Sportsminded

Quote of the Week: The Tour Is Over... Long Live the Tour

2009-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Mont Ventoux has been conquered. Sprinters flew down the Champs Elysees. The Tour de France is over for another year. But not without one more quote....

This one comes from Versus, the US broadcast network for the Tour. It's a short snippet from one of their promotions.

"Dreams do not matter unless you make them come true." -- Versus

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Ode to Tom Watson

2009-07-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Even though I've been glued to coverage of the Tour de France for the last 16 days, it was hard not to become drawn into Tom Watson and the British Open....

As most of you know by now, one 8-foot putt separated Watson from becoming the golf's oldest major champion. So, in honor of Watson here is this week's quote:

“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” -- Tom Watson

Somehow the quote just seems fitting, don't you think?

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: The Tour -- Rest for the Weary

2009-07-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

I'm having withdrawals. Today is a rest day for the Tour de France and there is no new racing on TV. But it has got me thinking about the importance of rest....

When I work with athletes I frequently have to remind them of the importance of recovery days. Taking time off, or at least having an easy training day, is not something that comes easy to many athletes. And yet, it is one of the most important things an athlete can do for his or her physical and mental preparedness. Which leads me to this week's quote:

“Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”
-- Ralph Marston

So at some point during the course of this week, give your body and mind a little break. And by all means, make it a great week!

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New Quote: From Lance

2009-07-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

Once of the great things about technology is that you can follow the Tour de France in ways that weren't possible when Lance last road...

Armstong, like many other riders, are on Twitter and are Tweeting there way through the Tour. I thought I share the latest Tweet from Lance which is a quote from Mahatma Ghandi.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity, It comes from an indomitable will." -- Mahatma Ghandi

Keep making it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: The Tour

2009-07-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

I love July. You get 21 days of the Tour de France. So, here is the first of what ...

... will undoubtedly be a quite few cycling-related quotes. Given that Versus (the TV station in the States covering the Tour) is showing Lance every chance they can, I thought I'd share a quote from cycling writer Scott Martin. I think this one pretty much captures the essence of cycling -- at any level.

"To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain....at cycling's core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies. If you never confront pain, you're missing the essence of the sport. Without pain, there's no adversity. Without adversity, no challenge. Without challenge, no improvement. No improvement, no sense of accomplishment and no deep-down joy. Might as well be playing Tiddly-Winks." -- Scott Martin

So if your motivation is lagging and you haven't watched the Tour yet, tune in (it's also being streamed live on the Internet). And if you are a Tour addict and have a hard time explaining why to your family or friends, share this quote with them. I can't think of a better description of what makes the Tour so compelling to watch.

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: A Tribute to Gehrig

2009-06-29T19:06:00.001-07:00

This week's quote is a bit different than most -- a bit longer but it definitely puts life into perspective....

On July 4th, 70 years ago, Lou Gehrig gave his farewell speech. This Saturday during the 7th inning of 15 major league baseball games, his speech will once again be read from the diamond. Today, when the integrity of many baseball records are questionable, it's refreshing to remember a man who played 2,130 straight games with an untainted reputation.

So here is the text of the speech Gehrig made at home plate in Yankee Stadium.

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

I think the quote pretty much speaks for itself so the only thing I'll add to it is a link to the ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) foundation's website. They are having a "Step Up to the Plate" fundraiser where you can pledge a donation for each hit your favorite baseball team makes on July 4th. To find out more about ALS or there fundraiser click here.

By all means, make this a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Like It's The Last

2009-06-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Wimbledon is underway and although he is not playing, what would a week that focuses on tennis be without talk about Rafael Nadal?

So here's this week's quote. A bit late but here none-the-less. It's from Jose Higueras, the director of elite player development for the U.S. Tennis Association. In the quote he describes how Nadal practices.

When you see him practice, it's pretty spectacular. Every ball he hits with the same intensity and power. Every day, it's like it's going to be the last practice of his life.

