McDougall was an Associated Press war correspondent who became fed up with reoccurring foot injuries as a result of jogging. Despite seeing some of the best sports doctors, his problems persisted and he was told that the only solution was to stop running.

While on assignment in Mexico, McDougall was intrigued by the cover of a Spanish magazine that showed an elder man in a robe and sandals, sprinting down a mountain of rubble. In curiosity, he turned to the article which was about the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons. Turns out that for centuries the Tarahumara have been known for running hundreds of miles without rest, and more importantly to McDougall, without injury. What was their secret?

In search for an answer, McDougall located this tribe and began studying their running techniques.

In the process, McDougall discovered that virtually everything he thought he knew about running or was told about running was wrong.

He learned that the Tarahumara tribe ran distances of 100 miles and longer in sandals or barefoot. No running shoes!

How was this possible? Everyone knows that running shoes are necessary to protect the foot and legs while running. Or so he thought.

McDougall began digging into sports medicine research and was shocked at what he discovered. He sites this research in the book, which includes the work of Dr. Daniel Lieberman, a professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University.

Lieberman states:

A lot of foot and knee injuries that are currently plaguing us are actually caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate, giving us knee problems. Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was created by Nike, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet, and had much lower incidence of knee injuries.  Source

McDougall also mentions a study done by the British Journal of Sports Medicine that found there are no evidence-based studies -- not one -- that demonstrate that running shoes make you less prone to injury.

In fact, according to a study led by Bernard Marti, M.D., a preventative-medicine specialist, runners wearing top-of-the-line shoes are 123% more likely to get injured than runners in cheap shoes.

And a 1991 report in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that, "Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect are injured significantly more frequently than runners wearing inexpensive shoes."

Are Running Shoes The Problem?

McDougall was dumbfounded by what he uncovered. The weakening of the foot is the greatest issue leading to injury. What causes the weakening of the foot? Surprise, surprise -- running shoes!

It all fell into place for McDougall. The running shoe industry essentially created a problem that in truth never existed.

Our feet never needed any help in running long distances effectively and injury free. The invention of the modern running shoe instead caused the actual problem that it purported to be fixing by weakening the foot from its natural mobility and strength.

But not for the Tarahumara -- they were untouched by the running shoe myth and did just fine running hundreds of miles in sandals or barefoot.

The big Aha! moment of the book crystallized for McDougall when he realized that human beings were designed to run without shoes. In other words, we were "born to run."

I Highly Recommend "Born To Run"

I would recommend Born to Run to about anyone, even someone who isn't necessarily involved in endurance sports.

The book is not really "about running" in terms of being some sort of guide for how to be a better runner or instructions about run training. McDougall is a great storyteller and there is plenty to enjoy about the book simply as a great story and epic adventure.

As a triathlete or endurance athlete of any kind, you are likely to especially appreciate the book. I enjoyed learning more about the ultramarathon community.

Triathletes Running Barefoot

The sport of triathlon obviously involves running. In the Ironman triathlon, the run is a marathon or 26.2 miles. The typical triathlete will put in countless miles training for and competing in triathlons.

So, should the triathlete take to heart McDougall's findings about running shoes, and, for example, start running barefoot or with different shoes? That's something you'll have to experiment with and figure out for yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would refute McDougall's findings.

There is a rather significant barefoot running community, including people who run marathons barefoot. Barefoot Ted has become a rather well-known barefoot running guru. And there are several places online where you can learn more about barefoot running. There is also barefoot running "footwear".

Barefoot running is not just something you start doing. As the theory goes, your feet have been deconditioned and weakened through the use of running shoes. It's going to take time to strengthen the foot to its natural state -- which means you have to ease into barefoot running by starting small and gradually progressing.

I do barefoot running at a YMCA soccer field near our home. It's likely there are fields or grassy areas where you could experiment with barefoot running.

How far will barefoot running get into the triathlon community? Hard to say. Currently, there are triathletes who are doing triathlons barefoot, even doing Ironman barefoot. There are also local triathlon clubs experimenting with barefoot running.

