Is your Ego up to the Task?
By Matthew Clancy
A conversation with Pro Triathlete Jessi Stensland.
To many, competing against others is the motivation. Simply crossing that finish line is no longer in question. The only questions are how fast we can get to the finish line and whom can we beat along the way. In the sport of triathlon, where we promote better fitness, improved strength, and proper nutrition, is this really healthy?
Competing against others, and even comparing one’s abilities in relation to others, is described as being “ego” goal-oriented. The opposite of this is referred to as “task” goal-oriented. In task goal orientation, an athlete focuses on the mastery of a skill, to perform to the best of one’s ability. In a time when even your local 5K and sprint triathlon has become a huge production with pre-registrations, participant lists, series standings, and official chip timing, approaching your goal orientations with a focus on task is becoming harder and harder on the ego.
So how do athletes at the highest level approach their races? When competing with the best in the world, is it even possible to stay within one’s self? If not, when do fluctuations occur? I discussed this topic with professional triathlete and 2008 Olympic hopeful, Jessi Stensland. Jessi began swimming at age six, competing in high school and Division I college. In 1997, she competed in her first triathlon when a friend turned her onto the sport. Having great success, Jessi turned pro three years later. Knowing she has competed for over twenty years, at very high levels, one might assume that Jessi is a highly competitive athlete. Well, she is, but you might be surprised with whom she competes the most.
Matthew Clancy (MC): How are your race goal orientations defined?
Jessi Stensland (JS): Generally, they are task oriented. How I do is all that I can control, so being task oriented is my way of controlling my outcome.
MC: What has been your best method for racing?
JS: Working on being efficient in all three events. Finding a groove. Focusing on just that while staying within myself.
MC: What method has failed?
JS: At an ITU World Cup, I got behind in the swim and focused on the group ahead. I worked my way too hard and ended up not being able to finish the run. I came out of my game.
MC: Describe your goal orientations when leading a race.
JS: I would say 100% task. I’m focused on being as efficient as I can be.
MC: How about when you are in second place?
JS: Umm, I’d say 75% task and 25% ego. I am still focused on being efficient, though I constantly monitor how the person in front of me is doing.
MC: When someone is passing you, how does that affect your goals?
JS: I always stay at 100% task, but honestly, there is a moment where my ego jumps out for about 5 seconds or so, when I question why this person is passing me. But then, I get right back to 100% task.
MC: After a race, how do you perceive, or realize, your goals in relation to your performance?
JS: If I have a good race, it’s probably 50/50 task/ego. I evaluate how I controlled my efficiency and pacing, why it was good, and what I can take away from it. But I also think about who I beat, how it will affect my ITU standings, and how it will look to my sponsors. But if I had a bad race, it is more like 75/25 task/ego, because I spend a lot more energy focusing on what can I do to learn from it. I usually take a step back and evaluate my performance from within.
What is your goal orientation, ego or task? When racing, or even training, do you find yourself focused on swimming more efficiently, pacing on the bike, and keeping loose on the run? Or are you solely focused on staying ahead of the others in your division? Based on Jessi Stensland’s approach of task goal orientation, if you look within yourself and master your own ability, you won’t have to look anywhere else, especially over your shoulder.
Rooming with Rhodsey
By Matthew Clancy
A look at pre-race strategy with professional triathlete, Bryan “Rhodsey” Rhodes
I had the dubious honor of rooming with Kiwi Bryan Rhodes at the Mountaineer Half-Ironman last month. “Rhodsey,” as many know him, is quite an accomplished long course professional. His resume is stacked with wins at Ironman Malaysia, Ironman UK, a second-place finish at Ironman Japan, and third place at Ironman New Zealand. In addition, Rhodsey is arguable the most vocal, charismatic, and entertaining triathlete on the circuit nowadays.
Wimbledon was on the television when I arrived to our room, and not more than five minutes after meeting, it was quite apparent how he felt toward Maria Sharapova. In his thick Kiwi accent, he exclaimed repeatedly, “Nawh, she’s hawt!” An interesting ice-breaker, I thought. But what I found even more interesting was not Rhodey’s infatuation for Russian tennis stars, or his impressive victory over Luke Bell and the rest of us on Sunday, it was his pre-race strategy.
