Mental Fatigue

Whether it's during a training session or a race, your mental state plays a massive role in how well you perform.  If you feel depressed, unsure, or overwhelmed you will put less effort into your workout than you are actually capable of doing.  A study on fatigue showed that, in general, you can do more than you think you can.  Your body is programmed to preserve itself and it will naturally send signals to your brain and tell you to slow down or take it easy if you are getting close to "overdoing" it.  It's as if it has a fail safe mechanism that triggers when you hit a certain level.  The problem is that after we hit that point we can actually keep going a lot longer before we get into dangerous territory.

That is why it is important to train your mind just as much as you train your body, so you don't have to suffer from mental fatigue.  The professional triathletes have this down pretty well.  At least the really successful ones do.  Chrissie Wellington, for example, would frequently train on a treadmill in a dark, windowless basement without any form of entertainment.  Not only does this help with keeping a quick and efficient running pace, but it gives you a lot of mental toughness.  Then when you're in the middle of a race and you feel like you can't keep going you can think back to those mindless sessions on the treadmill where things were much worse.  It's enough to give you that needed boost to keep pushing hard.

So the key to keeping your mind in shape is to make it work extra hard.  This can be done in many ways.  When it's windy outside, make sure to get out there on your bike and ride...into the wind.  When you only have time to run 4 miles, throw on some ankle weights and let them make you suffer.  If you're going to swim in open water, wait for when it gets choppy (but be safe).  If you're confined to a pool, go all out and do 100x100 laps.  There are myriad ways to turn your workouts into mental exercises, you just have to be a little creative.    

Ultimately, what we all need to remember is that we grow through experiencing trials.  I could quote Kelly Clarkson right here but I won't.  Instead I'll refer you to watch the movie "The Impossible."  It's about a family who goes to the Philippines on vacation for Christmas.  While they are there, the tsunami hits and they get separated from each other.  The rest of the movie is about the trials they face and the impossible odds they overcome.  When I saw this movie it made me think of all the people who have lived through terrible events, both personal and public.  Those people are typically the ones that come out of those times stronger than ever and ready to face any challenge because in their minds they believe they can to anything.  That is where we want to get in our own minds.

Things could definitely be worse

At the Salt Lake Triathlon Club's 2014 kickoff party this last week, the guest speaker talked about "self talk."  Self talk is the non-creepy term for talking to yourself in a positive manner.  Many athletes use it but it is a powerful tool for anyone.  The key is to tell yourself why you can do something and essentially convince yourself that you can.  Because if you believe it, then you should be able to achieve it.  This is something that can be done daily.  I recommend taking the few minutes you have in the shower or your car to practice this.  I know it will benefit you greatly.    

Don't let mental fatigue ruin your race, or test, or whatever else you have to do.  Start preparing your mind and make sure it is properly trained to conquer the challenges you've placed in front of yourself.  If there are other things putting you in a bad mood or making you feel depressed, then take the necessary steps to eliminate those worries from your life.  Your mind is no different than the rest of your body, it too needs to be worked, cared for, and molded in order to be an effective tool.