Mental Performance Coaching for Swimming, Biking, & Running

Elite runners, swimmers, and bikers require significant mental fortitude to stay relaxed yet focused on race day. As you rise the ranks, the degree of athleticism and skill between competitors becomes smaller.

Those that invest the time and energy into mental preparation, relentlessly focus on what they can control, and consistently show up with confidence in their abilities have a significant competitive advantage.

But many racers get caught up with the inner noise – overly comparing to others, trying to predict results, or worrying about what others think. They end up inconsistent in their race strategy, doubting their abilities, and holding themselves back from performing at their capabilities.

We work with Runners, Swimmers, and Bikers to improve their mental preparation and consistently show up with confidence. Here are the most common situations we help them with:

The Problem

A lot of racers feel the nerves before the race even starts. They put unrealistic pressure on their self to have a perfect race, set a personal best, or achieve a desired result (i.e., win or improve ranking). They want to achieve the result so bad that they can’t stop thinking about it – they start worrying, tensing up, losing confidence, & overthinking. Which makes it harder to perform at their capabilities and often leads to a downward spiral in performance.

How We Help

We help them channel their nerves, manage their expectations, and give them the perspective to stay calm & confident on race day. Nerves are just a form of energy that they need to learn to embrace and channel toward the process. Having high expectations for results is not inherently bad but they need to be able to manage those expectations instead of causing unrealistic goals and unnecessary pressure. We help them let go of worrying about the results. They can care but they don’t have to worry. We get them to reconnect to the love of the sport so they can relax and just trust their training. Once they get back into this mental state – they stop trying to force it and let it happen. Then the results start to come.

The Problem

Our society generally teaches people to tie their confidence to results. So racers start struggling with confidence if they are not achieving their goals, progressing, or performing well relative to their peers. But this lack of confidence then causes inconsistent effort, hesitation in their race plan, and continued under performance. Which only furthers a downward spiral in confidence and performance.

How We Help

We help them own their capabilities and develop a mentality that wants to thrive, grow, and give their best effort on race day. Instead of tying their confidence to results, they start to focus on what they are actually capable of and the work they have put in. They learn to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and start prioritizing their own self-image. They understand that believing in themselves is a choice that they can make everyday. It is not about ignoring feedback from others or being delusional about their capabilities. Rather, it is about choosing to be the hero of their own story, owning their greatness, and developing an unshakeable confidence in themselves.

The Problem

Specifically in medium to longer endurance events, the attack mindset that is willing to push the pace is crucial to performance. But racers often get afraid of hitting the wall or running out of gas, so they don’t push the pace, come out more tentative, and hold themselves back. This is problematic on race day, but it can also show up during training. They start to doubt their ability to push through the pain and they end up spending too much time in the comfort zone.

How We Help

We help them develop an attack mindset that embraces the discomfort of pushing the pace. It is not able becoming reckless but rather developing the clarity to execute their race plan, attack at the right moments, and be confident in their abilities. Instead of looking at race days as a threat they could fail, they are excited for the challenge to push themselves. They develop a thorough race plan that is personalized to them with well defined characteristics to lean into for each section of the race. The result is they are able to get back to enjoying their sport, pushing the pace, and performing at their capabilities.

The CEP System for Swimming, Biking & Running

At CEP, our purpose is to help you achieve Consistent Elite Performance.

In order to do that, you need to spend more time in the ZONE.

The problem is, like most athletes, you spend too much time in your own head.

This can be frustrating and discouraging because you have put in all this work to develop your physical abilities, but your mindset is causing you to underperform.

We understand that working on your mindset can be difficult and confusing.

That is why the CEP System has 3 simple steps that have helped 10,000’s of athletes get in the ZONE:

Step 1 is use the CEP Assessment and identify your priorities.

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint – and in the same manner you shouldn’t work on your mental game without first knowing what to work on.

 

The CEP assessment breaks down your mindset into the 7 Mental Skills that you need to develop in order to build a strong foundation and win the mental game.

This breakdown not only helps us determine which mental skills to prioritize in your program, but also ensures we keep you accountable to making progress.

Now that you can see what you will be working on, let us show you HOW you will work on it in step 2.

Step 2 is about personalizing the practical and proven strategies.

A good blueprint won’t help without the right tools. For example, you may have tried the cookie-cutter advice perpetuated by sport culture like ‘be positive, forget about it, or don’t worry about it.’

But when you build your mental game by patching together all these fluffy quick fixes – it’s like building a house out of straw – it is not sustainable & will fall apart in the face of adversity & pressure.

Instead, you need to build your mental game – like you would a brick house – out of practical & personalized strategies that deliver reliable and repeatable results.

We have 3 sets of tools – you might not need to use all the tools, but you do need to build your personalized mental toolbox based on your blueprint and current needs. Here are the four fundamental strategies we go through with every client:

Step 3 is about optimizing your mental toolbox for long-term results.

Implementing steps 1 and 2 can get you results quickly, but if you stop doing the work you will gradually stop getting the benefits.

Similar to how a brick house needs be maintained and modified – the mental game requires constant work and refinement. It never ends.

It is a constant process of self-awareness, self-discovery, and growth.

As time passes you will need to evolve & upgrade your alter ego and reset routine.

You should also constantly tweak and tinker with their personalized scorecard, imagery scripts, and core priorities to match your ever changing landscape.

At CEP Mindset, we like to use our 5 Milestones to make the mental game more tangible and help keep you committed to the constant upkeep and upgrades.

Every season you start from square one and have to put in the work to reach each milestone.

Note that the numbers above are generic and are altered depending on the sport. We use 95% plus in the zone to avoid the trap of perfection.

When you join our programs, you will stop spending so much time in your own head and start achieving Consistent Elite Performance.

Are you the right fit for 1-on-1 Coaching?