“Ear condition’ning? Agh, it’s bahd! Nawt good for yah!” Rhodsey exclaimed, upon returning from the room on the eve of the race. I conceded, and we turned it off. Now, mind you, it was record-high heat that weekend in West Virginia, and we slept without even the likes of a fan. Second, before retiring, Rhodsey applied a blue cream all over his legs. I thought it might be some scientific form of body coolant by virtue of how much “hawter” than Ms. Sharapova our room had become. Yet, it was merely a recovery rub.
No surprise, I didn’t sleep well. I rose a typical two hours before race start. After dressing, packing my bag, and mixing my bottles, I began to leave the room. “Wheh ya goin’, mate?” Rhodsey asked, as he lay parked under the covers, sipping Ensure and surfing the tele. My watch read T-minus 1 hour 30 minutes to race start and I was leaving to race. As I rode the elevator down, I struggled to answer the question, “Where wasn’t Rhodsey going?”
I talked to Rhodsey recently to get an answer to that question and others.
Matthew Clancy (MC): Where’s the best place to stay before a triathlon?
Bryan Rhodes (BR): The host hotel is always the best option, but I have slept in rental cars and all sorts of places to save money. The most important night of sleep is two nights before the competition.
MC: What are the essential physical preparations to perform upon arrival to a race?
BR: The most important preparations are to get over the course, checking your gear for riding and running to make sure everything is working great and ready to go for the race. Also, a once-over from a mechanic is a good thing, too, as they are the professionals when it comes to bike maintenance.
MC: Do you have any “do’s” and “don’ts” as far as nutrition the night before, and the morning of, the race?
BR: Yeah! Always eat light the night before. No heavy food like steak. A filling pasta meal is best. Race morning; the longer the race, the more liquid food I take, like only a Clif Builder bar and Ensure Plus meal replacement.
MC: What mental preparations do you perform?
BR: I have my set warm-up. I always do a little of everything backwards, run-bike-swim. Leading up to a big race, I don’t change anything or try new things.
MC: What are your pre-race warm-up recommendations?
BR: I try to get in a bit of a warm-up, but not much if it is hot. The colder the race, the more warm-up you should do. In hot races, it is better to try and keep cool, as your body temperature rises fast.
MC: When you arrive on race morning, what are the three most important processes you perform?
BR: First, would be setting up my race gear. Second, making sure my shoes are powdered and I’m in the right starting gear on the bike. Third, getting in the water after the warm-up and making sure I have the swim sorted for currents, etc.
MC: If you could choose one mental preparation that is most important before a race, what would that be and why?
BR: Relax. It is my favorite part of racing, watching a movie, or chilling, watching music videos. Then give it hell. Leave nothing in the tank.
Relax? Aye mate? Well, it’s not that hard to do when Rhodsey is there at the starting line, cutting jokes and cracking you up. But on that day, as we all crossed the finish line; it was Rhodsey who had the last laugh.
Charmed!
An interview with Triathlete, Scott Johnson
By Matthew Clancy
The mile markers placed on the Ironman Florida run course came with three necessary motivators needed to inspire and propel each weary and fatigued participant. First, were the volunteers that were cheering and promoting everything from chocolate chip cookies to warm chicken broth, to flat cola and beyond. Second, was the comfort of knowing that the finish line was now one mile closer and the journey was almost complete. Lastly, on the markers themselves were scripted inspirational quotes to provide motivation and maybe even a little introspection. Each of the twenty-six quotes was strong and wrought with passion and inspiration, but the quote at mile 21 is the only one I can remember. It read, “A man is not defeated by failure. He is defeated only when he quits.”
Scott Johnson is a man not defeated by failure. When his Cystic Fibrosis caused his lungs to fail, he didn’t quit. He returned to life with the help of a double-lung transplant. Shortly after receiving his transplant, his colon perforated and his life system began to fail from the toxicity rushing into his body. Again, he didn’t quit. Scott survived for the second time, and began his third chance at life. With this third chance, Scott had many items on his ‘to-do’ list that he wanted to experience. He had written this list on his self-described “deathbed.” Triathlon was one of the items on it.
