What if I told you that the way you were breathing could affect how well you perform in your sport or influence whether or not you incur a training injury? Let’s take a closer look at breathing mechanics and how they might contribute to your performance. 

Not only does this direct the focus for an athlete to yield positive results, but has an incredible effect when leaders can perpetuate positive thought with their peers and athletes. My experience working with Tim, Lauren, Meg, and the entire Team USA Staff was nothing but positive, and the athletes felt that too. Anyone who has traveled for racing knows that along with the obvious stress of racing, being in a new country comes with its own set of challenges: cultural differences, logistical and planning variables, and other perceived differences in a new place (even as silly as not knowing what certain road signs mean) might throw a wrench in athletes’ mental preparation.

My biggest takeaway from this week has been my realization of the power of positivity. Athletes are incredibly invested in themselves, yet this can come as a detriment too as we are also our own worst critics. Each athlete racing here in Denmark has taken time out of their lives and schedules to embark on a journey around the globe to race. This presents a sense of purpose and importance that is exciting, but can be also be overwhelming. Everyone here is also racing on the world stage, which can ignite nerves, fear, self doubt, and anxiety. In order to reach your potential, having a level head and a good attitude is a must.

It seems as if I fly with a bicycle at least 20 times a year! One thing I’ve come to realize: knowing the “ins and outs of flying with your bike” pays off over time, so I hope this helps those of you who are embarking on a bicycle adventure in a new, and far off land in the near future!

Outdated schools of thought would suggest that lactate is the culprit for fatigue and eventual muscle failure. However, lactate has an under-appreciated role in athletic performance. Many think of “lactate threshold” as the ability to tolerate lactate in the muscle. From a general chemistry perspective, the difference in “lactate” versus “lactic acid” requires a basic knowledge of acids and bases. 

Coaches and athletes alike can be guilty of being so intent on providing details from training sessions by providing feedback that sometimes the most important focus points get lost by spending too much energy explaining nonessential details. 

Training outdoors throughout the winter can be a challenge to our mental and physical capacity on many levels. The days are shorter. Our bodies crave the long sunny days of spring and summer. Finding the motivation to get outdoors on dark winter days is hard enough. Add in the temperature factor and many of us retreat to the indoor life of treadmills and trainers. Would you spend more time outside if you could prepare your body for the extremes of winter?

For many triathletes, fall and winter welcomes a transition period allowing extra time to focus on technical skills. Of the three disciplines in triathlon, swimming is the most technical. Small changes to the mechanics of your swim stroke and strategy can shave off valuable time during competition. One technical aspect that may have a positive effect on your swim is learning to breathe bi laterally.