Beautiful but hot weather greeted the starters at Greenwich yesterday. I got down early and took some time to relax on the grass without my shoes on. I watched as the park filled up and met my friends to get to the start together. We were right at the front on Charlton Way outside the gates when the starters gun went. I immediately got into my stride and set off at what I thought was a slow pace. I did my first mile in under 7 minutes. As much as you tell yourself not to, you get caught up in the speed and excitement of the race. But I pared back more for the next few miles and got into a comfortable groove.
The next 12 or 13 miles were great. I slowed down to stick to my race plan of 8 minute miling but fell a bit behind this time as I got on to the highway at halfway just past Tower Bridge. The crowds and noise were deafening at that point but the heat of the day was really upon us and I felt myself slowing. It wasn't so bad physically but it sapped the mind and emotions. I realised that I had only seen one friend on the sidelines and as the toil was wareing me down, it was harder to keep going. The plan to pick up the pace in the second half went out the window. In these conditions, it was too much. At every water station I picked up water and drank some and tipped the rest over me to cool down. I got round the Isle of Dogs and up to Canary Wharf. I saw a couple of friends but missed my family in the huge crowds.
Leaving Canary Wharf and heading to Poplar I had to dig in. It felt tough but again I then saw some people once I was getting to the highway again and the spirits lifted, but the body couldn't. A lot of people around me were slowing and the mile markers seemed to spread out further and further away from me. Relative distances I knew seemed to take an eternity to negotiate. I wanted to walk. I wanted to stop. I began to think "Who do i need to justify myself to if i give up now?" I realised it was only me, as everyone I knew would support me whatever I did, but I wouldn't let myself do that. I began to think could I make it? and used the old adage, "one foot in front of the other," to just keep going. I've never had to dig into reserves that deep mentally to complete it, and I was saying to myself "If you do this, you never have to run another marathon again in your life." I convinced myself to quit the distance from this point. But only after I'd finished this one and beaten last years time.
I saw my family and girlfriend at Temple, it gave me a temporary lift. I kept going to Parliament, turned towards Birdcage Walk and as I was struggling and wanting to give in, Fran from club appeared to my left. I must have looked a sight. Bedraggled and crushed, I asked if she could hold me together to the line, and though she was tired she kindly did. We crossed the line together - 2 Victoria Park Harriers, in a time that I should be proud of, but of course, inside I was a bit disappointed it was longer than expected. On reflection today, after some rest, I am happy with it. I beat last years time, came in under 4 hours, finished in the top 20 per cent and didn't have too much physical pain or scars to show for the days running in tough conditions.
I'll be back for more and have the goal and hunger to go even quicker. For now though, I'll enjoy the moment and draw every ounce from the experience to help me with my running in the future.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Day 97 for FLM 2009
It's almost here. I can feel it so close, but its still a couple of days away. Everyone asking me about it, wellwishers sending messages. Met my mum earlier today, who is over from Spain with my Dad for the big day. Had a lovely lunch and caught up on stuff and talked more about the fundraising than the strategy for the race. Must say here, for anyone who has donated money or bought raffle tickets, a huge thank you. I've done over £1500 which I really didn't think I could manage on my own a year after getting over £2500, particularly in a recession. Myself and Mind are really grateful.
So I'm at the end of the rest (or taper) phase of training. I'm itching to get out. I've got half an hour strides to be doing tomorrow morning. That'll be after I get up at the same time as I plan to on Sunday and have the same breakfast that I'll have on the day. A big pasta lunch and a jacket sweet potato in the evening. This training for the marathon has united me with the humble Kumara. Baked they are delicious! and stick some humous on them, and you've got a wicked meal on your hands.
I got my chip and number (41200) from the expo and went feeling apprehensive and very unenthusiastic about it. You have to take the DLR to docklands and go to a massive corporate warehouse. Once processed, you're then bombarded by Adidas, the shop I work in (bite the hand that feeds eh? ;-) and other trainer/sport manufacturers and marathon related sales people.
However, I really enjoyed myself! On the way there I listened to my first interview I recorded the previous night for my thesis, the weather was amazing and I began to feel marathon fever.
