world, it’s important to have a toolbox of healthy coping mechanisms. A coping mechanism is something that helps you deal with something that is difficult or uncomfortable. Truth be told, nearly every coping mechanism can provide a benefit. However, some coping mechanisms have negative consequences associated with them.

For example, do you often reach for a beer, glass of wine or hard liquor to help unwind after a long or stressful day of work? What does your alcohol consumption look like in social situations or during difficult times? Alcohol functions to slow down the central nervous system, helping you feel more relaxed. It also reduces inhibition, memory and judgement. For many people, having a drink is the easiest way to deal with something that is uncomfortable or to distance from a stressor or challenge. As a result, alcohol becomes a crutch and barrier to developing more effective and healthy coping strategies.

Another example is using food as a coping mechanism. Individuals vulnerable to an eating disorder often experience circumstances in life where they feel trapped, a loss of control or pressure to succeed. Food is used as a coping mechanism to help gain control and as a way to relieve stress. Whether it's overeating (ex. binging) or restricting (anorexia), controlling food and the body provides a false sense of safety. Sadly, once trapped within the eating disorder, people struggle with how to live without it. They don't know who they are without it or how to cope without it. There's often a "voice" that is problematic and disruptive, causing a great feeling of helplesness. This negative and controlling voice can distort logic, make threats, be overly critical and demanding and can make it incredibly difficult to trust your own decisions and abilities. 

With the unpredictability, stress and external pressures of life, you may be experiencing a wide range of difficult emotions. Some of which are familiar but others may be new to you and thus, extremely uncomfortable. If you've lived a life of pushing away uncomfortable feelings, it may be incredibly unnatural to come face to face with your emotions. Learning how to embrace these inner demons or dark emotions is the first step to coping with stress, anxiety, worry and fear more successfully.

Currently we are all experiencing great stress. Even though we've been given a temporary reset and an opportunity to be creative and to slow-down, nothing is easy about our new normal. If you have recently found yourself overwhelmed with life's stressors, it's time to do some soul-searching to determine if you have been self-medicating with drugs, alcohol, excessive exercise, overspending, avoidance, overeating or some other type of instant gratification or temporary emotional relief. Just because a strategy helps you endure emotional pain, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

Whether it's food, spending, exercise, drugs or alcohol, it's very easy to become addicted to something, especially when it's used as a means to cope or to escape complex emotions. To cope in a productive way, it's important to first understand the root of the problem - which situations, traumas or emotions are driving you toward your unhealthy coping mechanism. Learning how to handle stress, anxiety or any other uncomfortable emotion - without the use of drugs, alcohol, food, exercise or spending - is healthy and positive for the mind, body and soul.

I’m incredible grateful to my best friend and amazing Licensed Clinical & Sport Psychologist Dr. Gloria Petruzzelli for sharing her knowledge on this topic and why we need to face our emotions head-on while developing healthy coping skills.

IM Kona race week - Mistake #2

NO MENTAL PREPARATION

It's a no brainer that mental training can help to boost your race day performance.

Whereas the atmosphere at an Ironman event can be exciting, the big island of Kona is unlike any other Ironman event on race week. There are countless events, meet-and-greets and other activities to entertain athletes and with all of the excitement of race week, it can be difficult to tune out distractions, reduce anxiety and stress and maintain great focus for race day.

It's very normal and typical for Ironman athletes to experience a heightened sense of self-doubt, worry and fear on race week. Whereas there's a lot to consider when racing for 140.6 miles, Kona brings unique race day conditions with the wind and heat and the unpredictability of the day can literally suck the energy out of your body before you even have a chance to toe the start line. 

But no need to worry.

My good friend and Licensed Clinical Sport Psychologist Gloria Petruzzelli (Dr. G) wrote an excellent article on Ironman.com that will help you increase your mental game on race week so that you can put all that hard training to great use on race day. As I always like to tell myself on race day "Control the body with the mind."

Topics discussed in the article:

1. Set boundaries
2. Plan, then adapt
3. Stay in the moment
4. Trust yourself
5. Lighten up

Mental Strategies for your A-race 

By. Gloria Petruzzelli

Dodge a race day curveball

As a triathlete, I have to be prepared for any and all race day conditions and scenarios. My sport is not singular but instead, a dynamic mix of three sports - swim, bike, run. 

As a coach, I have to be prepared for any and all race day conditions and scenarios to help my athletes overcome race day curve balls. A cancelled swim, a modified bike course, a cancelled, then rescheduled race, non stop rain, freezing cold and windy, extremely hot, two flat tires, GI issues, cramps.....yep, we have dealt with it all by our Trimarni athletes. 

