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MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
So we've all heard the term "mind over matter" right? But what does it mean and what does it look like? Collins Dictionary has this to say about it... You can use the expression mind over matter to describe situations in which a person seems to be able to control events, physical objects, or the condition of their own body using their mind. And to see what "mind over matter" looks like in real time we need only look to the example of Navy SEAL David Goggins who has inspired countless athletes (me included) to muster up strength they never knew they had to press on to the finish line.
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| Luke and me well before the wheels fell off |
My initial story of this “rule” that I’ve now incorporated into all aspects of my life started around mile 70 of the 2017 Prairie Spirit 100 mile run, when the wheels on the bus completely fell off. Completely! I don't know how it happened and I never saw it coming. I was on fire, full of energy and running well, but something happened between between miles 67 and 69 and I was done. There was no gas left in the tank and the threshold of my pain endurance had been met. My feet felt like they were on fire (later found out that I was allergic to the latex in my socks and my feet were actually burning) and my mind screamed, "STOP!" Thankfully, my son Luke who was there to pace me from mile 70 on explained the phenomena known as the "40 Percent Rule." I listened very intently to the words this young man spoke and then told my mind to "SHUT UP!" After some much needed coffee and a few pieces of bacon, Luke and I headed out together and managed to keep moving for another 10 hours (after I thought I was COMPLETELY done) to cross the finish line just in under 24 hours. I'm telling you this rule works! The 40% Rule is the idea that when our mind is telling us to quit, that our body has actually only used up 40% of it’s potential. Think of this in terms of a long run; how many times have you been deep in a long run that you had to grind out when your mind began telling you to slow down or that it’s time to stop? According to Goggins, at this point you and I are only 40% used up – and we are still capable of more. Goggins explained that this extra 60% doesn’t come from the mind or from the body; it comes from our will.
But just don't take it from me, check out what Peter Economy wrote in an article published by Inc. : Mind over matter. Is the challenge you're taking on physically challenging or emotionally difficult? Even if it is, could it be that your obstacle is also mostly mental? Jesse Itzler, the co-founder of Marquis Jet, talks about mental toughness in his book, Living with a SEAL. While running a 100-mile race as part of a six-person relay team, Itzler met a Navy SEAL who was running the entire race by himself. Running the race solo was a massive feat on its own--and then Itzler came to realize that the SEAL was running despite a damaging set of circumstances. Recalls Itzler, I've never seen anything like it. And during the race, I kept an eye on him and around mile 70--he weighed probably 260 pounds, which is quite large for an ultra runner--he had broken all the small bones in both of his feet and had kidney damage and he finished the race. After the race was over, Itzler hired the SEAL to live with him and his family in an effort to learn more about mental toughness. "I thought that he would be a great way to get in good shape," Itzler says, "but also to just mix up my routine and get better."Who was the SEAL who came to live with Itzler? None other than Ironman triathlete David Goggins, world record holder for most pull-ups done in 24 hours and finisher of the Badwater 135, a 135-mile race in Death Valley (Goggins finished in fifth place). Not only did Goggins run the ultra-marathon with broken bones and while weighing over 200 pounds, but he did so while suffering from an endurance-limiting atrial septum defect caused by a hole in the wall of his heart.While Goggins was living with Itzler, he taught him the "40 percent rule": "When your mind is telling you you're done, you're really only 40 percent done." Itzler then explained how Goggins showed Itzler that he could actually do 100 pull-ups, despite nearly quitting after completing only eight.
So there you have it friends. If you're lacking the motivation and will to train today, try living by the 40% rule. Train your mind to ignore what your body says can't be done. Challenge yourself to dig deeper and to ignore the mental limits you place on yourself. Remember that pain isn't something you want to avoid all the time because when we continuously subject ourselves to it, we only grow stronger. As American runner and coach Joe Henderson once said, "Your toughness is made up of equal parts of persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head."
Happy Running!!!
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