On Oct. 3rd I ran in the Twin Cities Marathon with my three dear friends Ann, Debbie, and Amy. It was a gorgeous day, the weather was perfect for running, and I felt inspired and privileged to be healthy to run that day. I had dedicated this marathon to our little friend Jack Bartosz (8), who has been fighting Neuroblastoma for over 4 years and to Jeff Littmann who had been in a tragic bike accident involving a car just two days earlier. I wore my I Back Jack running shirt and my Team 4 arm warmers as reminders to my causes. I awoke that morning feeling focused, calm, and excited for the run. My thoughts on Sunday were not for myself but for others who fight serious daily battles in life. I completely turned my intention over and that is where the trust and faith in my ability truly began. This perspective carried me through the marathon and was the core of my mental toughness. Mental fortitude is not about having to grit out pain with clenched teeth and denying your vulnerabilities. It is about a perspective that allows you to have a sincere trust in your capabilities and desire to give it all that you have. You may win or you may fall short, but the gratitude that comes with putting in your best effort is all that truly matters.
With gratitude, Cheri Cope, MS
Bridging the Gap between Practice/Training and Competition
As a Mental Conditioning Coach, it is extremely important to bring to the forefront through clarity and understanding how the Mind/Body connection directly influences the success of the athlete's performance. So often there is a mental and emotional disconnect and block that prevents the athlete from being able to transfer their abilities and skills that they are truly capable of onto the playing field or race day. To be able to bridge the gap between training/practice and competition consistently is a challenge for everyone.
I was asked a few weeks ago to provide information and tips to a group of Ironman athletes as they were counting down the days leading up to their big day. And it is very big! The emphasis was on strengthening the foundation of faith and trust in their training and physical ability so they could show up the day of their event ready to give all they had and shine in their moment. Faith and trust is the gap that will allow you to "let it rip" and succeed in anything that you want to accomplish in your life.
Faith is defined by Webster's dictionary, as "a firm belief in something for which there is no proof." Sport by its very nature is uncertain, that it why we thrive on the challenges and excitement it gives us. Again, mental toughness is about acknowledging your vulnerabilities and knowing how to let go of the uncontrollable situations and scenarios, rigid expectations, and self-doubt that will ultimately sabotage your efforts. Your thinking is under your direct control and the essence of your thoughts should revolve around one word,TRUST ! Clients have told me the minute they let go of their strict expectations of outcomes and fear of failure and change their focus to being in the moment, it is like a switch has gone off in their heads.They begin to relax and let things flow.They let go of the internal fight with themselves and enjoy the sport that they have worked so hard at.That's what it is all about!
The Power of Visualization
"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality"
Greek Author, Plutarch
I believe Visualization (or Imagery Training) is the most beneficial and effective mental skill technique that I utilize with my clients. Actually, it combines many different mental conditioning tools into one story that elicits powerful images and emotions that directly influence success. Focus, confidence, overcoming obstacles, increased motivation, and effectively dealing with pressure situations are some of the benefits of this important tool. Whether you are an athlete preparing for competition, interviewing for your dream job, wanting to rock an important presentation or communicate more effectively in a relationship, visualizing yourself performing effectively in these pressure situations will transfer to real-life moments.
As I watched the downhill skiers at the 2010 Winter Olympics, it was vividly apparent how important visualization was to these athletes. The cameras filmed them with their eyes closed and head moving as they were skiing the course in their minds-eye. As a former downhill racer, I know how important it is to memorize and rehearse the course in your head, so your race can be more effortless and less reactive. In the majority of all sports, athletes spend little time performing under pressure. The skills learned in practice and training do not always transfer to critical performance moments, so results can vary greatly. Using a clear and detailed imagery script of an upcoming event will prepare you to perform well and give you that extra assurance that your results will be consistent with your true potential for success.
Key components for Imagery Training:
Mentally warm-up, relax, and have uninterrupted focus.
Maintain a Positive Approach - only have a positive frame of reference. See yourself overcoming obstacles...
Feel the movements - helps with creating a mental "blue-print" for the movements.
Use all the senses - the more realistic the content of the imagery, the more impact it will have on performance.
Focus on Quality mental training - use short durations to start.
Together with my clients, we develop imagery scripts that include detailed and relevant information necessary for the most desired outcome in an upcoming performance or important event. Please call to find out how we can work together on developing an imagery script for you or your team.
Cheri Cope/Athletic Mind's business phone: 414-659-1866 or Email @ cheri@athleticm.com
The Importance of Mantras...
"Spring's first green is gold." R. Frost
The above quote is a mantra used by a friend of mine who is training for her first marathon. Not only is it applicable to the new beginnings that Spring signifies, but it also equates to the new beginnings that occur when embarking on quests for the first time that allow us to have break out moments. These moments are like gold, we treasure them and the direction of our lives proceeds from this new level of personal success.
Mantras are like that, they can wrap up a whole story of significance in one small phrase or word. They are powerful and bring out the best of our abilities when used repetitively and timely. Whether you want to be the best mom, run your first marathon, recover from an injury/illness, play the best round of golf of your life, or PB a triathlon, your mental attitude is the foundation that determines your success.
Here are some examples of other mantras to name a few...
Peaceful Warrior
Fighter
Push
Power-up
Think positive about negative splits-(thanks Robin)
I'm doing great, I'm doing fine, I'm almost to the finish line.
Breathe
These pads (shoes), get rid of these pads (butt)
Miraculous (1980 U.S. Hockey Team victory)
Funny, inspirational, physical, or mental, your Mantra should be your story and provide you with what you need the most during crunch times. Enjoy, and please, send me your mantras, so I can continue to grow my list!
