A piece of cake

Posted Ella Villas Articles

I stepped into the unknown last night- into a neighbor’s holiday party. There wasn’t much detail given as to if we were eating dinner, having drinks, dessert, or just some appetizers. Turns out there was a lot of food. But it was fairly easy to navigate. I avoided the little sandwiches and puff pastries and […]

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Fear…or friend?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

If you are reading this, it means you likely either are doing triathlons, or are planning to a triathlon. With triathlon, as with open water swimming, as with life, there will be a level of fear that you will have to deal with. By purposely putting yourself in a situation that for many people raises […]

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Why you are still slow?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

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Swimming vs Driving?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

There’s an interesting phenomenon with some people when driving. Many are competitive. It’s a race! A race to work.A race to get somewhere on time. A race to get home to relax. “Get out of my way, you’re slowing me down.” The pool can be similar. If you’ve ever done lap swimming in these pools […]

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If you’re feeling stuck

Posted Ella Villas Articles

There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

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How to befriend the chop

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Water comes in so many forms. It can be calm, warm, and inviting.And it can be rough, cold, and mean! Christopher from Wisconsin joined Tri Swim Success last year, and has had many successes this year. He recently emailed me a summary of his season, which turned out amazing, on many accounts, with him exceeding […]

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I fell apart

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Have you ever felt like you need to constantly have momentum going forward, or you’re falling behind in life, or in your athletic endeavors? I was very much looking forward to the new year, 2020. I had a lot of momentum in all areas of my life in December. Things were going well fitness-wise, business-wise, […]

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How do you know?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Ever make assumptions and then you turn out to be wrong? In the past I have assumed things about people based on their appearance that turned out to be completely wrong. And I still assume things about myself that turn out to be wrong as well. For example, on Friday, I really wanted to do […]

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Auto-motivate yourself

Posted Ella Villas Articles

The topic of motivation came up in our private The Fit Triathlete Transformation Facebook member group yesterday. Someone mentioned that she gets upset with herself when she misses a workout, but only when it’s because she’s simply lazy. Is this something you are doing? Bashing yourself because you are too lazy, kicking your own butt […]

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Work the System(s)

Posted Ella Villas Articles

We have a lot to think about in training for a triathlon. I break it down into four systems. Each system must be functioning (or “firing”), or everything falls apart. Here they are: Mental state. Your mindset/psychology needs to be tended to on a regular basis. If you are going full blast through life and […]

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The obstacle is the way

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Triathlon training is much like traveling. Let me explain. I’m currently in Bali, Indonesia, on a business trip (with a little pleasure mixed in!) It’s allegedly NOT rainy season right now. It’s supposed to be nice. Besides the work stuff, I planned on 4 days near the beach and to surf as much as possible. […]

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When to take a day off

Posted Ella Villas Articles

If you’re like many triathletes who join us, you likely have a harder time taking rest than getting in all your workouts. If you are feeling burnout, extra tiredness, lack of enthusiasm, or feel like you are just going through the motions in your workouts, it may be time to take a day off. Understand […]

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Is it you against the world?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

If you’re the competitive type, you will want to read this. We often get caught up in life with things that are out of our control. Politics. Sports teams. What other people think of us. The weather. Going through life wishing things were different can be quite frustrating. And the “wishing” comes when it’s something […]

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The 4 minute mile is you

Posted Ella Villas Articles

If 6’5 100 meter dash world record holder Usain Bolt grew up in the U.S. instead of Jamaica, he almost certainly would have been a basketball player instead of a track athlete. This means there are probably several Usain Bolts in the US that could compete with the Jamaican, but went a different path as […]

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Friend or fear?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

If you are reading this, it means you likely either are doing triathlons, or are planning to a triathlon. With triathlon, as with open water swimming, as with life, there will be a level of fear that you will have to deal with. By purposely putting yourself in a situation that for many people raises […]

Read More →

Transformation with Triathlon

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Last night I attended a talk on transformation through travel. There is so much you can learn from traveling.. especially when things don’t go smoothly. You will learn about yourself in a hurry when you’re stuck in a place where you don’t speak the language and need to figure out transportation, food, and currency. In […]

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Did you get to the top?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Do you swim and do triathlon for the exercise? For the sheer challenge? For the feeling of accomplishment? Or all of the above? Mountain climbers and hikers often need to get to the top of the mountain to feel the sense of accomplishment. Perhaps one hour of hiking would have the health benefit, and diminishing […]

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5, 4, 3, 2, GO!

