{"id":11346,"date":"2016-12-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkhorserowing.com\/test\/how-to-know-if-your-head-is-getting-in-the-way-of-your-performance"},"modified":"2020-01-09T03:29:25","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T11:29:25","slug":"how-to-know-if-your-head-is-getting-in-the-way-of-your-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/darkhorserowing.com\/how-to-know-if-your-head-is-getting-in-the-way-of-your-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Know if Your Head is Getting in the Way of Your Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

As someone who grew up playing team sports, the responsibility was split between several players. Sometimes you needed to step up and deliver individually, but it was nothing like I\u2019ve started to experience when I started rowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember the first time I joined an 8\u00a0week rowing program. It started with a test and I got so anxious after the warm-up\u00a0I had to postpone\u00a0it for the next day. That is when I decided to look more into the mental side of rowing.<\/span><\/p>\n

After years of workouts and constantly evaluating my mentality along with my physical performance, I have recognized several factors that contribute to whether your mind is helping or preventing you\u00a0from performing well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are\u00a011 things to consider when assessing your mentality when it comes to rowing:<\/span><\/p>\n

Are You Close to Your Potential?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The real challenge in rowing and other endurance sports is the competition between you and the race course, you\u00a0and the clock, but more than anything,\u00a0between you and your mind. Success in rowing is all about your mental ability to handle the pain and fatigue, lack of oxygen, and\u00a0your ability to push your boundaries. The endurance sport athlete’s biggest opponent can be found in the mirror. Self-awareness is crucial to excelling\u00a0beyond your own limits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental Toughness<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Is the <\/span>mental side of training<\/span><\/a> incorporated into your workouts or it is just something you think should come easy? Do you know how to use mental\u00a0toughness to elevate your performance? Are you one of those athletes who gets anxious before every test or workout? Can you differentiate between competition and training? Are you able to achieve the results you set\u00a0yourself to or do you always fall short?<\/span><\/p>\n

Motivation<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

What motivates you as a rower? Do you have the inner drive to do what’s necessary to achieve success? Do you have a realistic goal that helps keep you moving forward through the exhausting and not so glamorous training daily? Do you have a big enough “why” to keep you moving to reach your\u00a0goals during a long season or training program? Far too many rowers make a deal with the devil.\u00a0That is, they trade what they want the most, for what they want right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming a better rower and athlete requires consistent practice, pushing your limits and meanwhile not forgetting about the fact that rowing is\u00a0a skill. Nothing comes easy and you need to learn how to get comfortable being uncomfortable!<\/span><\/p>\n

Train Smarter\u2026and Harder<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Your success on the erg requires you to continually move towards your physical and emotional limits. When you’re tired and your body seems to reach its threshold, you have to stay with the discomfort just a little bit more. When you don’t like the training conditions you have to learn to embrace them. Finding adverse conditions to train in is simply being smart! Sooner or later you’ll have to compete or train in those fatigued and painful moments. If it intimidates you to train with or compete against much better competition, seek those situations! That is how you gain access to the\u00a0next level! Get comfortable being uncomfortable and you’ll become successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming a Winner<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Competitive pressure is something that you need to perform your best. Does pre-race nervousness make you forget all your hard work and make you feel like you quit on your coach? If you can’t learn to control your nerves, then you’ll never reach your potential. Being clutch is a mental skill that you can easily master with a little practice. Learn relaxation and concentration strategies to get rid of those pre-race jitters that may have gotten the better of you in the past. Being nervous is okay. Those\u00a0who fear nothing love nothing and have\u00a0nothing to lose. You want to be better and losing can\u2019t be an option.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mastering Pain and Fatigue<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you think\u00a0hurting isn\u2019t\u00a0or shouldn\u2019t be\u00a0part of <\/span>becoming a better athlete<\/span><\/a> you are mistaken. It doesn’t\u00a0come easy and you need to master a\u00a0couple of things.\u00a0First, is how to control your focus when you begin to hurt.\u00a0Second, is how to neutralize negative thinking and self-doubts your mind is telling you when the pain comes. You need to eliminate negative self-talk and be confident in\u00a0those hard hours of work that got you to the point you’re at.\u00a0Focus on the strategy and\u00a0plan you or your coach came up with and visualize it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Focus Under Pressure<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

You must develop the ability to concentrate on what’s important and block out everything else. Longer workouts force you to keep focus. You may still\u00a0psych out but monitoring your training and knowing when it gets hard for you is how you can improve upon this skill. Focusing on the right things at the right time is key.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dealing with Adversity<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Do\u00a0setbacks and failures bring you down and\u00a0give\u00a0you the extra motivation to thrive even more? Winners build\u00a0their success on their\u00a0failures. They learn from their mistakes and then leave them behind. That is what we call rebound-ability. \u00a0To the successful person, failure is something that you do to get to success, to reach your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental Preparation<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Get ready ahead of time. Rehearse the plan and\u00a0visualize your\u00a0strategy\u00a0to the smallest detail. If you are prepared, the\u00a0pre-race jitters are usually\u00a0less significant and focusing throughout a piece becomes effortless. If there are\u00a0points in your races where you always fall apart,\u00a0mental rehearsal can help you turn these weak spots into areas of strength. Read our article on <\/span>the mental preparation required for rowing<\/span><\/a> to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical Preparation<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Becoming efficient and better at rowing without first paying your physical dues is impossible. But once you are able to give a good effort physically it’s\u00a0important to include and talk about the mental side of training and competing. Don\u2019t just hope without mental preparation to get close to your potential. As we’ve said before, hope will fail you 100% of the time. Prepare both aspects of training and you can excel as a mentally tough competitor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do Your Goals Drive You?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

I failed many times during my training but just as much, I pushed through intervals at the end of a session that I thought I\u2019m not capable doing. With many hours\u00a0many, a lot of hard work, and millions of meters later I learned what preparation, visualization, and mental drills work for me. I learn something new every workout about myself. What drives me is\u00a0my goal to be a better rower, trainer, and to get as close to fully realize my\u00a0potential as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As someone who grew up playing team sports, the responsibility was split between several players. Sometimes you needed to step up and deliver individually, but it was nothing like I\u2019ve started to experience when I started rowing. 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