Thirsty?

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Thirsty?

It’s true I’m always pushing water on everyone in an attempt to keep all of you hydrated. I know that many of you would prefer something other than water. Maybe a different flavor or something that tells you that it will give you more energy. It’s not my practice to tell you which product to choose but rather to educate you on what some of the facts are. Then you can make a more educated decision when choosing what product is right for your body.

I took a look at some of the more popular products that I see sailors, especially youth sailors; take out on the water with them. Gatorade, POWERade and Propel Fitness Water are among some of the top choices. All of them say that they will help you reach you’re “A” game. With the exception of Propel, the majority of these drinks advertise themselves as a Carbohydrate-Electrolyte beverage. Propel Fitness Water describes itself as a lightly flavored water. They all claim to be packed with an array of additional B vitamins, sodium and potassium. You may ask if these vitamins are so special where else can you get them besides these drinks. B Vitamins are found in milk, cheese, meat, green vegetables and whole grains (just to name a few). Sodium is simply salt and one of the more commonly known sources of Potassium is bananas. 

I went to the websites of all of these products and I found that none of them would list what the actual ingredients in their products are. This really made me wonder because during practice for a big regatta a few years back I watched a sailor I know place a bottle of one of these drinks on a picnic table before he went out. He forgot the bottle and when he came back a few hours later the red drink he placed their was now clear in color. My first thought was “what does that do inside my body?” and my next thought was what’s in that stuff?”  Well I personally vowed to never put it in my body because the reaction it had to the sun just wasn’t natural, but I did investigate what was in there that made it do that.

The first ingredient is water. Ok- Not bad. The human body is made up of between 60-70% water so it makes sense to replace lost water with more water. Next is high fructose corn syrup or sucrose syrup. For anyone who may not know those are just big words for sugar. Since ingredients are listed from the most amount of that ingredient present to the least amount that would make sugar the second runner up to water. Now we have glucose-fructose syrup and citric acid. Seeing as our bodies make glucose our bodies easily metabolize it as well. Sucrose is glucose and fructose stuck together and better for the body than high fructose corn syrup, but when both are listed it seems like a little overkill to me. That’s just my opinion. Citric acid, well last I checked oranges and orange juice were a great source for that. Natural flavors seemed to come next. I’ve never been sure what the natural flavor is supposed to be or taste like, but hey at least they threw some in and seeing as salt followed there is more natural flavor than salt. Wait sodium citrate came after salt! Isn’t that what these drinks are meant to do. Replace lost salt? How come they are almost at he end of the list? Let’s see what’s next. Monopotassium phosphate. That must be the potassium that they say is added to help reach your “A” game. According to Wikipedia “Monopotassium phosphate (also potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KDP, or monobasic potassium phosphate, MKP) — KH2PO4 — is a soluble salt which is used as a fertilizer, a food additive and a fungicide. It is a source of phosphorus and potassium. It is also a buffering agent. When used in fertilizer mixtures with urea and ammonium phosphates, it minimizes escape of ammonia by keeping the pH at a relatively low level”  Anything that can be used as fertilzer is not what I am looking for in an athletic drink. It looks like they have saved the best for last. Yellow 6, blue 1 or red 40(depending on the color of your drink) ester gum and brominated vegetable oil. Brominated vegetable oil? Do you really want to drink that? 

One of the companies claims that their product out performs water. With those ingredients it’s hard for me to see how. Again, that’s just my opinion. It makes you wonder what type of science is behind these drinks. Well, POWERade is made by the Coca-Cola Company. Enough said there. Propel is made by Gatorade and if they are claiming to just add flavor to your water(with sugar no doubt) then I say add some lemon or a splash of all natural fruit juice.  Gatorade was interestingly enough created to help the Florida Gators. Gatorade has put a lot of research into what would help their Football team and has taken that and expanded to other sports. Keeping in mind that these products are created for the masses and need to have an extended shelf-life I can understand why they put some of the ingredients they do in there. On the other hand I personally don’t believe that is what‘s “best” for the body.