I remembered that the circumstances were different last year. I had taken my application form for my masters there and excitedly had been reading about what the course had to offer and what the modules were. This year I met up with a colleague who taught part of this years course and is on the way to becoming a fully fledged sports psychologist, and marathon expert! We had a good catch up on things marathon and next steps for yours truly. It felt good to know I was doing all the right stuff and trying to get the right kind of experience. Once this marathons out of the way, then I'll be able to focus more clearly on finishing the course. My work has suffered in the last week due to the distraction but given that I'll be taking more data tomorrow for my thesis from 2 fellow runners, then I'll be able to be ahead with that whilst I catch up with other work.
Anyway, enough of that. Back to training. My final but one entry tonight and then rest before that early start. Wish me luck!
Meals today
Porridge, with banana, raisins and milk
2 tangerines
Fillet of whiting with chips, rocket and a pint of freedom lager (my last booze till sunday night)
few pieces of chocolate with a coffee
1 x cup of tea
1 sirloin steak, potato wedges, asparagus, mushroom and roasted tomatoes - and a big salad
more tea
Lots of water
So I'm at the end of the rest (or taper) phase of training. I'm itching to get out. I've got half an hour strides to be doing tomorrow morning. That'll be after I get up at the same time as I plan to on Sunday and have the same breakfast that I'll have on the day. A big pasta lunch and a jacket sweet potato in the evening. This training for the marathon has united me with the humble Kumara. Baked they are delicious! and stick some humous on them, and you've got a wicked meal on your hands.
I got my chip and number (41200) from the expo and went feeling apprehensive and very unenthusiastic about it. You have to take the DLR to docklands and go to a massive corporate warehouse. Once processed, you're then bombarded by Adidas, the shop I work in (bite the hand that feeds eh? ;-) and other trainer/sport manufacturers and marathon related sales people.
However, I really enjoyed myself! On the way there I listened to my first interview I recorded the previous night for my thesis, the weather was amazing and I began to feel marathon fever.
I remembered that the circumstances were different last year. I had taken my application form for my masters there and excitedly had been reading about what the course had to offer and what the modules were. This year I met up with a colleague who taught part of this years course and is on the way to becoming a fully fledged sports psychologist, and marathon expert! We had a good catch up on things marathon and next steps for yours truly. It felt good to know I was doing all the right stuff and trying to get the right kind of experience. Once this marathons out of the way, then I'll be able to focus more clearly on finishing the course. My work has suffered in the last week due to the distraction but given that I'll be taking more data tomorrow for my thesis from 2 fellow runners, then I'll be able to be ahead with that whilst I catch up with other work.
Anyway, enough of that. Back to training. My final but one entry tonight and then rest before that early start. Wish me luck!
Meals today
Porridge, with banana, raisins and milk
2 tangerines
Fillet of whiting with chips, rocket and a pint of freedom lager (my last booze till sunday night)
few pieces of chocolate with a coffee
1 x cup of tea
1 sirloin steak, potato wedges, asparagus, mushroom and roasted tomatoes - and a big salad
more tea
Lots of water
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Day 95 for FLM 2009
Completed my last run at the club tonight. Using the old cinder track at Victoria park the marathon runners in the club clocked 4 times 400 metres. Relatively swiftly at about 85 seconds each time.
Legs felt great and I've spent lots of time stretching to rest in time for sunday. Tonights run felt like the opportunity to stretch them out a bit and the temptation to avoid going too far or fast was there.
I'm thinking more now about the race and how I'm going to run it. I don't want to plan too much and just see what its like on the day. I think if I'm calm and collected and the weather is too our advantage a decent time is on the cards. But not wanting to sound too pretentious or simplistic, I just want a good experience. The time will come second. If it's good then fantastic, but I won't be beating myself up over it.
Should be getting my sleep now. A few more days to go then it'll be here. Before I know it I'll be back to 'normal' life and work so I'm going to enjoy the build up and the big day.
Legs felt great and I've spent lots of time stretching to rest in time for sunday. Tonights run felt like the opportunity to stretch them out a bit and the temptation to avoid going too far or fast was there.
I'm thinking more now about the race and how I'm going to run it. I don't want to plan too much and just see what its like on the day. I think if I'm calm and collected and the weather is too our advantage a decent time is on the cards. But not wanting to sound too pretentious or simplistic, I just want a good experience. The time will come second. If it's good then fantastic, but I won't be beating myself up over it.
