Endurance Psychology

An Introduction to Nick Frost

"Prior to attending a taster session with Nick that was organised through Total Endurance (who provide me with a physical training program & triathlon coaching) my understanding of Performance Coaching / Sport Psychology was that it was something only useful to athletes struggling with nerves, anxiety or the pressure of performing on a given day. 

During the taster session my eyes were opened to the wider benefits of Performance Coaching when informed about how using mental strategies and techniques would not only help people with the issues outlined previously but can enhance performance and increase motivation levels for everyone.

I started One to One sessions with Nick 4 months ago and am amazed at the improvement that I have seen in such a short space of time. Self-Talk, Implementation Actions and Psychological Prompts before/during my physical training sessions and virtual races have added another string to my bow and kept me motivated and focused through a tough winter training in lockdown. "

Nick Says 

I am a wannabe endurance athlete, a father of two beautiful girls, a husband to a wonderful wife, a thinker, a doer, and a believer that I can do anything I want if I put my mind to it. I'm not sure where I get my passion to challenge myself, it intrigues me why I find it hard to simply watch life rather than diving in and pushing myself to be better and stronger. For me the motivation to push myself is threefold. Firstly it makes me a better person; secondly I want to be a role model to my children so that they believe they can achieve anything they want in life with hard work; and finally I enjoy the feelings and experiences that come with trying new things and achieving new personal goals. 

For me a family history of disturbed minds led to my first degree in psychology and left me pondering for many years how I wanted to utilise my new found knowledge. It wasn't until I got into road cycling that I considered sport and exercise psychology while on a ride one day. I quickly realised that riding my bike in the great outdoors positively effected how I thought and felt, and I could think clearly while riding, the daily stresses subsided and I started to solve life's little nuances by taking notes on my phone while cruising the Aberdeenshire back roads. If this was how it made me feel I could only imagine how outdoor exercise could help others suffering from stress and anxiety.

Roll forward a few years and I have worked for SAMH a mental health charity practicing what I preach by helping people in the community build mental resilience. I have completed by level 2 British Cycling qualification (wish they would do a level 3 in Scotland!). I have qualified as a personal trainer, and I have obtained my Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology with distinction (along with other qualifications in performance coaching, motivational interviewing and rational emotive therapy).

So endurance psychology! Isn't it amazing what endurance athletes can achieve, we push ourselves to ridiculous feats, overcome pain and suffering, and embrace the wrath of loved ones. It fascinates me how simply believing that you can do something facilitates actually doing something? How by changing attentional focus we can relieve physical pain? Why when we focus on the movement of a body part our performance decreases? There is so much to endurance psychology and while there may be sceptics I ask you; if physical ability is key to performance success then why do some of the best endurance athletes at the peak of their physical ability often fall short, why do athletes choke? In short, if being at peak physical fitness creates the ability to perform then I would argue that the right mindset and mental skill strategies allows you to perform to your very best ability. 

With not a sofa in sight, performance coaching focuses on improving how you train, and how you perform, while ensuring positive well being is maintained. Everyone is unique, some will have known issues that they need help with while others may simply want to gain a competitive edge or improve how they train. Performance coaching is not just for professionals or high ranking amateurs it is for anyone who is competitive and wants to train and think smarter.

If you have any questions please feel free to send me an email at nick@total-endurance.co.uk. I look forward to connecting with you in the future and be part of your endurance journey. I hope you have a great season.

If you are interested in understanding how Endurance Psychology can boost your performance I am happy to offer a 30 minute free introductory session to really explore your specific goals and how we can help you to achieve them.  contact me at nick@total-endurance.co.uk.