Athletes and the Mental Game
Embracing a Mind-Body-Spirit Connection to Create Your Best Performance
It was 4am. I had set my alarm early so I could eat breakfast, get dressed, and mentally prepare for my first triathlon race ever–which also happened to be a half IronMan: an intense day of pushing all physical limits, starting with a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike ride, and finally a 13.1 mile run. Four months–and for the record, not enough–training for this epic event had brought me, exhilarated, to Memphis, Tennessee, ready to heroically attempt something I had not dared dream possible. The day before the race, I entered the park, looked across the water at the swim course, and had a complete meltdown.
Why Did I Feel This Way?
Not once in my training had I ever even come close to the required swim pace I would need for this race. IronMan regulations give you 1 hour and 10 minutes tops to complete the swim distance or you are not allowed to move on to the bike and run portion. My fastest time as of yet was something like 2 hours.
The day before the race, I became completely depressed. Panic and hopelessness were close behind, and shut down wasn’t too far after. What had happened to all the courage I had felt? My spontaneity in wanting to try something new, my boldness in signing up for a triathlon when I hadn’t even known how to swim, my determination even when I learned that each leg of the race had a time cut-off, my persistence when Covid knocked me out of my training, and my transcendence over physical pain? As my emotions continued on a downward spiral, any race-readiness I had was slowly leaking out of me.
The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
What’s an athlete to do–when your emotions are in the toilet and your physical conditioning is not exactly at the peak you had planned? Never fear, my elite and amateur friends alike–the mind and spirit have an incredible, but often untapped power to fuel your training and racing, or at least top up the supply.
Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” This kind of mindset is almost bewildering to me at times–the idea that we can intentionally choose what we believe to be possible, and watch the magic unfold as we almost call it into existence. Ford’s statement echoes that of Norman Vincent Peale, a minister who believed in the power of positive thinking. “We tend to get what we expect”, and “Believe you can, and you can”. Closely related seems to be the psychology of expectations: the idea, grounded in a lot of research, that we get what we expect, and that our perceptions of an experience before it actually happens can significantly shape the experience itself.
Implementing a Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
How do we bring this kind of mindset into our training and race day experiences? First, it may be helpful to rule out what best not to do. I’m not advocating a kind of greed-of-ambition “name it and claim it” approach. Nor would it be realistic to simply believe that you can do something when you have taken no realistic measures to consistently train, address injuries, or otherwise prepare for the event at hand. However, when it comes to realistic expectations for which you know you’re putting in the hard work and consistent energy, believe it out loud.
Choosing to believe your preferred positive outcome may be all you need; but there can really be something special about saying it out loud and calling it into existence. Take it another step further and treat it as a mantra. Something as simple as “My running is relaxed, and my body is strong”, or “I am well trained and I am going to finish”, or USA Triathlon coach Stacey McMickens’ mantra for swimmers, “Reach, relax, breathe” can be the mental focus that keeps a tired body aligned and strong to the end. Many yogis believe the mantra to be a sort of condensed spiritual energy; empowering body, mind, and spirit, with its most potent effects occurring the more repetitive you can make the mantra.It would seem that scientific research and spiritual traditions alike have a sense that the body responds to what the mind believes to be true.
My Mind-Body-Spirit Connectedness
So how, you might be wondering, did I “mentally prepare” that particular race day morning? I opened a copy of the Tao De Ching, a book of Chinese philosophy, and found the words staring back at me, “When you have achieved what you set out to accomplish….” It struck me, in a quirky way that probably wouldn’t strike anyone else, that the words didn’t read “If”, but “When”. It was all I needed; I had found my belief in myself again. I finished the race that day, having repeated those words like a mantra to myself a thousand times by the end of it. I chose to believe I could accomplish this race, and my body responded to this belief.(And for the record, I finished the swim in 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 45 seconds–just in case you were wondering.)
“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible”–Norton Juster
About the Author:
Lauren Callahan provides individual and couples therapy to adults and teens. She utilizes a holistic perspective in helping individuals through the struggles they face. If you are struggling with knowing how to help your teen navigate overwhelming emotions or struggle yourself, request an appointment with Lauren today: https://beinspiredcc.clientsecure.me/.
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