24 Feb 6 Ways to Achieve Peak Performance Through Mental Training
via the Huffington Post by Maine Belonio and Jayson Santos
Whether it’s a 5K run, 10K run, half marathon (21K) or a marathon (42K), running long distances require more than a strong heart and pair of legs.
You’ve got to have a strong mind, too.
I’ve only been able to run a number of 10Ks, one 16k, and two 21ks in my life and I’d say beating the time and distance weren’t easy. So if you have a half marathon, marathon, or even an ultra marathon planned within the year, here are six tips we can all live by so we won’t give up on our goals but rather attempt to achieve peak performance be it in this kind of sports that we love and life in general.
The world ain’t all sunshines and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you’re hit. It is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! – Rocky Balboa
Sports psychologists say that the difference between two equally competitive and physically endowed athletes is spelled by one’s mental state. Just like in any other endeavors, having a sound mindset can make wonders in increasing the likelihood of success in achieving our goals. Setting the skills aside, a great performance in a sport is possible if we train our minds to manage and control psychological and emotional elements that interplay to bring about our defining moments.
1. Overcome frustration.
Frustration is inevitable if we are pursuing a new goal. Little success at the initial phase of the learning process brings about this feeling. When not properly dealt with, it can transform into an obstacle that lure you into quitting. When frustration is too overwhelming to bear, the easiest thing to do is to just surrender because the action instantly removes us from the uncomfortable situation. However, dealing with the failure of not being able to push yourself to at least half of the journey can be more devastating. When things do not turn out the way we want them to be, that is the time when our patience is tested; it is really a virtue and you need to hold on it. Disengage yourself for a while, take a pause, refocus your mind, and re-launch yourself.
2. Motivate yourself.
Giving yourself a reward for every goal met, however small it may be, is an effective way of motivating oneself to go the extra miles. The reward can be immediate, that is, treating yourself with a luscious avocado ice cream after running five kilometers. It can also be futuristic; think about the benefits that you will enjoy after shedding those layers of belly fats. When you condition your mind to receive such rewards, the tendency is for you to stick to the job. Forget your inner critic and celebrate every little achievement that comes your way…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE