Managing Pain in Endurance Sports

Endurance athletes need to persevere through pain in training and competition. According to Kent University’s Samuele Marcora “our mind is what dictates our physical limits”. Exhaustion is not caused by muscle failure, but by the conscious decision to disengage from an endurance task. According to Marcora’s psychobiological model of endurance performance, perception of effort - the conscious...Read more

Planning for the Future: Creating and implementing strategic plans

A strategic plan is a essentially a road map that outlines who the organization is, what it stands for, its vision for the future, and how it’s going to get there. It communicates organizational goals, direction, strategies, and programs, as well as engages and motivates external and internal audiences. Having a strategic plan is an essential part of organizational success although the process of...Read more

Adjusting to Life After Sport - Easing the path for athletes in transition

High performance athletes typically make a lot of sacrifices for their sport in all areas including family, education, finances, and sometimes even their bodies. Their lives are usually jam-packed with strict routines, intense training and busy competition schedules with the ongoing aim of achieving their dreams. With their social lives, support systems and even off-times focused on their sport...Read more

Often overlooked – The psychological impact of an ACL injury

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common and yet one of the most devastating injuries an athlete can sustain. There is plenty of research on ACL injuries and the methods for treatment are well documented; usually when an athlete sustains this type of injury, their physical recovery is addressed well and thoroughly, and many recover enough to return to their sport...Read more

Recruit a friend! The benefits of a workout buddy

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Sometimes motivating yourself to workout can be tough and even the most dedicated person has days where they would rather sit on the couch and watch a movie. That's why recruiting a workout buddy to join you in your chosen activity is one of the smartest moves you can make and may be the difference in whether or not you succeed in your goals. When you are first choosing a partner to train with,...Read more

When does a routine become a habit?

As an athlete, taking some time off from your sport is an essential part of the training process. After a long season your body needs time to recover. Getting away from your sport for a while also helps rejuvenate that passion and fire to compete and train again. When you return to training, the first few weeks can be difficult, but getting back to a routine will ensure that you reinitiate the...Read more

Is momentum important to the outcome of a match?

Fans, coaches, players and play-by-play announcers love to use the word momentum to describe the turning point of a game or a match. Gaining momentum is thought of as a positive outcome while losing momentum is the opposite. This is more evident during a 7 game series where one team can erase a 3-0 series deficit and win the series leaving the losing team questioning where they lost their...Read more

Marathon Training Tips for Beginners

If you’re planning on running your first marathon this year, before you start your training, it’s important to create a training plan . Your training program should include answers on how much you are willing and able to train, your experience as a distance runner, and what your fitness level is before the race. Make sure your running plan fits your real ability, not the ability you wish you had...Read more

Developing consistency in your training

When we exercise, train, and eat properly, we do these things for our overall health or because we have a certain goal we want to achieve. Whether it be winning world titles or just losing several pounds, we are motivated to pursue a certain outcome. Perhaps the most important thing about achieving your goals is consistency . Great athletes become great athletes because they are consistent in...Read more

Goal Setting

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Goal Setting Setting goals is one of the single most beneficial aspects of sport as it provides the foundation for how coaches and athletes go about practice, training and competition plans. It has been proven over and over again that goal setting is one of the most effective techniques for enhancing motivation and performance. SIRC has compiled articles that...Read more