Healthy Habits of a Triathlete #5: CONFIDENCE & POSITIVE THINKING

Confidence: belief in oneself and one's powers and abilities

Positive Thinking: a mental technique for changing your attitude and fostering optimism

Why is confidence so important in triathlon? Cause triathlon is SCARY!! I have to swim how far!? And THEN bike!? And run too!!?? Oh my gosh, I'm going to die. We hear it all the time, "there's no way I could do that." If you think there's no way, then there will be no way. But where there's a will there's a way, right? What do you think you need for that will? CONFIDENCE & POSITIVE THINKING. There IS a way I can do this. I CAN do this. I DID it.

Mental toughness is JUST as important as physical ability when it comes to triathlon.

How to build self confidence:
1 - first off, recognize that you CAN do this...
2 - join a club or group training. You'll see people just like you DOING it!
3 - set realistic goals. You think I woke up ready for an Ironman!? Heck no, I set small attainable goals leading up to my big one.
4 - train with a partner (who is equal to your pace/ability or just a little faster ~to push you). Triathletes can be intimidating!! You don't have to go out with the pros!!
5 - practice race scenarios. Before my first Ironman I wrote down every single bad situation that could possibly happen and what I would do in the situation. I had it down pat! CONFIDENCE!
6 - recognize what you CAN control and focus on THAT! It could be bad weather, a rough swim, unexpected hills...you can't control any of that. What you can control is your stroke, your breathing, your effort.

How to think positively:
1 - BELIEVE you can
2 - believe you have no limits
3 - trust your training; it ain't no thang... I got this ALL DAY!
4 - focus ON the positives
5 - visualization
6 - (see how to build self confidence)

"Confidence is a mindset and a habit, and with conscious and consistent efforts to strengthen that 'confidence muscle', you can soar at every race." ~Midgie Thompson

Confidence IS a mindset. And with positive thinking...heck, you can even fake it til you make it!