So, do you have an opinion about barefoot running? Did you read Born to Run, and what did you think? Have you experimented with barefoot running? How has it gone, and what have you learned? I plan to have follow-up articles about this in the near future.

Many triathletes will be following the 2009 Tour de France, which is just days away. It begins on Saturday, July 4th.

Here's an overview to get you ready for the big event, with lots of fun ways to stay in the loop with all things Tour de France. Plus, interesting trivia and race facts for Tour de France spectators and fans.

The Tour de France is considered the oldest, most prestigious and the best known international cycling event.

The race is normally 23 days and broken down into day-long segments, called stages.

Individual finishing times for each stage are totaled to determine the overall winner.

The rider with the least elapsed time each day wears a yellow jersey. The most career stage wins of 34 is owned by Eddy Merckx of Belgium.

In case you're wondering, 123,900 calories are burned by a rider during the Tour, and a single rider will go through 3 chains, on the average.

Sometimes strange things happen; the event was won by Greg LeMond in 1990 without winning any individual stages.

More Tour de France trivia here.

The 2009 Tour de France

There are 21 stages in the 2009 Tour de France that cover over 2,200 miles.

The stages include:

• 10 flat stages
• 7 mountain stages
• 1 medium mountain stage
• 2 individual time-trial stages
• 1 team time-trial stage

Stage # 7 is the longest, 139 miles. The course slightly changes from year to year but the tradition continues of finishing in Paris.

Questions About The Tour de France

A few interesting questions about the 2009 Tour de France...

Can a newcomer win in 2009?

In 1949 newcomer Fausto Coppi triumphed at the Tour de France. In 1969, a certain Eddy Merckx also clinched the Tour for his first appearance.

The cycling experts say the following 2009 newcomers may give the seasoned veterans a run for their money:

• Robert Gesink (Rabobank - Netherlands)
• Jurgen Van den Broeck (Silence-Lotto - Belgium)
• Pierre Rolland (BBox - France)
• Daniel Martin (Garmin - Ireland)

Who are the Americans?

Seven Americans will ride in the 2009 Tour de France:

• Lance Armstrong, 37
• Tyler Farrar, 25
• Levi Leipheimer, 35
• Danny Pate, 30
• Christian Vande Velde, 33
• David Zabriskie, 30

Will Lance Armstrong win #8?

He's already won it 7 times; can he do it again 2009? No shortage of drama here!

Spaniard Contador, winner in 2007, will lead the Astana team. Although Astana manager Johan Bruyneel made clear that Contador would be the leader and Armstrong his lieutenant, we all know better. Armstrong, the 7-time champion, has a knack for finding the finish line first.

The Armstrong versus Contador rivalry conjures memories of the Bernard Hinault versus American Greg LeMond rivalry. LeMond won the 1986 race despite repeated attacks from his French teammate.

How To Follow The 2009 Tour de France

Here are some fun ways to follow the 2009 Tour de France:

• Sign up to receive daily Tour updates.
   
• Watch the entire race on Cable, or just watch the highlights.
   
• Follow minute-by-minute updates on the Internet. For example, you can read about each stage here.
   
• Watch live streaming or highlight footage on the Internet.
   
• Follow the Tour de France on Twitter: Official Tour de France page and Tour de France updates

 

Now, I have a few questions for you...

#1 Do you plan on following the Tour de France. If so, what specifically sparks your interest to do so?

#2 Do you know of other options for following the Tour on the Internet or through other media?

#3 Do you feel following the Tour has some benefit to you as a triathlete? If so, what?

Some of these myths could easily prevent a triathlete from performing optimally.

Here are 4 nutrition myths that the typical triathlete may be in danger of believing...

Fat is the body’s most efficient source of energy.

Every gram of fat provides 9 calories, compared with 4 each for protein and carbohydrates.

If you’ve been on a low-fat diet, it’s likely that by increasing fat in your diet you will improve in the area of training and event recovery and increase your capacity to train at a high level.

