Creating your mantra.

We spend considerable amounts of time improving our physical fitness, purchasing race equipment, sighing up for races, finding travel arrangements etc, but our mental focus and preparation is often neglected. There are numerous ways to draw inspiration in tackling a challenging training session or competing at our best in races.

While some need external or internal sources to get the adrenaline pumping others require the calming of nerves to stay focused.  For the over-stimulated and unmanageable-nervous type, I recommend mantras with calming words.  Create your own statement/verse such as; “I am calm, relaxed and at peace.”,   “I am focused”, “I am prepared” or “I will do my best and be satisfied with the outcome.”  Or one word mantras; “calm”, “relaxed”, “ready”, or “focused”.  As you repeat this mantra be mindful and focus on your breathing.  Also, repeat this statement and write it down; “When I use the mantra (X), my body relaxes, my mind is focused and I am ready to engage any challenges.”  Regardless of the word, find something similar to these positive phrase examples.  Create positive associations with your mantra so you program your body to respond the way you want it to in those situations.  Use this mantra months before your goal event and during challenging workouts and teach your body to associate control and relaxation when going at hard efforts. 

Conversely, keeping up with negative thoughts of being nervous or stressed before events or workouts may reinforce these feelings when you arrive at your goal event or workout.  Replace the negative with your positive mantra and your body will respond positively.  Also, write down how you aim to feel on race day.  Create the image in your mind of the race unfolding positively before you go to bed for a few nights or on nights if you begin to over-think the race. Visualize the race unfolding positively at each stage of the event. The more you practice with both mantras and visualization, the easier it will become to stay focused and relaxed when race day arrives. 

 

Generating movement from a stable platform.

A friend recently sent me a link to a video showing perfect swim technique.  My first observation was how smooth and relaxed the swimmer appeared with each stroke and how his head rotated on a horizontal axis.  He swam as if his torso was fixed to a pole directly from center of his forehead to the bottom of his spine.  The only movement visible in his torso was rotation on this axis.  He extended his arms during each stroke with no pause in the water, maintaining continuous forward movement of his entire body.  The video is taken from a world-class swimmer who perfected his stroke after many years of practice. We can learn from watching videos of others that perform at the elite level and improve our own proprioception when we spend time performing a specific discipline in triathlon.

This led me to think further about reducing movement in the spine while running or cycling.  If we reduce movement in the spine providing a stable platform, we reduce wasted energy originating in the core muscles and become more efficient in that activity, transferring power from the core, to legs, to feet and then pedals. If we are fit correctly, we can work on a smooth pedaling stroke at all cadences.  I suspect, on a steep climb, lateral movement in the upper body would increase with a lower cadence as we lean forward to gain more leverage and power and rock the bike back and forth. Bobbing the head is wasteful as is hip movement when rocking in the saddle.  These habits can be worked out through focus or simply proper seat height and fore-aft adjustment.  If we watch videos of elite cyclists carefully we can see the head and spine remain steady while the legs spin rapidly at cadences of 90+ for hours on end.

On the run, the legs flex and then extend as we make contact with the ground propelling us forward while the spine remains relatively still. There is some movement in the hips on the horizontal axis (top of the head down the spine) as one pushes off the ground but the head should remain relatively still and level.  We can observe a variety of movement patterns when observing new runners. Some may be very strong or fit coming from other sports but may lack running technique and may be losing valuable energy. It could be due to arm swing coming across the body or bounding up the road, head moving in a number of planes due to over striding or not feeling what actually propels them forward with each step. Typically, a more efficient stride improves simply from running more miles. Yet we can progress more rapidly if we head out for a run with a few things in mind.  By standing tall, straight and leaning forward at the ankles we will allow our lungs to expand and compress more easily. Proper posture reduces compression of the diaphragm commonly brought on by slouching when we fatigue. Focus on being tight in the core and stable in the spine, but relaxed with arm swing close to the body and moving forward (the arm angle may depend on the distance and speed of the run) while the calves and feet are loose and able to adjust to the variety of terrain. Also keep the facial muscles relaxed even during hard efforts.  Breathe deeply to clear CO2 from the lungs.  Breathing rapidly and shallow will lead to hypoxia over time due to reduction in CO2 clearance.  Keep this in mind at the start of a race when feeling nervous or anxious. Take deep breaths to absorb more oxygen, particularly in those first few accelerating steps or during the first 30 seconds of a race where it is easy to run fast without much oxygen.

Setting priorities, goals and finding balance.

Once we establish why we run/train and where our inspiration emerges; we can go about setting life priorities and goals to attain balance. For example my priorities are; family, work then training/racing.  I just finished reading the Four Agreements, written by Don Miguel Ruiz, view this website for a further explanation http://www.toltecspirit.com/ or read the book; http://www.miguelruiz.com/.  I feel this path is helpful with finding/creating balance in life and training. However, there are likely many other methods for reaching this same point. The following paragraphs are my perspective and the derived methods for finding balance in my life. Perhaps, this perspective can be a helpful to you as well.

To set goals and utilize the “First Agreement” talked about in the book: Be impeccable with your word.  How would one utilize this in training and setting goals?  Begin by making a statement to the universe (write it down too) of what you aim to obtain from your training and racing.  Here are some examples; 1.) I would like to find peace of mind and relaxation from performing training sessions. 2.) I aim to challenge and better myself through the experiences I encounter in training and competition. 3.) I will do my best to prepare myself for the goals that I aim to achieve through intelligent preparation of my body and mind. 4.) I will train to be the best that I am capable of within the time that I allow myself for training and accept the outcome, gracefully.

