During training or in competition, every athlete ultimately encounters a crucial moment when他们的思想对性能有更大的影响than their body. These moments can make or break a key workout, an important race, or even have ripple effects on an overall training plan.
获取mental toughness不会在一夜之间发生。就像其他重要技能或技术一样，它是通过经验来开发和磨练的。大多数运动员希望自己的身体在比赛当天以特定的方式表现，因此他们训练自己的身体能够应对一定程度的压力。以类似的方式训练您的想法也不是有意义的吗？是的！如果您想在比赛当天进行精神表演，则还必须定期练习和训练您的思想。
Here are four key factors that will help you improve your competitive mindset in order to achieve mental toughness:
短期目标设定
这听起来很简单，但它可能比您想象的要复杂。我不是指您当年的整体培训计划或比赛目标，这是长期目标。相反，我专注于在培训课程中进行特定日子，锻炼甚至间隔。例如，你可能设定短期目标for Sunday’s run workout, like: “I want to run 8 x 3-minute intervals between 7:00-7:10 pace.” You can certainly get more specific, which requires even more mental focus. An example would be, “I want to run slightly faster during each of my 8 x 3-minute intervals, starting at 7:10 pace and working down to 7:00 pace.”
完成锻炼后，请从训练设备上载入数据并分析结果。你能打个痕迹吗？如果没有，限制因素是什么？是身体还是精神上的？在培训日志中做笔记，以便您以后再参考。将您的结果与您完成相同或相似锻炼的前几天进行比较。随着时间的流逝，您将在这些特定时间间隔内发展精神韧性，这将转化为在这些关键时刻的增强关注点。设定特定的短期目标on a regular basis will take your training to the next level of performance!
可视化
我们都希望在比赛当天表现良好。但是有多少运动员actually visualize what they will need to do在竞争中以实现目标？无论您是在枪支熄灭之前的几秒钟内，还是每天晚上撞到枕头之前的几分钟，使您的训练的可视化一部分都会使您更接近心理韧性。
可视化can be as simple as closing your eyes and playing a brief “movie” in your head about a specific portion of your race, such as the swim start or your first transition. However, like physical training, the key is repetition and specificity. If you only visualize one time before the race for a few seconds, chances are you will not even remember it and there will be no positive impact on your performance. Similarly, if you simply visualize a general swim start without any specific details about your strategy, the impact will be negligible.
一个更有效的例子是，如果一个运动员可以看到自己的游泳开始，并在浮标上划一条线条，同时也控制了他们
积极的自我谈话
当事情变得艰难时，您对自己说些什么？Your mind is most vulnerable to negative thoughts when your body is placed under intense physical stress, and it can be easy for pessimistic words and phrases to overtake your mental space, such as “I Can’t Finish” or “I Give Up” or even just “QUIT!” These words, although not spoken, can impact your performance at critical moments in races or key training sessions.
Much like visualization,positive self-talkis a strategy that should be repeated during your regular training routine in order to be most effective. During a brutal bike or run session, an athlete might say things to him/herself such as “High Cadence” or “Control Breathing” or “You Got This!” During the swim portion of a race, phrases like “Long & Strong” or “Stay Smooth” can be effective cues to help keep an athlete mentally focused on the task at hand.
找到一些最适合您的咒语，并且与每种运动或纪律有关。请记住 - 您在脑海中或对自己说它们，所以没人知道！
压力管理
Every athlete with competitive experience will tell you that unexpected things happen during races. However, part of being mentally tough is the处理压力并克服压力的能力in a competitive atmosphere. Putting yourself under stress during training, both physically and mentally, will prepare you to deal with adversity on race day.
天气状况无法控制，但您可以为它们做准备。如果运动员从不在雨中或极度潮湿时跑步，那么在这种情况下，他/她在比赛中可能表现不佳。我不建议您在不利的天气中总是训练户外活动，但偶尔这样做肯定会建立信心并帮助您在竞争状况下应对这种压力。
除了
例如,如果你有一个目标时间记住了specific race, but you do not sleep well and the conditions prove unfavorable, you canmanage your expectationsby adjusting short-term goals. Maintain positive imagery and repeat mental cues or mantras to yourself in order to stay focused. For a long-distance endurance event, be aware of your nutrition and hydration to avoid any additional stress. Channel your muscle (and mental) memory to remind yourself of difficult training sessions that you completed under adverse conditions. Knowing that you have experienced something similar before, or even a more challenging event, and eventually overcame it, can be a great motivator at a critical moment.
Now that you have a blueprint for building your fortress of mental toughness, it is up to you to take the next step. Get organized with your training plan, set both long-term and short-term goals, perform each workout with purpose, and strive to improve on the athlete you were yesterday. If you are not sure where to begin or need help with any aspect of your training program, seek assistance! The guidance of a certified coach can be a valuable resource on your journey to achieving the next level of performance.