The recommended fat intake for athletes is about 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day. For example, this would be 60 to 80 grams per day of dietary fat for triathletes who weigh between 120 and 160 pounds.

Don’t cut out fat. Instead, get your needed fat grams from healthful sources such as:

• nuts
• peanut butter
• olive and canola oil
• avocado
• cold water fish, such as tuna.

The good fats are “monounsaturated” and “omega-3.” When you carb-load, choose pasta and breads; don’t fat-load on Alfredo sauce, butter, cheese, chips, and donuts.

Eating 20% to 30% of your calories from good fats is sound nutrition advice for endurance athletes and will help improve your triathlon training and racing.

 

Myth 2: Thinner is better.

Don’t try to get your body fat below 5% (men) or 12% (women). Each athlete has a fat percentage and body weight at which he or she performs best. Hence, you should listen to your body and take note of how you feel and perform, as opposed to force your body to achieve a self-selected number.

Keep in mind that body fat measurements (even under research conditions) can be plus or minus 3 to 4%. If you are told your body fat is 16%, it might be 13% or 19%. Just having a different person measure your body fat can significantly alter the measurement.

Use body fat measurements only as a guide, and give yourself a body fat range.

 

Myth 3: Ingest a soft drink or candy bar just before competition for better performance.

Sugary foods eaten just before competition do not improve your speed or strength.

That’s because it takes the body 1 to 4 hours to digest food. So, foods eaten just before an event are in your stomach when you compete. Most of the energy used in competition or practice comes from food, eaten days before the event that has been stored in your muscles.

It’s true that before the era of sports drinks, elite runners used flat cola or orange juice to refuel during long runs. Sports drinks are superior to soda in the nutrients they provide. The sugar and caffeine boost of a soda or candy bar may provide a temporary pick-me-up -- and some claim it settles their stomach.

But keep in mind that fructose, sucrose, glucose, and other simple sugars (mono- and disaccharides) are poor carbohydrate sources for fueling your body during exercise. Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are the best choice for endurance athletes, because they allow your digestive system to rapidly and efficiently process a greater volume of calories, providing steady energy.

Some drink soda like others drink coffee, which is fine in moderation. A soda or candy bar before a race may provide a temporary energy boost, but don’t expect it to do any more than that. I wouldn’t advise starting it if it’s not something you are accustomed to doing. If you must, try it for a few training sessions and see if it makes any difference.

 

Myth 4: Drink when you are thirsty.

Water is the most important nutrient, but thirst is a poor indicator of how much water your body needs.

Athletes don’t know they’re thirsty until they already have a deficit. It’s best to
“prehydrate” -- drink fluids before you feel thirsty, and keep drinking throughout competition or training. 

Determining your “sweat rate” can help determine your proper hydration needs. One way of doing this is comparing your nude body weight before and after an event or training session. The difference is water loss, which helps determine how to replace it. One pound of weight loss equals 2 cups of water.

It’s common for a triathlete in competition to be 2% dehydrated. That translates to 6 cups of water for a 150-pound person. Even at 2% dehydration, your performance and concentration are affected.

It is recommended to get in 8 to 12 cups of water a day (based on your body size and training load) and an additional 2 cups for every pound lost during competition or training.

Yes it is truth that a triathlete is a swimmer, a cyclist, and a runner. But on May 20th, being a cyclist pulls rank.

I want to encourage you to consider participating in The Ride of Silence.
 

The annual Ride of Silence is set for May 20, 2009 at 7 p.m. local time worldwide.

The event honors cyclists who have died in accidents with motor vehicles, and it seeks to raise awareness of cyclists' right to the road.

Participants ride no faster than 12 mph for no longer than an hour, and they maintain silence as in a funeral procession.

The first Ride of Silence was held in Dallas in 2003 after well-known endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit and killed by the mirror on a passing bus. The movement has grown to include more than 300 rides in the U.S. and 17 other countries. All cyclists who ride the road are welcome to participate.

