Mental Skills for Racing: Part 1

Mental Skills for Racing: Part 1

With the Australian summer racing season right around the corner and the Northern Hemisphere racing season wrapping up with some big races coming up it’s a good time to start thinking and acting on improving your mental skills.

Do you know most athletes spend less than 10% of training time focusing on mental aspects? Yet at the pointy end of the field mental preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Could implementing mental skills this season be the component that helps you qualify for Kona or improve your PB this season?

As I’ve done a Sports Science degree I’d better throw in a little Sports Psychology jargon into the mix just to confuse everyone, when you are training a new skill (physical or mental) you‘ll go through four different levels to reach mastery…

1. Unconscious incompetence (Not thinking or not doing the skill)

2. Conscious incompetence (Thinking about the skill but not getting it right)

3. Conscious competence (Thinking about the skill and getting it right)

4. Unconscious competence (Not thinking about the skill and getting it right)

Remember when you started riding a bike with clip-less pedals - we all forgot to unclip the first couple of times and fell off. But after lots of practice and thinking about the skill eventually one day you didn’t need to think about unclipping and the skill happened naturally (or almost naturally).

What’s the above mean for an age-group or grade athlete? Mental skills require as much training as training as physical skills to master and the ultimate aim is to be so proficient with the skill you don’t need to think about doing the action or task.

What level do you think you are at now?

So, what are some mental skills that can be integrated into you training, competition and outside of sport to improve performance?

1. Time management,

2. Communication skills,

3. Goal Setting,

4. Routines,

5. Arousal management,

6. Concentration & Focus,

7. Confidence,

8. Imagery, and

9. Mental toughness.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Key Mental Skills

Coach Stewart

stewart@aeromaxteam.com

What is a Fartlek Sessions?

What is a Fartlek Session?

Fartlek means “Speed play” and is a type of interval training which I’ve found to be more flexible for beginner runners and race specific for advanced athletes. The session can be done on all types of terrain (roads, trails, and hills) away from the running track.

A simple session for beginner athletes wanting to start running is the Telegraph Pole Walk/Run.

15-20mins Warm-up building to a quick run

Start the session by choosing a section of telegraph poles.

- At the first telegraph pole pick up your running pace until you’re at relaxed quick run.

- When you reach the next telegraph pole back off to a walk for half the segment then slowly build up to a jog before reaching the next telegraph pole where you take off running again.

Repeat for 10-15 minutes before doing a good 15 minute cool-down walk.

One of my favorite fartlek sessions is - Mona’s Fartlek which was a favourite session of the Aussie Marathon runner Steve Moneghetti.

15-20mins Warm-up building to aerobic threshold

Main set at Tempo (10km Race Pace)

2x 90sec on 90sec steady recovery

4x 60sec on 60sec steady recovery

4x 30sec on 30sec steady recovery

4x 15sec on 15sec steady recovery

15-20mins Cool-down to walk

Don’t forget after hard training to eat or drink something with a bit of protein and carbohydrates (chocolate milk is perfect) within 20 minutes to improve recovery.

And importantly enjoy the training.

Coach Stew

Coach Profile 2010

NAME: Stewart Crowley

LIVES: Lennox Head, Australia

CAREER: Professional Triathlon & Cycle Coach

DEGREE: BSc (Exercise & Sport Science) Current

UNIVERSITY:

Southern Cross University

Georgia State University

Kennesaw State University

ACCREDITATIONS:

Triathlon Australia - Level 2* Triathlon Coach: License Number - 1029331

Cycling Australia - Level 2* Cycle Coach: License Number - 161225

Certificate III in Fitness

Senior First Aid

SPORTS:

Triathlon: Non-Drafting (Sprint to Ironman)

Draft Legal (ITU Development)

Cycling: Road, TimeTrial & Criterium Racing

COACHING POSITIONS:

Coach – Aeromax Team (Current)

Coach - North Coast Academy of Sport: Triathlon (Current)

Coach – National Junior Development Camp: Triathlon 2008

Assistant Coach - Sydney Junior Triathlon Academy 2008

Coach CAN TOO Cure for Cancer Australia Foundation 2008

Assistant Coach NIKE You’re the Run that I Want (10km Run) 2004

Learn to Swim Instructor & Club Captain Epping Eastwood Amateur Swimming Club 1996 - 2000