This is an amazing description of the difference between how elites train and how amateurs train. So before you go out and train tomorrow or over the weekend, ask yourself, how would I train if this were my very last workout. Then make it the best workout you can.

While you're at it, make what's left of the week great and the weekend even greater!

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Quote of the Week: The Present

2009-06-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, last night Phil Jackson and his team gave all Lakers fans a real present. But that's not the present this week's quote speaks to. ..

Living here in Southern California, it was just too hard to pass-up the obvious. So here is a Phil Jackson quote. Given that last night was his 10th NBA win, he ought to know a thing or two about performing one's best.

In basketball - as in life - true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way. Of course, it's no accident that things are more likely to go your way when you stop worrying about whether you're going to win or lose and focus your full attention on what's happening right this moment. -- Phil Jackson, Coach, Los Angeles Lakers

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Easy Does It

2009-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last week while working out at the gym on the Cal State University Long Beach campus where I teach I noticed that there was a martial arts tournament...

... going on. Surprisingly, I don't think I've used a quote from the martial arts so here goes:

"The less tension and effort, the faster and more powerful you will be."
-- Bruce Lee

"Less is more" is good advice for athletes, regardless of the sport.

For what it's worth, here's a little bit of Bruce Lee and Long Beach, California trivia. In 1964, Bruce Lee performed at the Long Beach International Karate Championships where he performed the famous one-inch punch and repetitions of the one-finger pushup.

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Mental Hygiene

2009-06-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

As a sport psychologist I'm often asked how to find the motivation to consistently workout or train. This week's quote does a great job of explaining it....

It comes from a former U.S. Olympic distance runner.

"Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I don't think about them. I just do them. The decision has already been made." -- PattiSue Plumer

So why don't you -- right now -- make the decision to get all of your training in this week? See how easy that was. Now you don't even have to think about it anymore. Just like flossing -- I mean brushing your teeth.

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Get a Map

2009-05-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning and found myself thinking about how much people underestimate their abilities when they set goals. Which lead me to this quote....

You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.
--Yogi Berra

So if you haven't figured out what you want to do this season, it's not too late to set some goals. Pick something you want to accomplish by the end of the summer -- running a marathon, finishing a triathlon, entering a tennis tournament, learning to surf, completing a century bike ride. You name it. Just pick something.

If you have already set goals, maybe now is a good time to revisit them. Are you pushing yourself to be all that you can be? Or are you just settling?

We all need to take some time to figure out where we're going. Otherwise we'll just be lost.

Make it a great week!

--One more thing: If you haven't posted a question for me to answer yet, check out this post and leave me something. I really want to get the Q & A "column" of the blog going and I can't do it without your help!

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Something New: You Ask & I Answer

2009-05-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

I thought we could try something new. I say "we" because you're involved here. Do you have questions about how to improve your performance? ...

Unclear how to mentally prepare before a big race? Or just have a general question about Sport Psychology?

Well ask!

On a semi-regular basis I'll put up a post with your questions and my answers. I'd prefer that the questions be easy -- just kidding. I'd prefer that the questions be sport-related and be based on your personal experience. I won't put your name in the post (unless you want me to) so no one will know it's you. Think of this as the "Dear Abby" of Sports Psych.

Here how it works. Leave a comment to this post with your questions (if you're reading this post via another website like "Sweat 365" click on the link here). When enough questions build up, I'll answer them.

Pretty simple, no?

But this will only work if you play along. So I'm counting on you.

This blog has had nearly 7500 visitors. Surely some of you must have questions.

So here we go:

Ready.

Set.

Ask!

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Quote of the Week: Make Your Mistakes

2009-05-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

For this week's quote I'm turning to the world of business. Is there a better place these days to learn about mistakes? ...

Kidding aside, plenty of athletes become motivational speakers to business people everywhere. Coaches retire and write books on leadership that can be found in the business management section of the bookstore. In a similar vein, athletes can learn a lot from business experts -- especially when it comes to competition. Case it point, this week's quote:

"If you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks, and that means you're not going anywhere. The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more chances to learn and win.” -- John W. Holt Jr., coauthor of Celebrate Your Mistakes

So go out there this week and make some mistakes.

