Mental Training & Preparation for a Tri

The Power of the Mind

Guest Blogger Courtney Culligan

This is an excerpt from an inspirational email Coach Courtney Culligan sent to Evergreen Park & Recreation District's Tri-Evergreen training group

I want to reinforce the concept of mental training and preparation for all of you. I know that several of you have had that, "oh, wow" realization that race day is coming up (whether it be 4 weeks, 8 weeks or 12 weeks away) and have expressed to me personal worries - am I going to be ready? Can I do this .... really? What if the weather is bad? What if I have a flat tire??

Mental Preparation

A huge part of your training and race experience is focusing on the mental preparation for your experience as well as your physical preparation.  One of the most important things you can do is to visualize a successful race day and mentally think through your plans for the event.  I want you to think in POSITIVES but be prepared mentally for things that may not go perfectly for you.  How will you handle it, what will you do, can you flex and make the best of it?  Remember, this is a journey and one which should be fun and bring meaning to your life.  Why else are we doing this??  I am doing this because it has given me an outlet for myself - one which has taught me to be more self-confident and to push my personal limits in ways which I did not think possible a decade ago.  But, perhaps most importantly, it has allowed me to meet new people, develop amazing friendships and make a difference in the lives of others through coaching and mentoring. If you focus on the meaning inherent within this experience for you, it will allow you to overcome some of those doubts.

9 Steps Toward Mental Toughness

Personal Goal Setting

I want each of you to think about your personal goals for this race season - the physical goals you have set for yourself but just as importantly, the mental goals you have in place. Remember - the mind is just as powerful if not more so than your body for your personal success.  If you are using negative self-talk - "I can not do this, I am not ready, my run is too slow, what the hell is in this water??, good grief- how many more miles do I have to ride, it is too freakin' hot out here, I hate Courtney for making me do this stupid workout....", then your body is going to respond to what your mind is thinking, right?

So, let's replace those thoughts with - "Hell, yeah, I can do this!" "I have done my training and I am going to crush this course!" "Slow and steady wins the race." "This is a pool swim - there's nothing in this water but chlorine." "This bike ride was so much fun and I wish I had to go 15 more miles with my team." "I'm going to dump some water on my head to cool off today as I am enjoying this run. " "I love Courtney for building up my self-confidence with challenging training workouts." LOL :)

I promise you that if you follow your training plans and put in the time, you will be more than prepared on race day :)

Here is a great article to inspire you: 

9 Tools For Boosting Mental Toughness