“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right”
Many people have mantras, either for how they live their lives, or relating to how they turn up and train. In this small series, Coach Denise looks at the mantras which have meaning to her personally, and shares how they help her with both life and training.
“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are probably right” – Henry Ford
This is one of those quotes that might seem a bit odd, but is actually very powerful. It refers to the ability of the mind to take over from the body. In some circumstances you may be easily able to achieve something but if you doubt yourself, then you may actually fail when you should be able to succeed.
Looking at this saying in more detail, what it means to me is, that if I can build that self belief, then I can expand the breadth of what I can achieve. Of course, there are many aspects of life where believing we can do something will not necessarily mean we can do it. I might believe I can successfully beat Usain Bolt in a 100m dash, but in reality this will never actually happen.
Keeping within the laws of physics, and reality, it is true that self belief can have a huge impact on what we can achieve. Research into the success, or otherwise, of weight loss shows that those with greater self belief (or self efficacy) are more likely to stick with exercise and weight loss programs and so be successful. Similar research into success in academic achievements also found a link between self- belief and success.
When looking specifically at training and racing, the research above suggests that those who believe in their ability to improve through training are more likely to complete the sessions and so succeed. With improved training comes improvements in race performance. Also, as training improves, the belief in our ability to perform well on race day will improve. Success breeds success.
The language we use to talk about our expectations and abilities is important. I learned to swim in my forties and for many years referred to myself as a non swimmer. It took a friend to point out to me that since I had swum 3.8km outside at an Ironman event this was clearly not true, for me to stop saying that.
While this sounds like a great virtuous circle, how can we move from wanting to do something to not only doing it, but having that belief that we will be successful? This is where a great coach can really help.
A coach is not just there to write a training plan and then assess the athlete’s performance against that plan. The real role of a coach is to work with the individual; to help set realistic and achievable goals; to develop the strengths of the individual to reach these goals; and to help understand issues which arise and adjust the program where needed to reflect the impact of life on the ideal plan. As goals are met, the coach can encourage the development of stretch goals, going longer or faster, to build on the ability which has grown.
A strong, open and trusting relationship between the coach and the athlete is essential to build the right race plan and training plan to get there. As the athlete sees success in the plan, then that self-belief can grow, expanding the frame of what they believe is possible.
If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are probably right.
Denise has been coaching triathletes since 2019 as a coach at her local triathlon club in West Lothian. Between 2019 and 2022, Denise was the Head coach in the club, working with a team of coaches to support and develop triathletes with a wide range of capabilities, completing her BTF Triathlon Level 2 coaching qualification in 2021.
Denise joined Tri Training Harder as a coach in 2021, building on the qualifications through the experience and knowledge passed on by the coaching team.
In 2019 Denise set up and continues to run her own Jog Scotland running group, a mixed ability group of runners who meet weekly. This delivers on her passion for helping people to do much more than they think they can.
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Tri Training Harder are one of the leading Triathlon coaching providers in the UK, using our wealth of experience to unite scientific and technological research with already well-established and successful best practices, to create a formula for triathlon and endurance coaching that works.
The result is an honest, dynamic, yet simple new way of constructing an athlete’s training to allow them to reach their potential.
If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.