Our programs are effective for Youth, Amateur, & Professional Athletes. Similarly we also work with high-performing business executives from a variety of industries.

Find out more about the nuances of the main categories of client we work with:

We work with many athletes 12 years old and younger. In these programs the parents are more heavily involved. Generally attending sessions with the athlete and or having 25-75% of the program hours spent working directly with the parent. We have worked with athletes as young as 8 years old. 

The rollout and involvement of the parents in these programs is dependent on the maturity of the athlete more so than the age.

One of the great benefits to working on an athlete’s mental game at a young age is that they develop a solid foundation that will serve them as they progress through their athletic career.

The pace of the program might be slower than an older athlete, but the athlete is generally more open and receptive. So this gives the athlete the opportunity to strengthen their mindset now, instead of waiting till they are older where more is at stake and the current mindset has only cemented further.

The majority of our clients are amateur athletes aged 13-18. 

This is a crucial time period in their development as an athlete and as a person. It is also the time period where the pressures and adversities can pile up, but often the athlete lacks the tools to effectively cope. 

This can be frustrating because all the hard work can go out the window if they can’t get their head in the right place. It also can be costly to their long term goals — as one or two poor months, let alone a poor season, can be hard to bounce back from.

We take a lot of pride in the impact we have with these amateur athletes because every CEP coach was once in these exact shoes. Our own struggles with the mental game in this age range is the main reason why every CEP coach got into this profession. 

As such, we are able to relate, understand, and effectively guide them through this crucial time period.

Professional athletes are at another level when it comes to pressure, distractions and adversity. 

Often these athletes have experienced so much success as they have risen the ranks because of their superior athletic abilities and skills. So the challenge becomes being able to maintain their confidence and focus while success becomes harder to achieve competing against the best athletes in the world. 

With so much at stake they need to be able to block out the noise from friends, fans, and the media. 

The cost of not having the mental strategies, routines, and overall capability to repeatedly and reliably get dial-in can be both significant from the results and financial implications as well as the athletes overall mental well-being. 

Being a professional athlete is not all sunshine and rainbows. There is a lot of stress that comes with performing on the biggest stages and if they don’t develop the tools to manage that stress, then it can easily eat them up and get the best of them. 

Therefore, most of the professional athletes we work with will have custom programs that include additional access as well as a commitment from us to track and optimize their performance.

High-performers in any area of life will face similar challenges as professional athletes — such as the incredible amounts of pressure, distractions and adversities. 

As such, we apply the same principles that help professional athletes get dialed in, to help business executives excel in their professional and personal lives. 

We have coached C-Suite Executives, Business Owners, Hedge Fund Managers, Surgeons, Pilots, and Fire Fighters etc.

We help them to stop stressing about their external goals and get clarity on how they want to show up, so they can be present, decisive, and in control of their career and life.

Unlike professional athletes, business executives often have even more at stake. Whether it be their own career, obligations to others, or the literal safety and well-being of people in our society. 

They also have a slew of additional challenges around being able to unplug themselves from their work and emails, overcome the endless barrage of tasks and competing priorities, and the ability to navigate tough conversations within the workplace and build cohesive teams.

As such, there are additional strategies that we use with business executives that address their unique challenges and optimize their results in our 1-on-1 coaching programs.

1-on-1 Coaching Programs for Swimming, Biking, & Running
We work with Youth, Amateur, and Professionals

The 1-on-1 coaching sessions are in person, on zoom, or via phone and they are schedule based on your needs and availability. You start with a free 30 minute 1-on-1 intro session, then your coach will recommend which option will be the best fit for you. The first session in your program is generally 1 hour and the remaining sessions are 30 minutes. Here are the options for amateur swimmers, runners, & bikers:

Try It Out – Risk Free

Start with a free 30 min intro session. Once you choose a program, then we promise that within the first 30-Days you will be satisfied with your program and see results or we will give you a 100% refund. You choose a program that you plan to complete – you are not locked in and can stop at anytime.

Get Started with a Free 1-on-1 Intro Session

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FAQ

The results-based commitment means that we will work relentlessly to ensure the athlete is performing at their full capabilities. We do this by maintaining a pulse of the athlete’s mindset through weekly check-ins and going beyond the allotted hours if needed. We take this proactive approach instead of relying on them to message us.

Because of this level of commitment from us, we ONLY select athletes that are highly committed to achieving Consistent Elite Performance into these programs, and once in, athletes are required to meet certain expectations to stay in the program.

Acceleration Days (approximately a 2 hr session) are meant to expedite your journey up the Mindset Mountain. When and how these sessions are used are unique to each athlete and their needs, but generally, they are used for either:

a) Reviewing a recent game performance, where your coach has either watched video prior to the Acceleration Day or has watched you perform live (if possible). In the session, your coach will give you their analysis of your game, particularly in regards to your mindset and body language. This will facilitate important dialogue that will help you achieve optimal performance through better alignment of your mindset and actions.

b) Tackling a meaningful opportunity for growth, such as: develop the fundamentals quickly, help you break through a major mental block, or take a high-level assessment of your overall situation, then narrow down on the greatest opportunities for growth and create a highly detailed plan for development going forward.

It depends on your insurance and who your sessions are with. Dr. Cassidy Preston & the majority of the CEP team of coaches are not clinical therapists and are not licensed to diagnose or treat mental illness and, therefore, are NOT covered under most benefits. They are coaches and consultants who help athletes strengthen their mindset, get in the ZONE, and achieve Consistent Elite Performance. However, we do have a few coaches who have a counselling background – if you purchase sessions with those coaches, you are more likely to get coverage by your benefits. To gain certainty, you will need to speak with our administrative team by booking here. You can read more about the similarities and differences between a sport psychologist and mental performance coach by clicking here.