In addition to part time work and full time racing this season, I have had the opportunity to help out with my alma mater, the Bellbrook High School men's and women's cross country team. The season is winding down with our league meet this weekend. I took my coach hat off for a few minutes last night, athlete to athlete...runner to runner...sharing the mental game we all strive to win.
Working on your physical fitness is one thing but your mental fitness well that's a whole 'nother ball game. Thanks to Craig of Craig Willard Coaching , I am working on my mental fitness. I find myself taking notes during our phone conversations and nodding with his many valid points. Friday night I had the opportunity to put some of his work to the test. It just so happens speaking is believing. I could hear my echo while I was speaking; opportunity, success, I can...opportunity, success, I can...opportunity, succcess, I can... I kept talking as their engaged eyes met mine, were they believing what I was saying? I think I was finally starting to believe in my own mental strength, I was convincing myself tonight, ha! Let's hope their young minds were convinced easier than mine & they remembered one point to practice leading up to today's big race!
3 Keys To Maximizing My Potential & Hopefully Yours!
1. Opportunities & Barriers. Training is overcoming barriers in order to explore new territory and test my limits. Through weekly training sessions some barriers are easier to break than others, learning to accept our failures as growth is a big piece of the puzzle. The start line of every race is an opportunity not a barrier to achieving your goals. You must set your mental capacity to view the race as the opportunity. Trust in your fitness on the start line, the work is done and it's show time!
2. What is Success. Success is bettering your best. Every race and every practice I strive to become a better athlete than when I started. We can't PR at every single race or have a perfect practice every day but we can learn from every race & every training effort. Stop comparing yourself to others, your success is built upon your own success. Every time I finish a training session or I cross a finish line I want to finish a better athlete than when I started. Find one successful point and draw strength from that improvement and or highlight of your race. Go out and better your best!
3. I Can Statements. You have to repeat I Can I Can I Can...there is No I Think I Can. What is your I can? You need to say it before you go to bed, when you open your eyes in the morning and before you get to the start line. Believe it, say it out loud and you will achieve it. You aren't allowed to get out of bed in the morning if you don't believe your I Can. If you are late for the bus tomorrow, maybe you can tell your coaches that is why? (Yikes, let's hope they all make the meet on time...)
When your physical fitness and mental fitness are sharp and ready to go, that is when the magic starts to happen! Practice both daily and when you get to the start line trust in these fitness levels, you are ready.