220Triathlon Edição 334

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FEBRUARY 2017 I I 55
BEGINNERS’ GUIDE
BEGINNER
PROBLEMS SOLVED!
WORDS TIM HEMING ILLUSTRATIONS DANIEL SEEX
As a tri newbie it’s normal to have a few worries – but with the right planning,
and advice from the pros, the only thing you should feel pre-race is excitement! Here
we present the most common first-time fears and how to overcome them…
2 2 0 G U I D E
Naked in transition. Not enough training. Unable
to clip into bike shoes. And the fear of what
lurks beneath. If hopping off the bike and on
to the run, gives us jelly legs during a triathlon, it’s
nothing compared to the collywobbles many feel prior
to undertaking their first race.
There are a multitude of reasons for the heebie-jeebies
and given you’ve even started reading this article
suggests you might be familiar with a few of them.
Even irrational fears can be very real in our minds.
But the good news is that deploying clear psychological
strategies can make race day far more enjoyable.
“If you already have a belief that triathlon will be
hard, you’ll seek information that supports that view,”
says James Lambdon, a consultant psychologist at
the University of Bath. “Without previous experience,
it can be difficult to challenge those beliefs, but developing
high levels of confidence, control and goal-setting
encourages individuals to approach difficult situations as a
challenge rather than a threat.
“Training can give you the confidence that you can
complete the distance,” Lambdon continues. “Be aware
of what you can control going into a race, such as changing
a puncture. And set goals like sighting every 12 strokes, or,
as it’s your first race, simply finishing.”
Before we look at the most common fears – split into
‘Training’, ‘The Swim’ and ‘The Bike & Run’ – and how you
can overcome them, take solace that you’re not the only
scared soul. Those four examples at the start were not
plucked from thin air, but responses from the world’s finest
elite triathletes. They faced their fears and prospered, and
now you can too…
“I remember doubting that
I’d complete the distance
and that I didn’t knowwhat
I was doing! But what helped
was doing the individual
distances in training. I also
learnt that as soon as the gun
goes off these fears tend to
fade into the background as
the excitement takes over.”
Rachel Joyce, 3 x IMwinner
MY FIRST
RACE