Exploring Mindset - Hannah Wells

Exploring Mindset - Hannah Wells - Multisport Athlete

Anna Russell February 08, 2017

Hannah Wells is an accomplished multisport athlete. Multiple winner at Challenge Wanaka Half Ironman and NZ representative at the Xterra World Championships. Hannah is about to tackle the 'Longest Day' competition at the premier adventure race Coast to Coast. In this blog she shares with us her insights and mental preparation for such a grueling event.

- You're doing the 'Longest Day', what strategies/tools do you use to retain focus, particularly when you get fatigued?

This can be slightly different for each discipline however I follow the same general idea and this is to really focus on form. For example I think about my cadence, how hard I am pushing and whether my pedal strokes are smooth (on the bike), but also how relaxed my shoulders are, whether I am using my arms well on the run, if my posture is good, if I am using my leg drive in the paddle etc. etc. etc.

So when I find I am struggling to 'stay in the now' and my mind keeps wanting to wander I will give myself a bit of a"body-check". To make it easy I will often start from my head and work my way down to my feet as I am running/riding or paddling. I find that going through my form brings me back into focus and gives me the concentration I need to keep going strong.

- What is your ideal performance state?

When I race I like to be calm, determined, but most importantly happy. Before I race it is important that I work up a bit of confidence (which I can sometimes lack!) and I tell myself that it has been done before by others, therefore there is no reason I cant also do it. I think about all the training I have done and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to just be out there competing. This tends to bring me into a good frame of mind, where I can make the most of any opportunity and also believe that any challenge I have while out there can be overcome.

- When you go through negative or down periods during a race what techniques do you have to lift your mood again?

A sort of combination of points I have covered in points 2 and 1 above. But when I want to give up and I feel like sh*t, the first thing I do is tell my self how lucky I am to be where I am. I remind myself that I do this for fun and for the growth and experience. Then once I have pulled myself around mentally and have taken a deep breath, I start to think about form again, do a body check, and tell myself that I am strong enough to keep going.

- Do you practice visualisation before an event? If so, what does this practice look like?

Yes of course. I think about all parts of the race from standing on the start line before race start, all the way through to seeing and crossing the finish line.

Going through transitions in my head a couple of times at least is really helpful as they can take some practise to get right. I also picture how I will feel and think in my low and high moments of the race, and what I will do in my head to either get myself to be better mental space or build on how I am feeling.

- 'Sport is a vehicle for personal growth' - does this statement ring true to you and what have you learnt in your journey to Coast to Coast?

Totally. It teaches you so many valuable lessons that can are so important in all parts of life; how to adapt when things dont quite go to plan, how to overcome performances that werent your best, learn from them, and come back stronger. And of course, how to make the most of the good moments and build on them. Learning to self-reflect at the end of the race is a good habit to learn. This skill can be used in all aspects of life to help you improve and develop as a person, work mate, friend as well as an athlete.

One of the most powerful things sport has taught me is the belief that if we really want to achieve something we can. It takes hard work, perservance, and commitment, and it is likely that there will be obstacles, but I believe anything is possible for anyone.

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