PUBLISHED 05/09/2008
Even grief has been known to inspire amazing performances, by giving training and racing a greater significance.
Triathlete Becky Lavelle's twin sister Jenny and nephew Graham died in a shooting in December. Since Jenny and Graham's deaths, Becky's training has been different.
"So far I guess I've felt that it's given me a little bit more of a purpose and drive in my training," she says. "You know, just kind of feeling that I'm training and racing for her. I want to make her proud in the things that I do. It's changed my perspective on life in general."
Sports psychologist Ralph Vernacchia, Ph.D., author of Inner Strength, doesn't think there is just one appropriate emotion for all athletes at all times. "You have to find the one that works best for you," he says. "Each athlete has a certain amount of emotional energy that they can spend and channel into their performance because the issue is really energy management and distribution."
Gilmore echoes, "If every time somebody comes out cheering your name or screaming 'Go USA!' you get too excited and throw in a big acceleration, you're not going to make it much past 13 or 14 miles at Boston, because it happens a lot." (Once he reaches the hills, however, "All bets are off.")
To find the best emotional fuel, Vernacchia suggests thinking back to your best race. "What were some of the factors leading up to it and what was your frame of mind?" he asks. "What did you feel like physically? Emotionally? And what led up to that particular perspective?"
In other words: It may take a competitive fire to be successful, but Vernacchia doesn't believe that fire has to be fueled by any one emotion in particular.
The notion that the "reptilian-brained" athlete with the "warrior mentality" or "killer instinct" always wins simply isn't true. Sometimes he or she does. Sometimes not.
Remember Matt Reed, the man who said he struggles to hate his competitors? Three months after being interviewed for this article, he competed in the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Trials in Tuscaloosa, Alabama -- and won. Now matt is headed for Beijing.
"Run your race emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually," Vernacchia advises. "That's the way to do it."
Kevin Patrick runs Endurance Planet, a multi-media company providing audio and video podcasts for endurance athletes.