I had the honor of meeting Scott in February of 2003. I was even more honored to be helping him, coaching him, to check-off one of the items from his list. Three months later, Scott finished his first triathlon. On that day, I, like so many others there, witnessed how Scott not only could change his life; he could change the lives of so many more. Scott didn’t stop at one triathlon. He didn’t stop at ten. He was enjoying the sport and challenging himself to go longer, to complete Olympic distance and half-iron distance triathlons while raising awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. He was succeeding. Somewhere along the way though, Scott decided to make the commitment to attempt a full iron-distance triathlon, an Ironman. Upon doing so, Scott would become the first double-lung transplant recipient to ever complete such an event.
Scott Johnson is a man not defeated by failure. His first attempt at the iron-distance came in early 2005 at Ironman New Zealand. His race would end at mile eight of the run due to nutritional complications. He didn’t quit. Later that year, at Ironman Florida, Scott made his second attempt. At mile one hundred on the bike course, Scott’s quadricep failed and tore while climbing the bridge back into Panama City. He didn’t quit. Again, he signed up for Ironman Florida in 2006 for his third attempt. I was honored to get a phone call from Scott earlier this year. Three years after coaching Scott to his first triathlon, I would be coaching him to a possible Ironman triathlon finish. It was obvious that Scott wasn’t going to quit. And that made it obvious to me that failure was no longer an option. We set out a plan for the next nine months to get Scott not only to the finish line, but also to the start line in peak physical and mental form.
Arriving in Panama City last week, there was a chill in the air unfamiliar to anything Ironman Florida had ever experienced.
It was cold, windy, and while athletes were harried around purchasing cold-weather clothing, there was an energy that felt like a smooth calm radiating from Scott. He was prepared. He was anxious. He was ready to begin his third attempt at Ironman and complete this journey. The night before the race, we drove out to the bridge that thwarted his prior attempt. There, under an ominous full moon, Scott exorcised all his Ironman demons and it was then that I knew the next day was going to be something special.
You can always tell when someone is prepared. I mean really prepared. You see it in their eyes. The movements of their eyes are fluid and slow. They pick up on the slightest of details and use that precision to attach and cohere inner focus to the outside world. You can also hear it in their voice. Just like their eyes, the words that come out are smooth and even. There are no words spoken that aren’t meaningful or relevant. The tone is soft yet finite. The two combined, produce a feeling of confidence that when witnessed, can change the world, or at least the world that is right in front of you. That night, it was obvious that the world of transplant recipients and those afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis was about to change. It was obvious that Scott’s world had already.
Race morning was cold and blustery. The wind chill was somewhere in the upper 30s. 7:00AM - Scott entered the rolling, choppy waters of the Gulf along with 2300 other Ironman hopefuls. 8:17AM - Scott exited the swim en route to the transition area. The first leg of the race was completed and defeated. The bike course, like the swim course, was windy, but unlike the swim course, had no hills. For the first twenty miles, athletes were busy fighting the cool temperatures and the hearty wind gusts and would be until mile 50 where they would take a turn south heading back to the bridge at mile 100. This time Scott tore up and over the bridge without any troubles and rode the last twelve miles to complete the bike section in 6 hours and 47 minutes. 3:30 PM - Scott exited the final transition area to begin the marathon.
I was also personally competing in the race, and while making my way to the finish line, I saw Scott heading out for his second of two loops of the marathon. He was eleven miles away from the finish line. I turned around and settled into his pace with him. “Hey man, how’s it going?” I asked. I honestly don’t remember what he said in response. I didn’t have to. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his words; whatever they were. What I felt was confidence, determination and a comforting peace. The smile on his face showed to me that he was enjoying the experience, he was going further than he ever had gone before, and he was going to finish. It was no longer a question of if, only when.
9:30 PM - The finish line was crowded with finishers, family members and spectators abound. Race announcer, Mike Reilly, was making references to Scott still being out on the course but only a few miles away from being the first double-lung transplant recipient to complete an Ironman. The finishing chute at Ironman Florida lined the parking deck and led participants around the perimeter of the hotel and finally to the upper level where participants entered a straight stretch of thirty yards to the finish line. The place was buzzing. Scott was inching closer and closer. Mike Reilly was running down to the opposite end of the deck in hopes of seeing Scott in the distance. He was getting closer still.