While you're at it, make it a great week.

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Elites Do. Do You? #3: Just Say No.

2009-05-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

In this post we'll explore the second technique that elite athletes use to manage pre-competitive anxiety. If you missed the first one check out this link.

I can't imagine an athlete that hasn't doubted him or herself before a big competition. You know those nagging thoughts:

"Did I train enough?"
"What if something goes wrong?"
"What if I don't do as well as I should?"
And the list goes on.

Even elite athletes have their doubts. The difference between how an elite handles these negative thoughts and how the average athlete handles them is cognitive restructuring.

On the surface, cognitive restructuring is pretty simple. "Just say no" to anything negative. Take any negative thought that crosses your mind and stop it. Then counter it with a positive thought. Here's how one of the elite athletes participating in the Hanton, Wadey and Mellialieu study described it:

Every athlete experiences some negative thought ... especially during the lead up to an important competition. But, you never really know when a negative thought is going to creep in ... What's important though, is that when it does you know how to use it to your advantage to help your performance.

How is this done? About 25% of the participants in the study of elite athletes used the following technique: First, they would broaden their perspective to draw upon personal non-sporting events with which they had successfully dealt (e.g., death or serious illness of family member). They would recognize and acknowledge the strength they possess that got them through these events. They would then turn to positive statements and images of previous sporting accomplishments. This lowered the intensity of their irrational thoughts and increased their feelings of self-confidence and the belief that they would perform successfully.

So it's clear that cognitive restructuring can help you in many ways. Here's a way that it wont. Hanton, Wadey, and Mellalieu found that athletes who used cognitive restructuring still felt anxious. However, the elites did not necessarily see that as a bad thing. As one participant in the study said, "You'll never remove all the worries. As if you didn't feel nervous you would be relaxed like you don't care." What cognitive restructuring did give athletes was the feeling that their self-doubts about their performance were under their control and were helpful, as can be seen in these athlete quotes:

"It [cognitive restructuring] just helps you to see your nervousness in a different light. It's still there, but you see it as something positive for performance, rather than negative."

"Once the battle in my head is under control, I feel more confident as I know the nerves will help my performance. And the more confident you are, the more likely you will perform better."

So should you use cognitive restructuring? Absolutely. If elites do, shouldn't you?

I'll close this post with a quote by Julia Cameron,

What we focus on, we empower and enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: Which do we want more of?

Keep checking back for more cognitive strategies. Next up: Pre-performance routines.

As always, if you know athletes who might benefit from some mental prep training tips, by all means let them know about the Sportsminded blog. That's what we're here for.

Reference: Hanton, Wadey & Mellalieu (2008). Advanced psychological strategies and anxiety responses in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 22, 472-490.

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Quote of the Week: Beating the Odds

2009-05-10T22:08:00.001-07:00

How can you not love a good winning-against-the-odds-story? And what better illustration of that than this year's Kentucky Derby?

For those of you who missed it, this year's winner of the Kentucky Derby was a horse named Mine That Bird that was a 50-1 shot for crossing the finish line first. Lots of racing enthusiasts were upset that he was keeping "better, more accomplished" horses and trainers out of the race. He was dead last going into the last turn before he roared past his rivals to win the race.

Which brings me to this week's quote from the jockey that rode Mine That Bird to victory.

"It's not the first mile that decides it. It's the last one."
-- Calvin Borel

Good advice for any competition -- whether your equine or human.

If you like our weekly quote, then head on over to our Twitter feed and follow us. You'll get updates on our posts as well as the "Tweet 4 the Weekend" -- inspirational words to get you motivated and out of bed early on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Quote of the Week: Be an Animal!

2009-05-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm actually writing this post on Sunday as I recover from running the Orange County Marathon. Given that, I thought a good running quote might be in order....

