I don't have it as often as I would like, or at least not as much as I want. This morning my alarm went off at 5:45am, but I lacked the mental toughness to get out of bed until a little after 6:00. The main meat of my swim this morning was 10 x 100 yards on 2 minutes, coming in under 1:30. This isn't a tough swim by swimmers standards, but for me after 3 of them I was so tempted to shorten things to 5 x 100! I did manage to dredge up enough mental fortitude to stick it out and got all 10 in. I swam 1,500 yards this morning, that was tough but nothing compared to swimmers who swim 5,000-yard workouts! Talk about mental toughness…
I think this is the biggest inhibitor of my athletic performance, not enough mental toughness. This past weekend I did a track workout, 10 x 800 meters at sub 6:00 pace with 400-meter recovery jog between each. I made it through 8 of them and then called it a workout. It was still a great workout; it took a lot to make it through 8 but not as much as it would have to make it through 10!
It's not just in training where lacking mental toughness affects me. Its times like when I planned to eat half a Jack's frozen pizza and instead ate the whole thing! Or breaking down and buying a soda yesterday at work. It's my lack of mental toughness that keeps me from reaching my optimal racing weight.
Fortunately, mental toughness is something that can be worked on and strengthened. Improving mental toughness in training will pay multiple dividends in races. The higher intensity training will improve fitness resulting in faster times and it will also help in pushing through those tough spots in a race when you feel like slowing down. It is important to note that mental toughness becomes stupidity when one ignores injuries or warning signs and toughs out a workout/race.
Suggestions for improving mental toughness:
1. Training log (I fail here!)
2. Accountability, having someone hold you to your goals, training, etc.
3. Proper rest and recovery
4. Rewards for goals, successful workouts, etc.
Would love to have others suggestions posted as comments
Race Calendar
4 years ago
Tony - I fight the same battles just in a older body (: My advice is to marry someone tougher than yourself - it's my only hope of staying fit!
ReplyDeleteI have my training log posted publicly with my weight for numbers 1 and 2. For number 3 you go in spurts and consistency is when you specificall, seems to get better. I am doing number 4 with weight loss. Sounds good. Weight loss isnt only mental Fort as well. If you had nothing else to do, maybe. But just plainly cutting cals might slow your metab or kill your workouts and you have to function in real life and want good workouts.
ReplyDeleteGet that log up and I will yell at you when you get off. I am coming back next May to Kick you A$$ as well for more motivation
Here's my online spreadsheet: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tBtJO5-1nBcoSeAvl9QoSSg&output=html
ReplyDelete