10:00PM - Scott was entering the finishing chute. He was here. Mike Reilly’s voice was streaming from the speakers. The crowd had exploded to deafening proportions. It seemed as though the world was spinning yet suspended in time. Scott rounded the final turn to the cheers of his family, friends, coach, and anyone who was in earshot of the finish line. 10:00:50 PM - The race clock registered 15 hours and 50 seconds from race start. Scott’s legs and lungs had crossed the finish line as Mike Reilly proclaimed, “Scott Johnson, you are an Ironman.”
There must truly be something charming about the third time for Scott. Having faced critical, physical failure twice, and Ironman failure twice, Scott never quit. He never accepted death as an option. He never accepted not having an Ironman finisher’s medal around his neck. He never stopped moving forward. Based on the look in his eyes upon finishing the race, that calm was still there. The confidence was still there. The focus was still intact. It made me feel as though this very well was not the end of his journey, but merely the beginning of another one, a greater one. I can’t but think back to that quote at mile 21, “A man is not defeated by failure. A man is defeated when he quits.” I never got the chance to ask Scott if he had seen that quote on the course. It doesn’t matter I guess. I know he has lived every single word in it.
Focused
An interview with Olympic Triathlete Andy Potts
By Matthew Clancy
Training for endurance events takes dedication, effort, and time, lots of time. We start out with a goal. We begin training. We improve. That improvement drives us to set new goals. So, we begin training again, and we improve again. This cycle continues because, frankly, it’s energizing and invigorating. It’s challenging, and sometimes insatiable. It drives and feeds our desires to be athletes, and better athletes.
Time is a variable that can not be manipulated. It exists without regard or remorse. It is ours if we choose, and it is ours to lose. So when taking on endurance training, there is no way around it, you are either in it or not. What you do while you are in it is completely up to you. The amount of focus and emotion while training is a product of your dedication and effort. One of the typical questions for many endurance athletes is,” How can I stay focused with the amount of training that is required.?” That is a tough question, and is usually answered by the term “mental toughness.”
Mental toughness is an ambiguous term. Does it mean that you can focus longer, stronger or with more intent? Does it mean, you are smarter, have more logic, or are a better problem solver? In sports, it can even mean, who can endure the most pain without it affecting one’s focus, determination or effort. Even though it is difficult to define, it seems obvious to others when someone has, or exudes, qualities of being tough between the ears. Is it merely talent, or can it be learned? I believe it is both. I believe that some athletes have amazing control over their performance. And I also believe that athletes who don’t, can.
I spoke with Olympic triathlete, Andy Potts just after his victory at Ironman California (70.3) to discuss how he defined mental toughness, as well as, what drives and feeds his desires.
Matthew Clancy (MC): Congratulations at Ironman California!
Andy Potts (AP): (Enthusiastic) Thanks! California was good! I was apprehensive going into it. You know, coming off of Australia, I just didn’t get the performance out of myself that I wanted. The Mooloolaba World Cup was the first time I never finished a race. And you know, it wasn’t my choice to pull the plug. The decision was made for me. I was pulled from the race. Coming off that experience, I wanted to bounce back and have a good race in California, but at the same time, I knew I was in good shape, and I wanted my work to show. I wasn’t able to do that in Australia. And so, for me, being a professional, and a consummate professional. The ability to physically recover, which I was able to do, (I got two IV’s), I did the right things physically to prepare my body for a good performance six days later to give myself a chance on race day. I wanted to give myself a chance to succeed, so it was the challenge.
MC: What are the challenges to competing at both short and long course (triathlon)?
AP: They’re pretty close. Two to four hours. Yeah, they’re twice as long, but my morning workout is four hours long. The biggest challenge is staying focused for 4 hours. Physically, I know I can put out for four hours. It’s the focus for me. To stay focused for four hours, when the body becomes fatigued, the mind follows. If you can keep your body and mind both in the game for four hours, that’s the biggest challenge. The biggest physical difference is hitting the higher speeds. Long course is much more of a grind. In ITU (short course, draft legal triathlon), you blink and you miss something. I believe (in long course) my fitness can make up for any mistakes I might make during the race. There’s an opportunity to make up for it later on. Whereas in ITU racing, you make one mistake mentally or physically, that could cost you the podium. Without a doubt!
