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 The
difference between top triathletes and the next tier of
competitors is often a matter of focus. Both groups are
generally in top physical condition. What gives many consistent
victors the winning edge is their ability to appropriately adapt
their mental attention to each competitive discipline within the
sport.
Mental focus can be divided into two separate categories – width
and direction. The width of attention determines if our focus is
broad (taking in many aspects) or narrow (focusing on a single
aspect). The direction of attention determines whether we are
externally focused (on objects or events outside our bodies) or
internally focused (on feelings, thoughts and physical
reactions.) The combination of these width and direction
categories results in four different attentional styles, each
useful, depending on the situation. To illustrate the
differences in these mental styles, let’s use the example of two
people simultaneously entering a bar during Friday night happy
hour.
The first enters with a broad external focus and takes in all of
the sensory information around her. She notices empty stools,
people partying, the blare of loud music and the enticing smell
of food. If she has come to the bar to “get into the scene,” she
is definitely entering with the right type of attentional style.
If she is meeting a date in this sensory-overloaded state, she
is improperly focused to give her date adequate individual
attention. In this case, a narrow external focus would best
serve her goals and those of her date.
The second person has a broad internal focus and is awash with
feelings and thoughts. He’s still thinking about a new business
deal, but feels fatigues. Pressures of a hectic day are still
heavily on his mind. He also feels his heart racing with anxiety
from an earlier argument at work. This broad internal focus is
beneficial only if he can wrestle with all that is on his mind
and reach some resolution. Then he can unwind and enjoy the
friendly atmosphere. If he can’t work out his difficulties, he
may seem distant and preoccupied and will miss another wise
enjoyable evening.
Alternately, if this second person comes into the bar with a
narrow internal focus instead, he may only be aware of his
racing heart. Rather than be aware of all of his bodily and
emotional reactions, his attention would be entirely focused on
his feeling of uneasiness. If he uses this focus to motivate
relaxation, then he may be able to enjoy the evening. If he
remains fixated on the narrow internal focus of anxiety without
changing his attentional mode, he might be in for a long,
depressing night.
PROPER FOCUS FOR EACH DISCIPLINE. All four of these types of
attentional styles come into play when training and competing.
The trick is to practice maintaining the right one necessary or
optimal performance in each leg of the race. In training, most
competitors are primarily focused on the physical aspect and do
not practice the right type of mental focus for racing. The good
news is that they can be taught to adapt their mental modes for
use in a actual competitive situations. But they need to
practice the appropriate styles during their training.
The triathlete who best prepares himself to contend in real
conditions is the one most likely to excel. This means training
both the body and the mind to adapt to real-life competitive
situations.
Obviously, no one attentional style should be used exclusively
during the different legs. The sections that follow highlight
the dominant styles necessary to meet the demands of the
competition and achieve maximum performance.
SWIMMING WITH FORWARD VISION. When most triathletes swim during
training, they are primarily preoccupied by the narrow internal
focus of monitoring stroke, form and breathing. These are
concerns that should be resolved well in advance of any race.
While racing, triathletes need to maintain a broad external
focus. For successful open-water swimming, one must concentrate
on remaining on course, drafting in the pack, avoiding obstacles
and hazards and navigating the currents, while swimming
efficiently. They must practice how to maintain proper swim
mechanics while keeping a wide external focus.
One open-water drill is keeping the eyes and mind fixed on a
visual marker, while swimming directly toward it. It is
important to maintain good stroke while fixing on the external
marker. The competitor should also practice swimming behind
someone and maintain a focus of keeping the draft while
practicing good overall mechanics.
While training in a pool, the triathlete should practice
swimming water-polo style, which is freestyle with the head
above the water. As part of this drill, he should concentrate on
a fixed point outside of the pool, while maintaining good stroke
mechanics.
Additionally, as a means of training to avoid obstacles, the
competitor should swim with a partner who is positioned in his
way. The partner’s assignment is to tag the swimmer, while the
swimmer must focus on avoiding the tag.
