The Ironman triathlon is a rapidly growing sporting event worldwide but little research has been found on the psychological processes employed by its participants. The purpose of this study is to discover which mental...The Ironman triathlon is a rapidly growing sporting event worldwide but little research has been found on the psychological processes employed by its participants. The purpose of this study is to discover which mental skills the Ironman participant population is utilizing during training and how these skills are seen to influence accomplishment, or lack of accomplishment of race goals. A purposeful sample of five Ironman participants was interviewed and transcriptions will be analyzed utilizing qualitative analysis. Five main mental skill themes were discovered： （1） preparation, （2） self-efficacy through previous experience, （3） choice of focus, （4） breaking down the race and （5） camaraderie. From these main themes, subthemes were discovered within two of the main themes. In preparation： （1） having a schedule/plan, （2） visualization and （3） being prepared for adversity. In choice of focus： （1） distraction/outside factors, （2） positive thoughts/motivation, （3） outcome/focus on finish, （4） ＂run my race＂/self-focus and （5） calming/relaxation. Additionally, regardless of accomplishment of goal, all five participants showed themes of their mental preparation having a positive influence on their racing. From these themes, research may be conducted to determine the effectiveness of specific mental skills and possible interventions that can be implemented.展开更多
文摘The Ironman triathlon is a rapidly growing sporting event worldwide but little research has been found on the psychological processes employed by its participants. The purpose of this study is to discover which mental skills the Ironman participant population is utilizing during training and how these skills are seen to influence accomplishment, or lack of accomplishment of race goals. A purposeful sample of five Ironman participants was interviewed and transcriptions will be analyzed utilizing qualitative analysis. Five main mental skill themes were discovered： （1） preparation, （2） self-efficacy through previous experience, （3） choice of focus, （4） breaking down the race and （5） camaraderie. From these main themes, subthemes were discovered within two of the main themes. In preparation： （1） having a schedule/plan, （2） visualization and （3） being prepared for adversity. In choice of focus： （1） distraction/outside factors, （2） positive thoughts/motivation, （3） outcome/focus on finish, （4） ＂run my race＂/self-focus and （5） calming/relaxation. Additionally, regardless of accomplishment of goal, all five participants showed themes of their mental preparation having a positive influence on their racing. From these themes, research may be conducted to determine the effectiveness of specific mental skills and possible interventions that can be implemented.