I love this quote. I'm not sure who actually created it so I'll leave it author unknown.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

If you like the quote of the week, sign up for our Twitter feed. That way, you'll get an inspiration quote on Friday's to carry you through the weekend!

Until then, make it a great week!

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Elites Do. Do You? #2: Simulate Yourself.

2009-04-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here is part two of my 5-part post on the ways that elite athletes manage pre-competitive anxiety. This post explores simulation training.

In my previous post, I gave a general overview of the 4 advanced psychological strategies that elite athletes use to manage their pre-competitive anxiety. Today, I'll focus on one: Simulation training.

What is simulation training? The easiest way to start to answer that question is begin with simulation training's sibling, visualization. Or, more accurately, visualization the way most of us have been taught.

If you've read any of the popular books on sport psychology or taken any mental prep workshop (my own included) you've come across the technique of imagining your perfect performance. We generally tell you to get as clear a picture as possible of the ideal competitive situation, to feel yourself in the zone, and to see yourself triumphant with a gold medal around your neck. Or something to that effect. The point is that with the basic technique of visualization you make everything you see perfect.

Not so with simulation training. If traditional visualization is the good twin, then simulation training is the evil one. Hanton, Wadey, and Mellalieu, the authors of the study of elite athletes, describe two main components of simulation training: mental rehearsal and physical practice. Elite athletes don't just imagine the perfect race condition when they train, the visualize and train in imperfect conditions. As the authors write:

"Specifically, they imagined and trained in the presence of stressors associated primarily and directly with competition (e.g., poor officiating, competitive rivals, crowd noise, and adverse weather conditions), which brought about thoughts and feelings associated with their usual anxiety response."

What would these athletes do? They would hold mock competitions with other athletes. They would play crowd-noise over the loud speaker when they were trying to focus. They would have teammates intentionally try to disrupt their attention, they would turn on the sprinklers before training to practice in wet-weather conditions.

But that wasn't all. At the same time all of this was going on, they would imagine themselves successfully coping with, and thriving under these conditions.

How does this work?

Well, it doesn't get rid of the elite athlete's anxiety. These athletes are well aware that anxiety is a natural part of the athletic experience. What it does do is allow the athlete to feel more in-control of their anxiety response. It also allows them to feel more comfortable when they do experience pre-competitive anxiety. This allows them to focus on the important aspects of their competition. Here's how one of the athletes from the study put it:

"It [simulation training] really helps me to prepare for competition... Then when I'm at competition, it's a familiar feeling, like I've been there before...Yeah, I still get nervous, don't get me wrong, you always need some nerves to perform well. But, because I know it's coming, I'm in control. And if you're in control you will perform better."

The nice thing about this advanced strategy for coping with anxiety is that you do not have to be an elite athlete to use it. You can imagine things that might be hard or difficult and how you will cope with them. You can see yourself hurting and yet continuing to compete. You can practice running hills until you're ready to puke so that running hills in a race is no big deal. The possibilities are endless.

Reference: Hanton, Wadey & Mellalieu (2008). Advanced psychological strategies and anxiety responses in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 22, 472-490.

And this is just the first of the four strategies I'll be writing about. Next up: Cognitive Restructuring.

Reference:

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Quote of the Week: Difficulties

2009-04-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

In everyone's life, there comes a time when training or working-out just feels hard. The key, of course, is to persevere....

We need to remember that hard times in our training do not mean that we are doing something wrong. In fact, they may mean that we are doing everything right. So, in honor of hard times in training (and in life), here is this week's quote.

Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.
--Dan Reeves

Dan Reeves coached in four Super Bowls, three as head coach of the Denver Broncos and one as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Make it a great week!

P.S. Remember you can follow us on Twitter. In addition to updates about posts on this blog, you'll get our "Tweet for the Weekend" -- words to inspire your Saturday and Sunday training.

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Do Fries Come With That Salad?

2009-04-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

As athletes, we train, eat, and sleep (well, maybe a few other things). So when I came across an article on the psychology of eating I couldn't resist sharing it.

