I Practice What I Preach: Focus on Your Weaknesses-Part II: Cycling
In my last I Practice What I Preach article, I described how I will be focusing on my weaknesses—swimming and cycling—during the prep period leading into the 2024 triathlon season. I also did a deep dive into how I was going to improve my swim technique and speed by leveraging two pieces of swimming technology […]
Read MoreShift from Training Mode to Race Mode in Your Ski Racing
The 2023-24 alpine race season is now underway. From St. Moritz to Copper to Edouard to many other race venues in between and beyond, it’s “go time” for racers from juniors up to the World Cup. So, now is the time to shift from training mode to race mode. This transition requires several important changes […]
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Effortless Swimming podcast: 3 Mental “Muscles” to Maximize Training and Race Performance
I was recently invited by Brenton Ford for a return visit (see my previous four previous visits here) to the Effortless Swimming podcast on YouTube. If you’re not familiar with Brenton, he is a rock star in the swimming world with a following of almost 300,000. His instructional videos break down swim technique so that […]
Read MoreRace Like You Train or Train Like You Race?
One of the first questions that I ask racers and coaches I work with is: Should you race like you train or train like you race? By far, the most frequent response is: You should race like you train. This answer seems perfectly reasonable if you think about it. When you train, you’re relaxed, feel […]
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I Practice What I Preach: Preparing for the 2024 Triathlon Season
Note: I’m pleased to co-author this article with my exceptional coach, Dr. Greg Rhodes. Greg is Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and an accomplished age-group endurance athlete in his own right. How you perform next season depends on what you do between now and then. The fitness gains you make and the technical, tactical, and mental […]
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I Practice What I Preach: Reflections on the 2023 Triathlon Season…And Getting Ready for 2024
My 2023 triathlon season is now officially over. After the World Championships in Spain in late September, I had several races on my schedule leading to the end of this year, but I just wasn’t feeling them. So I decided to relax for a month or so (that doesn’t mean not training!) and just do […]
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8 Reasons Why an Injury Can Make You a Better Triathlete (and Person)
What two things do these triathletes have in common: Lucy Charles-Barkley, Jan Frodeno, Kat Mathews, Taylor Knibb, Sam Laidlow, Ruth Astle, and, well, Jim Taylor (athletic giftedness is not one of them for the last guy on the list!)? They all have sustained serious injuries that kept them away from our sport for an extended […]
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Dr. Jim Taylor on The Daily Tri Podcast with Travis Mundell
It was both an honor and a pleasure to have been invited by Travis Mundell to appear on his The Daily Tri podcast. Travis and The Daily Tri have quickly become a “must-watch” YouTube channel. In this episode we talk about, not surprisingly, the psychology of triathlon, what it takes to be a professional triathlete, […]
Read MoreDoes Tech Use Hurts Ski Racers?
I have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to ski racers when they’re training including leaning on their poles shortly before a training run (no intensity), chatting it up with teammates when they’re in the starting gate of a training course (no focus), and half-hearted effort to the first gate (easing into the […]
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I Practice What I Preach: World Triathlon Championships-I Struck…
Unfortunately, no, I didn’t strike gold at the World Super-sprint and Standard-distance Triathlon Championships, held in Pontevedra, Spain, last week, but I did collect another precious medal. But first, some back story. These races were my fourth “A” series of triathlons in my 2023 season that began in April. Up to these Worlds, it had […]
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