Should be getting my sleep now. A few more days to go then it'll be here. Before I know it I'll be back to 'normal' life and work so I'm going to enjoy the build up and the big day.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Days 90 to 93 for FLM 2009
Into the final week and really taking it down in terms of exercise. Shaking off any last minute aches, pains and ailments.
I'm notorious for taking on loads of things, so I've consciously pared back on things to do this week. Aside from the work in the Marathon shop which may be hectic at the beginning of the week, it'll get easier by the weekend in terms of being on my feet. As a colleague from the club said, this week is about hydration, as much rest as possible, and focusing on strategy for the race.
On thursday I went for a resistance session with Graeme from the shop. My abductors were really out of sorts and he's put me on a regime to stretch these every day before the marathon. Once the marathons over, I'll be doing more of this as well speed work to be able to bring my times down for running. The essence of why is that by doing proper stretching and resistance work, you are improving your suppleness which should have an impact on your running style, efficiency and posture. So as much as I love running, working your core and flexibility will have as strong an effect on your performance long term.
Friday I completed my last VO2 max test at Sparc at Roehampton for a colleagues physiology exam but I struggled with a bit of tightness to my chest. I will however, get the results to inform the kind of times I should be looking to run each mile in the marathon to limit the chance of me hitting the wall.
And this morning, after a late night I managed to rouse myself to go for a 6.5 mile run with the club to loosen up the leg muscles. Thanks to the stretching as advised by Graeme beforehand, this felt very comfortable. So, for the rest of the week, cycling, and a couple of short runs will suffice along with hot baths and more resistance work.
Spoken to a few people who seemingly do read my postings and have commented on my food diary and highlights at the end of these postings. I don't get much feedback so when someone says "Oh I know about that from your blog," I'm a bit taken aback!
So scores on the doors!
Runs:
6.5 miles Victoria Park to Limehouse Basin and Back. Gentle and felt fine. About 50 minutes.
Food today:
Breakfast:
Half a muffin, Marmalade (not damson jam Kate!), 3 x teas, some cereal.
Brunch:
A muffin, mushrooms, a quorn sausage, poached egg.
Lunch:
2 tortillas, some quorn & fajita mix & salad, chocolate from easter
Dinner:
chicken, cous cous & roasted veg, slice of apple tart. Diet coke
Music:
Finally bought some music this week. Bullion 12" and Flying Lotus Ep on Warp
Enjoyed Bill Brewsters Set at Electric elephant last night. Never heard Losing my edge by LCD Soundsystem on a big PA. Sounded pretty good....
I'm notorious for taking on loads of things, so I've consciously pared back on things to do this week. Aside from the work in the Marathon shop which may be hectic at the beginning of the week, it'll get easier by the weekend in terms of being on my feet. As a colleague from the club said, this week is about hydration, as much rest as possible, and focusing on strategy for the race.
On thursday I went for a resistance session with Graeme from the shop. My abductors were really out of sorts and he's put me on a regime to stretch these every day before the marathon. Once the marathons over, I'll be doing more of this as well speed work to be able to bring my times down for running. The essence of why is that by doing proper stretching and resistance work, you are improving your suppleness which should have an impact on your running style, efficiency and posture. So as much as I love running, working your core and flexibility will have as strong an effect on your performance long term.
Friday I completed my last VO2 max test at Sparc at Roehampton for a colleagues physiology exam but I struggled with a bit of tightness to my chest. I will however, get the results to inform the kind of times I should be looking to run each mile in the marathon to limit the chance of me hitting the wall.
And this morning, after a late night I managed to rouse myself to go for a 6.5 mile run with the club to loosen up the leg muscles. Thanks to the stretching as advised by Graeme beforehand, this felt very comfortable. So, for the rest of the week, cycling, and a couple of short runs will suffice along with hot baths and more resistance work.
Spoken to a few people who seemingly do read my postings and have commented on my food diary and highlights at the end of these postings. I don't get much feedback so when someone says "Oh I know about that from your blog," I'm a bit taken aback!
So scores on the doors!
Runs:
6.5 miles Victoria Park to Limehouse Basin and Back. Gentle and felt fine. About 50 minutes.
Food today:
Breakfast:
Half a muffin, Marmalade (not damson jam Kate!), 3 x teas, some cereal.
