Newest Technology Means Faster Performances?

The US Olympic trials are in full swing. I watched the swimming trials and aside from great competition, what caught my attention were comments regarding the new Speedo LZR swim suit. Supposedly, it provides 5% less drag in the water. Rowdy Gaines, 1984 Olympic Gold medalist, talked of the suit. He tried it on (said [...]

Run Focus Take III – Smell the Roses

Bainbridge Island, early morning chill, two sets of foot steps echo off the forest towering above; an occasional car passes giving wide birth. (By the way – very courteous drivers here!)
My brother and I run in tandem without much comment in the first mile. Then I break the silence, “Look at the Buttercups!” Quickly I [...]

Run Focus – Bainbridge Island, WA – How not to do it

In the wake of our Tahoe experience I left for a few days with family in the Seattle area – Bainbridge Island. I was still recovering from the 16 total miles only days ago – more than two and a half times more than my longest run in the past 4 months. I was not [...]

Run Focus – Lake Tahoe Relay – How to do it

Regardless of conditioning our focus can make us better or worse. This is an article on a recent race and how it should be done. (Read my next post for how not to do it.)
I went into the Lake Tahoe Relay race in minimal condition. I was running leg one; about 9.5 miles @ [...]

Focus Leads the Way

Focus – the ability to concentrate on a given subject – is a funny thing. (By the way, focus and concentration are used interchangeably.) I hear comments from coaches and parents in many sports telling their athletes things like – “You’re just not focusing.”, “Concentrate!”, “Focus!” Here is where they are all wrong – every [...]

Performance and Comfort Zones

In sports psychology a comfort zone is a zone in which an athlete continues to perform at a level which may not be indicative of their capabilities. They find it difficult to reach that next “breakthrough.” Sometimes it shows when we practice but most definitely shows while racing. The athlete may self-destruct on the verge [...]

The “Just One More” Focus

I was at the track this morning. Anytime I know it will be a challenging workout – my common refrain is “just take it one at a time” and as we progress further into the workout – “just focus on this one.” That happens to be what I started this morning’s session with when I [...]