The present study examined the effects of a mental skills training package on gymnasium triathlon performance. Five participants took part in a single-subject multiple baseline across individuals design, which was used to evaluate an intervention package including goal setting, relaxation, imagery, and selftalk. The results of the study indicated the mental skills package to be effective in enhancing triathlon performance for all five participants. Additionally, all participants increased their usage of mental skills from baseline to intervention phases. Follow-up social validation checks indicated all participants to have perceived the intervention to be successful and enjoyable, and all were satisfied with delivery and content of the package. In conclusion, the findings provide further evidence to suggest mental skills training packages to be effective for endurance performance.
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The Effects of a Mental Skills Training Package on Gymnasium Triathlon Performance
Richard C. Thelwell and Iain A. Greenlees
Sport Psychology Library: Triathlon
Karen Cogan
Developing Competitive Endurance Performance Using Mental Skills Training
Richard C. Thelwell and Iain A. Greenlees
The present study examined the effects of a mental skills training package on competitive gymnasium triathlon performance and evaluated the utilization and impacts of the mental skills during performance. Four participants competed against each other on ten occasions in a single-subject multiple baseline across individuals design, which was used to evaluate an intervention package including goal setting, relaxation, imagery, and self-talk. The results indicated the mental skills package to be effective in enhancing all participants’ competitive triathlon performance and usage of mental skills from baseline to intervention phases. Qualitative data revealed that each of the mental skills were employed both prior to and during each triathlon and had varying impacts depending on when they were utilized. Issues regarding mental skill effectiveness and usage within competitive endurance performance are discussed.
Exposure and Response Prevention in the Treatment of an Okeanophobic Triathlete
Gary M. Farkas
An in vivo exposure and response prevention procedure consisting of seven treatment and generalization sessions was used to aid a 50-year-old woman with a lifelong fear and avoidance of swimming in the ocean. Subsequent to treatment, the subject, already a competent pool swimmer and an accomplished athlete, swam in the ocean, reduced her swim time by over 50%, and placed second in her age group while competing in a major triathlon. A 1-year follow-up indicated that she was still swimming in the ocean and participating in triathlons. The athlete/sport psychologist relationship is discussed in reference to the athlete’s compliance with treatment recommendations.
Role of Psychological Skills Training in Increasing Athletic Pain Tolerance
Blair G. Whitmarsh and Richard B. Alderman
Endurance athletes have indicated that the ability to tolerate high levels of athletic pain accounted for much of their success (Egan, 1987). This study examined the role of stress inoculation training (SIT) in increasing athletic pain tolerance on an isometric quadriceps task. Athletes (N = 45) from the sports of rowing, cycling, and triathlon completed the study, which consisted of performing a wall sit for as long as possible in a pretest-posttest control group design. The results indicated that subjects receiving training in SIT significantly increased their tolerance time on the wall sit, F(4, 84) = 2.51, p < .048, as compared to the control. Consistent with other research (Vallis, 1984), there was no difference between subjects who received training in SIT and those who received training in only one component of SIT. The results suggest that SIT may assist athletes in tolerating higher levels of athletic pain during training and competition.
“Short and Sweet”: A Randomized Controlled Initial Investigation of Brief Online Psychological Interventions With Endurance Athletes
Carla Meijen, Alister McCormick, Paul A. Anstiss, and Samuele M. Marcora
in endurance sports and events (e.g., Scheerder et al., 2015 ), which include middle- and long-distance running, swimming, cycling, triathlon, and rowing ( McCormick et al., 2019 ). Some participate in these sports and events for competitive reasons, and others participate for reasons, such as
The Effects of a Brief Online Rational-Emotive-Behavioral-Therapy Program on Coach Irrational Beliefs and Well-Being
Ryan G. Bailey and Martin J. Turner
). The effects of a mental skills training package on gymnasium triathlon performance . The Sport Psychologist, 15 ( 2 ), 127 – 141 . https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.15.2.127 Thelwell , R.C. , Weston , N.J.V. , Greenlees , I.A. , & Hutchings , N.V. ( 2008 ). Stressors in elite sport: A coach
Stress-Related Growth in Elite Sport Performers: Qualitative Differentiators in Psychosocial Mechanisms
Fionnuala B. Barnes, David Fletcher, and Kacey C. Neely
this gender split, Neely et al. ( 2021 ) commented on the greater frequency of reported growth experienced by females than males. Of the sample higher in reported growth, with an average score of 26.33 on the SRGS-R, two athletes competed in rowing and one in triathlon, aged between 25 and 46 years ( M
The Philosophical Underpinning of Athlete Lifestyle Support: An Existential-Humanistic Perspective
Darren J. Devaney, Mark Stephen Nesti, Noora J. Ronkainen, Martin A. Littlewood, and David Richardson
support service . ( 1 January , 2021 ). http://www.eis2win.co.uk/expertise/performance-lifestyle/ Thelwell , R.C. , & Greenlees , I.A. ( 2001 ). The effects of a mental skills training package of gymnasium triathlon performance . The Sport Psychologist, 15 ( 2 ), 127 – 141 . https
“Keep the Pace! You’ve Got This!”: The Content and Meaning of Impactful Crowd Encouragement at Mass Running Events
Sophie Gibbs-Nicholls, Alister McCormick, and Melissa Coyle
built upon the findings (see Table 5 ). We aimed to encourage naturalistic generalizability (see Smith, 2018 ), through resonating with the experiences of readers who have participated in mass participation events (whether running or another endurance sport such as triathlon) or who have been