Brunch:
A muffin, mushrooms, a quorn sausage, poached egg.
Lunch:
2 tortillas, some quorn & fajita mix & salad, chocolate from easter
Dinner:
chicken, cous cous & roasted veg, slice of apple tart. Diet coke
Music:
Finally bought some music this week. Bullion 12" and Flying Lotus Ep on Warp
Enjoyed Bill Brewsters Set at Electric elephant last night. Never heard Losing my edge by LCD Soundsystem on a big PA. Sounded pretty good....
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Contact Us
Tel :
03-8992 9600
Fax :
03-8996 8748
Address :
Pusat Psikologi Sukan @ Sport Psychology Centre
Institut Sukan Negara Malaysia,
Kompleks Sukan Negara, Bukit Jalil,
Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
About Us
The goal of psychological support service is to consistently create the optimal psychological states that facilitate athletes to unleash their potential to perform at their best.
Our role is to educate and extend research based practices for performance enhancement in athletes.
Our services:
1. EDUCATION
The goal of education is to impart to all the scientific basis of psychological support services. In addition, education helps to uphold the growth and recognition of applying psychological concepts into an athlete’s training regime.
Our focus group is the athletes. We are also attending to coaches, sport psychology officers, sport officers, universities/school students, government/private institution and general community.
2. PSYCHOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICE
Psychology support service is conducted in different phases:
3. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION
The department staffs engage in conducting surveys, short-term and long-term research. We disseminate the findings by publications and presentations.
Days 87 to 89 for FLM 2009
Ah no! bummer - I've got a tickly little sniffle. little bit of a sore throat, little bit of a cold. Certainly nothing to make me bed bound but just enough to make running uncomfortable.
First felt something on Easter Sunday when I did my last longer run (13 miles) with running club. Funnily enough, nearly all the club runners have come down with a little lurgy in the last week since beginning to taper. I guess the body is relieved to not being so hard pushed. I haven't looked online but there must a physiological answer out there.
It wasn't so bad, but the following morning I felt poor. Since then I've picked up and I'm upping fruit levels, and from now on, watching myself. Booze is off the menu till race day, and an application of vicks on my chest every night should clear this within a day.
Last night was tough. Our last session at the track before the big day. I pushed it hard and felt ok afterwards. Though on the second of the 5 x 1200 metres we did, I felt rough. Its best to fight these things head on I reckon and not one to complain, a rest day from running today will help. My final VO2 max test this friday awaits. Can't wait to see how I've done. It should, I hope provide the final set of data for me to tailor the speed at which I'll run the marathon. Then I can just enjoy the day in the knowledge I'm not going to expire too soon!
Gesundheit to all! s x
Stats
Sunday: 13.1 miles, in 1:45. Only 7 minutes outside PB for Half marathon distance!
Monday: 3.5 miles. A very slow loosener - in 35 minutes.
Tuesday: Track, 5 x 1200 reps (minute recovery), 2 x 300 sprint.
Music wise, been listening to the new Phoenix album, Benji B 1 xtra show, and loving Floating Points 'Vacuum'. Oh and Doves remixes for their new single.
First felt something on Easter Sunday when I did my last longer run (13 miles) with running club. Funnily enough, nearly all the club runners have come down with a little lurgy in the last week since beginning to taper. I guess the body is relieved to not being so hard pushed. I haven't looked online but there must a physiological answer out there.
It wasn't so bad, but the following morning I felt poor. Since then I've picked up and I'm upping fruit levels, and from now on, watching myself. Booze is off the menu till race day, and an application of vicks on my chest every night should clear this within a day.
Last night was tough. Our last session at the track before the big day. I pushed it hard and felt ok afterwards. Though on the second of the 5 x 1200 metres we did, I felt rough. Its best to fight these things head on I reckon and not one to complain, a rest day from running today will help. My final VO2 max test this friday awaits. Can't wait to see how I've done. It should, I hope provide the final set of data for me to tailor the speed at which I'll run the marathon. Then I can just enjoy the day in the knowledge I'm not going to expire too soon!
Gesundheit to all! s x
Stats
Sunday: 13.1 miles, in 1:45. Only 7 minutes outside PB for Half marathon distance!
Monday: 3.5 miles. A very slow loosener - in 35 minutes.
Tuesday: Track, 5 x 1200 reps (minute recovery), 2 x 300 sprint.