Little-Known Facts

Every year, cyclists are killed while riding their bike. 698 bicyclists died on US roads in 2007. Over 90% died in crashes with motor vehicles. Two-thirds of the deaths were from traumatic brain injury.

Florida once again leads the U.S. in bicycling fatalities.

According to federal statistics just released for 2007:

• 119 cyclists were killed in Florida, 10 more than in second-place California, which has twice the population.
   
• Florida had 28% of all cyclist fatalities in the U.S. and a rate of 6.52 cyclists killed per million people, nearly 3 times the national average of 2.31.
   
• Second and third in fatality rates were Louisiana at 5.12 and South Carolina at 4.54.
   
• Texas, with more residents than Florida, had 48 cyclist deaths for a fatality rate of 2.01.
   
• The total number of cyclists killed in the U.S. in 2007 was 698, or 2% percent of the 41,049 traffic deaths.

Eleven Rides of Silence are scheduled in Florida.

On a positive note, the League of American Bicyclists has announced its 2009 Bicycle Friendly Communities and States in celebration of National Bike Month starting May 1.

New communities on the list are Cedar Falls, Iowa; Columbia, Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Columbus, Ohio; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Six states have been recognized for improving conditions for cyclists: Washington, Wisconsin, Arizona, Minnesota, Delaware and Maryland.

National Bike Month - Ride Of Silence Events

151 Rides of Silence are currently scheduled around the U.S. on May 20th.

Consider riding in one of these events or organize a Ride of Silence yourself in your community.

Here are other ways you can participate in National Bike Month.

Below is the official Ride for Silence poem, which will be read by many groups before they start their ride: 

Tonight we number many but ride as one
In honor of those not with us, friends, mothers, fathers, sisters, sons
With helmets on tight and heads down low,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow
The wheels start spinning in the lead pack
But tonight we ride and no one attacks
The dark sunglasses cover our tears
Remembering those we held so dear
Tonight's ride is to make others aware
The road is there for all to share
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be your partner on your final ride.

They are awesome for warm water races because they really slip through the water. Wetsuits are faster overall due to their superior hydrodynamic and buoyancy and should always be used when the rules permit -- if you want to be as quick as possible.

You would only opt for the speedsuit if wetsuits were not allowed.

There is a mixed opinion about allowing speedsuits in triathlon events.

Those against using speedsuits in triathlons feel that they give an unfair advantage to affluent triathletes who can afford such high-tech gear. They say that permitting speedsuits means that a triathlete can "buy speed."

There are some who object to "new toys" being added to the sport, and say it should be about what you can achieve, not how much money you spend. Some triathlon purists feel like speedsuits give an undeserved advantage to inferior swimmers, and diminishes the achievements of those who perform without them.

Proponents of speedsuits say that triathlon is a great sport for innovation and embracing new technology, and apparel enhancements (like speedsuits) should be allowed. They say that although slightly quicker it's not going to stop a good swimmer beating a poor swimmer in a speedsuit.

Proponents also point out that enhancements like aerobars and aerowheels are also expensive and aren't ruled out on the basis of cost. They say it's impossible to level the triathlon playing field when it comes to the economics of the sport. A top-end tri bike is simply going to out-perform a lesser bike. That's just the way it is.

Best Speedsuits

Let's say you are in the pro-speedsuit camp and want to get one. What are the options?

What follows are the top 2009 speedsuits. Some are unisex, others have a men's and women's style.

Pearl Izumi Elite Speed Suit

• not a true speedsuit but a hybrid between a speedsuit and a one-piece tri suit
• a fairly hydrodynamic suit that can be worn all day
• fits more comfortably than most speedsuits
• designed to accommodate lower-body movements of the triathlon run and bike
• $130
   

Aquaman Insulator

• superior materials: Yamamoto rubber and SCS coating
• tight-fitting suit
• $220

Nineteen Frequency SS

• wingspan technology, which offers comfortable upper back flexibility
• seamless construction from top to bottom, which provides an even stretch
• high on comfortability
• $300

