When I raced at the 2010 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, T1 looked something like the scene in Airplane! when the cabin was in chaos and the passengers panicking. Although age-groupers, these were nonetheless age-groupers good enough to qualify for the 2010 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. I was surprised they were not more focused, had not visualized their transition as they finished their swim, and could not remain calm.

All of panicked athletes in T1 would have benefited from working with a sports psychologist. Most would agree that coaching, be it for swimming, cycling, running, powerlifting, or other sports, is extremely beneficial. You can learn a lot from friends, books, and the Internet, but the right coach will almost always be more effective.  Even then, a good coach is just one part of an athlete’s support team. In addition to a coach, athletes have a whole network or professional support…