Music wise, been listening to the new Phoenix album, Benji B 1 xtra show, and loving Floating Points 'Vacuum'. Oh and Doves remixes for their new single.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Day 82 for FLM 2009 (or solo speedwork sucks!)
Due to a large workload, juggling commitments in the shop with life, the thesis, I've only ran once in anger since the last long run. I made it to the club and did a great 6 mile speed session on Thursday with Simon and Alfredo. Really felt good afterwards. It showed the benefit of pushing yourself with others in a speed session. I didn't want to necessarily go as quickly as Simon pushed the pace, but after his stag the previous weekend, he wanted to clear any remnants from his system!
Nearing the finish I had a quick flash through my mind that maybe I'd ease off rather than keep at the pace he was really pushing to the clubhouse. It was within sight, and for 5 seconds I was thinking 'just stop!'. But the competitor in me didn't relent and pushed on for a bit longer. The endorphins kicked in and I was glad to have done so.
Today I was supposed to up my speed work but a last minute opportunity to run the second part of my pilot study for my thesis meant that I was going to not make it. With half an hour to spare I ran to the local park and tried to push the pace on my own. To be fair, it was useful and I didn't slouch and took it seriously. But without the measurement of the track or a coach to instruct you, the motivation was that much harder. I finished strongly and felt better for the run.
But with passover and Easter providing breaks to the routine, I feared how lack of running might impact marathon performance. However, having looked at what I'm doing between now and the big day I'm sure I'll be fine. That and now having to do core work every day to help my strength and conditioning. This will particularly come in handy for the last part of the marathon to hold up my upper body.
Music: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Food: Cereal, a smoothie, 2 boiled egg and toast, beans on toast, stir fried beef with rice.
Times: Pyramids of different intensities covering an overall distance of 3.85 miles in 28 minutes.
Nearing the finish I had a quick flash through my mind that maybe I'd ease off rather than keep at the pace he was really pushing to the clubhouse. It was within sight, and for 5 seconds I was thinking 'just stop!'. But the competitor in me didn't relent and pushed on for a bit longer. The endorphins kicked in and I was glad to have done so.
Today I was supposed to up my speed work but a last minute opportunity to run the second part of my pilot study for my thesis meant that I was going to not make it. With half an hour to spare I ran to the local park and tried to push the pace on my own. To be fair, it was useful and I didn't slouch and took it seriously. But without the measurement of the track or a coach to instruct you, the motivation was that much harder. I finished strongly and felt better for the run.
But with passover and Easter providing breaks to the routine, I feared how lack of running might impact marathon performance. However, having looked at what I'm doing between now and the big day I'm sure I'll be fine. That and now having to do core work every day to help my strength and conditioning. This will particularly come in handy for the last part of the marathon to hold up my upper body.
Music: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Food: Cereal, a smoothie, 2 boiled egg and toast, beans on toast, stir fried beef with rice.
Times: Pyramids of different intensities covering an overall distance of 3.85 miles in 28 minutes.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Hard Work Pays Off!
Hard Work Pays Off!By Dr. Randy Borum
(Article first published in Black Belt Magazine, April, 2009)
“Hard work…”, yells the instructor. “Pays off” the kids respond loudly and in unison. This is how 2007 World Grappling Games Bronze Medalist Cristina Rodriguez (pictured at left) concludes every class she teaches in the children’s program at Gracie Tampa in Florida. It’s a good life lesson. And research shows she’s right.
When we see a martial artist who is truly exceptional, we often are inclined to focus on how talented or gifted that person it. Sometimes that’s true. But more often than not, even the talented ones only achieve excellence after a lot of practice. How much practice? Research estimates it’s in the neighborhood of 10,000 hours. They even refer to it as “the 10,000 hour rule.” That roughly approximates 20 hours of practice every week for ten years. Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon said: "It takes 10 years of extensive training to excel in anything." The 10,000 hour rule has held to be true for a variety of physical and mental tasks ranging from playing chess, to playing violin, to performing surgery. The advantage of practice over talent is even the subject of two recent, popular books: Outliers (Little, Brown and Company) by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent is Overrated (Portfolio Publishing) by Geoff Colvin
Before you decide to camp out in your dojo or gym just to rack up those hours more quickly, there is a bit of a catch. It must be deliberate practice, focused on improving and getting progressively better as a result of receiving and responding to systematic feedback. Another of Rodriguez’ mantras to her young jiu-jitsu students is that “Practice doesn’t make perfect; Perfect practice, makes perfect.” We have all had practice sessions where we just go through the motions. That’s not deliberate practice, and it does not necessarily facilitate improvement and excellence. It’s the difference between working on the heavy bag for thirty minutes, and working to improve you front kick for thirty minutes on the heavy bag by striking the ball of your foot within two inches of a target mark 90% of the time from optimal range, while maintaining proper upper body posture and leg extension. Making hard work pay off requires more than time and exertion; it requires focus.