BlueSeventy PointZero3

• the only suit used at 3 different Olympic venues (triathlon, open-water swimming and swimming)
• almost-zero-drag suit covers the entire leg
• the choice of nearly half the field in Kona, and with good reason
• offers 10 total sizes (six for men, four for women)
• save $50 if you decide you don't need the full-leg version
• $295

Xterra Velocity

• Hawaiian age-grouper Jon Flanagan used the Velocity for a 47:02 swim in Kona
• Xterra covers 100% of the Velocity in nano SCS coating, the speedsuit equivalent of coating something in platinum
• the coating actually creates a thin layer of air between the suit and water, helping you slide through the surf undisturbed
• save $100 on knee-length version $350

Profile Design Mako

• thigh-length inseam means this suit comes off easily, making for a speedy transition
• uses Yamamoto SCS rubber to achieve neutral buoyancy
• $240

2XU Kona Fusion

• no seams: the front and rear panels are "fused" together, offering an even stretch and knocking off more drag
• 2XU has enough sizes to fit waists ranging from 25 to 45 inches
• $295

Maystorm SA 1

• most affordable speedsuit on the market
• the SA 1 keeps the stitching off the front of the suit, providing uniform flexibility
• suit fits extremely tight
• $200

Orca RS1 Aero

• best suit in terms of appearance
• the RS1 Aero is a hybrid suit that can be worn all day long
• use of AeroSkn fabric, a hydrodynamic (for the swim), aerodynamic (for the bike) and breathable (for the run)
• ideal for short-course, non-wetsuit races
• $285

Zoot SpeedZoot

• 20-inch inseam, which provides better water resistance than a shorter inseam
• easy to remove
• capri-length fit
• SCS coating on the outside to keep things slippery and nylon on the inside to keep water out
• tiny mesh panels that run on the front, back and legs and provide a second skin-like fit
• $325 
  
   

De Soto Liftfoil Tri Speedsuit

• a speedsuit that is also a trisuit
• new "Ultra Thin Buoyant" tri-pad offers floatation during the swim, padding on the bike and is unnoticeable on the run
• made of De Soto's "Liftfoil" Skin fabric
• no pockets and no lining
• has a 16-inch front zipper that offers less drag than speedsuits with zippers in back
• Hydrolinear seamlines hug your body while allowing for maximum reach and glide in your stroke
• $180

Be sure and leave a comment if you have experience with one of these speedsuits or would recommend one that isn't listed. Thanks!

Some common triathlete anxieties include:

•   A newbie's anxiety in their first triathlon
•   Common pre-face jitters or nerves
•   Anxiety associated with open-water swimming
•   Fear of not making your split times in a race
•   General doubts about level of readiness
•   Anxiety caused by the unexpected or gear malfunction

 

There are several signs that signal that anxiety may be affecting your triathlon performance. They include:

•   Extreme nerves during competition
•   Lack of belief in yourself
•   Great in training, but terrible in competition
•   Training hard but getting little payback
•   Injuries or illnesses occurring just before competitions
•   Slumps in form
•   Regularly recurring problems in competition
•   Concentration and technical problems
•   Doubts, fears, worries and anxiety, worrying about what others think
•   Inconsistency in competition performances
•   Overly worrying about the "uncontrollables"
•   Feeling sick on the day of the triathlon
   

The sport of triathlon lends itself to anxiety for a few different reasons. Here are 2 of them:

#1 Replicating Race Conditions

First, it's very difficult to replicate race conditions in triathlon training.

If you train by yourself or with a partner or two, this is not the same as what happens in actual competition. A nice, calm open-water training swim with a couple tri friends is not the same as the mayhem of the typical triathlon swim, especially the start.

Even without the mayhem, there's normally a higher level of anxiety associated with performing in competition even if you've shown you can do it in training. This pretty much applies to all sports. You can make 20 consecutive free-throws in practice, but it is different standing on the free-throw line when there's 6 seconds left and you are down by one point.

#2 Abundance Of Triathlete Gear

Another stress area in the sport of triathlon involves the abundance of gear.

