The Philosophy of Competitiveness and Mental Toughness with Dr. Todd Jones Artwork

The Evidence Based Triathlete

This podcast is all about getting to the start line injury free and maximizing race day performance. Tedd Girouard, MS, ATC and John Mercer, PhD are avid triathletes who compete regionally, nationally, and internationally. Tedd has a strong clinical background as an Athletic Trainer and is the Program Director of the Athletic Training program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). John is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences at UNLV and has a strong background in conducting human performance research and teaches courses on Biomechanics and Physiology of Endurance Performance.

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The Evidence Based Triathlete

The Philosophy of Competitiveness and Mental Toughness with Dr. Todd Jones

February 21, 2025 • Tedd Girouard & John Mercer • Season 5 • Episode 5

0:00 | 55:34

What does it really mean to be competitive? How can athletes develop true mental toughness?

On this episode of the Evidence-Based Triathlete podcast, we sit down with Dr. Todd Jones from UNLV to dive deep into the philosophy of competitiveness and mental resilience in endurance sports.

Dr. Jones introduces his DC-COP framework for mental toughness:
Desire – Finding what truly drives you
Confidence – Believing in your ability to succeed
Circumvention – Avoiding mental & physical obstacles
Overcoming – Strategies to push through discomfort
Perseverance – Developing the ability to endure

From handling race-day pain to redefining competition and motivation, this episode is packed with insights every athlete and coach needs!