Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 13

Sure, Tiger Woods once won a major golf tournament with a broken leg How much would that moment suck, and take a real shine off what you hoped would be a defining moment in your life? 01732 452404 ForEliteAtheletes to FunRunners 31 RACE : ATTITUDE If you’ve been rehearsing the PMA for a period of time leading up to a race, you will have been creating Episodic memory, which you can consciously and easily access throughout the race, because the beliefs we have determine the behaviours we demonstrate. Reassuringly, that PMA also has a benefit when facing that really tough moment in a race, where your Amygdala kicks in and you have that choice to work through the discomfort or walk away. If in that moment you say to yourself ‘What can I do to thrive right now, and why?’, you will likely find PMA kicks in, and you find a belief that lets you shine through even the darkest of times. The shadow side to PMA Time to get a little real though. I say real, because the path I’ve outlined above implies anything is possible in any moment in a race, and realistically, this might not be the case. Sure, Tiger Woods once won a major golf tournament with a broken leg, and you may have overcome a physical barrier during a race that could have stopped you straight in your tracks, but what if physically you do not have the strength or capability to overcome the challenge in front of you? This is where ego can have a positive and limiting impact on your ability to apply PMA successfully. The positive aspect of ego can drive us forwards. That little voice inside your head telling you ‘you can do this’ can spur you on in the darkest moments. However, the shadow side of ego can be that it places you into greater danger, choosing to shut off logic, common sense and that dash of reality that can make all the difference in that fight or flight moment. Take this scenario as an example. You’ve signed up for the toughest race you’ve ever taken on. You devise a training plan with your coach, carefully mapping out the programme that you both believe will allow you to take on the challenge excellently. The first few weeks of the plan go well, you stick to it religiously, improving your nutrition and recovery efforts so you really can take on the increased volume the programme requires. Then, 3 weeks in, life starts to take over, compromising training sessions, returning to old, less-healthy nutrition habits, and you start waking up and saying ‘I’m too tired to train today’. Before you know it, you’re a week out from the event and mild panic sets in, because you realise you might not be physically as capable as you should be to take on the task in hand. Ego tells you you’ll be alright, and helps you set an expectation that matches that mindset. You’ve got PMA and feel you can get through anything, then the moment comes in the event where you face the reality of the moment…I’m not strong enough to meet my goal or expectation. How much would that moment suck, and take a real shine off what you hoped would be a defining moment in your life? So, to build on the idea of PMA, let me offer you this… Approach the event or training with awareness of your ego, what it is saying to you, and the shadow side of where it is guiding you towards. Once you’ve identified that, create your own realistic PMA statement, one that captures your desire to strive for success whilst keeping your feet on the ground enough to not let you run away with yourself. You stand a far better chance of lowering your expectations, placing the energy that you have to genuinely build the physical strength needed to take on the challenge you’ve set yourself (including the length of time really needed to be capable of taking on the challenge), and be able to enjoy more of the moments that lie ahead. Graham