MC: How do you define mental toughness?
AP: The ability to push myself mentally and physically on days where I’m not great. When you are on, it’s really easy to push the limits. It’s the days that are dark, when things aren’t coming easy, and you can be persistent, really get something of value out of yourself. To me, that’s a big mental achievement. The body is going to follow you if you are mentally tough. A big reason why I had so many top finishes in 2006 (I can’t guarantee that I would win every race), but I could guarantee that I would give my best effort. The races you are on, but somebody is better, you really can’t beat yourself up about that. If I get beat, I’m OK with that, as opposed to losing. To me, a huge distinction I make personally is, if I get beat, that means someone was simply better that day. But if I lose, I didn’t give my best effort. I had something more to give, and I didn’t give it. Therefore, I lost. At no point during last year, did I feel I lost. Even my worse finish, which was 18th, I still felt that I did my best. I just got beat by seventeen people who were better than me that day. It is a matter of being relentless physically by keeping your mind in the game.
MC: Did you have a certain mental focus before the Olympics (Athens 2004)? If so, how has that changed since?
AP: When I made the Olympic team, I was so new to the sport. I qualified after only being in the sport after 18 months. At that point in my career, I wanted to make the most of my experience by accentuating my strengths, and trying to have an impact on the race. I wanted to have an impact on the Olympic race by swimming and really influencing it by doing what I do best. My focus was to do the best I could and to accentuate my strengths, and that’s what I trained for after making the Olympic team. Since the Olympics, I have a little different focus, and that is to eliminate any weakness. I still race based on my strengths, but I train to eliminate my weakness. And that is really a small shift in focus and attitude when it comes time for training. For me, it’s about raising my game as a whole. Making it so my game has no holes in it.
MC: Who or what do you think about while you are training – which is your motivation to train?
AP: My family. I think about my wife, a lot. When I was racing this past weekend (Ironman California), I thought a lot about my kid on the way. For me, this is what I’ve chosen to do as a profession. But I get a lot of personal gratification from performing well, and getting to share it with other people. My close friends and family are people I speak to on a daily basis. What I do is try to take the opportunity that I’m presented, and take advantage of it. I get a chance to race, to travel, to represent the United States of America. I get a chance to represent my family, and do the things that a lot of people are envious of, and I really cherish those aspects of racing and being a triathlete.
MC: Do you train mentally? Do you use sport psychology?
AP: (Emphatically) Every day. It’s a part of who I am. Every day, every minute of every workout. At no time do I “check out”, especially when the going get’s tough.
MC: If you were battling down to the last mile on the run, and it was just you and one other competitor going toe-to-toe, who would that competitor be, at what race, and why?
AP: (Laughing) Battling for a win right? Not for 33rd place, right? We are talking about winning aren’t we? Okay, Okay! What I’d like to do is… What my approach to racing is, and has been since day one….is that a lot of people can go around and pick events where good people aren’t. That’s never been my philosophy. I want to race against the best on any given day, so I have an honest comparison to where I stand against the best. I’m picking the biggest events I can possibly find and choosing to go against the best. The best triathletes have a tendency to travel to races that…pay the best (more laughing). For me, if I had a chance to go down to the wire with anybody, I would want it to be on the biggest stage, against the best person in the world, and I want that person to be on their very best that day, and I want to come up with the win. That’s my goal. I want to beat the best person in the world, on their very best day, on the world’s biggest stage. If you look at it, and say, he took on the best, on the biggest stage and won, that’s where I would get the most satisfaction from racing. Even if you can’t win, at least you are putting out your best, against the very best. That to me is the ultimate test. Specifically, I don’t have a name or a place. Whoever is #1 in the world, or viewed as #1 in the world, is who I want to beat.
To learn more about Andy Potts and his triathlon pursuits, go to www.andypottstri.com.