Drinks like these do have their place for some athletes and some sports. I don’t mean to completely knock them, but for sailing I don’t believe these are what is best for the sailor. I don’t feel that one generic drink can help every athlete from every sport refuel and stay at peak levels. Each individual is different and each individual should have a drink that is tailored to them and what makes their body perform the best. There are many products out there that you can add to your water to help you recover faster, stay energized and stay smarter on the race course. I know that going through all the information and products that can seem a bit over whelming and time consuming, but that’s what I’m here for. Ask away and I’ll help you out. 

When choosing your on the water cocktail keep in mind the reason you are choosing it. Is it for flavor, for energy, for recovery or for hydration? Look at the ingredients and see if it will help you achieve your goal. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient chances are you probably don’t need it! If you are really partial to one of these drinks try diluting it, half and half, with water. Better yet try mixing all natural fruit juice with water.  Most importantly stay hydrated. It will lead to less injury and better decisions on the racecourse. Therefore better results!

I’ll do my best to answer any questions you may have on any topic. If you want me to address a certain topic, let me know and I’d be happy to. You can always reach me at www.sailfit.com or meka@sailfit.com.

Wit vs Weight Results

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

  SAILFIT Inc

Wit Vs Weight Part II

The results are in! In the last issue I told you that we were going to do a little experiment at the Mid-Winters East. We were trying to gather everyone’s height and weight in hopes of seeing how much your weight really plays into your results in a regatta. There was a phenominal turnout at the MWE and it seemed as though we collected a ton of data. I decided that I would use the top ten sailors from each class to base my observations on. After going through all of the information it turns out that I don’t have a lot of the height /weight info from many of the sailors. A handful of which were in the top ten. So I went down the list until I had ten from each class except the 4.7 because there were only 9 sailors. So the figures I used are based on ten sailors finishing in the top 25% of  each fleet. I really found the results to be pretty interesting and with this data we can make some general observations. 

Let’s start with the full rigs. The average height was 6’1/2” and the average weight was 180.4 pounds. One thing that I noticed was that the sailors who weren’t 6 foot or taller were generally the ones who weighed more, while the ones who were 6 foot and over generally weighed less. Most of the heights were pretty close, but the range in weight was actually 35 lbs. Interestingly both the lightest and the heaviest sailor in this group finished near the bottom of the top 25% and the closer you got to the top of the group the closer the sailors came to the average.

The radials were a bit different. In the top 25% there were both men and women so I figured two averages, one with the men and another with just the top ten women. Both of the averages were almost the same they only varied by one pound. The average height was 5’7” and the average weight with the men was 150 pounds and with just the women it was 149 pounds. With the radials the sailor who was closest to the average finished closer to the middle of this top 25%. The sailors who finished closest to the top of this group had all different heights. They started at 5’5” and went up to 5’8” while the weight was a little more consistent. Among the whole group the range in weight was 38 pounds. 

Now with the 4.7’s it was more difficult because I only had three sailors information. Interestingly enough they all finished in staggered spots in the results so I think it’s a good idea of what to expect in the 4.7 fleet. The average height was 5’3” and the average weight was 109 pounds. There were both boys and girls in this fleet, but the information came from all girls. 

Statistics aside, the top finishers in all of the fleets are sailors who are in their boats more than they are in their own beds. They are sailors who are always training in all different types of conditions. MWE had a little bit of everything this year from winds so high that it was safer for the 4.7’s to stay on land to fog so thick you couldn’t see the shore let alone the marks. Also it’s important to take into consideration the different fitness levels and varying hiking styles. For example those who are taller have leverage on their side. They have more body to put out over the rail when they hike. Those who are not as tall use their body weight to compensate for the lack in height. So if you’re not quite up to the average height you could theoretically add more pounds to increase your hiking force that is obtained easier by a taller sailor. That’s not to say that you can eat Big Mac’s all day and become a great laser sailor. Your weight gained should be weight in muscle not in fat. I would suggest a lot of quad and abdominal strengthening exercises! 

