MIND POWER
Christoper Bergland describes how to develop an "athletic mind-set" in The Athlete's Way:Sweat and the Biology of Bliss"(St. Martin's Press:June 2007)
SET GOALS; the sense of achievement that comes from accomplishing a goal comes from dopamine-(a neuro-chemical). To get regular hits, have manageable goals that'll give you more opportunities for success.
GET INSPIRED: review quotes from Muhammad Ali, Charles Lindbergh, and Nietzsche. "When I am exercising, one of these quotes will often pop into my mind-usually when I need it the most."
MONITOR YOUR MOOD: compare how you feel before and after a walk using a scale of -5(stressed/cranky) to +5(calm/elated) "If you're starting a workout feeling +1 you'll know that when you're done you will be a +4 or +5"
USE POSITIVE IMAGERY: Bergland's fridge features Lance Armstrong, the Hawaii Ironman, and superman -- things that motivate him. But his most visual clues are rubber bands. He puts one on each morning as a reminder of his commitment. At night, he adds it to a rubber-band ball, " a representation of my investment. I take those rubber-band balls with me to races to remind me that I've trained hard and am prepared."
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