In it to win it. 4 REALZ.

May 21, 2013 12:07 PM

You're a competitive athlete. How did you level up?

I'm really passionate about a sport, and am interested in going from rec-league competitive to Way More Competitive. Just the thought of it excites me and terrifies me, which -- if past experience is any guide -- means it's probably a good and rewarding idea.

I know I can be self-sabotaging when I make determinations like this. I am hell bent on not heading down that road ever again, and would love to get your help.

What I would like to know -- how do you stay driven, when training can be grueling, slow, and requiring all of your heart and patience? When the rewards are obvious and palpable but... quite far away? What are your mechanisms for keeping your head and heart fully in the game? I'm good at the things google tells me (setting small goals, celebrating every little victory) -- I would love to hear the weird, lived, funny, particular things that real athletes do to keep themselves inspired.

What happened to make you fully commit? Did you have a "turning point" or definable moment? How did you change your approach to training -- mentally, emotionally, physically?

Finally -- was it worth it?

posted by crawfo to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

For some unfathomable reason when I was in college, training and competing for 800 and 1600 meter distances, I was very motivated by visualizing that I was in a frenzy, tearing at the flesh of the competition (tooth and nail style). I used to do this at the starting line and toward the finish line, when passing, and toward the end of grueling training sessions. At the beginning of each race and practice I just focused on remaining calm and relaxed.
posted by rub scupper cult at 12:57 PM on May 21, 2013

I read a book called Moonwalking with Einstein about competitive memory competitions, and it discusses what the author calls the "OK Plateau", where our minds think that we are good enough at a task and we go on auto-pilot. Here is the author giving a talk on how to overcome it.

The same thing goes for physical activities. I'm a runner, and you get to a certain point where you are able to run comfortably and then you stop getting better, and it takes real effort - making sure you are pushing yourself - to improve.

It's also commonly said that the easiest way to get faster is to run with guys faster than you, because that forces you to push yourself just to keep up with the group. I think the same principle would apply to other scenarios - if you want to get better play with guys better than you. Watch what they do, and how they practice, and adopt those habits.
posted by I am the Walrus at 1:21 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but one thing to keep in mind is this: The difference in training between a pro athlete and an amateur is not what they do when on the field, but what they do off the field. You need to make nutrition and sleep a number 1 priority. 2 different people can go out there and run 20 miles, but the person who's eating plenty of veggies, avoiding junk food, and getting 8 hours of sleep is going to be the one who actually makes gains week after week. So, no matter what you do, make sure you are fueling your body and giving it a chance to rebuild at night.

Also, there is always someone better than you at whatever you are doing. Seek these people out, and spend as much time with them as you can. Being the best in your group makes it easy to give less than 100%. Being the worst in your group forces you to step up your game.
posted by markblasco at 1:53 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]

I train with an informal "team". My sport is very much individual but I sought out other athletes in my city and we train together a few times per week. My motivation rarely wanes at the same time as everyone else's so I can usually look to my teammates to remind me of why I do this grueling sometimes miserable training. There's a strong social component and that has helped me a lot.
posted by telegraph at 2:23 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

I like Fitocracy for staying motivated and getting ideas for cross training. If you're a runner, you can see what other runners are doing. It's the same for any other sport. Join a couple of groups centered on your sport, see what others are doing, and challenge yourself to do it better.
posted by domo at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2013