The Best Laid Plans: Never Say, “If All Goes Well…”
The most common question I was asked before my first Ironman was, “What time are you shooting for?” In my naiveté, I always responded, “Well, if all goes well, under X hours” (I will keep you in suspense until the end of the article before I tell you how I did). If you answer this […]
Read MoreSelf-Confidence In Tennis
Perhaps the single most important mental ingredient professional tennis players such as Jim Courier and Monica Seles need for success on the tour is self-confidence. Entering Centre Court at Wimbledon to play the finals against a hard serving, net rushing opponent can raise doubts in even the best players. But these professionals overcome uncertainty by […]
Read MoreBeating the Winter Blues: How to Stay Motivated During the Holiday Crunch
It’s late October and you’re heading into the holiday season with feelings of dread rather than cheer. You may have been pretty good about eating healthily and working out regularly, but you know that November and December are different. You’ll be busy with holiday parties which means eating more. To make matters worse, it’ll be […]
Read MoreIncorporating Mental Skills Into Daily Training
Over the past few years we have offered a variety of information on the mental aspects of dance training and performance in Dance Teacher Now. These articles described many techniques that can be used to develop dancers mentally so they may perform their best. However, it may have been unclear how these methods could be […]
Read MoreNothing is Worth Your Health or Sanity
Dance, as a vocation or avocation, requires dedication, discipline, and other difficult decisions. Dancers may face choices that can impact their immediate lives and long-term development as performers and people. “Students are left principally to their own devices to figure out what dancing is all about,” states Teri Loren, author of The Dancer’s Companion: The […]
Read More“Money in the Bank, Baby!”: Start Making Confidence Deposits This Summer
In one of my final post this past season, I exhorted you to buy into the notion that Next Season Starts…NOW! With the start of June having just arrived, the summer is now officially upon us. The summer is an immensely important time to pursue your ski racing goals. You can get stronger, improve your […]
Read MoreThink Twice: Are you Sure You Want to Do an Ironman?
Ironman is the ultimate in triathlon competition. It’s the standard by which triathlon is known to the world at large. When I began doing triathlons, almost every non-tri person I met would ask if I had done an Ironman (that’s all they knew), as if that is the only badge of honor in our sport. […]
Read MoreChill Out: Keep Cool and Race Your Best
Like all endurance sports, triathlon success involves preserving and apportioning out your energy evenly during a race. Burn too much gas early in a race and you’re finished before T2. Run out of gas late in the race and you have no fuel for a strong finish. In either case, you’re in for one horrendous […]
Read MorePositive Self-talk: Your Best Ally
The most powerful psychological tool you have at your disposal to achieve your triathlon goals is positive self-talk. What you say to yourself when you’re in the pool, on your bike, or in your running shoes affects what you think, how you feel, and how you perform. It also will often determine the quality of […]
Read MoreMental Training Begins in the Gym
Most sport psychologists work with athletes on the mental side of their sport in an office setting (usually one hour per week), providing them with mental tools that they can use during training and competitions. This approach makes about as much sense as a coach offering their racers technical instruction and then telling them to […]
Read More