In conclusion, I still feel that it is a balance between wit and weight that will make you a better laser sailor. If you don’t finish as well as you wanted to you can’t just blame it on your lack of or abundance of weight. I think you need to look at how well you used your head on the race course as well. That being said, you can’t totally discount the weight and height factor either. There is a definite trend toward an average height and weight among the top sailors in every fleet. While there isn’t much you can do to change your height you can work on your body to make it stronger and better suited for optimal laser sailing. 

I want to thank everyone who gave up his or her height and weight even if you did fib a little! It was great to be able to do this and I would really like to do it again with more specific information. As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions about this experiment feel free to contact me. You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Wit vs Weight

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Wit Vs Weight

As you walk around the boat park you seem to hear one reoccurring question ”How much do you weigh now?” Whether your sailing a full or a radial everyone wants to know what the next guy weighs in at. My question is how much of your result is really due to your weight and how much is due to your skill level. Take for example John Mydral US Olympic representative for the Sydney Games in 2000 and Mark Mendalblatt, US Olympic representative for the Athens games in 2004. John and Mark are both exceptional sailors who have been sailing for most of their lives. The only difference is that they have different body types and their home sailing waters are Hawaii vs. St. Petersburg, FL.

The reason I am venturing into this topic is because it was suggested to me that maybe we could do a little experiment. So for the 2006 Mid-Winters East there will be a section added to the registration form that asks for your height, weight, home sailing club and years sailing. We are going to see what the average weight of the top sailors are, what type of training they do and where they do it. 

Everyone knows that sailor skill is a large part of your performance, but I see to many sailors say “If I was lighter/heavier I would have done better”. While what you weigh does play a role I feel that sailors get that stuck in their head and lose site of the balance between skill and weight. While there is an average weight for the radial and the full rig there is also a weight that is obviously too light or too heavy for both. Some full rig sailors like to remain on the light side of the average because they feel that they will make greater gains downwind than what they would loose upwind. This is especially true if that sailor works hard on his fitness and has a good power to weight ratio. Then he can hike hard for longer periods going upwind. While this makes good sense I feel to many sailors get so stuck on either gaining weight for a heavy air venue or loosing for a light air venue that if the conditions don’t turn out as they thought they can’t adapt. They spent all of their training time and energy on what the scale says instead of fine- tuning their skills on the water. I think one of the keys is a good power to weight ratio. 

I my opinion sailor skill comes from a wide range of areas. Most of your skill comes from time spent in the boat if you work consistently on your overall fitness your body will grow along with your skill level. The amount of power you are able to put out will be balanced with your weight. In other words you won’t have too much muscle and be underweight or too little muscle and be overweight.  You learn how your body feels in the boat and how if feels sailing in different conditions. You become agile and are able to make your body work to your advantage. Along with this you will learn how far you can push yourself. Now if you are constantly changing your weight to fit the conditions or just simply focusing on your weight as a predictor of your performance you will never be able to find the balance between the maximum effort you an put out, your weight and your skill. You also need to keep in mind that while one person may seem to be the perfect weight, how tall are they and what is their body type? Are they tall and lean or short and stocky? Does their weight come from muscle or an overage/shortage of body fat? While one person may have a lot of strength in their legs to hike another may have more in their shoulders to throw out. Each persons body is different so a number on the scale may not be the best indicator of what is going to make you the fastest in the boat.

You have to find a balance in your body as well. By this I mean that you need to find what weight works best for you. At what weight are you most comfortable? As you work on your fitness level and you build more muscle and endurance you will find a weight and body structure that your body will naturally fall to. Yes, you can always push harder to become stronger and fitter and this is something I would encourage. However, if you are constantly battling with yourself to add on weight or loose weight you may want to consider working with what you’ve got. All the energy you spend trying to loose or gain could be spent making what you already have stronger and fitter. Then you will feel comfortable with your body and can focus on sailing the boat. You can go to a regatta and be confident that you know how to make your body work for you. You will know what your strengths and weakness are. If you feel that you are not as good in certain conditions you can focus on the balance between your skill and your body to improve. In my opinion these two will grow together and make you a well- rounded sailor who is able to adapt to whatever conditions are present.