Further example of being impeccable with my word, for example; I will set my alarm and get up for training runs, bike rides or swims that I have planned for that week.  I will eat a healthy balanced meal to sustain myself to aid in recovery and avoid injury.  Next, I will train at the paces which I set out to do that day, according to the training plan which I designed (or had designed for me) and have committed to completing. However, more importantly, when I am tired or other priorities arise, I will do my best to rest and recover or adjust my training to meet my priorities in the order which I have assigned them. If something comes up, I will address my higher priorities by skipping the workout and attend to them.  Essentially, adjust as needed.

Now, utilizing the second agreement; Take nothing personal!  In my opinion, this will be what sets one free from race-day anxiety as an athlete; run, swim, bike, train, race, etc, for yourself and aim to satisfy yourself first before thinking about the expectations of others.  Be impervious to negativity, high expectations and even praise from others because the search for the approval from them will not be the secret to happiness.  Yes, praise feels great and it is a nice gesture to give. However, the goal is to be happy and satisfied without any of this energy or praise. Be happy with giving your best and be satisfied with the outcome knowing you gave your best in that moment.  When we compete, we line up against other people and push ourselves to our limits and in the end; there can be only one person that ends up first, in an age group, division, sex, etc.  This is reality; winning is fun and very uplifting but it should not be a way to find happiness. For a professional, the priority is higher in racing because this is their job.  However for the semi-pro, elite, age-grouper, beginner, there is so much gained simply from the time that we spend, outdoors, with a friend, solo, at an event, surrounded by the fun and excitement.  Results are only a component of our athletic endeavors.  We are aiming to be more fit, healthy, overcome challenges and to find happiness.  Aim for improvements in yourself and the rest will follow!  Expectations will change as we age, beating a personal best will likely be less within grasp and therefore, it is essential to be happy with the simple movement of our body through the world (even if stationary on a treadmill).

The third agreement is: Avoid making assumptions.  This could be as simple as; using the same training plan, nutrition, or mantra that works for someone else. It may not work well for one but not the another!  We are all unique, mentally and physically.  We all have different, genetics, hormone profiles, weight, height, bone structure, posture, dexterity, flexibility, strength and mental toughness.  Many of these things, we can change or alter while others factors we can do nothing about.  These factors all lead us to the fourth agreement.

The fourth agreement is; Always do your best!  Whether parenting, working, learning, or performing an easy bike session, stick to your plan, goal, principles, credo, etc.  Once you prioritize, it will be easier to allocate your energy to family, work and training. Free yourself from the expectations of the world and allow yourself to create and shape the best and most unique athlete/person you can be. Prioritize, then set goals for meeting all of those priorities in your life and plan how you will be the best at each priority.  Be grateful for every moment spent alive and moving through the world!

Real core strength.. What are we running for (or from)?

The current emphasis in the fitness world and more specifically, training for endurance events, is to focus on developing a strong core. Developing core strength provides a solid foundation for movement in all sports, providing more power and efficiency and even preventing injuries. Some of us may encounter muscle imbalances through reduced activity during the work week while simply sitting at a desk.  Transitioning from a lunch-time run to a quick shower, dress, meal and then sitting for hours on end can lead to reduced flexibility, muscle shortening and weakness, particularly in the gluteal region. Still, before we set out designing a training plan for a goal event which includes core strength training, easy distance, threshold and speed session,  I believe it's essential to examine core-mental strength. Begin by asking yourself; Why do I run (bike, swim, etc.) each day? What do I get out of this significant time spent exercising my body and mind? Is it purely for finding relaxation? To enjoy being outdoors, meeting friends or simply a way to keep the weight off.  Once you find the answers to the obvious questions, go one step further;  Ask yourself; Could I be running from something?  Once you ask the universe these questions the answer will eventually be revealed to you quickly or gradually over time.

Perhaps through your soul-searching you recall traumatic events from the past, or current stress from work, relationships, family responsibilities or even future expectations.  This negative energy can be what inspires many of us to lace up and head out the door to find mental clarity or peace of mind.  To find peace, focus on the task at hand and this will improve our proprioception for the activity in that moment. Focusing on the moment and the activity will free us from these anxieties or stress we may have been feeling before beginning our training session. To develop core mental-strength, allocate a portion of your training time for positive imaging, setting reasonable goals/expectations when not training and planning out your goals for the year.

Confronting fears and anxieties are often overcome simply by facing them. However, simple or complex the issue is, take the necessary time to develop strategies to overcome these fears. For example, one might have a fear of racing and competition in general.  By confronting and examining this fear, one might discover the fear came from past experiences of not meeting the expectations of friends or family.  To change this negative perspective, focus on the positive experiences encountered at your goal race;  The race will be an opportunity to test fitness after a period of thoughtful design and execution of a training plan, you will be surrounded by like-minded positive endurance enthusiasts, you will be traveling to a new location which can be stimulating and exciting. Most importantly, be thoroughly grateful for the ability to simply move, regardless of the speed relative to others. Releasing negative energy will allow for improved mindfulness leading to more efficient mastery of your sport. Be mindful that movement through space is an art form and inspiring others is in the eye of the beholder. Simply being present at the starting line and giving it your best during the event could inspire others to find ways of challenging themselves. Rely little on the expectations of others and challenge yourself in new ways to the best of your ability. These personal achievements will lead to growth as an athlete and person.

On your next run, focus on standing tall and leaning from the hips. Think of your body viewed from the side as looking like the letter L (in italics).