" In your life's journey, there will be excitement and fulfillment, boredom and routine, and even the occasional train wreck...But when you have picked a dream that is bigger than you personally, that truly reflects the ideals that you cherish, and that can positively affect others, then you will always have another reason for carrying on." Pamela Melroy
The New Year brings new possibilities to rewrite the direction of our lives that we want to make bigger and brighter. As we enter into 2010, I am excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead for Athletic Mind, and feel truly blessed by my friends, colleagues, and clients who support and believe in my ability to make a difference in people's lives. To make a difference by empowering others to obtain their goals, reach new levels of success, and see personal strengths inside of themselves that they may not have otherwise, are what provide me with reasons for carrying on.
These past few weeks, I have heard from so many people that they are stuck in a rut, or they feel very unmotivated with their fitness routines, training, and even relationships. Just like the quote above states, we all have periods in our lives where we feel unmotivated and uninspired. The trick is to view your life with a long-term perspective that includes the ups and downs, then we can see that most pitfalls are only temporary and we always bounce back. Some of the most rewarding aspects of my job, is to see my clients refocus and reignite their motivation to positively change their lives. If you would like to jumpstart positive changes in your life, I will begin by helping you create a solid plan that includes setting concrete and sustainable goals and then providing you with support, direction, and accountability along the way. Research shows that it takes approximately 3 weeks to create new habits, so accountability during these first several weeks will be your greatest weapon. As Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do" and if 50% of getting into shape is mental, let Athletic Mind, LLC help you create a positive mental attitude that will allow you to get back into your groove and accomplish your goals.
November 2009 What would you dare to accomplish if you knew the only possible outcome was success?
Dear Friends,
Dreaming larger, aspiring to be better, and accomplishing something that requires the commitment of extending personal limits has been the predominate theme in almost all of my previous newsletters. In order for this to happen, we need to be open and take the time to reflect on the areas of our lives that provide meaning. When we accept the mission, it will determine the direction of our lives. Most importantly, we need to honestly look at ourselves and be aware of self-imposed limitations that hold us back and keep us small. Understanding and accepting these imperfections can be the push that is necessary for you to step out of that comfort zone of old habits and begin to take the risks that allow you to live larger. When your value of success makes a difference to you, regardless of what others think, then you will dare to try.
"My greatest power in life is my power to choose. I am the final authority over me. I make me."
In September, I was able to be right in the finishing chute to witness my friends and clients cross the finish line at Ironman Wisconsin. Their physical endurance, drive, and mental fortitude were simply awesome! (No, I am not signed up for Ironman 2010, but if they can endure 12 hours, I can certainly run the Twin Cities Marathon 2010 for 4 hours, right?) This is a big step because I had made the decision not to run another marathon due to how I had felt at the finish of my last one. Mental block? Fear? Perfectionism? Maybe all of these things have been holding me back from giving it another try. Now that I have made the decision to run another marathon, I feel absolutely liberated and excited that I have made this commitment! Of course I want to PR and finish strong, but honestly I am more thrilled that I have let go of what was holding me back to even try again. I am completely confident that I will do well and that is what makes a difference to me. The commitment and the process of obtaining a challenge is really what's most important.
I wish for you the grace and determination of being fulfilled with the process of obtaining your challenge, whatever that may be.
If you would like to subscribe to my quarterly newsletter, please provide your name and email information within the Contact Us section of my website.
Stay Focused! 5 Simple Steps to Stay Focused Under Pressure
Staying in the moment and rising to the occasion when faced with pressure and adversity are qualities that we can use not only in sport, but throughout all aspects of our lives. Everyday we are faced with situations when we need to take a deep breath and push aside distractions and make a decision to focus on what is important.
Vijay Singh after winning the 86th PGA Championship,
“My mental focus two months ago was the wrong thing. I was focused so hard to get to the No. 1 spot that I started not focusing on my own game. Every time I teed it up, I didn’t want to play bad. I started making simple mistakes. Now, I am totally focused on what I am doing, my physical and mental game, and not worried about the rankings...it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Step 1: Performance Routines
Pre-race or pre-shot routines are repetitive, methodical and automatic and serve to block irrelevant distractions and provide something to focus on. Routines produce a calming effect and allow the performer to control attention.
Example: a tennis player will take a deep breath, bounce the ball three times, and focus on a placement point prior to each serve.
Step 2: Positive Focus
Relax your body by taking a deep breath and use specific positive reminders for keeping the focus on your target.
Golf example: "Send the ball to the target." vs. "I don't want to shank the ball again!"
Tennis example: "I want to serve the ball to the backhand/forehand court." vs. "I don't want to double fault."
Step 3: Concentration Imagery Training
Visualize yourself coping with certain distractions and performing successfully despite attention difficulties. Consistently practicing these visualizations will allow you to more easily snap back into focus because you have already anticipated the distraction and planned how deal effectly with it. It will no longer hold as much power over your attention and negatively effect your performance.
Step 4: Attentional Cues
Understand what the relevant and critical cues are in your performance/sport that must be your focus for successful execution. Go back to the basics of a particular skill. Everything else is unimportant!
Example: a triathlete should be focusing on a smooth/strong stroke and the rhythm of their breath during the swim portion of a race. Other competitors, the weather, and weeds are not under the competitors control and will distract them from swimming to the best of their ability.
Step 5: Focus on the present moment
Prepare yourself to focus only in the moment. One shot, one stroke, and one step at a time. Disregard the past and the future. Athletes and others who would like their performances to be great will be faced with pivital moments where they need to make the choice to stay centered and move forward and rise to the challenge. The ability to stay calm and maintain a laser-like focus on what's necessary to go after what's important will empower your confidence and personal strength.