So after Mid-Winters East we will take a look at all of the information and see what we come up with. This should be pretty interesting!!

On another note, I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who read these articles and the Laser class for giving me the opportunity to write about fitness. This article marks 5 years of me writing for The Laser Sailor. It has gone by so fast and I have learned so much from everyone. I hope we can keep learning from each other for another 5 years.

As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions feel free to contact me. It’s hard to come up with five years of topics you know! You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mind Body Boat

SAILING FIT

• By: Meka Taulbee

        ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc 

Mind, Body, Boat

I don’t know how many times I have heard something to this effect”If I only did well in a race then I would feel more motivated to keep sailing”. To a small extent I can understand this, but for the most part I think it is all backwards! The motivation to practice and race needs to come from places other than the finish line. Once that happens then you will start being the first to cross that line.

Whether it’s sailing or your fitness plan the goals you set for yourself need to be attainable yet challenging. There is no way that you are going pick up a dumbbell or use a smith squat machine perfectly the first time you ever use it. Some of you probably don’t even know what a smith squat machine is! It may take you many times and many years before you are able to use weights correctly and in a way that gives you the most benefit. The same goes with sailing. While there are some exceptions to the rule most of you are not going to go out there rig your boat right and win the race the first time you try. It takes years of practice to learn to get your boat to go fast. Not only do you have to know how to sail it, you have to get your body, brain and the boat to work together.

It’s like putting a puzzle together. Without each piece it is incomplete. If one is missing then the pieces don’t fit together tightly. Let’s look at some of the pieces we need to get the results we want. Mind, Body, Boat.

Mind. Are you in the right frame of mind to achieve your goals? Maybe better said “Are you setting realistic goals?” It’s great to set big goals for yourself as long as you are breaking them down into smaller goals that will help you attain the big picture. Make sure you are constantly adjusting your goals to make them challenging. Once you attain some of the smaller goals you may be doing better than you imagined so you need to adjust so you can keep challenging yourself and improving. Most importantly are you telling yourself that you are a great sailor and you will get to the level you want. A positive frame of mind and attitude are everything.

Body. Do you know what to do to get to the fitness level that is best for sailing a laser? Here is where we see how the pieces start to fit together. Are you setting realistic fitness goals? This goes back to the mind. Go about your fitness with a plan. Set some small goals for yourself and educate yourself on why you are doing this exercise. How does it make you a better sailor? Once you understand why you are doing a particular exercise you may be more motivated to do it and to keep up your fitness routine.

Boat. Seems simple enough, but with some of the things I’ve seen over the years you’d be surprised.  Here is where people seem to put the cart in front of the horse most often. Start with the basics. Is your boat rigged correctly? Are you aware of the adjustments that need to be made to get off the start line, round the mark, go upwind/downwind? You get the idea. Without some of the basics it will be tough to be at the top of the pack. Now more pieces of the puzzle come into play. Did you set some realistic goals for this race or regatta? Are you physically ready for the conditions? 

There is always someone who is better than you AND someone who is not up to your level yet. Go out and ask the people who are better for advice. Never be afraid to ask for help. They were once in your shoes. Like I said before no one has been perfect the first time they tried something. On the flip side make yourself available to help others as well. Now put all of these pieces together and you are a force to be reckoned with. 

Practice, practice, practice, that’s the only way to make yourself better. If you notice the sailors who spend the most time practicing on the water and in the gym are the ones who are getting better and better and passing you on the race course. Whether you are practicing with a team or by yourself you are still taking the time to improve yourself. Put a little thought into your game plan on the water as well as and you will begin to see that what is motivating you is actually putting the pieces together not just the finish line. Your success is now defined by the smaller goals and challenges you set for yourself rather than an imaginary line between two buoys.

