After many years of triathlon training including a few long course finishes I had always felt I had the mental toughness thing conquered. But I'm finding out quickly that I don't! I'm not sure I agree with the definition above because even if I endure something through mental toughness doesn't necessarily mean I didn't lose any confidence in the process.I've always been able to endure the "pain" of many things such as training with various applications of mental toughness methods. Like during a long run taking yourself out of your body, have you ever had that experience where it's like you're floating above your body looking down, like you know you're there going through the aches and pains of that long run but you've managed to take yourself outside of your body so that you aren't fully experiencing the pain? Or if I am having extreme pain I focus on something else so narrowly that I don't allow myself time to experience the real pain, like biting your arm to take your focus away from the excruciating knee pain that crept up out of nowhere (yes, I realize that is an extreme example).
So what changed? Why do I all of a sudden feel like I need to go back and work on my mental toughness? Well I changed my training plan completely. And I became a mom. I only have time to tackle one of those right now...
There are different types of mental toughness. I was good at setting a main overarching goal and busting through that. Like a weekend long run, go out and run 12 miles. I knew how to do that, wear a hat that I kept pulled down low, never look up, concentrate on incessant forward motion, one foot in front of the other, mental block, karate chop any thoughts of pain, fatigue, boredom etc and just get it done!
What I wasn't good at was having any kind of structure to my training. Like go run 5 miles, warm up for 1, tempo run for 2, 1:00 min. sprints with 2:00 jog, etc. Or swim 300 warm up, 8 x 75s free descending, 12 x 50 evens drill odds fast free, 200 easy etc. I was better at, get in the pool and swim 1500 steady and nonstop. So what did I do to fix this? I got a coach!! (more on that later) and told her I need structure! Well she gave me structure!! And what I have found is that now at the end of each workout not only am I physically fatigued but I am mentally fatigued!! The mental fatigue is something I'm not use to and need to work on my mental toughness in that area to improve. What I find myself doing on days that I'm exhausted in general and lacking motivation is falling back on old habits. So if I have a 4 mile run planned for that day with lots of stuff to do during it but I just don't feel like it I say well I'll just go out and run the 4 miles and forget about the structure. At least I'm getting it done right? Well, what that's going to do to me is put me right back into my old ways of I'm just training to finish not training to improve!
What I find interesting is that there is a lot out there about mental toughness but not a differentiation on different types and why we may be good at some and not others. Also there is a lot about mental toughness for business folks. What the heck?!?!! I've never needed to practice mental toughness at work that made me laugh. :-) Maybe these folks should just go out and do a triathlon and work will seem like a piece of cake! ;-) Just kidding!!!! kind of... At work I just have to fight procrastination so as long as I come in in the morning and get my most dreaded tasks out of the way immediately my day and week go much better.
“He would say that when your mind is telling you you’re done, you’re really only 40 percent done" http://thehustle.co/40-percent-rule-navy-seal-secret-mental-toughness
So when you think you're done just remind yourself nope your body and mind can probably really handle about 60% more!!!! Happy Training!!!
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