Create A Productive Mindset: Harness the Power of Your Mind to Optimize Your Training

Feisty cycling expert and triathlon coach Gyl Golden is back this week to give us her tips on how we can work towards creating a mindset that supports productivity and growth in uncertain times.

April 28, 2021

By: Gyl Golden

When I was training for my very first Ironman in Nice, I signed up for a training camp with a coach who did specialty camps on site so that we could train on the exact swim, bike and run courses of that said race. The Nice bike course is quite demanding with a lot of long climbs and steep switch back descents. During that camp, I was the only everything; the only woman, the only black person, the only American…well I was really the only foreigner. Everyone else was French. In my life however, all of those things were just business as usual – I’ve been living in France for close to 17 years now.

I did notice upon my arrival though that, while the majority of men were friendly and helpful, there were a few who made it clear that I did not have a place in a camp such as this. I found this interesting as later on I learned that except for maybe 3 participants, everyone else would either be doing their first Ironman, just like me, or not even that. Some just wanted to do the camp to see what’s involved. Overall, it was a good experience and I learned a lot but the occasional micro abrasions got me down at times. Isn’t it odd how we can have an overall positive experience but still dwell only on the very few negative inklings? The brain is a complicated organ.

At any rate, fast forward a few weeks when I’m at the peak of training with very long bike rides planned which would include some steep climbing. I was at a point on the route where I was supposed to continue on; I still had 50 kilometers left. But I could have just as easily made the next right hand turn to descend back down to my place and call it a day. I was fantasizing about a hot shower and a huge omelet with potatoes. Oh how I just wanted to stop. “I mean after all, I’m not getting paid to do this. Why the hell am I doing this” I asked myself yet one more time.

And then like magic, the little men (they were all a lot shorter than me) that weren’t so cool to me on the training camp popped into my head. “Yeah, you might as well quit, a race like this is harder for women. That’s why you see so few doing it” One said. Then another said, “Yep, you’ll never finish plus the descents are pretty tricky. You could end up falling in a ravine or something.” And of course you know what happened; I finished the intended training route that was planned for the day. And on race day, it’s in small part thanks to those little men that when I was ready to stop, and there were moments, that I allowed them into my head to push me though. I had to prove those little fuckers wrong after all, right? So I inadvertently took some negative moments, turned them around and used them to push me towards the end goal.

What’s my point? Races are already being postponed or cancelled and while there is a little flicker of light at the end of the tunnel, we are far from back to normal. A lot of plans are still on hold and, well, maybe we’re sick of people telling us to be positive. If you’re tired of trying to stay positive and you’re feeling just as stuck, then stop being positive for a while. We are in the midst of a pandemic and a lot of us are just burned out. It’s okay to say to yourself, “I’m not doing all that okay.” If your heart isn’t into being positive, it won’t work for you anyway. It’s normal to not be positive all the time. And honestly those special people who appear to be positive all the time, well don’t they irritate you? Just a little?

So fine, if we are not going to be positive, what are we going to be instead? No, we are not going to be negative; we are going to be productive. Often, just being active helps alleviate anxiety and keep you focused on the things that matter most. Here are the keys in my humble opinion that would apply to training, racing and life.

Focus On What You Can Control

So what is it we’re told as a race approaches and we’re starting to get nervous? Maybe we are stressed out because heavy rain is predicted on race day or nervous about a hectic swim start. We might hear the phrase, “control the controllables” So basically only focus on the things you can control. And often when we do that, already we feel better because we are taking action. Taking action over our fate will ease some anxiety. Second, it takes your attention away from stressing out. Third, maybe something productive can come out of it.

If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that there really are no guarantees and really, we have no control over anything except for our actions. So yes, my A- race has been postponed. I’m happy that at least it wasn’t cancelled. Plus, I haven’t been swimming due to closed pools, the postponement gives me more time to prepare for the swim leg. If something is cancelled or postponed, think of other things you can do to be productive.

Try Something Different

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” – Thomas Jefferson. 

If there are certain things you’ve always done a certain way but they are no longer working, try something different. Examine a different approach or wilder still, do something without much thought. We humans tend to over analyze everything. Why not just try the first solution that comes to mind and see what happens. After all it’s only life; don’t always take things so seriously.