What does this mean for you as a recreational or competitive martial artist? As a recreational martial arts practitioner, the idea that deliberate practice – not just raw talent – determines success and improvement means that you can get better, probably even get “good”, if you choose to do so. If you try something for thee months and quit because you determine you’re not good at it, at least be honest with yourself. You are quitting because it is not sufficiently important or rewarding to you to invest the time in deliberate practice, not because you lack the natural talent. You may also choose to stick with a martial art because you enjoy the physical activity, even if you decide not to strive for your best performance. That’s okay, too. You can’t pursue 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in everything. While numerous studies show that thousands of hours are required to excel, there is much less research on why people put in that kind of time and effort. You have to choose what’s most important to you.
If you are a competitor or just decide to pursue excellence in martial arts, there are a few tips that will help you succeed. First, check your assumptions about how success happens. It helps when you realize that what you do often matters more than what come naturally. Faithful readers of this column may recall a few months back, I discussed here Carol Dweck’s research on the “mindset.” She describes two basic mindsets for goal attainment: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. The basic difference is whether ability is believed to be determined more by talent or by hard work. Those who give priority to talent tend to have a fixed mindset. They believe their success comes from a fixed trait that they either do or do not possess. Those with a growth mindset view natural talent just as a starting point – not an end point. They believe ability can be improved through commitment and hard work.
Secondly, seek feedback and use it. Ask for input from instructors, coaches and respected training partner. Don’t just frame the question as “What did I do wrong?”, but “What are some other ways to do it?” One of the best tools is to videotape yourself training or competing. Every martial arts competitor I know – even those at the elite level – learn new and valuable things about their game by watching themselves perform. It gives you a new way of understanding feedback from others and a new perspective on the fine points of your movement. Watch the video closely. Compile a list of what you think you should be doing with posture, speed, agility, strategy etc and how your torso, limbs and head should be positions at each juncture. Consider watching several times, each time looking only at one specific element of your performance. If you see something that needs correction, take a moment to picture in your mind how it would look doing it the right way. Pick something to work on next time, and compare the tapes to see if you are more closely approaching where you want to be.
Thirdly, be systematic. To make deliberate practice work, you can’t just plan to put in a given number of hours, but you must set and monitor specific goals for every workout and practice session. Goals will help your motivation, they will give you focus, and they will guide your ability to learn and improve. In setting goals, think about how a given practice fits within your larger, long term objectives. Ask yourself, how will meeting my goals today move me closer to what I ultimately wish to attain? Make a plan and follow through.
Finally, be persistent. Deliberate practice – when done correctly – is highly effortful and often not very much fun. By itself, it will probably not provide you with much satisfaction or motivation. That’s where goals and feedback come in. You might get at least a bit of satisfaction from having achieved your goal for the session or seeing your improvement from one videotape to the next. Learning to persist, even when it’s not fun, is one of the benefits – yes, benefits - of deliberate practice. You build a measure of resilience and mental toughness by persisting through adversity. You’re likely to need it to get those 10,000 hours of hard work to finally pay off.
“Hard work…”, yells the instructor. “Pays off” the kids respond loudly and in unison. This is how 2007 World Grappling Games Bronze Medalist Cristina Rodriguez (pictured at left) concludes every class she teaches in the children’s program at Gracie Tampa in Florida. It’s a good life lesson. And research shows she’s right.