A few scenarios come to mind: 

2014 IMFL - cancelled swim, cold and windy bike

While at the venue, just a short time before the IM Swim start, the swim was cancelled due to swells in the ocean. Karel and I had to think fast and thankfully, our athletes had their cell phones on them as there was a period of time between the cancelled swim and TT bike start that we could re-establish a new game plan. As coaches, it is our job to keep our athletes motivated and focused. We believe our athletes have these qualities as it is but in unfavorable race day conditions, it can be really easy to second guess yourself and even throw in the towel, saying "it's not worth it."

For us, it didn't even cross our mind that our athletes wouldn't continue on with the race. They put in a lot of time, money and energy to train for this one day event so our focus was on helping our athletes (especially our first time IM athletes) get their emotions under control and to establish a new race day strategy. They were told not to overbike just because the swim was cancelled and to stay warmed up before the TT start. 

We had 9 out of 9 of our Trimarni IMFL athletes start the race and 8 Trimarni athletes finished (one suffered hypothermia on the bike). 

Racing is about overcoming obstacles and putting yourself into uncomfortable situations. Even with the cancelled swim, the 138.2 mile duathlon still required the same skills as racing for 140.6 miles. 

2015 IM Maryland

We always tell our athletes that even with a cancelled portion of the race or a modified course, there are still championship slots to be given, podium places to earn and personal bests to achieve. This couldn't be more true for Trimarni athlete Justine who went through a roller coaster of emotions before her second Ironman. It was actually me who broke the news to her of the cancelled event as she was driving the hour to the race (from her house) to pick-up her packet when I read about the race on the IM website while I was in Kona. I called Justine and told her "Don't worry, everything will be ok." She was of course, really confused but when we talked it all through, I told her I had other race options for her that would be ideal for her racing strengths. Since the IM was cancelled, I had Justine train (with a rested body) that weekend with a moderate amount of volume (similar as if she was 3-4 weeks out from a half IM) and then maintain her fitness until we had another IM option. When IM Maryland was back on, we didn't do much of a taper but instead, just sharpened her body and mind, asked her to mentally stay "in it" and gave her constant encouragement that this was all meant to be. 

With more obstacles on race day, like a shortened swim (without Justine even knowing the final distance of the swim as she was swimming), Justine did what she trained to do - race! 

As she stayed focused on completing her goal of starting and finishing IM Maryland, she also kept a close eye on her competition that showed up on race day. As I tracked Justine, I was giving updates to her husband and when it was time, I told her husband Eric to tell Justine that "now is the time to commit." Justine gave everything she had out on the course and finished 2nd in her AG (25-29) to earn a slot to 2016 IM Kona. She also ran a 3:47 "best time" marathon, with her longest (intentional) run as a 12- mile "long run". And just a few weeks ago, she became a 2016 IM World Championship finisher. 

2016 IMMT

At the athlete briefing two days before the race, there was discussion of what would happen on race day if the weather (storm and fog on the lake) would not permit the athletes from starting the swim. The race director did an excellent job preparing the athletes for the two plan options (delayed swim then shortened to 1.2 miles, cancelled swim and delayed TT bike, starting from the exit of the swim) for race day morning. Rather than our athletes (including our first time IM athlete) freaking out and getting upset and wasting energy on the uncontrollable, I prepared our athletes for how to adjust pacing and nutrition (especially pre-race in the case of a delayed swim start or cancelled swim start) to prepare for the possible race day morning scenario. Karel and I also discussed the tactics of racing an IM in pouring rain, which was a good thing because it poured the entire bike ride for all of our athletes (and on the run). I even had our athletes (and Karel) go through a 10-minute visualization where I had them visualize themselves biking through pouring rain (note, I did not have them visualize the small chance that it would be a nice day - I put them in the worst case scenario). 

All of our athletes started and finished the race and now they have extra bragging rights for finishing a tough course in very tough conditions. 

And those who embraced the conditions, excelled. We had strong minded athletes achieve the unthinkable, personal best times, a Kona qualifier and a first time IM finisher. 

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It sure is a bummer when a race distance is modified, especially when it is your first time racing the distance, you dedicated yourself 100% to training for the full distance (for many many months) or you traveled very far to compete in the event.
When there is a course or distance change, it's easy to think that suddenly, it was all for nothing and perhaps, there is a better option at a future date.
Never assume that a future race will provide you with a better outcome. 

As a coach, I want athletes to finish what they started. Sure, there may be some rare situations where a cancelled race or a transferred entry may be a blessing in disguise but anytime you take a risk to move from the present to focusing on the future, your assumptions may not be any more in your favor than the current situations that you are dealing with.

If your race is altered, the weather doesn't make for an "easy" race or part of the race is cancelled, you can still earn your finisher medal. Your race still counts if there is a start line and finish line. The key is that you have to stay mentally committed. When you signed up for your race, you also signed up for the many obstacles and challenges that could come your race before or on race day.
If you are healthy, fit and tapered and you put in the work, get yourself excited to execute.

Regardless of the modifications made for race day, you have to consider that if you pass on your current race and focus on the next-best-thing option, you could 1) get sick 2) get injured 3) have to go through a major life event 4) not peak again 5) lose motivation to train 6) experience a similar situation at your next race.