If you are a marathon runner, you have very little gear and no concerns of gear malfunction. The triathlete, on the other hand, has a multitude of gear items to keep track of, tote around, unpack, adjust, and assure proper functioning.

The gear issue alone can be a source of anxiety and stress on race day. You've already experienced this if you've ever misplaced or forgotten a gear item on race day, had a flat tire during the race, or needed that extra pair of goggles you never bothered purchasing.

Certain types of athletes are more prone to feeling the effects of anxiety on performance.

Amateur or newbie triathletes are more likely than experienced or professional triathletes to experience anxiety that interferes with their ability to perform in competition. This makes sense, due to their relative lack of experience both in competition and in managing arousal. Athletes who participate in individual sports have also been found to experience more anxiety than those who play team sports. Logic tells you that being part of a team alleviates some of the pressure experienced by those who compete alone.

When the rush of adrenaline is interpreted as anxiety, and negative thoughts begin to swirl, it can have devastating effects on your ability to perform as a triathlete. The coordinated movement required for swimming, biking, and running becomes increasingly difficult when your body is in a tense state.

A certain level of physical arousal is useful and prepares or helps a person for competition. But when the physical symptoms of anxiety (muscle tension, shortness of breath, racing heart, dry mouth, disorientation, etc.) are too severe, they may seriously interfere with your ability to compete. In some cases, it can escalate into a full-blown panic attack.

Likewise, a certain amount of anxiety about how you perform can be helpful in competition, but severe symptoms of anxiety such as negative thought patterns and expectations of failure can bring about a self-fulfilling prophecy. As mentioned above, if there is a substantial difference between how you perform during practice and how you do during competitions, anxiety is probably affecting your performance.

How Self-Confidence Affects Anxiety

Research shows that self-confidence plays a huge role in how you respond to symptoms of anxiety during athletic performance.

People who are confident in their abilities have a positive reaction to arousal and anxiety and thrive on the challenge of competition. When confidence is strong, it tends to crowd worry out of the mind.

The short answer to overcoming triathlon anxiety is to build self-confidence. That's the best preventive measure for reducing triathlon stress.

Tips For Managing Race Day Anxiety

There are also several strategies for managing race-day anxiety. Here are 2 to consider:

#1 Visualize a successful triathlon performance.

Visualization is the simple act of mentally imagining yourself performing at your peak level. Proponents of visualization believe this establishes a mental blueprint within the subconscious for your body to follow when you are competing.

Visualization involves quieting your thoughts, relaxing your mind, and allowing the video of your successful triathlon performance run through your mind. It's seeing yourself locked into that fluid rhythm on your swim, a steady and strong performance on the bike, and reaching deep for a focused and fearless run.

One way people do this is by remembering specific instances when they were aware of swimming and biking and running at peak-level performance. Then, it's a matter of combining the memories of these three separate instances into one unified visualization of how you will perform in your triathlon. Close your eyes and join all those segments together in your mind -- like putting together a jigsaw puzzle of film and video clips. Put them all together as one race, and this is now the movie of you at your absolute best!

Most people who incorporate visualization into the mental side of their triathlon training practice this discipline regularly.

 

#2 Practice positive self-talk.

Humans think approximately 60,000 thoughts a day. Your thoughts are an internal dialogue with yourself and play a critical role in influencing your response to certain situations. Something happens, you mull it over internally, and then you respond with an action. The event in and of itself did not determine your response; it's your interpretation of the event that determined your response.

When you're mulling over a particular situation, your thoughts are either slanting in a positive or a negative direction. Research shows that your performance is affected by the nature and content of self-talk prior to and during competition. Positive self-talk can help enhance your performance. Negative self-talk is counterproductive, leads to self-doubt, and can cause poor performance.

How To Overcome Negative Thoughts

Let's say the weather conditions on race day aren't so great for your triathlon and you start thinking after you get your first glance at the lake, "There is no way I'm going to be able to swim well in that choppy water." You fixate on the thought, anxiety escalates, and by the time you put your toe in the water you are a nervous wreck and the physical anxiety symptoms are manifesting. You're defeated before you even start!

