Controlling Your State of Readiness

The Body

It is often said that you should know what you have planned for every session in the gym.  This is true.  How about every moment in that session?

Knowing what your body is doing in any given moment, how it is responding, and how you are controlling yourself, are key to getting the most from your training…and getting results.

The body responds to the stresses in differing ways, and these include elevated heart rate and an increased rate of breathing.  From a mental viewpoint, the heart rate is raised to prepare the body for ‘fight or flight’, and likewise the breathing is the body’s way of (attempting to) assist the individual get through what is in front for them.  This may be real or imagined.

Heart Rate:

Unless you have spent the last 20 years of your life in the Himalayas as a monk, you’ll most likely have little control over (mentally) controlling your heart rate.  However, you do have the ability to create a ‘flight or fight’ situation in your mind.  This workout could be the best workout of your life.  Or perhaps you know 100% that by doing a workout such as this one twice a week for the next three months you will finally reach your goal.  The goal you’ve waited ten years for.  That is exciting.  Use the warm-up to think about these smaller moments.  They are very powerful, and will get your body and mind fully prepared.

Breathing:

Conversely, sometimes we are too amped up for a session, or perhaps a single moment that is approaching us.  (Like a big event we are training for).  By being over stimulated we lose some control of our functions, and this may include mental focus, coordination, and also the ability to feel we are in control of what we are facing.  By slowing down our breathing we have the ability to have a ‘timeout’ and reassess where we are at.  When you become aware that your breathing is too fast for the situation you are in, it is best to reset everything.  This may be between sets, or in the moments before you ‘step up to the plate’.  Breath in, with the breath lasting 6 seconds.  Then hold for 2 seconds.  Then breath out for 7 seconds.  You will feel more centered, and more in control.

Whether ramping up, or calming down, you do have control over yourself.  This is part of ‘winning’.  (You get to define what ‘winning’ is for you).

Planning for Success

(Article written for City Fitness - October's national newsletter).

Goal setting is just around the corner for many of us, with the New Year’s resolutions an opportunity to challenge ourselves with future objectives and plans.

Rather than just deciding to do something new, it can assist to have a strategy that will keep your eye on the goal while also allowing for detailed analysis of the task at hand.  The below are a few approaches that have worked for me…

Decide your goal

- Be happy with the goal – If you complete it, then it’s a ‘success’.  (People often later feel they could have done more).

- Realistic – What have you done that gives evidence this is realistic??  (Done anything similar??).

- Obtainable – Do you have the resources at hand??  (Resources can include time, financial backing, and motivation).

Brain Dump

- Mind map the reasons for this being a goal that can be a success, (eg resources you have at hand, previous goals you achieved, and the time commitments you can make). 

- Add the main features (‘stuff you need to do’) of this goal.  (This will splinter off into smaller sub goals and components as needed).

- Assign friends, family, and acquaintances to tasks.  (This is a ‘perfect scenario’ situation, so just mapping out the tasks at this stage).

Lists

- Each component of the goal has a checklist.

- You work your way through the list, and adjust as training proceeds.  (So a ‘Living document’).

- Every time you prep gear for an event you modify relevant lists.

Build a support network

- Tasks are divided between people smarter (or with more energy) than yourself.

- Talk to people who know more than you.  (This includes approaching people you’ve never met).

You

- You train.

- This is the goal, and the above should compliment your training.

After an event it is best to have a think about what went well, and which areas need attention.  This can be left for a period of time, however if you are to assess your training objectively then it needs to happen.  (Not always pleasant!!).  After my 24 hour ride I asked for feedback from the support crew – everyone had little snippets of information, with one person giving a full page of detailed analysis.  There was some tough reading, however with the benefit of hindsight I learnt a lot about what could have been done better.  This was only possible by having a very clear set of goals, and later being about to compare the ‘perfect plan’.

Happy riding.

:)

Stu.