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Want to know a way to eliminate the need for motivation to get things accomplished- or just to start out on something? Last year I read “The 5 Second Rule” by Mel Robbins. The idea is, most of us hesitate right when we’re about to do something courageous…then the excuses and justifications come into our […]

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Are you sure?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Ever make assumptions and then you turn out to be wrong? In the past I have assumed things about people based on their appearance that turned out to be completely wrong. And I still assume things about myself that turn out to be wrong as well. For example, on Friday, I really wanted to do […]

Read More →

Why you are still slow?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

There’s a concept that Buddhism teaches called “impermanence”. Accepting that nothing is permanent can go a long way in getting past obstacles, and not being attached to outcomes. How many times have you had a less-than-good workout, or a sub-par swim, and it feels discouraging, to the point that it carries over into the next […]

Read More →

Thrive or get crushed.

Posted Ella Villas Articles

There’s a concept of “resistance” that can lie at the root of whatever may be holding you back. Everyone has resistance. It could be resistance to things you know are good for you. Things like eating healthier. Doing the work. Starting a meditation practice. The idea of anger, or sadness. What are you resisting in […]

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Rising above the clouds

Posted Ella Villas Articles

It’s a rainy, cloudy, gloomy day here in Southern California. And if you thought this message was going to just be about the weather, you’re wrong! There is a helpful metaphor with dark clouds. When you start getting wrapped up in a particular thought process, it’s easy to get caught in and endless cycle of […]

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Kick hard or kick back?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Thanks for all the responses to our last 2 messages! Lots of positive support from the community and a couple of corrections I was made aware of; 1) The quote I attributed to Chrissy Wellington was actually uttered by the late, inspiring, Jon Blaise (Blazeman) 2) What I called “Kona Ironman” is actually “Ironman World […]

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YOU are NOT an Ironman!

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Yesterday, Coach Chris sent out a message about the famed Kona Ironman that’s coming up this October in Kona, Hawaii USA. This race is what kicked off the popularity of triathlons worldwide. (In case you were wondering, the race was “invented” in 1978 in Hawaii). And the NBC presentation of the Ironman was where I […]

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Befriending the chop

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Water comes in so many forms. It can be calm, warm, and inviting. And it can be rough, cold, and mean! Christopher from Wisconsin joined Tri Swim Success over 6 months ago and has had many successes this year. He recently emailed me a summary of his season, which turned out amazing, on many accounts, […]

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Perfection — friend or foe?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

We hear the word “perfect” all the time, every day. “It’s a perfect day!” “You did that job perfectly!” “They’re perfect for each other!” The word is thrown around a lot. And sometimes, it’s not meant to be taken literally. You could have the “perfect race”, but still have some areas where you could have […]

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Train hard or ???

Posted Ella Villas Articles

I woke up today and for the first time in a long time, there was a slight chill in the air! 56 degrees F to start the day here in Southern California. Although we are expecting warm weather again over the next week, seasons are changing, days are getting shorter, and things are shifting. What […]

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Fast… & furious?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Are you the competitive type? Do you want to beat your friends in races? Beat your fellow swimmers in the water, even in practice? Or are you mostly just competitive with yourself? One thing I’ve struggled with most of my life is being overly-competitive and overly-critical of myself. I believe competition IS healthy. But the […]

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Are you weak and fearful?

Posted Ella Villas Articles

I recently received a testimonial from another happy Tri Swim Success customer: “Super helpful. I am just a VERY concrete person 🙂 I am loving your drills and workouts. I feel so much stronger and more confident in the water. I had a tri coach for over a year and learned a lot, but I’ve […]

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Win it in 5 seconds

Posted Ella Villas Articles

Want to know a way to eliminate the need for motivation to get things accomplished? I just finished this book called The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. The idea is, most of us hesitate right when we’re about to do something courageous…then the excuses and justifications come into our brains as to why we […]

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The power of Momentum

Posted Ella Villas Articles

No matter what goals you’re working towards, momentum is the key to accomplishment. Continuing your momentum means progress is a natural thing. Losing momentum means you have an uphill battle ahead. The analogy with swimming is, taking a few days off. Sometimes, it’s important to take time off. But if you are mid-season, even a […]

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