Or let's say during a competition you began thinking something like, "Hmm...I feel like I'm getting tired a lot earlier than normal today." So, for the next 10 minutes, you continue to dwell on that thought. The result of that negative self-talk can begin to sap your body's energy by programming your mental state with the "I feel tired" program.

It's possible your mind may be in a quiet and relaxed state while you're competing. This would likely be a good sign, as this generally means that you are in that "zone" where you feel free and connected to the moment. Realistically however, most often your mind will chatter away to you while you are competing. Most of this is completely harmless -- except when it fixes itself upon a particular negative thought, such as a specific pain, tiredness, the level of difficulty you are experiencing with the particular segment you are on, etc. Then... it's "Houston we have a problem!"

You may not even be aware of your own self-talk, so the first step is awareness. What do you say when you talk to yourself? When it's time to train or race, what thoughts pop into your mind? Being aware of negative self-talk is the first step toward changing it.

Consider developing your own personal "sport language." What would you say if you were coaching yourself through a competition? Rather than complete sentences, this language could include positive one-word affirmations or short phrases. Letting negative thoughts control your performance is a tough habit to break, but with practice it can be done.

One of the best ways to overcome negative thoughts before a race is to re-focus the mind onto something positive by using a short and simple affirmation. One technique is to simply repeat a few positive, powerful words over and over again for 5-10 minutes before a race. This does 2 things: it focuses the mind onto the positive, and it prevents negative thoughts being "programmed in" before the race. These can even be used during your triathlon, especially the run leg.

Every triathlon is a battle between your self-confidence and your own mental resistance. A victory or a great time is a triumph of your self-confidence over doubt. Every triathlete has their own wall of resistance they must personally scale before they can succeed and perform at their best.

Consider leaving a comment about ways you learned to overcome that wall of resistance for yourself.

Dr. Kevin Harris, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, led the study and presented results Saturday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Florida. The Minneapolis institute's foundation sponsored the work and tracks athlete-related sudden deaths in a national registry.

Statistics show that for every million participants in a 26.2-mile marathon, there will be 4 to 8 deaths.

The study shows that the rate for triathletes is far higher --15 out of a million. Almost all occurred during the swim portion of the triathlon.

Four additional triathlon-related deaths from 2006 through 2008 occurred in events that were not officially sanctioned USAT events.

I have a mixed opinion about the results of the study and the conclusions drawn.

Study Reveals Risks To Triathletes

An implication that Dr. Harris and others seem to draw from the study is that triathlon-related deaths are a result of carelessness on the part of the triathlete or negligence on the part of the sport as a whole.

Harris says about triathlons: "It's something someone just signs up to do. They might prepare for a triathlon by swimming laps in their pool. That's a lot different than swimming in a lake or a river." Honestly, I don't know of one triathlete who signed up for a triathlon on a whim, swam a few laps in a pool, and then charged out into a lake or ocean to compete in an Olympic-distance triathlon.

Dr. Lori Mosca writes, "It's quite frightening -- there are hundreds of people thrashing around. You have to keep going or you're going to drown." While it is true that the swim portion of a triathlon can be chaotic and demanding, there are measures a swimmer can take to rest, and sanctioned races have officials on canoes in the water to provide help if needed.

Every Sport Involves Risk

I don't mean to make light of the risk associated with the sport of triathlon, and especially the swimming portion. Every sport has risk involved.

According to Consumer Reports (March 1997), the Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that recreational sports are linked to accidents that most often require emergency-room treatment, accounting for one-third of the emergency-room visits each year. Fishing accounts for 80,000 emergency room visits, and soccer results in 150,000 emergency room visits. The most dangerous sport, according to the Commission, is basketball, with more than 600,000 reported emergency room visits. Other sports listed among the most dangerous include football, skiing and snowboarding, all-terrain vehicle racing, and hockey.