Racing is always out of your control so it's in your best interest to stay focused and committed to the now.

By keeping the right mindset, you WILL excel on race day.
Don't be one of the many athletes who have excuses for what could have been or should have been on race day.
Racing is racing - it is unpredictable.
If you are in a curveball situation before race day, remind yourself that you still have to nail your nutrition, stay mentally strong all day, be proactive, dig deep and overcome low moments.
If your mind isn't in the right spot, you may likely underperform on your modified course simply because you were unsuccessful with dealing with the new race day situations (that everyone else has to deal with).

I encourage you to be one of the smart athletes who sees the capabilities on race day.
Plus, when you reach the finish line, you will have an extra reason to celebrate your accomplishment.
You didn't give up on yourself when the odds were against you.

For additional reading, Dr. G (clinical sport psychologist) and I put together an article on how to overcome race day curve ball situations. We hope you find our advice practical and useful so that you don't undesirable scenarios detour you from achieving something great on race day. 

Dodge a race day curveball

A healthy commitment to training

A certain level of obsession is needed when it comes to dreaming big and working hard for goals. 

With the Ironman World Championship event now behind us, alongside the Olympics and many notable road running races and other athletic events, there's a good chance that you may aspire to achieve something incredible with your body in the next few years.

While this big dream of yours may excite the heck out of you, you also know it will require a lot of sacrifices, investments and hard work.....but that doesn't scare you.

Whereas some athletes choose words like "determination and passion" when speaking about their love for their sport, chasing a goal requires a high level of commitment and sometimes you may even feel addicted.

In the October 2016 issue of Triathlete magazine (pg 62.), Gloria Petruzzelli (who also happens to be my best friend and one outstanding clinical sports psychologist) says

"Addiction in this sense can be defined as engaging in an activity that can be pleasurable or start off pleasurable, then shift into becoming compulsive and noticeably interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships or health."

"Setting boundaries on training and having people outside of the triathlon world in your life can help keep you in check if that healthy balance gets off kilter......there's a point of diminishing returns for both your quality of life and your training" says Gloria.

Gloria suggests to complete this adapted compulsive exercise assessment, developed by the researchers in the UK, to see if you strongly agree more than you disagree, to better understand if your athletic compulsion is outweighing your commitment.

Although you will recognize aspects of yourself in these statements, says Triathlete, be mindful that commitment is a great thing but compulsion is not.

Agree or Disagree?

1. Whether it is in or out of my control, I feel extremely guilt when I miss or skip a training session.

2. If I can't fit in a training session on certain days, I will inevitably feel anxious, low, irritable or depressed.

3. My friends and family tell me they miss hanging out with me because I'm always training.

4. If I miss a training session, I always work to make up the volume or time the next session. 

5. My entire day is planned around when I have time to train and for how long.

6. I feel guilty if I use spare time to relax.

7. I hate recovery days.

"To ensure your training doesn't morph from a healthy outlet or goal to addictive/compulsive behavior...take an honest look at your training behaviors and consider if you are embracing healthy coping skills in all areas of your life" says Gloria. 

Note:

Nothing great will be achieved if you settle for mediocre, while always putting your own needs/goals second to others. Every athlete needs a high level of commitment to reach big goals, with the understanding that sacrifices and investments will be made. However, it is important to understand that the best version of yourself should not be displayed only when you are training for an event.

The purpose of this blog is to help you understand that you can still reach your dreams (even the big ones) by having a healthy (not obsessive/compulsive) commitment to training and to your sport.   

It's out of your control

As an athlete, you can control how you prepare for a race by focusing on one day at a time but you can't control what will happen on race day, until it is race day. And sometimes, even when you focus on what you can control (attitude, nutrition, pacing, clothing) things may not always go as planned so you have to adjust. 

However, you can always be prepared to handle the controllables and uncontrollables. 

Obsessing over trying to control certain situations or getting upset, angry or anxious about things beyond your control is the best way to steal away energy that you can use on race day.

As an athlete, you have to be prepared for anything on race day and you can't let a race-day curveball like wind, rain, a modified course, temperature or hills keep you from doing what you trained to do on race day.... RACE!

With this being my 10th year as an endurance triathlete but also a coach to many amazing athletes of all levels, I feel it is important for athletes to distinguish between the following:

1. What worries you that is out of your control.
2. What worries you that you can do something about. 

For examples, let's look at the following.

1. An athlete is worried about hills on a course because she/he trains only on flat roads and feels scared on hills (when riding) or not strong enough when running. While the athlete can not make hills magically appear where she/he lives, this athlete can make the investment to travel to a place nearby that does have hills to train once or twice a month to get more comfortable riding on hilly terrain. If there are hills on the run course, the athlete can run at an incline on the treadmill. Or, she/he can plan a trip to a bike-friendly location with hills to practice cycling or running on hills. If this is not possible, if anything, the athlete can arrive to the race venue a few days early before the race to get more comfortable on the race course. While the hills on the race course are out of his/her control, having the knowledge how to handle a hilly course (with the right gears, knowing how to change your gears, how to pedal efficiently, how to climb and descend safely and efficiently) as well as having some experience on hills will bring confidence to race day.

