Many of us have experienced the proverbial “Runner’s High”, the release of endorphins by the brain that occurs when you break through that wall, run that extra mile or exercise to your maximum limit. It is a wonderful feeling and no doubt one that keeps runners and exercise enthusiasts coming back to that starting line for triathlons and marathons again and again. We have heard the taglines; “mind over matter”, that “doing a race is 90% mental and 10% physical”, that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. These are absolutely true in my opinion. The reality of reaching our fitness goals, completing a race, and breaking through “the wall” lies in our minds. Therefore, just as we train hours and hours physically for a race, we must also train our minds to be resolute and tough so when race day comes, we do not give in to our desire to quit and push through that finish line!
If we look at “getting in shape” from a scientific perspective, the way we make progress in our fitness level is by putting… our bodies through exercise stress; cardiovascular and muscular demands that cause breakdowns that when subsequently rested are able to grow back in a stronger and fitter state. Basically what this means is that we need to put our bodies into an “uncomfortable” state in order to realize the most fitness gains. This “uncomfortable” feeling presents itself all the time. It is the feeling we have at 6 am when our alarm goes off and we don’t want to drag ourselves out of bed and put on our running shoes. It is the feeling of dread we have about moving up into the faster swim lane at swim practice. It is also the feeling we have when we are on the exercise bike, treadmill, or elliptical and twenty minutes into our workout we want to make the effort level easier. But this is where our minds need to step in and say “Full speed ahead!” By using our minds to override these “back down” impulses we are able to push our bodies to even greater extents and will realize the benefits immediately in the form of a “runner’s high”. Follow this approach to training and on race day you will achieve your goals and cross the finish line well ahead of that person who didn’t move up to the faster swim lane, went back to bed at 6am and didn’t run that extra mile. Don’t be that person.
So how do we develop this mental toughness? Practice, practice, practice. Sit down at the beginning of each week with your training group, training partner, spouse or friend and come up with a training plan for the week. Identify particular workouts where you are going to go an extra mile compared to last week, run or swim at a faster clip, maintain a higher level on the exercise machine for longer or keep your heart rate at a higher level for longer. Learn to embrace that uncomfortable feeling of pushing your body to its maximum limit. Learn to equate that feeling with success and good results. Your body is capable of incredible feats!
To test my body’s mettle I like to do a lot of races as training. These “test runs” are a great way to train my body and mind and test my overall fitness level. It puts me in an environment where I am surrounded by other competitors and it allows me to test out my nutritional intake plan. I also have the added bonus of having fan support there to encourage me when the going gets tough. “Racing your way into shape” is what I like to call this strategy.
In preparation for my upcoming Comrades Ultramarathon 56 miler in South Africa on May 30 (http://www.comrades.com/), I have run in several other long distance races to prepare my mind and body. I encourage YOU to sign up for a few other races in preparation for your big race. If you’re training for a 10k, sign up for a 2 mile or 5k race, or if you’re training for an Olympic distance triathlon, do a sprint triathlon such as the Nautica South Beach Triathlon or Nautica Malibu Triathlon. These are fun events with lots of first time triathletes, beautiful courses and a festive atmosphere.
Training your mind to be mentally tough, to push yourself outside your “comfort zone”, and to reach the finish line, has benefits on the race course but will also serve you well in day to day life. Many of us shy away from going after goals because it may involve some discomfort, hard work or risk. It is often easier to live our lives in our comfort zones but some truly remarkable and rewarding life experiences occur when we are able to leave and push ourselves to be better. So go ahead, step up to the plate, conquer your fears, and go get ‘em! You will be glad you did.
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Andy Baldwin is a Nautica sponsored athlete
4 COMMENTS
recreative wrote on: 29 March 2010, 9:07 pm
I agree with your sentiments and like your training plan. I recently read an article about Kara Goucher's mental tenacity. What I garnered from it was an appreciation for the mental side of racing that I never had before. I also started using a "word" to power me through tough race moments. My recent word (overcome) helped me through the last few tough miles at the LA Marathon, and got me to a BQ!
seetracey wrote on: 29 March 2010, 2:52 pm
This is a great article ... thanks for putting a lot of my mental training goals down in writing. My problem is that I push to hard .... I have had 3 muscle strains in the last 6 months. I had to quit a run on Sunday because of shin pain. How do you draw the line between pushing through mental boundaries and still listening to your body? C
melinda wrote on: 29 March 2010, 2:47 pm
Yes, you do inspire us and glad that we also give you a mental-kick during those last 3 miles:)Blogs are always spot on esp. here about the congruence of the run and life.
uberVU - social comments wrote on: 29 March 2010, 12:27 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by nautica: Mental Toughness in Racing and in Life - by Andy Baldwin - http://tinyurl.com/y88q58f...