I read this article with Chrissie Wellington, four-time Ironman Champion at CNN about training your mind.
Ironman champ: Train your brain, then your body – CNN.com.
The ideas ring true not just for triathlons, but for fitness, projects, and other things.
Here’s some quotes I grabbed from the article:
If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it. Keep your head up, and your body is capable of amazing feats. To plunder the words of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, “Don’t ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.”
How do you train your brain to help you achieve your goals?
- Have a mantra and/or a special song to repeat.
- Keep a bank of positive mental images.
- Practice visualization beforehand.
- Break up the race into smaller, more manageable segments.
- Remember that training is about learning to hurt.
- Get people to support you.
- Mentally recall inspirational people.
- Consider racing for a cause that is bigger than yourself.