Ironman
This step-by-step guide can help you reset and refocus like Daniela Ryf
IRONMAN champion Daniela Ryf joins the Mind Set Win podcast to explain how she resets mentally, enabling her to overcome negative thoughts and always finish strong.
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Studies have shown that elite athletes are able to reset and refocus much quicker than amateur athletes. It’s a core skill that sets competitors like IRONMAN legend Daniela Ryf apart from the rest.
But just how are they able to do it, and is there a practical technique we can all develop and use in our own daily lives?
In episode 16 of Mind Set Win, host Kate Courtney answers this very question and provides us with an exercise to help us all better manage our thoughts and focus on the task at hand.
For Ryf, having the ability to successfully manage her negative thoughts has helped her dominate the sport of IRONMAN and win the most prestigious race on the calendar, the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, five times.
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“You need a lot of mental strength to dial your thoughts, as your mind is responsible for how the body reacts,” explains Ryf.
“One negative thought can ruin your day and one positive thought can also save your day.”
In challenging moments when in pursuit of a goal, the Swiss athlete is able to ensure her mind helps rather than hinders her progress. And the way she does this is by being flexible, resetting her approach and refocusing only on what she can control in the moment.
When racing for more than eight hours across gruelling swim, bike and run distances, Ryf explains how “nothing ever goes according to plan” and adjusting her strategy for success is a necessity.
Courtney says: “It’s not that Daniela never has negative thoughts, her story demonstrates how important it is to manage them in order to keep moving forwards.”
Daniela Ryf cruised to a fifth world title
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Episode 16 checklist
How can we all learn to reset mentally like Ryf? As Courtney outlines in the episode, a reset routine can help you refocus quickly when dealing with doubts and negative experiences.
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Whether it be rebounding from a bad job review or a big mistake, or after suffering an injury, by remembering to assess, adjust and act you can turn negative thoughts into positive action.
- First, to better understand the challenge now in front of you, you need to assess and analyse what just happened.
- Second, you need to adjust. This involves coming back to the present moment, making changes to your plan and determining the right next step.
- Finally, it’s time to act. Take a deep breath or say ‘reset’ out loud to help you to flip into action mode. This is where we put all our focus on the next right step.
- Remember, rehearsing these steps can help you refocus like a champion. The more you practice, the more it will become second nature.
IRONMAN legend Daniela Ryf training hard in the pool
© Patrik Fluck/Red Bull Content Pool
During the episode, Ryf remembers in great detail one famous moment where she had to call upon all her resilience and ability to hit the reset button.
Just minutes before setting off for the 3.8km swim at the World Championships in 2018 a severe jellyfish sting under her arm put her in a state of disbelief and caused so much pain she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to finish the first leg.
In a move that Ryf describes as making her “feel free”, the 35-year-old decided in her mind to ignore the initial goal of winning the race for a fourth time in a row and instead just focus on taking it one kilometre at a time to the finish line.
Despite a jellyfish sting, Ryf set a new course record in 2018
© Jesper Gronnemark/Red Bull Content Pool
I had two options. To give up and go and cry in a hotel room, or to keep going. All you can do in that moment is to think positively. I decided not to quit. From one bad moment, with a positive mindset, it became one of the best days in my career
Ryf crossed the line in a new course record of 8:26:18 and cemented her legacy as one of the greatest triathletes of all time. The title will go down in history but for Ryf the achievement of overcoming adversity is equally as important.
“It’s not only titles that define success, it’s overcoming challenges and making the best out of every situation,” Ryf concludes.
Find out more – including simple exercises to do at home – in Mind Set Win.
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