November 18, 2015: Practicing Mental Toughness

Our attitude affects our performance. If we have a positive, "will do, won't quit" attitude, it will improve our mood and our perception of our workouts. Sometimes, we may not feel very tough or strong during a particular workout. Even then, we can adjust our attitude and "act" tough and strong.

I learned this from my wife. She ran cross country in high school and college. While we were dating, I would occasionally run with her. She was much fitter than I, and I would often trail behind her and whine about the pain I was experiencing. She told me I had to lift my head, look straight ahead, and "run stronger." This was something her high school coach taught her - she was a trained athlete and she should always run like a trained athlete. Even though I was just a recreational runner, that lesson stuck with me.

Every time I run now, I have "the eye of the tiger." Even though I'm running slow and relatively out of shape, I run with the attitude that I'm strong. I even say that to myself - "I'm running strong!" It affects my mood when I'm running for the better. My pace is a little faster and my form is a little more solid. Overall, I just feel better when I run.

When you're working out, practice mental toughness. Even when you're suffering or winded, act as if you are fresh and energetic. Watch your posture and your breathing. Your "acting tough" will carry over to reality, and you'll get tougher and more determined during your workouts.

Strength of body begins with strength of mind.

November 18, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 8:15 AM

Warm-up: Joint rotation with the sticks - 4 minutes

Kali Tire Training:

About 10 minutes of free flow stickwork. First with two sticks, then with single stick. There are different ways to train with the tire. You can practice for pure power or speed. In this particular workout, I just wanted to work on using both hands equally and the general flow of the strikes. This training develops accuracy, distance awareness, as well as hand and forearm strength.

Here is an excerpt of the training:

I felt a little sluggish with my footwork, but I think the more I practice, the better it will get. I'm a little rusty overall, as I haven't done much consistent training in a few years.

Running: 2.54 miles in 27:08
I've been tracking my runs with mapmyrun.com. I recommend it if you like running outside.

During this run, I put a few sprints of varying distances in the run. I probably sprinted 6 times during the run. I am confident I'll be reaching my short term running goal within a week or two. Admittedly, the last half mile was quite tiring, I think because of the sprints.

Stretching: 5 minutes

Overall time: ~50 minutes