» Shifting Gears – Training to Racing

Introduction
As a triathlete, it is important to learn to shift both physical and mental gears. Some of these gear shifts include off-season to in-season, swim to bike to run, gels to bars, and cycling shoes to running shoes. When it comes to shifting mental gears, I am referring to a change in mindset. In this article, I am going to talk specifically about shifting focus from pre-season training to competition.  I will explain what focus is during pre-season and competition and how focus problems arise. Then I will identify some plans and cues that will help you shift focus.

What is Focus?
Focus means learning what needs your attention, being in the moment with whatever needs your attention, and being able to shift your focus to the next important clue that needs your attention. Focus is similar to the gears on your bike; you change gears depending on necessity. You wouldn’t leave your bike in the same gear for an entire triathlon, would you? Your gear for an uphill is different than your gear for a downhill. While in the appropriate gear, you focus on relevant environmental clues to know what to do next. Do you need to pass someone? Do you need to change gears again? Where is the top of the hill?

The ability to maintain focus throughout a competition is important. This is not to say that your focus does not change in and out to various relevant things during competition. You must learn what is relevant and zoom in on them throughout the entire time of your competition. You will also need situational awareness. Situational awareness is an awareness of everything that is going on around you concerning both training and event. And finally, you must learn to shift attentional focus not only during a competition but also from pre-season to the competitive season.

4 Types of Focus
There are four types of focus: 1) a broad attentional focus allows you to focus on several things all at once, e.g., changing gears, the incline of the hill, competitors that are around you, etc.; 2) a narrow focus allows you to focus on one maybe two things, e.g. passing a competitor; 3) an external attentional focus directs attention outward toward an object, e.g., the top of the hill; while 4) internal attentional focus is directed inward to thoughts and feelings, e.g., I am pushing it to the top of this hill. These types of focus are used in a variety of combinations depending on the situations that arise: broad internal, broad external, narrow internal and narrow external.

Differences in Pre-season vs. Competition
In the pre-season, or base building phase of training, a triathlete’s physical focus is on building or rebuilding basic triathlon abilities (endurance, power, technique). As training progresses from general to specific throughout the season, the focus changes to thinking about advanced abilities and improving race specific weaknesses, or those things which limit you. When you are training for a race you must first decide on the important skills necessary for success. The next steps include improving weaknesses of any of those skills while maintaining your strengths. In order to move effectively from pre-season to the competitive season a triathlete needs to develop not only a physical plan but a mental plan.  This is along the same lines of how to deal with the ever changing shifts in focus from external to internal and how to deal with distractors.  Consider the question, “How do you move physically if your mind is not involved in telling you how to move?”

Developing Focus for the Competitive Season
It’s important during pre-season to understand what shifts in focus are important, when they are important and how to practice shifting focus to enhance those skills for competition. For example, during a triathlon in a stretch where you are riding alone with no one in sight, you might be narrow internally focused. Suddenly you come across another rider who notices you coming upon him so he picks up his pace — your shift in focus might go from an narrow internal to a narrow external as you begin thinking about passing that person. Not only would your focus shift at this point of the competition, but your focus would shift again  as you near the other rider, wanting to pass him. These subtleties are something that take practice during the pre-season in order to perfect for competition.

Attentional Problems
There are internal distractors and external distractors of focus. Internal distractors come from within. They are the thoughts and worries which distract our focus from the task at hand. Some internal distractors that affect triathletes include the following: the “should haves” (unable to let go of the past), the “what ifs” (worrying about what might happen), overanalyzing body mechanics, and choking. External distractors refer to environmental stimuli which rob attention from the important cues relevant to performance. The external distractors include: visual distractors (spectators, cameramen), auditory distractors (commentators, cell phones, spectators, coaches) and gamesmanship (strategic moves by competitors). Distractors increase from pre-season to competition due to the higher level of demand and intense pressures during competition.

Tips to Decrease Attentional Problems in Pre-Season for the Competitive Season
Simulation Training – During the pre-season it’s important to work on simulation training. Simulation training can help you deal with distractions that might occur during competition. In the pre-season, place yourself in situations which produce anxiety or push your confidence levels. Place yourself in competitive situations where you are training with people who are better than you so you can learn to deal with competitive situations. Try to use and improve on situations you are most afraid of.

For example, if you are someone who hates swimming in the cold ocean but you never put yourself in a cold ocean to swim, then you won’t have the tools to effectively deal with this situation when it arises. The more you can practice in pre-season under adverse conditions, the better you will cope with these conditions during competition. To recall your pre-season simulation training in competition take a deep breath and refocus, change any negative thoughts to something more positive and use positive cue words to refocus, relax and motivate you for the task at hand.

Establish Routines – It is also important to establish routines during pre-season. Your pre-season routines might include learning imagery, learning to change negative self talk into positive self talk, using your breath to relax your mind and body, and making a list of positive and motivating cue words which motivate you into action. And although you may have practiced your routines over and over again, due to the pressure of competition you might have trouble utilizing them.

To recall your pre-season routine during competition you might take a deep breath and refocus or decide upon a positive cue word that reminds you where you need to be for the task at hand. Routines can also be a helpful part of mental preparation by focusing concentration in competition. Routines increase the likelihood that triathletes will not be distracted internally or externally prior to and during competition. Routines for triathletes need to structure the ‘free’ time they have before and during competition so that the athlete can mentally focus and not be distracted for competition. For example, after exiting the swim and running to the transition area a triathlete might take a few deep breaths, drink a few sips of water and end with a predetermined routine of how to undress from the swim and prepare for the bike.

Conclusion
Because competition increases the mental demands of triathletes, it’s important to understand focus, how focus affects your performance, how to practice increasing your focus and how to recall your plan for focus during competition. It is easy to lose focus if you haven’t thought about it ahead of time. By preparing a mental plan for focus during training, a triathlete is free to carry out the plan during competition. The more your mental plan is rehearsed, the more automatic it will become in competition.

Written by Dr. Michelle Cleere. Dr. Michelle Cleere is owner of Sports Minded, a sport, exercise & clinical psychology consulting practice. She works with individuals in person, by phone or e-mail and also conducts group workshops. She is an NASM-certified personal trainer and a USAT-certified triathlon coach. You can e-mail her at SportsMindedMC@aol.com or for more information visit her web site at http://sportsminded.webs.com.