The body only adapts if the mind also adapts
By Aubrey Aldy
Think of a long run, and all the benefits we hear about from an aerobic and metabolic perspective. Where a long run is essentially like plugging those benefits into a robot with no control computer (brain). Assuming that there is a direct 1 to 1 relationship. A 15mile run for example equalling the exact same response no matter what. When in reality this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Of course peripheral changes at the muscle, increased vo2, better fuel economy, etc etc are helpful, but if the driver (brain) of the car (our body) can not replicate this, have we made the improvements we think we have? If we have trained our brains to always be thinking in the future towards an end result are we limiting our ability to be present in the moment and ensure we make the gains we want? The answer is yes, but how do we go about making this connection happen? We do this through increased focus, being present in our training and racing. Spending less time checking out mentally and just “checking the box” so to speak in training.
Focus is difficult and is a skill for those who are able to focus well for long periods, but it is absolutely trainable. For example this makes me think of F.A.S.T. running, which stands for focus alignment stability and timing. Picture a field full of Kenyan elites jogging around at 10-12min miles for an hour or more with intense focus while not talking. These same runners will do much faster training runs and intervals of course, but they see the value in eliminating distractions and increased focus on their movement. Even with fewer external distractions it is difficult to quiet the distractions in your own mind, but with practice this skill improves greatly. Think of this like lifting weights for your brain, every rep counts. Another example that hits home for many runners is focusing on the end result, finishing, finish time, a new PR, or qualification of some kind. This focus on the future is training your brain to do just that, focus on the future. In the event when the most important thing would be being in the moment we lack the ability to find that focus and may think of things like what will happen after the event or the people around us rather than the best way to manage your current situation skillfully. I am guilty of this and often find my mind wandering during races. Not sure how it started, but for some reason I sing the Fatboy Slim song line “Right here, right now” on repeat and it brings me back to the present. After a minute of the annoying repetition I can usually forget about previous thoughts and get back the task at hand. Whatever works for you is great, but start practicing now and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you can improve your focus and ultimately your racing.
Skill acquisition, motor skill learning, or better sports specific movement have been shown to be directly connected to and improved with sleep. Specifically on the same day as the training occurred. Getting a good night sleep after a key training session where you were present and focused will absolutely make you a better athlete faster. Using external cues works better than internal cues in most cases when we are trying to move better, more efficiently. An example of this is thinking of punching a hole in a sheetrock walk behind you with your elbows as you run, rather than an internal cue like moving your elbow to a certain place. Another way of thinking about this is cueing and outcome rather than the movement itself. We all know the saying that running is 90% mental and 10% physical. Now we know there are simple and effective ways to work on the mental piece that we can do in almost every training session, and make those things stick. It all starts with what we choose to focus on, and what we choose to focus on becomes our reality.