Resilience

To finish races…It helps if you don’t stop.
A large part of “not stopping” is Resilience.

Resilience is what gets you through those hard training sessions and races that just hurt. A lot!
Resilience is not about “Being Tough”. Almost every racer will have a cry during long races. Resilience is about giving yourself 5 mins to cry and then getting on with the race.
Resilience is built up like an Onion of many layers. These have to be developed and trained over time. There are no shortcuts.

So what are some things that build Resilience?

1. Mental Toughness

• Definition: Mental toughness is the ability to maintain focus and determination in the face of adversity.
• Development: It can be developed through regular training, mental exercises like visualisation, and exposure to challenging situations in a controlled manner.
  It is similar to “Fear Inoculation” where the trick is to stretch your comfort zone “A bit, but not too much”. This means that you get used to more and more fear inducing stuff without getting traumatised.
  The more gruelling races that you do, the easier they get. (No Shortcuts)

2. Mindset

• Optimism: Maintaining a positive outlook, even when faced with setbacks, helps in coping with difficulties.
  (This does not mean ignoring adversity. It is more about accepting, and being OK with it.)
• Reframing: As mentioned earlier, reframing negative thoughts into positive ones can significantly boost resilience.
  (Today’s session was hell….but I got a really good workout from it 🙂 )

3. Goal Setting and Focus

• Realistic Goals: Setting achievable, yet challenging goals keeps motivation high.
• Process Orientation: Sometimes focusing on the process, rather than just the outcome helps maintain motivation and resilience, especially during tough times.
  (This often looks like focusing on your stroke until you get into a flow state and everything else seems to fade away. )

4. Adaptability

• Flexibility: Being adaptable in the face of changing circumstances, such as weather conditions, injuries, or personal life changes, is key to resilience.
• Problem-Solving: Developing problem-solving skills to deal with unexpected situations during training or events.
  
  These both suggest “not letting Change get to you and just moving on with it”.

5. Physical Preparation

• Consistent Training: Building a strong physical foundation through consistent training is essential.
• Cross-Training: Engaging in different types of workouts improves overall fitness and prevents burnout.

6. Recovery and Self-Care

• Adequate Rest: Prioritizing recovery and rest is as important as training hard.
• Nutrition and Hydration: Proper nutrition and hydration are crucial for maintaining physical and mental resilience.

7. Support System

• Community: Being part of a community, whether it’s a training group or an online forum, provides emotional support and motivation.
• Professional Guidance: Seeking advice from coaches, nutritionists, and mental health professionals can enhance resilience.

8. Experience and Learning

• Learn Things: Get online and start studying endurance sports. The more you know, the better you can choose approaches that will suit you.
• Learning from Setbacks: Viewing failures and setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Experience: Over time, participating in various events and facing different challenges builds resilience.

9. Stress Management

• Relaxation Techniques: Incorporating relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation into your routine.
• Balance: Balancing training with other life responsibilities to avoid burnout.
  
  Being tired or stressed will have a real impact on you physically. It is also a mental drain. You just don’t race well when you are run down.

10. Celebrating Successes

• Acknowledging Achievements: Celebrating both small wins and big achievements reinforces a positive mindset and resilience.
• Bank of Trust: Everything you do goes into the “Bank of Trust”. This is where you stop all your experiences and use it to build “Trust In Yourself”.
  
  The next time you are freaking out at the start of a 2 day race, just visit the Bank of Trust, and you will be reminded of all the similar races you have done in the past.
  So maybe you CAN do this. 🙂

What next

Every item on this page requires separate articles to flesh out how to develop them, so this is really a Checklist for you to work through.

If you wan’t to be inspired about Resilience then read any stories about endurance athletes.
Possibly the Poster Child of them currently is Ross Edgley who takes Resilience a bit further than most of us could dream.