COACHING PHILOSOPHY:

Coaching is an everchanging mixture of black art and exercise science. As a professional coach my programs are tailored based on long-term goals, ability level and development progression focusing on the basic premise of stress and recovery. While High Performance Coaching is my passion I’m a firm believer that quality coaching should be available to anyone wanting to improve performance, be active, and make the most out of their available time. Health and fitness should be a life long goal and I encourage athletes to look beyond short-term workouts to achieve long-term life style changes and training objectives. As a coach I believe there are core components that are critical to the success of every athlete in endurance sports, these include: Solid aerobic foundation Cycled Strength, Speed & Power phases Individualized taper periods Core strength and stability Stretching for maximizing performance Injury prevention, and Efficiency of movement My approach to coaching has developed through studying Exercise Physiology both in Australia and America, working closely as a mentored and assistant coach with Grant Giles for over 2 years, and combined with twelve years spent training to become a professional ballet dancer After serious injury forced me out of a ballet career I moved into triathlon looking for a new challenge and my experience has taught me that success in endurance sports doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to develop the athlete within through perseverance and persistence where achieving your goals comes from a balance of both mental and physical training and development.

RACE EXPERIENCE:

Ironman Australia 2008, 2009

Ironman Busselton 2008, 2009

Ironman Arizona USA 2007

Great Floridian Challenge USA 2006

Gold Coast Half Ironman 2009

Geelong Half Ironman 2008

Scody Half Ironman 2008, 2009

Hell of the West Half Ironman 2009

Australian Duathlon Championships 2009

Tri in the Parks Series Georgia USA 2006/2007

COACHING MENTOR: Grant Giles – Team Aeromax Director

COACHING RATE:

$250/ Month

$ 70 set-up

- Coaching service providing customised triathlon training. Programs are sent out weekly and take into consideration your work/family schedule to provide you with greater flexibility and development.

- Unlimited email and phone consultation

CONTACT:

stewart@aeromaxteam.com

0402 642 915

NCAS Camp 2, '09

Had the North Coast Academy of Sport Triathlon camp over the weekend. The junior squad keeps growing and we now has 15 athletes who want to develop for the National ITU race series.

Professional Triathlete Nicole Ward came up from Sydney to train and live in the the athletes, this was a huge success and she's a great ambassador for the sport of triathlon and Aeromax Team. Ben Coles from Sports Point Physiotherapy presented on the Tips and Tricks of Self Screening and Management for triathletes. This was jam packed with quality information on how to look after an athletes body.

These camp continue to be a huge success. This camp included: Core, 1/2 IM Brick Set (Nicole Wards Yapoon prep), SE swim set, Easy Run into 20km winds, Stretching, 70km Ride, and Transition practice.

The atmosphere was very relaxed the the athletes just got but the job of training and focusing on recovery after each session.

Stew

Who is Stewart Crowley?

My name is Stewart Crowley and I am a triathlon and endurance coach from Lennox Head,  Australia. 

At the beginning of 2008 I joined Aeromax Team working with Grant Giles to further develop my coaching.  I became a full-time professional coach and moved to Lennox Head to develop a squad of junior athletes who would become successors for the National Talent Identification (NTID) program with Triathlon Australia.  Another source of local talent for this program is the North Coast Academy of Sport (NCAS) where I currently contribute my time as an Assistant Coach.  My participation with these program's involves attending national junior development camps and accompanying athletes to local, state and national level races.

As an Aeromax Team Coach, I provide online coaching to athletes from around the world who compete in both long course and short course triathlon. As a professional coach I have made this my core business as I gain great satisfaction in helping people develop their talent and achieve their goals in triathlon.

I gained an attitude of determination and discipline in sport through a 12 year career as a ballet dancer.  I was working towards a professional career aiming for selection to the Australian Ballet School until a career ending injury in 2001 forced me out of the sport.  It was during this time I was fortunate to have an outstanding coach from who I learned the importance of challenging boundaries and continually striving for excellence. It is these principles that I endeavor to instill in my coaching every day.

To supplement my coaching I am a student of Exercise Physiology and spent 3 years studying in America at Georgia State University.  Currently, I am completing my undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science at Southern Cross University in NSW, Australia. 

Whilst coaching and studying I continue to compete in triathlons with the dream of becoming a professional athlete under the guidance of my mentor and coach Grant Giles.