We have all heard of and seen athletes who can rise to the occasion of race day and perform at their best. More often than not, these are the athletes who are not only physically fit but mentally fit too.

During the last 2 years I was racing, I spent a lot of time working with a mental conditioner in New Zealand who spent many sessions drilling into me the importance of being present. This morning I was online reading one of my favourite triathlon websites when I stumbled onto a good article on this topic. Click here to read it!

As athletes we spend so much time and effort training the body but fail to recoginise the importance of a strong mental game and therefore neglect its development. I can tell you from experience that the few hours of practice I put in each week working with my mental conditioner and practising what I was taught improved my performance tenfold. Not only did it improve my racing but it has given me valuable skills that I use on a daily basis running my business and with the people I interact with.

With the racing season just kicking into gear here in Asia, perhaps now is a good time for you to start working on your mental game?

Check out the video below for a great example of being present. I am lucky to have trained and raced with Bevan Docherty and I can assure he is very mentally TOUGH!