Chicken or the Egg?

What do runners do when they are running for miles and miles and endless hours?  They think about stuff...  some of it meaningful, some of it not.  One of the things that has "run" through my mind is whether the ability to race long distances successfully is primarily due to inherited personality traits, or whether it is a skill that is learned and honed as the miles and the years add up.

When coaches are seeking athletes to recruit for their teams or programs, they recognize that physical ability alone is not enough for an athlete to excel in their sport.  So what other traits or qualities do they look for?  Most coaches look for an individual that displays mental toughness.  Wikipedia defines mental toughness as a collection of attributes that allow a person to persevere through difficult circumstances (such as difficult training or difficult competitive situations in games) and emerge without losing confidence.

Sport Psychologist, Dr. Tom Fawcett has worked with many World Class and Olympic athletes and offers interesting insight into the mental make up and development of such athletes.  Through his experience in working with these athletes, Fawcett has concluded that the exposure of an athlete to certain environments and adverse circumstances (both in and outside their sporting careers) as they grow up is crucial for their development of mental toughness. He states that, "Failure should be perceived as a strength in that it defines limitations and identifies criteria for personal improvement.
Therefore in the mentally tough athlete, there is no such thing as failure, only feedback." He even speculates that young athletes should be exposed to a certain amount of failure to effectively toughen them up.

Furthermore, Fawcett identifies perfectionism as a barrier to mental toughness. Did you read the blog a couple of weeks ago? He suggests that perfection doesn’t exist and athletes should therefore always “strive for excellence”. He claims that being a perfectionist will ruin a potential world champion.

Fawcett allows that although some aspects of mental toughness occur naturally, many of the attributes of this crucial element of a successful athlete are developed through their experiences and exposure to certain environments. He, therefore, reasons that “it is not what happens to the athlete, it is how they deal with what happens to them” and he believes that the key to mental toughness is to “deal with both success and failure effectively, and to learn and continually strive to move forward to bigger and better things”.

So what does this mean to you as one of our Warriors? Everyone, from world class athletes to Metabolic Warriors will experience setbacks, but it is how we react to those setbacks that will determine whether we move forward or give up. The challenges we face in our personal lives and the challenges we face as we try to stay on track with our fitness to achieve our goals are inevitable. At times there will be progress, and at times there will be plateaus, or even a step or two backwards. In the long term , though, it is how we react to those setbacks that will determine our success. A world class, mentally tough athlete has a high sense of self belief and an unshakable faith that they are in control of their ability to succeed. Even though our goals as Warriors are perhaps less lofty than winning an Olympic gold medal, the same mental toughness can ensure that we continue making progress toward those goals.

While I do tend to believe that part of our ability to display mental toughness is perhaps a genetic trait of our personality, I also have personal experience through my own running and athletes I have coached, that mental toughness can be developed and honed.

One of our Warriors has shared with us one of the benefits that he has experienced from participating in Metabolic Training for three and a half years. He has told us that whenever he faces a life challenge, his motto or attitude is "Warrior Tough!". We see incredible strength in our Warriors, both in our trainings, and in seeing how you deal with very difficult life situations and your mental toughness inspires us! Remember, it's not how many times you fall down, but how many times you get up.

Brian Mickelson 2015

Saturday April 18, 2015 was a perfect run day! Blue sky, cool morning temps and many friendly smiling faces! The Brian Mickelson race has been ongoing for the past 7 years. Set in the beautiful Dead Horse State Park with lagoons and huge Cottonwood trees! So who was there?

Calvin was recognized for 1st place in his age category!

Stacey was all in despite a grumpy knee! Way to keep the Warrior Spirit girl!

Oh yeah-that chic ran too:)

Renee, a former kick butt Warrior has continued kicking butt as a runner! She ran a good race and finished with a big smile!

 The two above pics are most likely nobody you know so why are they included? These people were part of a group of 23 that have been in Northern Arizona's Physical Therapy program. Both groups were older couples. One woman was pushing her rolling walker and the other was walking in front of her wheelchair, which a caregiver was pushing. Both women were being supported by their husbands. The bystanders erupted into a big applause and many words of encouragement as they crossed the finish line. In reflecting on the moment we cannot help but believe that they truly have a warrior spirit. Against so many obvious limitations they got out and walked two very difficult miles and they truly gave all they could! What an inspiring and moving example of determination against all odds! A great day to run and a great day to share a run or a walk! Congratulations to all that participated!!!

Inhale or Exhale?

Well, hopefully you are doing both!  Seriously though, one of our participants submitted the following question:

"We laugh about this, but when we're doing our cool down, you'll tell us to do something while inhaling, let go and exhale, etc. We joke that we feel lucky to be breathing and we can't remember that when we're in one position it's supposed to be an inhale vs. exhale. So, tell us why that is important. Or maybe it's not. But if it is, if there is a reason you want us exhaling vs. inhaling while we're doing something, I'm curious as to why it matters."

Actually, you have all been part of a human behavioral study for the past three and a half years.  It has nothing to do with the exercises you have been doing, but we wanted to know if physically tired subjects will listen to directions.  Apparently we found our answer :-)

The short answer is that you inhale on the relaxation phase or preparation phase of the stretch, and you exhale during the actual stretch.  Take, for example, our back stretch where you lie on the floor and bring your knees toward your chest.  We ask you to inhale when you release the stretch and exhale as you pull your knees in toward your chest and stretch your glutes and spinal extensors.  By exhaling into the stretch your body will relax into the stretch.

The longer and more scientific answer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains that, "Proper breathing control is important for a successful stretch. Proper breathing helps to relax the body, increases blood flow throughout the body, and helps to mechanically remove lactic acid and other by-products of exercise.  As you breathe in, the diaphragm presses downward on the internal organs and their associated blood vessels, squeezing the blood out of them. As you exhale, the abdomen, its organs and muscles, and their blood vessels flood with new blood. This rhythmic contraction and expansion of the abdominal blood vessels is partially responsible for the circulation of blood in the body. Also, the rhythmic pumping action helps to remove waste products from the muscles in the torso. This pumping action is referred to as the respiratory pump. The respiratory pump is important during stretching because increased blood flow to the stretched muscles improves their elasticity, and increases the rate at which lactic acid is purged from them."

So, as always, there is a purpose and reason for everything we ask you to do.  So inhale deeply and then stretch those fingers out as you exhale and sign your name to your certificate of respiration.