2. An athlete is worried about a bike course that has a lot of turns and u-turns. While the race course is out of your control (you can't change it), you can prepare for it. Practice, practice, practice. This is 100% within your control as you can practice your turns so you feel more comfortable on race day. Same goes for open water or running on a trail. Understand your race course and prepare yourself for what you will be dealing with on race day. If you complain about your race course and make excuses for not having a good race, but you don't practice or prepare for your course, your reasons for not doing well are not valid. If you prepare and practice but still struggle on race day, at least you tried which means you made the effort to prepare.
There's a big difference between making the effort and making excuses. 

3. An athlete is worried about the hot temperatures on race day because she/he constantly struggles training in the heat. While the temperature is completely out of your control (sorry - no thermostat for race day), you can have a very smart pacing and fueling and hydration plan to execute the best on race day. Consult a professional to help with fueling, hydrating and/or pacing if this is not your area of expertise (especially if you are planning to apply the same strategy that doesn't work in training but hoping for a different result on race day).

4. An athlete is worried about the wind or temperatures because she/he was hoping for a PR. A big part of racing is accepting that the fitness that you bring to race day is helping you perform well on race day. But you can't control the outcome. Spending all your energy on the end result will not help you race to your full capability ON race day. While the outcome may or may not be what you had envisioned, time goals help you get out bed to train (motivation) but the best performing athlete is always the one who slows down the least (race smart).

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Last year, Dr. G and I came up with a few situations on how to dodge a race-day curveball. We hope that you enjoy the article that we published on Ironman.com.

Here are two of our tips from the article:

Windy conditions-When it comes to equipment (i.e. your aero helmet, wheel depth choice, and hydration set up), it may be in your best interest to not focus so much on what’s fastest (or what the pros are using) but instead, use what you are most comfortable with, while riding on your race course. 

Windy conditions also require a lot of energy and can be physically and mentally draining. Don’t stress or obsess about your times or paces, even if your race is famous for being a fast course. Your performance will all come down to pacing. An epic bike time is worth bragging about only if you can run strong afterward. Race the competition, not the clock, and never try to beat the wind.   

Modified courseRespond, don't react. If possible, study the modified course ahead of time. If the course is modified at the last minute, remind yourself that everyone is in the same boat and probably feeling similar emotions and concerns. This should be validating, because everyone is mentally revising his or her race strategy. Remind yourself, you can't change the situation but you can choose how you respond to what happens to you. Don't react out of stress; respond by adjusting your attitude and rising to the new challenge. You didn't sign up for easy, right?

READ MORE HERE

Let go of your psychological safety net

As a lifelong athlete, I have found that when I train my mind as hard as I train my body, I perform well, often exceeding my personal expectations.  

However, mental training is easier said than done!

There have been many times in training and racing when my mind just wasn't in it to win it!
In the past few yeas, I have actually had to work on my mental strength as I was finding my mind to be a major limiter with my training as it relates to the following:
-Overcoming injuries - a fear of an injury coming back, having fear when pushing hard or going long
-Bringing my work/life to a training session - not being 100% present during a workout and thinking about everything that I need to/should do

I've really worked hard on these areas over the past few years so that I can execute better in my training sessions. 

When athletes talk mental strength, I believe many athletes think toughness, digging deep, grit, perseverance. Absolutely, all of those components are important when it comes executing well on race day and in training.

But mental training is so much more than being hard core in the mind.

I think a great component of mental training is learning how to get through specific situations that may be keeping you from making the progress that you feel you should be making.
And sometimes, your biggest limiter may be that you think you can't get any better as an athlete!

Mental training isn't limited to your workouts or races.

A tough situation could be your relationship with your spouse/significant other, anxiety over a health issue (in a family member or pet), your job/career, a family member/child, relationship with your coach, lifestyle habits, past experiences......there is so much that could potentially affect your emotional resilience.
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Many athletes create a team when it comes to training for a race and this team often includes a coach, bike mechanic, sport dietitian and a massage therapist/PT.
But how many athletes actually reach out to a sport psychologist for help? 

Sometimes you really need a professional/expert to guide you (the athlete) in your thoughts as it can be difficult to understand what specific barriers are in your mind and how they can/will affect how you perform on race day.

Having said all of this....

I feel so lucky to have Gloria in my life because she knows exactly what to say, when it needs to be said.

Gloria is a very close friend of mine but also a clinical sport psychologist who has helped me through so many situations in my life, personal and athletic.