CYCLING TOWARD ANAEROBICTHRESHOLD. Most triathletes train during
cycling with a narrow external focus that is required for safe
pack riding. They are keenly aware of the positions of others
riding in the pack and of potential safety hazards and drafting
opportunities they might pose.
During triathlons, the primary mode should be a broad internal
focus because a pack riding and traffic hazards are less
important in competition. The internal focus should be placed on
maintaining anaerobic- threshold level, while achieving peak and
aerodynamic position. This focus can be practiced during
training by cycling in aerodynamic position and using a
heart-rate monitor to recognize the internal signs of anaerobic
threshold.
The triathlete should form a mental checklist that includes
cadence, heart rate, breathing patterns and degree of leg burn.
Once the proper indicators of anaerobic threshold are
recognized, he should concentrate on maintaining that level for
a sustained period in an aerodynamic position. This type of
focused training may begin with a brief period of practice
during a training ride and should be lengthened during
subsequent sessions. This same mental checklist can be utilized
during competition.
FILTERING OUT EXTERNAL RUNNING STIMULI. Triathletes tend to fall
into two categories of focus while running in training. Many
take on a broad external mode, observing their surroundings,
watching for road hazards, looking for landmarks and greeting
other people. Others assume a broad internal focus, while
concentrating on other aspects of their lives in an
introspective way. Both of these are considered dissociative
strategies. Neither of these mental directions is appropriate
for competitive conditions.
Outside factors are unimportant on race day. The proper style is
a narrow internal focus that highlights achieving and sustaining
anaerobic threshold. Choose one physical aspect that is key to
your performance (i.e. breathing, pace, arm, movement) and focus
exclusively on this specific aspect. This technique is called
associative style and is the approach most used by elites.
The difference between the wide internal focus of cycling and
the narrow internal focus of running is the concentration that
running requires. A bike is a mechanical device that requires
broader attention, while running involves only the competitor’s
body.
As with cycling, a runner’s training should involve recognition
of anaerobic threshold and progressive efforts to sustain it
over prolonged periods. The triathlete must blot out competing
internal and external disturbances and concentrate on reaching
race pace, keeping the body at the peak throughout the race.
THE MIND AT WORK. Beyond regular training, a triathlete can
practice proper mental focus in almost any environment. Using a
technique knows as visuo-motor behavior rehearsal (VMBR), the
triathlete can practice the different attentional styles many
times a day without ever leaving a chair. The first step is to
achieve a quiet mind and body through relaxation. Beneficial
relaxation techniques include deep breathing, autogenics and
self-hypnosis. Once relaxed, the athlete can practice the
different concentration types by mentally picturing the sights,
sounds and sensations of actual racing situations.
For example, the triathlete might visualize biking while
surrounded by a pack of competitors. The challenge is to remain
focused on a steady heart rate, rhythmic breathing and ideal
cadence- culminating in anaerobic threshold- while in
aerodynamic position. To enhance this visualization, he can
imagine external distractions, while internal focus is
maintained. The triathlete should visualize these scenes for
sustained periods of one to two minutes and should set a goal of
gradually increasing these periods up to 10 minutes.
Similarly, he might envision competing in open water, while
maintaining a broad external focus. By mentally practicing
swimming with good form while concentrating exclusively on a
distance-marker buoy, avoiding obstacles and drafting, one can
visualize and thereby practice competing in realistic race
conditions.
The athlete should vary visualized situations from day to day to
make them as realistic as possible and to practice switching
attentional styles corresponding to the race demands. By tuning
into the mental mode needed for each racing discipline and
tuning out unnecessary factors, you can teach the mind to
produce maximum physical results.
Bruce Wilk is a board- certified physical therapist and director
of Orthopedic Rehabilitation Specialists in Miami, Fla. He is an
avid triathlete and is co-chairman of the Tri-Miami racing club.
Eric Goldstein, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and president
of the Sports Psychology Center in Miami, Fla. In the past 11
years, he has worked with hundreds of professional and Olympic
athletes. |
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