Mental Toughness vs. Physical Sabotage

By Alyson Klein

Mental and physical toughness are essential in any competitive sport. It is the goal of every athlete to work hard and train to push past any mental blocks that stand in their way, oftentimes enduring physical pain and discomfort in order to gain strength and resilience.  It’s not uncommon for an athlete to push through pain with the thought that it will eventually dissipate – sometimes it does, other times it doesn’t. This toughness is beneficial in order to increase strength and character, however, it’s easy to consider that our mental and physical bodies operate independent of one another.  All too often we treat our bodies as if they are separate from us, when in reality, all of it is interconnected.

Mentally ToughI am guilty of not thinking of my mind and body as a unit. If I feel pain, I try to convince myself that it does not exist.  If I am tired, I often fool myself into being energetic and vibrant. If I think I should eat a salad, but am craving a burger, I might order the salad because it’s the ‘healthier’ choice. I know several other competitive women who do the same thing. We try and trick our bodies with our minds, blatantly ignoring the little whispers they are telling us. Our bodies hold some of the biggest secrets about ourselves, and sometimes ‘mental toughness’ can drown out these critical messages. Maybe the pain I am feeling means I need to ice after my run because there is inflammation? Maybe I am tired because my body needs me to make sleep a higher priority? Maybe I am craving a burger because my body is telling me it needs more protein? All of these subtle messages are easy to miss if we disconnect from what our body is telling us. Our bodies communicate problems to us better than anyone else and if we want to perform at our best, we need to actively listen to them. After all… they are part of us, right?

Now, I’m not saying that every little pain means to you should stop, and that if you feel tired you need to slow down. The line between mental toughness and physical sabotage can be hard to determine. The most important thing you can do is actively listen to your body and learn the language it speaks. Each person is different, each body tolerates training differently, and one of the best (and hardest) things you can do to minimize injury progression and mental burn out is to know your body. If your body is hurting, don’t ignore it – acknowledge it, listen to it and determine if it’s something you can push through or if it’s worth investigating further.

It’s easy for me to get mad at my body when it’s not performing to the level I would like it to, but I have learned (and continue to learn) that reprimanding it does not help improve my performance in any way. What does work is acknowledging the information it gives me, and then try to problem solve. There is nothing that irritates me more than being ignored repeatedly or being told I am wrong 😉 – and yet it’s funny I’ll place this same irritation on my body – how counterproductive!

I have definitely improved at actively listening to my body over the years, but it takes practice.   Here are a few signals your body might offer that are worth listening to:

  • Chapped lips
  • Infrequent urination
  • Dark yellow or smelly urine
  • Frequent hunger pangs
  • Strong food cravings
  • Energy slumps
  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Digestive trouble
  • Swollen knees (or any joints) after running
  • Persistent sharp pain in legs

It’s important to take note of the frequency of occurrence and the duration of any new issue.   Seek advice and council from your doctor, coaches, teammates, friends and running community experts as well!  It might be something others have experienced and they may offer a practical solution.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic formula to help determine where that line between mental toughness and physical sabotage is for you.  My hope is that you will spend some time listening to your body’s messages, rather than ignoring them. Work with your body and not against it…after all, you’re on same team!

-Alyson

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