Here is an advanced tip for how to stay technically attuned during
your workouts, especially when you get fatigued, whether it’s running or
strength training (ST). I hammer home this point in the ST chapter of my book when I discuss the priority of form/technique over mindlessly pushing
yourself to simply do more reps ("more, more, more!"). There is
an obvious connection here in how our form tends to break down when we go to
the upper limits of our long runs and/or harder speed workouts. This is
all in itself a healthy reminder, but I'll take it a step further.
As a coach, I want to
make sure that my athletes and I have a similar definition of "pushing yourself", or at
least have different ways of defining this phrase. Yes, in general,
pushing yourself means stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the
harder workouts, the jacked-up heart rate on occasion, the labored breathing, the
muscle burn, etc; however, it can also mean choosing to do a workout vs.skipping it (I discuss this in more detail in a section of my book called "Aggressive Training"),
and also maintaining proper focus when the going gets tough (i.e., composure and self-talk).
Another section of my book is titled "Mental Toughness is Overrated" and it's relevant here. How do you know when you're
pushing yourself? Is it based on how many reps you do? …the #'s on your
watch? Or is it a subjective feeling? …does it require extra
mental effort in order to qualify as "pushing yourself"? No
matter how you cut it, "pushing yourself" might sometimes get in the
way of optimum/maximum performance. Wait, how is that possible, doesn't
that sound counter-intuitive?
I was at a 3-day sport psych nerd conference in Baltimore this
past weekend, with lots and lots of presentations on cognitive elements of performance,
motor development, motor control, team dynamics, identity/personality, and a
bunch of other relevant topics. Lots to learn. As I already had this topic in
my head, I caught a few glimpses of presentations that showed that the specific
focal points someone has during endurance tasks and/or high-intensity tasks
helps determine actual performance, which is nothing new, nor earth-shattering,
but it does lend credence to the importance of making sure we all understand
what "pushing yourself" could mean and/or should mean.
For
instance, there are internal focal points ("staying in your element"
as I phrase it in my book), which are your breathing, technique/form, stride,
perceived exertion, etc., and there are external focal points, such as the crowd,
the competition, the trees, your pace, etc. Side note: Some of you are
wondering if pace is actually internal…keep it as external, this is the
difference between Pace vs. Intensity. Most studies show internal focus leads to
better performance than external focus, and if you've read my book, then you
understand the reasoning. There's obviously room to bounce back and forth
between the two, especially in relatively long events (it's natural and
needed), and that in itself is a skill, in knowing when to do each, but now I'll bring this back to the main point.
Precision is a better way to improve performance than simply
grunting it out (pushing). In fact, you can all think of examples, either
personally or observed, when someone was so determined to push hard that their
technique suffered as a result and they missed whatever mark they were aiming
for. This naturally is more evident in tasks with a cognitive component
(running isn't very cognitive, or at least it's not supposed to be!), but it
does apply to endurance sports too. For example, cyclists were studied
while they either focused on their pedal stroke (i.e., "smoothness" =
internal) or were focused on "keep going!" (external). The
former group beat the latter group. This should be logical. If your
pedal stroke remains smooth (i.e., efficient, just like running form) then you
don't put as much strain/stress on your body (muscles, tendons, etc),
thereby making it physically/physiologically easier to "keep going."
This is the essence of why mental toughness is overrated.
Keep your precision when the going gets tough, it'll help you hit the
target. Braveheart and the Kevin Kostner Robin Hood both
have scenes about this type of precision under pressure, and I learned it
first-hand back in the day when I was doing shot put and playing rugby.
So, don't just close your eyes and plow through, you might screw up your
form, and it's our form that carries us through!
Train hard!
Mike
