Handling Dark Thoughts in Endurance Sport
What’s this Podcast About?
Coach Amy and Coach Liz discuss strategies to address dark thoughts that creep into our brains when training and racing for endurance sports.
Brain Trolls and Gremlins.
What are dark thoughts or monsters?
Why and when do they happen?
Examples of dark thoughts.
Who suffers from dark thoughts?
Strategies for battling dark Thoughts in endurance Sports.
Visualization - channeling previous success.
Coach Liz shares a personal story at Ironman Tulsa using visualization to combat the “I want to quit” troll.
Coach Amy shares a personal story using visualization when she battled the “It’s too hard” troll on the heartbreak hills of the Boston Marathon.
Chunking - breaking up a race or training workout into smaller achievable chunks.
Example of the chunking method for a new runner.
Coach Amy shares how Coach Liz helped her combat fear and the “I can’t, I’m afraid” monster at Ironman Ohio.
How to effectively use the chunking method.
Mantras - distracting the brain with a chant.
What is a mantra?
My mantra is not your mantra. Coach Amy’s example uses chants to battle brain trolls in the open water on long hot rides and runs.
How and why do mantras work?
Summing It UP.
Mental training is just as necessary as physical training.
It's normal to have negative thoughts occasionally. The key is recognizing them without allowing them to control your actions or emotions. These techniques are your tools, and it's important to hone them. Experiment with different approaches, identify the ones that are effective for you, and put them into practice.