As always, if you want to hear about a certain topic or have any questions feel free to contact me. You can always find me at www.sailfit.com or email directly to meka@sailfit.com. I look forward to hearing from you

Common Questions

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

Commonly Asked Questions

As I sit here thinking about what to write I am surrounded by the news of Hurricane Katrina. I can’t help but wonder how many addresses this will not make it to simply because they do not exist anymore. So many yacht clubs and sailing centers affected, leaving so many of our fellow sailors without what has brought them so much joy. It seems so trivial to worry about what will improve your hiking skills or what is the best meal to eat on the water. However it makes me think that there is a whole other type of exercise that I have never written about. It’s an exercise in and giving.

Let’s do what we can to help these guys out. Lend your boat for a regatta, give away some old equipment or a pair of hiking pants. Lets make sure everyone can get back on the water and have a good time. How does this relate to fitness? Well if you’re on the water sailing your exercising right? Works for me!

Aside from that I thought I would go over some questions that I am most commonly asked. They are pretty general, but sometimes it’s good to get back to basics.

1) If I can’t work out often enough for long enough should I even bother?

In terms of exercise it really isn’t an all or nothing principle. The truth is any activity is better than none and we all need to start somewhere. Studies have shown that even a 15-30 minute walk 2-3 times a week can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Even activities like gardening, house repairs, and cleaning can produce the same effects.  So even if you can’t make it to the gym you can always find a way to be active during the day. Besides, I’m sure everyone has some boat work they could do!

2) How much should I drink while I’m exercising and does cold water really make a difference? 

One of my personal favorites!  While at one time it was thought that liquids during exercise would bloat the athlete’s body and affect their performance it is actually the opposite of the truth. Athletes such as long distance runners and boxers may lose up to five pounds while running or boxing. This liquid needs to be replenished in order to be able to perform at optimal levels. By taking in about 8oz every 20 minutes of exercise you can reduce the effects of fatigue, safeguard against injury and think more clearly. The notion of not drinking cold water because it may cause cramps is a myth. Cold water will actually cool the body faster than warmer liquids because the body absorbs it more rapidly.

3) No pain, no gain?

Many feel that if they are not sore the next day they didn’t work hard enough. First of all feeling sore and feeling pain are two very different things. If your muscles feel a slight level of discomfort the day after exercise it is in most cases acceptable as long as it does not continue for days on end. If you feel pain during an exercise you should stop immediately and if you feel pain after a workout it most likely means you overdid it and pushed yourself to far. Muscle soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibers. If you feel this soreness after every workout, you are not allowing enough time for rest and for these tears to heal. If your muscle is not allowed enough time to heal it cannot become stronger.  Most likely if you are feeling pain the only gain you will get is an injury and an excuse not to weight train. The key to preventing soreness is to stretch before and after your workout session. 

4) If I stop exercising, will my muscle turn to fat?

I chalk this one up to a big misunderstanding. Muscles and fat are two separate types of tissue. It may seem that if you stop exercising you are putting pounds on and don’t appear to be as tone. Most people assume that their muscles just turned to fat! The reality is that lack of exercise will result in your muscles shrinking and a reduction in the rate at which the body burns calories. Now consider that since you stopped exercising you are most likely consuming more calories than you are burning. This results in increased body fat. But by no means does this mean you can never stop exercising. If you decrease your activity level just be aware of the amount of calories you consume and try to stick to a lean diet.

5) Can I “spot reduce” the areas of my body I am unhappy with? 

Wouldn’t that be great!  Unfortunately genetics dictates where fat decides to hang out in your body and also where it leaves from first. When you exercise, your body uses the energy produced to burn fat in all areas of your body. This is regardless of what area you may target. The most common area people want to focus on is their abs so I will use this as my example. If you do crunches all day long you may not end up with that six-pack you were hoping for. If you have a layer of fat over your muscles you won’t be able to see them. You have to reduce your percentage of body fat first and then you will be able to see the muscles you have been training so vigorously! 