Harness In Your Self-Talk

I know, we hear “self-talk” a lot but it’s true that how you talk to yourself is very important. Yes, the brain is amazing but it is also highly susceptible to suggestion. For a while there was this saying going around that the brain doesn’t notice the difference between reality and imagination. That can be argued, but there are certain areas where your imagination or rather what you tell yourself can become your reality even if it’s not true. If you say the same things to yourself over and over, your brain will find supporting evidence to strengthen that suggestion and you will begin to believe it.

Speak kindly to yourself. If there’s something you’re not good at for example. Don’t say, “I suck on the bike.” I know it’s tempting but that line of thinking will get you nowhere. On the other hand, don’t lie to yourself and say, “I’m great on the bike.” Rather say, “The bike is my weakest discipline but I’m working on getting better by finding a coach, riding with slightly better cyclists and asking for advice. It will come along.”

Or take the mean little men on my training camp; the truth is the bike really wasn’t my strongest discipline and I could have listened to them and reinforced the belief that I am just not a good cyclist. Instead, I unwittingly reframed the situation and used their negative remarks to get me angry and in turn used those feelings to prove them and myself wrong.

Breathe

When you feel like things are out of your control and perhaps they are; breathe. The lungs are probably the only organ that can function without us being conscious of it but at the same time we can take over control of it (breathing) whenever we want. It just takes awareness. Deep breathing helps you relax by slowing down your heart rate, regulating your blood pressure and lowering cortisol, the stress hormone released into your system. All of this allows you to calm down or remain calm so you can focus on the tasks at hand.

Take slow, deep, belly breaths when you feel overwhelmed. Take slow deep breaths anytime; even now while you’re reading this.

Acceptance

Acceptance doesn’t mean to give in but there’s a certain point where we have to face facts in order to move on. Don’t waste time psychologically fighting a losing battle. Often we have to accept a situation as it is. The faster we do this, the faster we can find other solutions or alternatives. And there will always be other solutions. It just takes patience and a calm head.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s okay to not be okay. Acknowledge it, say it out loud or tell someone who cares. Just that admission alone could help put you on the road to asking yourself what you need to happen to be okay. Acceptance can quite simply be, recognizing that your needs are not being met and what must happen to feel better again.

Always Look for Opportunities

When things aren’t going to plan or are even going pretty rotten, try to find the opportunity in the situation. It doesn’t always work but I find comfort in believing that everything happens for a reason. What is this situation telling me? How can I use this situation to make me a better or stronger person? Work on reframing how you see the situation. All obstacles and adversities are meant to challenge you. And let’s face it; they never happen at a convenient time. It’s always going to be a pain. Rise up to the challenge and ask yourself, “How can I turn this situation around in my favor?”

Focus on the Little Things & Celebrate All Successes

This is coming from someone who has been obsessed with chasing after happiness for too long. I can now say that I’m not sure that we’re even supposed to be happy. Forget about a long term uninterrupted sensation of happiness and don’t let a lack of happiness stop you from focusing on what’s important to get done. Rather focus on the little joys during the day. When I’m not particularly interested in getting out of bed, I think about the delicious hot coffee with whole milk that I’m going to have. Yes I said with whole milk. And of course, celebrate the small victories and successes. Search out the small bits of happiness every day. Those little bits add up and in return bring you more happiness.

Establish a Routine

I’ve said this before on other topics but humans need a routine. It’s how we maintain productivity. But it should be a good routine that enhances your performance. If you dread the actual routine then you’ll be less effective. If you are working at home it’s more of a challenge but even more important to maintain a structured day. The routine I’m referring to means making a weekly/ monthly plan and adding start and finish times. To refer back to my suggestion above, fit in the small little things that make you happy, give you something to look forward to and something to celebrate every day.

Be Kind

Lastly, try being nicer and more patient with others, including strangers. The “small random acts of kindness” advice is underrated. If you don’t believe me, test it out for yourself. For one week, every day make an effort to do something nice for someone else. It feels good and it makes you want to contribute more. It restores faith in humankind, it offers the hope that many of us may have lost during this difficult time and it will indeed enforce a productive mindset.

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Follow Gyl at Ironwoman For The Ocean on Facebook and on Instagram @ironwomanfortheocean and check out her coaching page at goldentriathloncoaching.com and Golden Triathlon Coaching on Facebook.