Plus, her dog Frida kinda looks like Campy so it was kinda like we were always meant to be best friends....even though we live on opposite coasts. 

In Gloria's latest blog post, Psychological Safety Net, she writes about a topic that I feel so many athletes can relate to and should understand.

I could not resist the opportunity to share this great article with you. 

Here is a little from her fantastic blog post: 

There is a term in psychology that we call self-handicapping. Self-handicapping is a sneaky psychological safety net that athletes can get caught up in if they are not careful or honest with themselves.

Many athletes hold on to their psychological safety net (self-handicapping patterns) for many reasons, but the big ones – fear of failure, ego deflation, disappointment, failure to meet expectations, perfectionism, poor distress tolerance, fear of risking taking, staying in the comfort zone, lack of follow through/inconsistent training behaviors and falling into comparisons.

Check out the rest of the article to learn more and be sure to read her many examples of Psychological Safety Nets.

Do any of her psychological safety net examples apply to you?

How will you break your safety net? 

Be prepared for any and all race conditions

Ask any coach and they likely would agree that it is easy to write workouts to help get an athlete into great physical shape before race day.

But performing on race day is another story.
No training plan can confidently prepare an athlete for the uncontrollables that happen on race day. 

As it relates to the many (and I mean MANY) conditions that we can experience on race day, being physically prepared is just a portion of what it requires to have a great race.

It is so true that "whether you think you can or think you can't, you are right."

I've seen and heard far too many athletes bring doubt to a race just because race-day conditions are not ideal. And more than just doubt, there's anxiety, stress, anger, frustration and even the mindset that race day will be a horrible experience. 

If you are an athlete who races outdoors, you will find yourself racing in conditions that are not ideal for a PR race. You may even find yourself having to adjust your race plan all together just to manage your effort with the conditions (not racing to your potential) and to just simply finish the race. 

There will be very cold race day mornings. 

There will be rain on your course. 

And there will be windy, hot and humid conditions. 

If you approach every race with the mindset that the conditions have to be "perfect" for you to have a great race, I'll say it right now that you may never have your "perfect" race. 

You can continue to race on the fastest courses with the fastest gear and the best fitness behind you but there is a great chance that there will be something to overcome on race day that will not make your race day conditions "perfect". And with these conditions, you will have to adjust your plan. 

So, with the right mental and physical preparations, I believe that every athlete has the potential for success on race day. You can have that perfect race even with conditions that are not ideal.

Even in rain, cold or with a cancelled swim, someone is going to get on the podium, someone will earn his/her Kona slot and someone will qualify for another race. 

Great race performances happen to the athletes who are able to handle what is thrown at them on race day and adjust.

Do you want a great performance on race day?

I'm very excited to share this article from Ironman.com that Gloria and I worked on earlier this summer.

We cover topics such as:

Cold conditions
Windy conditions
Rainy conditions
A new race
A modified course
A cancelled race

Have you dealt with these conditions/scenarios on/before race day?
How did you deal with them?

Check out some of our tips so that you can feel physically and mentally prepared and in control of any challenge that comes your way on race day.

How to dodge a race-day curve ball

Beat pre-race anxiety with these 8 tips

I consider myself extremely lucky. 

I just happen to have a sport psychologist/mental skills coach as my best friend.
Gloria and I may live on opposite coasts but our friendship continues to grow year after year. 

Gloria emailed me before my 2nd Ironman World Championship in 2011 and I could feel her positive energy through the internet. From one email she was a stranger who instantly became a close friend. From a simple email, our friendship began.. I knew she had a gift of knowing how to say the right thing at the right time and she has helped me season after season, year after year, in every one of my races. Her mental skills tricks and ability to verbalize what "we" as athletes think when we train and race is incredible.
Ultimately, Gloria knows how to unleash great performances and it all starts with having a stronger, better, healthier mindset when it comes to training. 

Karel and I have coached Gloria and her hubby on and off over the past few years for various races and Gloria even joined me in Kona for the 2013 IM World Championship. 

Gloria and her hubby Ken have a furry child named Frida who looks just like Campy. 

Miss Frida!
Hopefully one day she will be able to meet her boyfriend Campy. 

You can find out more about Gloria on her website but you can also check her out in her recent contribution to Men's Fitness Magazine. 

8 ways to beat pre-race anxiety

In this article, the following topics/tips are discussed:
Just Breathe
Talk to yourself
Trust your training
Own your personal strengths
Embrace your nerves
Know your goal

Focus on what's in front of you
Be realistic 

Overcome your feelings - training motivation

On Monday morning, I joined a master swim group for an open water swim at Lake Jocassee (Devil's Fork State Park). I was super excited for my first open water swim practice of the season here in Greenville and excited to swim/train with others. Because the lake is about 1 hour away from where we live, I decided to make a morning out of the swim and combine it with an EZ 30-45 min run that I had on my training schedule. 

Karel stayed at home since he just returned from 4 days of RETUL fits in Jacksonville. 