6) Will weight training make me bulky especially if I am a woman?

This is one I hear over and over. What makes men capable of building big muscles is partly testosterone, which women have very low levels of naturally. If you are referring to the building of big bulky muscles that are most often associated with bodybuilders, this is unlikely to happen with the average workout most people perform. It also can depend on your trainer and what type of program they have designed for you. Be sure to make them aware that you do not want to look like the Hulk when you begin. Your workout may consist of lower weights with higher repetitions in each set. This will keep you strong and tone, but not create a big and bulky look. This leads me right into one of the next biggest myths floating around out there.

7) Are strength training and bodybuilding the same thing?

This is absolutely not the case. The goals are very different with these two activities. With strength training or resistance training we are trying to improve strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, control our weight, and increase athletic performance. Many times strength and resistance training can be used in physical rehabilitation. Bodybuilding on the other hand has evolved into a competitive event. Here we are trying to achieve the best muscle definition, size and symmetry. 

8) As long as I go easy and I’m careful I don’t need to warm up or stretch right?

Ok, anyone who knows me knows this makes me want to beat my head against a wall!! Warming up and stretching is the number one way to avoid injuries such as tendonitis, strains, sprains, aches and pains. Remember the rubber band analogy. If you don’t know it you better get a hold of me before I get a hold of you! I think the best example I can give to demonstrate this is this. Think about any injuries you may have gotten while sailing even if it was just getting whacked by the boom. Now put someone who has never sailed before in a boat and ask him or her to complete just one race. Just think of the damage they will do to themselves! That’s what it’s like for your body when you don’t warm up or stretch before and after exercising.

9) Will building muscle reduce my flexibility?

If you strength train properly this will not occur. A reduction in flexibility will result from not moving your joints through their full range of motion and not stretching. (The rubber band analogy again!) Flexibility is not just something you have or don’t have. You need to keep your muscles limber and your joints active. The more you work at staying loose and stretched the more flexible you will become. Like that rubber band, they will continue to become more pliable and stretch further.  

10) Should children participate in strength training activities or programs?

Absolutely! Today we have one of the largest child obesity rates in the world. Everyday when children play they are pushing, pulling, lifting, running and throwing against various forms of resistance. Their program already began! Keep them active now and they will continue the habit as adults. This does not mean that they have to go pound the weights at the gym, but if they see you doing some weight training they may want to copy you. As long as it is a small amount of weight where they will not hurt themselves, go for it! It’s better than lifting the remote control and they will become more confident and outgoing.

Well hopefully that will help clear up some of the common exercise myths out there. After reading these maybe it will spark some of your own questions. Please don’t hesitate to ask me. No question is a dumb questions and I am more than happy to help anyone. You can email me at meka@sailfit.com or visit our web site at www.sailfit.com.  I look forward to hearing from you. 

Mentally Fit

SAILING FIT

By: Meka Taulbee

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

SAILFIT Inc

MENTALLY FIT

Are you mentally fit?  You may be thinking “What is she talking about?” or “What do I need to be Mentally Fit for?”  When it comes to any athletic event or even just day-to-day living mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness. While I know this may not be for everyone, I at least want to give you an introduction and point out some of the benefits so you can decide for yourself. Put your sailing skill, physical fitness, and mental fitness together with a nice breeze and just see the results you get!

Lets consider the sailor who wins the majority of races he competes in or the person who seems to find success in everything they attempt. These people go to the next event with an established sense of self- confidence. Why Shouldn’t they? They have shown to others and themselves what they are capable of. They have come to expect the same results at each event and others have come to expect the same as well. Whether they are consciously aware of it or not they have created a mental edge over the rest of the competitors. On the other hand many of the competitors have let themselves be taken over by this mental edge. Whether they are consciously aware of it or not they automatically expect that they will finish behind this person. Look at Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France. He definitely has a mental edge over his competitors. He knows he can win and that is the mental state I am sure he goes into each stage with.