When we see a martial artist who is truly exceptional, we often are inclined to focus on how talented or gifted that person it. Sometimes that’s true. But more often than not, even the talented ones only achieve excellence after a lot of practice. How much practice? Research estimates it’s in the neighborhood of 10,000 hours. They even refer to it as “the 10,000 hour rule.” That roughly approximates 20 hours of practice every week for ten years. Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon said: "It takes 10 years of extensive training to excel in anything." The 10,000 hour rule has held to be true for a variety of physical and mental tasks ranging from playing chess, to playing violin, to performing surgery. The advantage of practice over talent is even the subject of two recent, popular books: Outliers (Little, Brown and Company) by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent is Overrated (Portfolio Publishing) by Geoff Colvin
Before you decide to camp out in your dojo or gym just to rack up those hours more quickly, there is a bit of a catch. It must be deliberate practice, focused on improving and getting progressively better as a result of receiving and responding to systematic feedback. Another of Rodriguez’ mantras to her young jiu-jitsu students is that “Practice doesn’t make perfect; Perfect practice, makes perfect.” We have all had practice sessions where we just go through the motions. That’s not deliberate practice, and it does not necessarily facilitate improvement and excellence. It’s the difference between working on the heavy bag for thirty minutes, and working to improve you front kick for thirty minutes on the heavy bag by striking the ball of your foot within two inches of a target mark 90% of the time from optimal range, while maintaining proper upper body posture and leg extension. Making hard work pay off requires more than time and exertion; it requires focus.
What does this mean for you as a recreational or competitive martial artist? As a recreational martial arts practitioner, the idea that deliberate practice – not just raw talent – determines success and improvement means that you can get better, probably even get “good”, if you choose to do so. If you try something for thee months and quit because you determine you’re not good at it, at least be honest with yourself. You are quitting because it is not sufficiently important or rewarding to you to invest the time in deliberate practice, not because you lack the natural talent. You may also choose to stick with a martial art because you enjoy the physical activity, even if you decide not to strive for your best performance. That’s okay, too. You can’t pursue 10,000 hours of deliberate practice in everything. While numerous studies show that thousands of hours are required to excel, there is much less research on why people put in that kind of time and effort. You have to choose what’s most important to you.
If you are a competitor or just decide to pursue excellence in martial arts, there are a few tips that will help you succeed. First, check your assumptions about how success happens. It helps when you realize that what you do often matters more than what come naturally. Faithful readers of this column may recall a few months back, I discussed here Carol Dweck’s research on the “mindset.” She describes two basic mindsets for goal attainment: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. The basic difference is whether ability is believed to be determined more by talent or by hard work. Those who give priority to talent tend to have a fixed mindset. They believe their success comes from a fixed trait that they either do or do not possess. Those with a growth mindset view natural talent just as a starting point – not an end point. They believe ability can be improved through commitment and hard work.
Secondly, seek feedback and use it. Ask for input from instructors, coaches and respected training partner. Don’t just frame the question as “What did I do wrong?”, but “What are some other ways to do it?” One of the best tools is to videotape yourself training or competing. Every martial arts competitor I know – even those at the elite level – learn new and valuable things about their game by watching themselves perform. It gives you a new way of understanding feedback from others and a new perspective on the fine points of your movement. Watch the video closely. Compile a list of what you think you should be doing with posture, speed, agility, strategy etc and how your torso, limbs and head should be positions at each juncture. Consider watching several times, each time looking only at one specific element of your performance. If you see something that needs correction, take a moment to picture in your mind how it would look doing it the right way. Pick something to work on next time, and compare the tapes to see if you are more closely approaching where you want to be.
Thirdly, be systematic. To make deliberate practice work, you can’t just plan to put in a given number of hours, but you must set and monitor specific goals for every workout and practice session. Goals will help your motivation, they will give you focus, and they will guide your ability to learn and improve. In setting goals, think about how a given practice fits within your larger, long term objectives. Ask yourself, how will meeting my goals today move me closer to what I ultimately wish to attain? Make a plan and follow through.
Finally, be persistent. Deliberate practice – when done correctly – is highly effortful and often not very much fun. By itself, it will probably not provide you with much satisfaction or motivation. That’s where goals and feedback come in. You might get at least a bit of satisfaction from having achieved your goal for the session or seeing your improvement from one videotape to the next. Learning to persist, even when it’s not fun, is one of the benefits – yes, benefits - of deliberate practice. You build a measure of resilience and mental toughness by persisting through adversity. You’re likely to need it to get those 10,000 hours of hard work to finally pay off.
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