It’s hard to believe that it’s already October. For the World Cuppers (and even some FIS athletes), the race season is only a few weeks away and, for most racers, only a few months away. What I consider Phase I of the ski racing prep period is over. Hopefully, the summer was devoted to building [...]
At this late point in the season, you will have fallen into one of three camps as far as how your season has gone. First, you may be having a break-out season in which you are absolutely thrilled with the progress in your racing and race results. You would be perfectly content if the season [...]
In my last article, I introduced you to my concept of a "chamber of pain." In this Part II, I will show you how to empty your emotional chamber of pain. The only way to stop the toxic contents of your chamber of pain from contaminating your life forever is to empty it. At the [...]
One of the things I love most about being a triathlete is the range and intensity of emotions our sport evokes in me. Doing triathlons is like living life with the volume turned up. There is something about triathlon that peels away the layers of our emotions and causes us to feel them in their [...]
My experience, both professionally and personally, is that few people emerge from childhood unscathed from their upbringings. You get your psychological and emotional baggage from your parents (e.g., neglect, abuse), peers (e.g., rejection, bullying), traumatic experiences (e.g., loss of a parent or sibling), or popular culture (e.g., unhealthy values, expectations), to name a few. Sadly, [...]
I was recently interviewed by Parker Biele for the Sync Performance podcast, This Week's Stoke. In the podcast, I share with Parker my years of ski racing and professional experience in the psychology of ski racing including exploring topics such as mental imagery, routines, and mental health. Thanks to Parker and Sync for giving me [...]
Performance slumps are one of the most common, yet mysterious and frustrating, phenomena in triathlon. Typically viewed as unexplained drops in performance, slumps are a source of concern for triathletes and coaches alike. Despite its visible place in the collective psyche of the triathlon community, little is known about the causes or cures for performance [...]
With the U.S. and the world continuing to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the sad developments in Afghanistan, and the current unsettling political zeitgeist that has taken over our country, I’ve been thinking a lot about freedom and what it means in our lives. You would think that, given that it is a central principle on [...]
Trust is the final piece of the triathlon puzzle when you are about to begin the swim. Yet, you have probably never thought of trust at all in our sport. Despite this neglect, trust is fundamental to your performing your best consistently in races. It is what brings everything you’ve done up to that point [...]
