Triathlon Psychology

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Session Notes The Record-Breaker
Addressing:

Swim Start Panic

The overwhelming sensory chaos of mass starts, bodies colliding, goggles getting kicked off, the primal fear of being held underwater, triggering fight-or-flight responses that destroy pacing strategy within the first two minutes

How Record-Breakers Can Master Swim Start Panic in Triathlon

Posted on January 6, 2026 ~ min read
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For: The Record-Breaker athletes in Triathlon
Focus: Session Notes - Swim Start Panic
Read Time: ~10 min
Session Notes January 6, 2026
Profile: The Record-Breaker
Sport: Triathlon
Challenge: Swim Start Panic

In triathlon, swim start panic is the overwhelming sensory chaos that hijacks your nervous system the moment the horn sounds. Bodies collide. Goggles get kicked off. The primal fear of being held underwater triggers fight-or-flight responses that destroy your carefully planned pacing strategy within the first two minutes.

For The Record-Breaker iconThe Record-Breaker (ESTA), the common advice is brutal in its simplicity: just push through it. You've trained for this. You've logged the hours. Your spreadsheets say you're ready. But here's the problem with that myth. Your tactical mind, the same one that builds meticulous training plans and tracks every metric, becomes your enemy when sensory overload hits. The analytical systems that serve you so well in training shut down under acute stress.

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Vladimir Novkov

M.A. Social Psychology | ISSA Elite Trainer | Expert in Sport Psychology for Athlete Development

My mission is to bridge the gap between mind and body, helping athletes and performers achieve a state of synergy where peak performance becomes a natural outcome of who they are.

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