THREE on supercharging the next six weeks of winter by training with a limitless mindset
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• CORE POWER Whether swimming, cycling or running, building and maintaining a strong core is a key part of performance for triathletes. Because it’s easy to get bored doing static exercises such as planks or repetitive exercises like crunches, Bicycling magazine has reupped its guide to 8 Kettlebell Moves That Strengthen Your Core Without a Single Crunch. Bicycling describes this workout as one that will “smoke your core and up your cadence” and uses a kettlebell to “boost your performance on the bike while building some serious strength in your core.”
• NUTRITION MYTHS It goes without saying, another key factor when it comes to athletic performance is diet. There are all sorts of myths when it comes to nutrition — we’ve all seen different variations of the “protein/fat/carbs/red meat (fill in the blank) is good/bad for you” storyline. As we start to fuel our performance for the approaching season, Examine.com is dispelling many of those myths in its evidence-based analysis: The top 21 nutrition myths of 2021.“Taking advantage of the full pedal stroke builds an efficient spin so you’re getting greater power through the whole cycle,” says Frank Baptiste, certified strength and conditioning specialist and creator of FranklyFitness. “If you’re not working that recovery phase, you’re missing out on the potential power of your hamstrings and hip flexors, and also risking injury.”
• FUEL UP TO GO LONG When it comes to long-distance running, the approach in competition is different from other endurance races. We’ve talked a bit in previous editions about RED-S, otherwise known as relative energy deficiency in sport, and diet is especially crucial in warding off RED-S for long-distance runners, both during training and in competition. The Conversation recently published a sports dietician’s outline on what to eat for long-distance running.
• THE QUEST FOR SUCCESS If you’ve been intentionally steering clear of Twitter in recent weeks, you might have missed these insights from Brad Stulberg, author of Peak Performance.
In a series of tweets that’s been favorited by more than 2,000 people, Stulberg shares 10 insights he’s learned over the last five years coaching executives, entrepreneurs, and athletes on the topics of sustainable success, peak performance and career advice. “Everyone wants to be SUCCESSFUL,” Stulberg tweeted. “But few people take the time and energy to define the success they want. As a result, they spend most, if not all, of their lives chasing what society superimposes on them as success. Define your values. Craft a life around them. THAT is success.”
• DOES DNA DICTATE PERFORMANCE? When you look at an elite athlete, you might wonder whether their ability to perform at the top level was influenced, at least in part, by their DNA. Are we born to run or made for the pool? Scientists have tried to get at this question in earnest for at least the past decade. And while the consensus seems to be that elite athletes don’t have a universal genetic pattern that could be tested for at a young age, it’s a bridge too far to say that genes don’t affect your athletic potential. “Quite the opposite,” a new piece from Outside Online tells us. Although “any single gene … has a negligible effect on athletic potential,” Outside’s Sweat Science columnist writes, “Studies have now identified dozens of genes associated with speed/power and endurance performance.”
• 10 TRIATHLONS, 10 DAYS For some of us, completing one Ironman triathlon in a season is enough to keep us motivated and at the peak of performance. But former U.K. Army soldier Darren Hardy decided to test his limits and set the seemingly-daunting task of completing 10 Ironman distance triathlons in 10 days. Hardy found success using extreme ultra endurance events to cope mentally with PTSD and, according to Advnture, set out to complete his 10 in 10 challenge to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity. Good news for us, Hardy’s journey is chronicled in the new documentary, Perseverance. You can watch for free below and at endurancesports.tv
THE BRAIN’S STORIES
The THREE Letter by Joe Maloy 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete, THREE Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this past Tuesday. When I was a kid, I really bought into the idea that Phil could somehow communicate meteorological patterns. That groundhog was going to tell me when spring would arrive—and boy was I pissed at him whenever he told me six more weeks of winter! Now, before judging my naivete, I suggest looking in the mirror. Each of us makes similarly idiotic connections because making connections is what our brain does. The human brain loves to connect things it doesn’t know to things it has already experienced. It’s the brain’s way of making sense and creating order. This week, our topic is the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.
There are two categories of stories which we tell ourselves: energizing stories and draining stories. As the names might suggest, energizing stories are ones that inspire us to action, whereas draining stories discourage us from taking action. Going back to Punxsutawney Phil’s example, I related that groundhog’s shadow to a longer winter, my least favorite season. Phil’s shadow put me in a bad mood because I loved being outside and enjoying the Jersey Shore beaches. I told myself a draining story.
Absolutely nothing external had changed—not the weather, the weather forecast, nor my plan for the day or upcoming weeks—but I felt worse. I was less energized and less optimistic about the next six weeks because of the story I told myself about the groundhog’s shadow. You might be thinking this is a childish example, “What does this have to do with me?”
Athletes tell themselves stories all the time! Endurance athletes might assert:
“I’m a great biker,” “I’m stronger as the race gets longer,” or “I respond well to strength training.”
These are energizing stories that encourage us to make additional contributions to that narrative. We tell ourselves negative stories, too. You’ve heard them:
“I’ll never be a good swimmer,” “I can’t keep the weight off,” or “I don’t have the energy to workout before (or after) work.”
Whether the story is positive or negative, it’s a judgment based on past experiences—a story we tell ourselves! In his Harvard Business Review article “Disrupt Your Own Narrative,” renowned high performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais writes, “There are many practices that can help you become aware of the stories that limit you: Mindfulness, journaling, thoughtful conversations. Once you identify those stories, write them down. Ask which ones are serving you and which ones are no longer working.”
I decided my happiness and optimism during the six weeks following Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast was too valuable to leave it in the hands of a groundhog. That rodent’s judgment had nothing to do with my weather! I challenge you to critically evaluate the stories you tell about yourself as an athlete. Ask, “Is this story serving me? Is this story giving me energy to pursue what’s important to me?” If the answer is no, then change the narrative. Life is too short to make it a draining story.
Joe Maloy 2016 U.S. Olympic Triathlete, Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
In this week’s THREE Things to Know, we’re looking to the future. USA Triathlon has announced dates and locations for two Olympic-Distance World Championship Qualifiers to qualify to compete on the amateur world stage in Edmonton this summer.
The Professional Triathletes Organisation announced its first-ever Collins Cup will take place in August in Slovakia. Reasons to watch: A $1.5 million prize purse and an innovative team-based multi-race format. And this year’s Summer Olympics will be different for all the reasons you’d expect. This week the International Olympic Committee announced that hugs, high fives and handshakes are banned. If you’re thinking of watching from the stands, you can’t sing or chant. Clapping is allowed.
We’ll be cheering you on, no matter where you end up racing this year, and look forward to seeing you on a starting line soon.