I packed plenty of fluids and snacks and had my run gear, Nathan hydration belt and had everything I needed for two great workouts. I was super excited and had all the motivation I needed to have a great morning swim/run. 

I swam pretty hard for our 1-hour swim (out and back) as I was trying to keep up with three other super fast master swimmers. After the swim, I was really cold (we didn't wear wetsuits and the water was a bit nippy) and was tired from the swim (although it was a beautiful swim!) 

As I was walking back to my car, I was thinking that maybe I would just head home and run in the evening. Despite starting the morning with great intentions, having all my gear and being nutritionally prepared, I let a temporary feeling of being tired derail me from my plan. 

I know sometimes we can just push through discomfort and get it done but I was perfectly content with not sticking to my plan and I didn't feel guilty. 

But then as I was walking, I saw two other male triathletes who had joined us for the swim (they swam 40 minutes)and they were running. And just like that, I convinced myself that I should just go for the run that I had planned to do. 

And as I should have guessed - I had a great run, with good form (despite running on hilly terrain) and really enjoyed running on new roads, in a new environment. I was running happy for 6 miles!

I was so happy that I ran after my swim and both workouts served their purpose as I felt recovered and fresh to train on Tuesday. 

This morning, Karel and I went for an hour spin and he took me on a great bike tour of some new country roads (we are always exploring!). I was a little tired before the bike and started to doubt myself if I had it in me for today's morning workout. 

But with so much nature around us, it was a great ride to wake-up my legs before our track run. 

But after the ride, I started to feel tired. Again, another feeling that I was letting convince me that I didn't have it in me to run. Tired doesn't mean that I can't have great workouts. Heck, I'm tired after I swim 2.4 miles and bike 112 miles but I still find a way to run 26.2 miles to finish an Ironman! 

I had my nutrition ready for the run and all my gear in the garage ready for a quick transition and I fueled well on the bike in anticipation for the track run.

With Karel by my side, we ran up our hill and headed 3 miles to Furman University and then started our track workout.

MS: 5 x .75 miles (or 5 minutes for Karel) w/ 3 min recovery in between (with #4-5 being the strongest).

Then a run home

Total: 10.3 miles 

As the run progressed, I felt stronger and stronger. I made sure to bring extra nutrition for the track run and boy oh boy did I need it! 

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Every athlete battles feelings. 

Feelings of low motivation, low energy, low passion. 

We also have opportunities when we can bottle up our positive feelings. Feelings of being unstoppable, feelings of strength, durability and great health. 

Amazingly, regardless of how we feel, we have the ability to get things done, even when we feel like things can't get done. 

As athletes, we have a lot that we can do to set ourselves up for great workouts:

-Great nutrition before/during/after workouts
-Great daily nutrition
-Great warm-ups

-Great restful sleep
-Great motivation (goals in mind)

-Great support - family, friends, teammates

-Great stress management

-Great focus and consistency in your training plan (and a well-designed training plan)
-Great planning
-Great pacing

-Great ability to not make excuses

But let's be honest here - that's a lot to just have a great workout! 

To help you overcome your feelings and to help you stay motivated, my suggestion is to focus on setting yourself up for great workouts with things within your control (attitude, gear, nutrition, sleep, etc.). Then when you get to your workout, focus on what you want to get out of your workout. One of the easiest ways to have a bad workout is to put too much pressure on yourself on how you expect to perform during the workout. You can't expect your body to be "on" every single workout. 

As you can see from my last few workouts, in my head, I felt like I was not going to have good workouts and I was settling with my feelings. 

Well, you don't get much done when you do nothing. 

As athletes, we do this all the time in races ("how will my legs feel off the bike, how will I feel when I start the swim, how will I feel at mile 20?") and more often than we would like, we do this a lot in training. 

There will be times in your training when you feel great and you can have goals as to how hard you want to push in order to feel like you had a great workout. 

But many times, you are going to need to remove the emotions from the workout which can cause you to feel frustrated, disappointed and "slow" if your anticipated goals for the workout do not match your RPE or how you perform.

Through years of training and racing, if there is one powerful message that I have learned (and take with me to every training session and race), if your body is healthy, never ever count yourself out of a workout. Keep adjusting until you find a way to have the best workout possible - don't just "get through" the workout. 

Try to find a way to "feel" like you are having a great workout and more often than not, you will have a great workout!

For more helpful tips from Dr. G:
5 tips on being consistently consistent
It won't be easy, but it will be worth it!

6-month training check-in

Right now at this moment, how would you describe how you feel about your body in relation to your training/workout regime?

Do you use the words exhausted, fatigued, overwhelmed, mentally checked-out, drained, injured, frustrated, unhealthy, unhappy or weak?

Or do you use the words strong, healthy, clean, energized, fit or happy?

Now think back 2,3 or 6 months ago? Do you feel that you are now in a better place nutritionally, physically, mentally and emotionally with your active lifestyle compared to the past?

