Comments on: It’s All Mental http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental A Spotlight on Healthy Living Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:22:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Hill Work-Outs: Form, Focus, and Breathing for Running Hills | Health and Running http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental/comment-page-1#comment-1641 Hill Work-Outs: Form, Focus, and Breathing for Running Hills | Health and Running Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:19:15 +0000 http://healthandrunning.com/?p=520#comment-1641 [...] guess I could pick hills. Of course, I have that same thought at the end of intervals too; I guess it’s all mental! What about you; do you prefer hills or [...] [...] guess I could pick hills. Of course, I have that same thought at the end of intervals too; I guess it’s all mental! What about you; do you prefer hills or [...]

]]> By: Natalie http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental/comment-page-1#comment-1095 Natalie Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:55:31 +0000 http://healthandrunning.com/?p=520#comment-1095 Hi Rocio, Glad you have the spark back! Good call on looking at triathlon pictures to get motivated. I'm a super visual person and often if I can picture myself doing something it helps a lot with motivation. You have the goal, you have the training, and now it sounds like you have the vision! Thanks for referring the swim website. Good luck with your tri and let me know how it goes! Hi Rocio,
Glad you have the spark back! Good call on looking at triathlon pictures to get motivated. I’m a super visual person and often if I can picture myself doing something it helps a lot with motivation. You have the goal, you have the training, and now it sounds like you have the vision! Thanks for referring the swim website. Good luck with your tri and let me know how it goes!

]]> By: rocio http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental/comment-page-1#comment-1090 rocio Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:49:45 +0000 http://healthandrunning.com/?p=520#comment-1090 Natalie: Thanks for your great advice. After reading your response, I knew I needed to get motivated again and bring back that passion for the race that I had at the beginning. I searched the internet and found swimm.com, this website has so much great advice on swim training and you can blog with advanced swimmers regarding any questions and comments. It's great. I also found a webiste that has many triathlton race images and this too has relighted my fire. I am ready to go and do it. Thanks for believing that I can do it. Natalie:

Thanks for your great advice. After reading your response, I knew I needed to get motivated again and bring back that passion for the race that I had at the beginning. I searched the internet and found swimm.com, this website has so much great advice on swim training and you can blog with advanced swimmers regarding any questions and comments. It’s great. I also found a webiste that has many triathlton race images and this too has relighted my fire. I am ready to go and do it. Thanks for believing that I can do it.

]]> By: Natalie http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental/comment-page-1#comment-1086 Natalie Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:50:16 +0000 http://healthandrunning.com/?p=520#comment-1086 Rocio, I completely understand! I too am triathlon training and I struggle with enjoying the biking. I find it somewhat boring and not as challenging as running or swimming but I think that's partly because I'm not on the right bike and also because I just don't know enough yet about the sport. But I digress... Do you have comfortable goggles that you use? A comfortable suit? I find that the first step to enjoying and then focusing on the work-out is being "dressed" appropriately. At this stage in training I'm sure you do. The other question I'd ask is whether you have a specific set of swimming drills/work-outs you're doing or if you're just trying to swim a certain distance. I think having a specific work-out to accomplish helps bring focus to the swim and you might even start to like it. I am using the Runner's World tri training (http://bit.ly/vUAVl) and they have great work-outs you could try. You can also find a TON of swimming drills, advice, articles and forums on http://www.goswim.tv/. Since the swimming is the first event in the tri you might consider thinking of it as something you have to power through. You don't have to like it. If you enjoy the biking and running, maybe you can think of those as your rewards for getting through swimming. And as frustrated as you are, your body is still probably thanking you for the low-impact work-out of swimming, so think of it as a "rest" work-out that you need to help repair muscles. With two weeks to go, I wouldn't back off the swimming now. This is your chance to really focus and there is still time to fine tune your swimming strength and form. Long response but I hope it helps. And good luck in your triathlon! Rocio,
I completely understand! I too am triathlon training and I struggle with enjoying the biking. I find it somewhat boring and not as challenging as running or swimming but I think that’s partly because I’m not on the right bike and also because I just don’t know enough yet about the sport. But I digress…

Do you have comfortable goggles that you use? A comfortable suit? I find that the first step to enjoying and then focusing on the work-out is being “dressed” appropriately. At this stage in training I’m sure you do. The other question I’d ask is whether you have a specific set of swimming drills/work-outs you’re doing or if you’re just trying to swim a certain distance. I think having a specific work-out to accomplish helps bring focus to the swim and you might even start to like it. I am using the Runner’s World tri training (http://bit.ly/vUAVl) and they have great work-outs you could try. You can also find a TON of swimming drills, advice, articles and forums on http://www.goswim.tv/.

Since the swimming is the first event in the tri you might consider thinking of it as something you have to power through. You don’t have to like it. If you enjoy the biking and running, maybe you can think of those as your rewards for getting through swimming. And as frustrated as you are, your body is still probably thanking you for the low-impact work-out of swimming, so think of it as a “rest” work-out that you need to help repair muscles.

With two weeks to go, I wouldn’t back off the swimming now. This is your chance to really focus and there is still time to fine tune your swimming strength and form. Long response but I hope it helps. And good luck in your triathlon!

]]> By: rocio http://healthandrunning.com/running/its-all-mental/comment-page-1#comment-1085 rocio Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:03:53 +0000 http://healthandrunning.com/?p=520#comment-1085 Thanks for your motivational story on "It's all mental". I am doing a triathlon in 2 weeks and the last couple of weeks I have had this negative mentality about swimming and have had no energy to continue with my swimming training. Swimming in not my strength, and so to me it's just something I have to do to get thru to the next event. I have been getting very frustrated when I go swimming because I cant relax and enjoy it, and my swimming suffers. Any advice? Thanks for your motivational story on “It’s all mental”. I am doing a triathlon in 2 weeks and the last couple of weeks I have had this negative mentality about swimming and have had no energy to continue with my swimming training. Swimming in not my strength, and so to me it’s just something I have to do to get thru to the next event. I have been getting very frustrated when I go swimming because I cant relax and enjoy it, and my swimming suffers. Any advice?

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