Dumb Newbie Question: Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums

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Dumb Newbie Question

BillT

Jan 2, 03 14:31

Post #1 of 10 (1170 views)

Dumb Newbie Question	Quote \| Reply

OK, I've done three of these triathlon things now and I may not die from it after all. Two were sprints and one International? Olympic? (about twice as long, anyway) I stunk in all three but survived and had a good time talking about it later. As a matter of fact, the more time passes the more fun it seems in retrospect.

I have all of the normal questions, but one I have not seen addressed. My biggest problem so far is nerves. My heart rate seems like it's about 250 before the start so my swim technique, breathing, etc. is shot from the beginning. Is there something I can do or will I just have to suffer through several more starts to get comfortable?

trackie clm

Jan 2, 03 15:00

Post #2 of 10 (1146 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

How much have you swam in open water? The high HR and hyperventilation should get better the more experience you get in open water. But, the general nerves/excitement never go away. If they did, I think it would be time to hang it up. Good luck!

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm

Pete C

Jan 2, 03 15:01

Post #3 of 10 (1146 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Hi Bill - welcome to this great sport of ours ! Better to ask a dumb question than make a dumb mistake I say....The best way to control nerves is to remain task based. That is: always remain in the moment and do what you have to do at the time. The nerves are purely your mind ticking over with "what ifs" . If you are busy doing things you wont have a problem.

On arriving at the race site go to the transition area and do all the things you need to , then get out of there and go to the swim exit and run through the exit of your swim, transition and bike course entry. Then you go to a quiet place and close your eyes and run through the race in your mind. Once you have done that go to the swim start and do a few stretches. Then do a swim warm up , get out , go find someone to have a laugh with and talk to them until it's time to get in the water. When the gun goes off, the nerves will leave your body.

Have fun !

Tom Demerly

Jan 2, 03 15:01

Post #4 of 10 (1145 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

AWESOME Question! I'm not kidding. I own probably 25 books on mental aspects of sports performance. I think it is one of the most neglected forms of preparation, and one of my favorite topics (too bad for you...). Technically, what you are experiencing is too high a state of arousal. This may be a result over rational concerns about events you feel you cannot exert an influence on. To control your state of arousal, or, more accurately, actively manage it- it is important to make yourself cognisant of the set of things you can control (and then control them, like remembering your goggles, bringing extra toilet paper, etc.) and the set of things you can't control (weather, competition, the perception that everyone is better than you - they aren't. Once you seperate the two, work on letting the things go that outside your "sphere of influence" (Stephen Covey). Additionally, visually rehearsing the event prior to race day is also a good way to lower your arousal and gain control of yourself in what previously seemed to be a chaotic environment. Finally, practice relaxation at home on your own. Initially, this is a difficult skill to master- emptying your mind of all distractions and concerns and focusing on respiration and relaxing your muscles. This is not what you want on race day (you need a high degree of arousal for a good performance, just not too high), but can help in relaxation and lead to more vivid visualization of the event itself- enabling you to gain greater control. Buddhists sometimes practice a meditation scientists refer to as "neurophysiologial autoregulation" during which they can voluntarily control involuntary functions such as heart rate and respiration. Practice it long enough and it works. Wow, this is too complex, buy some books on mental preparation. Also, you can just think about sex to distract yourself, but make sure you're in waist deep water.

Tom Demerly
Editor, TriSports University
http://university.trisports.com/

loopfitt

Jan 2, 03 15:21

Post #5 of 10 (1125 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

How do you get over the pre-race jitters?--Easy! Just do what you were always told to do when publicly speaking in front of a large audience. ie: picture everyone in front of you fully, buck NAKED
p.s.-you might want to heed Tom's advice for this.

eric

Jan 2, 03 15:54

Post #6 of 10 (1107 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [ironclm] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

In Reply To:

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"on your Left"

jeremyb

Jan 2, 03 21:19

Post #7 of 10 (1051 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [Tom Demerly] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

great advice Tom, Arousal states are dependent on the event/task at hand. There is an ideal arousal level for every sport and about every sport has a different arousal level. Definetly practice the race in your head for months prior to your race. I go to the Wildflower course every April with a tri buddy and we train for a weekend. Part of it is physiological but a lot of it is psychological. I think its amazing to go to a course and train on it because theres really no nerves then, theres no noise, no distractors and you can see the race course broken down into its simplest elements. Its just a lake, and just stretches of road that perhaps undulate.

Also definetly with time you'll get better at it. Last yr i had 5 tris in 6 weeks and all were on Sunday. By the 4th race, racing in a tri was like so routine that its just "what i did" on sundays. For me, and sounds like for the trinewbie who started this thread, the most worries come before the race. I'm always afraid that the race will take off earlier than my watch says, or ill get stuck in the porta potty line etc. The best way to ease these concerns is to get there very early. I'd rather be there an extra hr earlier than most others, take care of bathroom issues, set the trans area up and get some extra time to meditate, warm up as opposed to be running around cussing at my family for not doing something the exact way i wanted etc.

Keep doing triathlons, and i'll bet that you find what works best for you. And as you improve, you'll gain confidence in all of your abilities and talents.

+1lap: Lightweight Cyclocross Bikes
It's not how fast you go fast, it's how fast you go slow

Tom Demerly

Jan 3, 03 8:45

Post #8 of 10 (985 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Specifically related to swim anxiety: I have always been pretty comfortable in the water since I was a kid but two things that helped me get more comfotable were swimming at night in the military and going to Doug Stern's swimming clinic in Curacao. Doug Stern did a great job of making all of us feel comfortable in some pretty gnarly open water conditions. Doug is a pro. I recommend experiencing race like swimming conditions is training to gain comfort prior to the event. That has always helped me.

Tom Demerly
Editor, TriSports University
http://university.trisports.com/

P2kman

Jan 3, 03 10:41

Post #9 of 10 (932 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [BillT] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

congrats on your first 3 finishes. Tri is the greatest sport in the world! You are always going to have some race day jitters, but where the problem arises, is how severe are these jitters. If you have no jitters, you will not be performing at your highest level, but if they are too high, you WILL hyperventilate. This is described perfectly in Joe Friel's "Triathletes Training Bible". BTW, i strongly recommend this book as you become more experienced. At any rate, to decrease some of your nervousness, swim open water, in a lake or pond. At the race, listen to mellow music, it will calm you mind. I am a country boy, but i have a friend who listens to motzart. Not my taste, but it works for him, and keeps him calm

MattMiz

Jan 3, 03 11:58

Post #10 of 10 (906 views)

Re: Dumb Newbie Question [Tom Demerly] [In reply to]	Quote \| Reply

Damn. How does one top that? ;-)

"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com