Between 2013-2014, my body completed 4 Ironman distance triathlons in 15 months. I am extremely grateful to my body for being so healthy and strong to allow me to live such an extreme active lifestyle. And in 6 months, I am so excited to be racing in my 4th Ironman World Championship and 10th Ironman with Karel in Kona, Hawaii.

After taking 6 weeks completely off training during my off-season from Sept - November, I knew that in order to keep my body healthy and make performance gains in endurance triathlon racing, I needed to make some changes. I am always excited to try new approaches to training, fueling and recovery and after a successful past two years of training and racing, I was ready for something better to happen.

When I think about my training, health and body on a daily basis, I find myself using the words healthy, strong, happy, over and over again. Sure, I have the occasional off day but it's rare for my body to feel "off" for more than 48 hours, for more than 5 times a year.
Now this is not worth bragging about because my body is not super human. I take extremely good care of my body and I focus on balance as an athlete, coach, wife, small business owner and doggy mommy.  My number one goal as an elite endurance athlete is to get the most training adaptations possible with the least amount of training stress, all while keeping my body in the best health possible.  Because I can't say that I have always felt this way about my body, here are a few factors/changes that I feel have helped me stay healthy, strong, injury-free (for almost 2 years) energized and happy over the past 6 months. 

1) COACHING Every coach needs a coach and Karel has been helping me develop my triathlon fitness over the past 5 years. Between my knowledge as an exercise physiologist and Karel's cycling background and ability to see the sport of triathlons with a global view, I have been incredibly grateful to have Karel and his support and belief in me. He really keeps me focused in the present moment and because I have so much trust in him, I never question his workouts or plan for me. We certainly work together on my periodized plan but I do appreciate how he can challenge me with workouts that I would not want to give myself. Additionally, with so many muscular injuries relating to my hips, I feel so lucky to have the best bike mechanic and RETUL bike fitter as my hubby. Although the root of my hip/glute/back issues was never resolved through almost a dozen doctor visits, MRI's, Xrays and many PT visits (and I have had some awesome PTs!), I am convinced that Karel helped me heal myself thanks to understanding how I was riding my bike. I was not sitting properly on my bike nor was I rotating my hips correctly when I was aero vs sitting up. I was not engaging the right muscle groups when I rode so regardless of how much hip/glute work I did in the weight room or at home, I was not able to activate key muscles to get them stronger and to keep them from fatiguing. And with training, I was not doing the right drills/workouts to help my pedaling and efficiency while riding. Karel recently refit me and although it is a new position for me to adapt to, it has been amazing to see how my cycling fitness has improved alongside how much stronger and consistently I can run with a strong and healthy body. 

2) PURPLE PATCHKarel and I have followed Matt Dixon with Purple Patch Fitness for several years and this year we have had the great opportunity to have Coach Matt as a mentor. We value his approach to training and also his passion and knowledge for developing age groupers and professional triathletes. If you have not read his book The Well-Built Triathlete, I highly recommend ordering it ASAP to learn more about recovery, nutrition, functional strength and a progressive triathlon program. Matt values keeping his athletes in good health and really focusing on good recovery. He does not give easy workouts but with he knows how to bring out the best in any athlete. He is a wealth of information and so experienced as a coach and athlete. We are so lucky to have Matt as a resource. 

3) CHRIS JOHNSON PTSpeaking of calling in the experts...I am so incredibly grateful to my PT from the West Coast, Chris Johnson.  From the moment I watched Chris's You Tube videos (which I came across while getting inspiration for our Transition Plan), I knew Chris needed to be part of my 2015 training journey. I actually contacted Chris when he was in Kona about to race the Ironman in October and sent him a super long email about my history and I wanted him to help me even though he lives on another coast. Chris took the time to email me and since then, he has been so valuable for my athletic development and a great resource for me as a coach to help my athletes stay injury free.
Although Karel and I have already qualified for the 2015 IM World Championship, I see every season as an opportunity to develop, grow and make myself the best athlete I can be. Many times, this means doing things that I have never done before and taking a different approach to training. So whereas in the past I would get faster before going longer, now I have focused many months of my base training (and off season) to getting stronger before trying to get faster. Although I have always placed an emphasis on strength training in my cardio focused training, I have learned SO much from Chris (after doing a series of tests via video to send him) and he gives me the confidence that I need with my run training. I continue to do strength training several times per week, all periodized with my training. Whereas Dr. G is my go-to girl when it comes to needed a dose of mental strength, Chris has the answer to everything and he makes understanding the injured body so simple. I trust him and most of all, he believes in me which I really appreciate. His strength training routines have been specific to me and my past and I can't thank him enough for working with me.