Before we get into the research, let's take a little quiz:

You go to a fast food chain restaurant. You look at the menu board and notice that they have recently revised their offerings to include a new side salad. You place your order for a $6 restaurant style McBurger and the person taking your order asks you, "would you like a fries, a baked potato, or a salad with the burger?" You choose:
(a) the salad
(b) the baked potato
(c) the fries

The correct answer.. let me just say that according to some recent research in the Journal of Consumer Behavior it isn't the salad.

In the article Vicarious Goal Fulfillment: When the Mere Presence of a Healthy Option Leads to an Ironically Indulgent Decision researchers maintain that having a healthy item on the menu may make you less like to choose it, and more likely to choose the worst thing on the menu.

Here's their explanation: The most common way that people perceive progress in attaining their goals is to actively pursue them. If, however, you have made some progress toward your goal, you may be tempted, at least temporarily, to choose some alternative that is not necessarily in line with your end goal. The authors give the example of people who have just finished working out. They may feel that they have successfully satisfied their goal to be healthy (at least for the day) and therefore allow themselves to indulge in dessert at their next meal.

What's even more interesting is that just intending to reach your goal makes it easier to indulge. So if you take today off from training but you tell yourself, "tomorrow I have a long run scheduled" you are more likely to eat dessert tonight, even though you've done nothing today toward your goal. The authors' call that "vicarious goal fulfillment."

Or, as the researchers put it, "when individuals have the opportunity to engage in a course of action that is consistent with healthy eating goals, as they do when a healthy alternative is merely present in a choice set, the consideration of this option will satisfy the goal—at least temporarily—and, in turn, license them to indulge".

The researchers set up a series of experiments in which participants were given a list of food choices. Some lists included healthy items. Some didn't. If the healthy choice were present, the unhealthiest option was chosen. In addition, if you were a "high self-control" person -- someone who was very self-disciplined -- you were more likely to do so.

The researcher's bottom line: ""Just because we consumers want to see healthier items available does not mean that we are going to choose them."

The bottom line for athletes: Stay out of fast food restaurants -- especially those that offer salads with their fries!

Reference: Wilcox et al. (2009) Vicarious Goal Fulfillment: When the Mere Presence of a Healthy Option Leads to an Ironically Indulgent Decision. Journal of Consumer Research, 090409080957062 DOI: 10.1086/599219

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Quote of the Week: Desire

2009-04-20T09:43:00.001-07:00

Today in Southern California it's in the mid-80's. I was cycling this morning, rode by the bay, and thought how nice a swim would be. Which leads me to this week's quote....

It comes from Diana Nyad, who swam 102.5 miles between the Bahamas and Jupiter, Fla., for a world long distance record. You can hear her voice on NPR where she regularly comments on sports.

If you want to touch the other shore badly enough, barring an impossible situation, you will. If your desire is diluted for any reason, you’ll never make it.
--Diana Nyad

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Spicy!

2009-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've spent the weekend grading papers. Not my favorite thing but it does have advantages. This week's quote comes courtesy of one of my students. It's a good reminder that training is as important as racing.

Competition is the spice of sports; but if you make spice the whole meal you’ll be sick.

--George Leonard

Goerge Leonard holds a fifth degree black belt in aikido. He is the author of "The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei"

Make it a great week!

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Quote of the Week: Gonna Knock You Out!

2009-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Another week, another quote. This one comes from Sugar Ray Leonard and it's all about what it takes to win....

"You have to know you can win. You have to think you can win. You have to feel you can win."

--Sugar Ray Leonard

Make it a great week!

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Elites Do. Do You?

2009-04-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading the SportsMinded Blog for a while, you know that there are many techniques that elite athletes use that are available to athletes of all abilities. I thought highlighting 4 ...

previously undiscussed psychological strategies for managing competitive anxiety would be a great way to celebrate the "new and improved" SportsMinded Blog.... strategies that the elites use to manage competitive anxiety are not just any strategies -- these are "advanced psychological strategies." Or at least that's what the authors of a recent study in The Sport Psychologist say. Since we'll be looking at a number of different techniques, I'll be presenting them in a series of 5 posts. of which this is the first. In this one, we'll cover the basics and give a brief overview of the 4 strategies.