Now lets consider how we view ourselves. Do you go to an event thinking “I am a winner” or do you not even think about it and assume that there are those that will always finish in front of you? Take a minute and consider how the other competitors view you in relationship to themselves. Do they assume you will always finish in front of them or do they assume that you are not a threat?  It seems as though the longer we let ourselves and others believe something the truer it becomes. Why not go into each event with some confidence and give yourself an even greater chance of achieving the results you want! This isn’t to say that we should all go around thinking and acting like we are the best things since sliced bread. Unlike physical fitness, mental fitness can’t be seen on the out side, but rather comes from within.  

As with anything mental fitness doesn’t happen overnight, but rather takes time to develop. The good news is you don’t have to go to the gym, do a million crunches or be a marathon runner to be good at it. To start, think about what type of competitor you would like to be. Do you want to become better at what you do? What will make you feel good about your performance at the end of the day? Then think about how you would want others to perceive you. Do you want them to know that you are going to make them work to beat you instead of letting them assume they can? Do you want to be known as being a fair player or would you be satisfied if people thought you played dirty? Having a good picture of the type of competitor you would like to be will help you take actions to become that person. Just by being aware your subconscious will help you become what you envision for yourself. Not to tough right? 

Next, you can start to set some goals for yourself. This is important because it gives you something personal to work toward that when achieved will help establish more confidence in yourself as a competitor. This doesn’t mean that you have to want to become the next Olympic gold medalist or win the world championships. Start with the next event, maybe you want to finish in the top half of the fleet, maybe just two places better than you did the previous year, perhaps you and Joe Sailor are always neck & neck and now it’s time to show him your stuff or maybe you just want to make it across the finish line. Whatever your desire is start by breaking it down into small chunks and doing each one at a time. Before you know it you will be making great advances and in turn you will feel so good about yourself and so much more confident. Others will start to notice this new confidence and now is when you are gaining your mental edge. 

There are many things that can affect your state of mind and in turn hinder your performance. If you or any outside influence put to much pressure on yourself to win or to much emphasis is placed on your desire to win it can have the reverse effect. If you don’t do as well as you hoped it could be easy to dwell on it and let it knock you back a few steps. The next time you will be so concerned with not wanting to feel that way again and winning that you can not focus on the task at hand. You may have an injury that you may think will hold you back. If you just worry about the “what if” or the negatives that “could “ hold you back then here again you can not put your full focus on the event. You are so worried about the outcome that you are not living in the moment. Every event will have its ups and downs and you need to recognize those and learn what you can from them. Then put it behind you and go on to the next one. For example, if you hit a mark and are forced to do a 360 you may spend the rest of the race mad at yourself and thinking about how much it will cost you. Instead, do your 360 and be confident that you can make the best out of the rest of the race. Dwelling on it pulls your focus away from the task at hand and may make you miss other opportunities that will arise to help you gain back some ground.

When you start to become aware of the type of competitor you want to be and setting some goals for yourself you will start to feel more relaxed, become more confident and enjoy things more. With this clear picture it will become easier to stay focused and concentrate on what you are doing and what is going on around you. The next time you go out to compete in an event picture what you want to happen that day and think about what your goals are. Take a minute to put everything in perspective then go out there and let it rip!  Remember to have fun and enjoy yourself. You would have never started doing this sport if it wasn’t fun to begin with and we all excel at those things that we find the most enjoyable. 

If you can start with these small steps you will be well on your way to becoming mentally fit and that mental edge will grow with each event you compete in. Let’s not forget that what goes around comes around. If you start to treat others like they are less than you someone is going to make you feel the same to help increase their mental edge. The bigger edge is gained by achieving your personal goals while treating others the way you would want to be treated in return. You never know what someone may teach you along the road.  

I am always available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. If you have a topic you would like me to cover don’t hesitate to contact me. www.sailfit.com or meka@sailfit .com.