Dr. Harris' triathlon study states that of the 14 deaths identified, 13 occurred during swimming; the other was a bike crash. Autopsies on 6 of the victims showed that 4 had underlying heart problems. Two others had normal-looking hearts, but they may have suffered a fatal heart rhythm problem, Harris said. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, "In patients with pre-existing coronary heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy seems to be a risk factor for exercise-related sudden death."
 

Some Precautions For Triathletes

Based on the study, a few critical items seem important to stress:

• Get checked out.
  Don't blow off the wisdom of, "Seeing your doctor BEFORE beginning rigorous exercise." The sport of triathlon is an endurance sport that puts unusually high demands on your body. Any preexisting health or medical condition (especially any heart-related condition) could significantly increase your risk. Your condition doesn't necessarily mean you can't be a triathlete, but it may influence how you train and the certain precautions and adjustments you need to make.
   
• Know your own swimming abilities.
  The swimming portion of a triathlon will not necessarily be canceled because of high wind and rain. Occasionally, the swim course can be altered to better adjust to weather conditions, but not always. At times, participants may be given the option of doing a duathlon if the swim course is deemed to have an unusually high degree of difficulty because of weather conditions.
   
• Decide for yourself.
  Don't expect the decision to be made for you in terms of whether you should or shouldn't swim in difficult waters at a triathlon event. You must decide for yourself if you are capable of swimming in high wind, white cap type open water conditions.
   
• Think twice about difficult swim events.
  Generally, if you are a beginner and an inexperienced swimmer, seriously consider opting out of an event where the swim involves such difficulty. There are exceptions. Say, if it's your first triathlon but you are a Navy Seal, the water conditions are likely not to bother you. Otherwise, an inexperienced swimmer should simply exercise caution.
   
• Make swimming your strength.
  For many triathletes, swimming is their "weakest" event. Why not decide to make it your strength?

How To Make Swimming Your Strength

Here are a few suggestions:

#1  Perfect your technique.

Effective swimming is mostly about technique. Get professional input and feedback on your swim stroke. Total Immersion has a wealth of resources to help you become a better swimmer.

#2  Master open-water swimming.

Many triathletes dislike open-water swimming. Do a lot of their training in a pool, and only tolerate open-water swimming when it's necessary or at a minimal level. Learn to love and prefer open-water swimming. Find a training partner or two, and decide that you are going to tackle open-water swimming and learn to love it.

#3  Learn multiple strokes and rest measures.

The more stokes you know and the more rest and relaxation techniques you know, the better equipped you will be to deal with any potential problems in the water.

#4  Learn to swim in choppy water.

Basically, when swimming in high waves the trick is to avoid doing what your brain tells you that you should do.

It seems like the thing to do is to pull your head straight up and out of the water in order to avoid swallowing water, and to be able to grab a breath and climb over waves. The problem is, once you raise your head and shoulders up, your legs go down and you begin exerting twice the energy to go forward.

Chances are, you will still get hit by an incoming wave anyway because you may not be able to get high enough over the wave as it breaks. When you raise your head and shoulders up straight out of the water, the waves will actually push you back and you will be making no forward progress. As a result, you've got double trouble -- you're expending too much energy and not moving forward and you are going to get fatigued and you might panic because your attempts are failing and you are still swallowing water.

So, instead it's better to ride atop the waves rather than fight them. Keep taking your side breaths as is typical of the freestyle stroke. There should always still be that pocket of air for you to take your breaths.

The modification you need to make will possibly be rolling a little bit further to your side in order to make sure you get that breath -- or exerting a slight bit more energy to raise yourself up a tad when it's time for you to turn for your breath.

Riding the rolling waves can be a strange sensation, and it may feel like you are not moving forward, but you are. You will still need to sight your buoys (probably more often than normal) in order to stay on course.

Find a group of triathlon friends who are willing to gather together on a choppy water day and practice open-water swimming in those conditions. Have one or two experienced people on a canoe following you around in the water as an added safety measure. I know it seems like a lot of work, but it will pay off when you have to contend with such conditions in a real race.

Let me know your opinion and what you think about the study. You can read the article in full here.