4) HEALTHY DIET/SPORT NUTRITION 
Lastly, I can't stress the importance of a smart training plan alongside proper daily nutrition and an appropriate sport nutrition regime. I consider myself an extremely metabolically efficient athlete as I know how to time my nutrition with training and my daily diet does not affect my training or ability to fuel before/during/after workouts. I have had my menstrual cycle for over 6 years, never missing a month. For the past 6 years, my weight has stayed between 108-117 lbs (5 feet tall) and I rarely weigh myself (like maybe three times a year). I am a 23 year vegetarian and I have not been sick with a cold or flu since 2007. I have never had a broken bone or stress fracture.
So why do I mention all of this?
As you know, I am a believer and proponent of prioritizing liquid calories to provide electrolytes, carbs/sugar and fluids while training (everything in a bottle - but not concentrated bottles) and as a sport RD, I am always interested in ways to fuel my body better around/during workouts. Restricting sport nutrition, carbs or any food group is just not how I choose to fuel my active lifestyle as a competitive athlete nor is this how I work with my athletes that consult me for nutrition help.
In order to keep my body in good health, my body needs to stay/maintain a healthy weight (not too much weight but not too lean), my diet should be balanced and nutrient dense, there should be extreme focus on sport nutrition and how I fuel before, during and after workouts (and not avoiding carbohydrates by any means!) to support metabolism and hormonal health, I always emphasize good sleep and I value a smart training plan.
My diet is entirely plant-based with adequate protein, iron-rich fortified and plant based foods, calcium (I drink milk and eat yogurt daily) and rich in real-food carbohydrates. I use sport nutrition products for all workouts and I eat before every workout. I do not take any special pills, herbs, medications or supplements. I don't have any rules with my diet and nothing is off limit. I know what works for me and I have a great relationship with food.
I know that with the intentional stress that I put on my body, it would be extremely irresponsible of me to not make an extra effort to focus heavily on how I eat throughout the day as well as around/during my workouts. As a sport RD, my career and life is focused on fueling a body in motion and I spend so much time researching, reading and understanding sport nutrition.

The human body is very complicated at rest but even more so during physical activity and this is why I find it so important that every athlete (specifically endurance athletes) takes an extra measure to make sure the daily diet AND fueling regime supports your training load. Additionally, athletes must focus on the many areas that can help boost performance, not just thinking that the only way to get faster is to train harder and longer.

Train smart and don't be afraid to involve a professional/expert to help you take away the guessing or to help you make a change that you can not make for yourself. 

Excellent mental tips from Dr. G!

I can't believe that it was almost a year ago when I was heading to the Big Island of Kona for my third Ironman World Championship!!
My mental coach and BFF Gloria met me on the island and we spent the next 10 days together in complete island happiness. It was one amazing experience filled with laughs, love, positivity, inspiration and gratefulness. 

Since our jobs revolve around working with athletes, Gloria and I both made good use of our time in Kona by creating a series of videos (mental tips from Gloria and nutrition tips from me) to help out other athletes. We wanted to provide tips that would make athletes of all levels feel more comfortable and confident before and during important races. 

Gloria, as a licensed sport psychologist always provides the best advice....in other words, she can think logically when we (as athletes) can not. She speaks with a big heart and without a rollercoaster of emotions inside her mind/body (like us athletes sometimes).

Gloria just put together a blog featuring all of her tips that she provided in Kona last year. I know that many athletes return to her Kona blogs before races (of any distance and sport) because the tips are extremely helpful. 

I invite you to check out her blog to learn more about staying mentally focused and keeping perspective during your race week. As Gloria mentions, there is often a lot of anxious nervous energy on race week/race day so being aware of the environment and people around us is very important but we also must be able to manage it. 

Mental Tips for athletes

Here are a few pics from our trip....

Getting my bike from Tri Bike Transport

Time to register for the World Championship

Finishing chute getting setting up, walking to rack my bike on the day before the race. 

Race day. A bunch of calm athletes...NOT!
Picture taken by Gloria. 

Water entry/exit from the 2.4 mile swim

The water we get to swim in...a big fish tank!

Practice swim with Go Pro. 

My old bike, just chilaxin. 

The evening view from our porch. 

Gloria - my mental coach, BFF and BEST sherpa ever!! 

Me and Gloria

Warming up on the Queen K hwy (bike course)

There I am!

First Kona!

Second Kona!

3rd Kona!

Shopping at the local market for yummy food. 

Yum.....fresh, local fruit in Kona!

Practice swim with Gloria...thanks Triathlete mag for the pic! 

Loving my 110% towel!

Smiling with Chrissie Wellington!

Sporting my new custom Oakley Women shades at the Oakley house. 

Transition bag packing for a 140.6 mile event!

Me, Emily and Gloria at the Undie Run.

Everyone has to take a pic like this in Kona ;) 

Isn't she the best??? Carrying my bags to the transition area for bag drop off. 

A new PR in Kona...10:37!

FINISHER swag!

Lovely! Heading to the Power Bar post race breakfast.

The view from the pier (dig-me-beach)