To start with we have do understand the concept of "direction" (and I'm not referring to arrows chalked on the asphalt in a 10K, marathon or triathlon letting you know which way to turn). Traditionally, research on anxiety looked at two aspects: the cognitive and the somatic. The cognitive aspect of anxiety includes all the anxious thoughts one might have regarding a competition (e.g., "What happens if I lose?", "What happens if I let my teammates down?", "What happens if I don't do my best?"). The somatic aspect includes all the physical symptoms one might have one anxious (e.g., sweaty palms, muscle tenseness, increased heart rate). More recently, researcher have begun studying how these symptoms are interpreted. Which is to say, that not all anxiety is bad. When we experience pre-competitive anxiety we have a choice: we can view it as something negative or something that might actually improve our performance (i.e., an indication that we are excited about competing). Direction refers to where on the facilitative-debilitative continuum we place our competitive anxiety.

Another thing that will be helpful to be aware of is the differences in how elite and non-elite athletes use basic sport psychological skills such as goal-setting, imagery, relaxation and self-talk. Non-elite athletes primarily use relaxation techniques to try to reduce their pre-competition anxiety to a level that they feel is facilitative (i.e., positive direction). In contrast, elite athletes maintain their intensity levels and use goal-setting, imagery, and self-talk to interpret their heightened pre-competitive anxiety as facilitative.

These basic psychological skills work for a variety of reasons. They help us pay closer attention and focus on things that are important to our performance. They increase our effort and motivation. They allow us to feel more in control of our anxiety. All of these allow us to interpret our anxiety as a positive thing.

Most often, non-elite athletes will use the previously mentioned psychological skills one at a time Not so for the elites. Elites will often combine these skills into advanced psychological strategies. So the combination of the basic strategies of self-talk and imagery creates an advanced strategy of cognitive restructuring.

Which bring us to the study by Sheldon Hanton and Ross Wadey from the University of Wales, and their colleague Stephen Mellaliu from Swansea University. In Advanced Psychological and Anxiety Responses in Sport, they analyzed how elite athletes used simulation training, cognitive restructuring, pre-performance routines, ad overlearning of skills. Each of these will be discussed in it's own post. But for now, here's a brief description.

Simulation training is when athletes attempt to physically and mentally simulate the competitive environment as closely as possible so that they can practice and learn to perform successfully under such stressful conditions.

Cognitive restructuring is when athletes replace irrational thought patterns with more adaptive ones.

Pre-performance routines are when athletes engage in individualized and systematic thoughts and behaviors before performance (think of a baseball player tapping his bat 3 times and touching the brim of his hat before batting).

Overlearning of skills is where athletes repeatedly execute the physical and mental skills they are going to use during competition.

So know you've got the background. The rest of this blog series will look at each advanced psychological skill in much greater depth We'll examine how it's done and why it works. We'll also look at ways in which you can incorporate it into your own mental training. But you'll have to come back to read all that. Right now it's time to let all of this background information sink in. Besides I've got to run (literally and figuratively speaking!).

Make it a great day!

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Quote of the Week: Run, Walk or Crawl

2009-03-31T21:49:00.001-07:00

At long last, the quote of the week is back. This one comes from Dean Karnazes, the self-named "Ultramarathon Man." ...

You may remember Karnazes as the guy who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. So he ought a know a thing or two about perseverance. Here's what he has to say:

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up."

Thanks for being patient while the SportsMinded blog was revamped.

As always, make it a great week!

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I Still Remember

2009-03-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

I just want to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you or the SportsMinded blog. I'm working...

on revamping it with some new features-- a new background and layout plus the ability to send out the quote of the week on Twitter. Give me just a little more time and I'll be back up and running again.In the meantime, make it a great week!--Craig