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| Men's Health magazine feature (April 2012?) |
(note: the magazine article has a different content)
High-altitude mountaineering, added with bad weather or
sickness ‘bonuses’ – will over-test one’s limit. Physically and mentally!
While there is in fact a physical/ physiological limit
(which we sometimes don’t reach due to sound logical reasoning), ‘knowing’ (or thinking) one’s end-line is oftentimes the real game. Especially in
endurance sports, majority of one’s mental limit comes way ahead than his/her
physical limit. Maybe a
self-preservation genetic programming in us. All around us or through-out our lives, by
experience and/or mental conditioning, we set some sort of ‘limits’ to many
things that we do. “I can’t possibly
run a 5km distance in 30mins?!” “I can’t swim 1km in 25mins!” “I don’t think I can approach a girl in bar
if I’m not tipsy” :) “I don’t think I can ever climb Everest!”
Sometimes, these thoughts are very strong and we’re actually
programmed to stop or quit when we reached them. This limits often come way ahead than our real
physical limits. Or worse, these limiting thoughts may even prevent us from starting
something altogether. These “mental boundaries” has no place in a difficult-to-live
world! Or difficult task like achieving
one’s personal dream.
Some things that may help in stretching (or going beyond)
these mental limits and hopefully meeting your end-objectives;
1.
Build patience.
Endurance athletes (long-distance runners, ironman triathletes, long
distance paddlers or cyclists, etc) understand patience a lot. Learn to build patience by doing and
sustaining the same thing for a long, long time. This unfortunately doesn’t apply to endurance
TV watching, endurance internet, or other endurance bad habits.
2.
Break personal ‘patience record’ from time to
time. Applies to beginners, or those
just starting on something. This means breaking time or distance record. I
sometimes do boring routines without distance objective – just a time test to
build patience further. Walking on a highway
for 7 hours for example? Breaking one’s
record increases confidence and stretches ones limits.
3.
If you can’t break personal patience record on
your own - bring in a trainer-buddy, a stronger person. One doing the ra-ra while you ponder on
quitting or how miserable your life is - works.
Or, suffer endless bad jokes back home if you quit or fail big time.
4.
“No pain, no gain!” One needs to experience suffering and pain to
be mentally tougher. It stretches the mental
boundary farther. Cramps that last for hours? Explosive heartbeat on a never-ending uphill
terrain? Sore muscles so far away from your objective? Thirsty and hungry and
many hours away from supply? Too hot or
too cold and many hours away from relief?
Include some ‘pains’ in your training to simulate real-life or
real-sports events. Or, don’t train
before a relatively manageable but difficult trip – my personal style and favourite given my laziness. 6-hour cyclic cramps in Banahaw? Bring it
on! No drink during the entire uphill
summer climb in Maculot?! (It was ok.) Oh – don’t mention much to your sports doctor,
they may not approve or like your training program.
5.
When you’re more able – train solo! Not advisable (safety-wise) really, but if
one wanted to accelerate his go-go-even-if-scared-or-tired, this one works very
well. Your risk. Go to a ‘safe for solo’
places and have ready help contacts. This works if you had already built a
never-quit attitude. The extra mental
challenge is not to have someone cheering you up when the going gets
tough. In life, or non-team sports –
this normally happens. If you get past
your set challenge, you’d be stronger the next time.
6.
If you see a big objective to be way over your
limit, break it down into smaller chunks.
This is achieving real objectives, gradually. Those
who had done an ironman triathlon distance for example, had first finished many
shorter standard (or olympic) distances. Or in climbing, it would be insane and stupid to
climb Mt Everest as your first-ever alpine/high-altitude mountain. Break it down by climbing difficult mountains
of lesser height to build patience, endurance and so on. One
has less chance of quitting (or dying) if he/she has built enough confidence
and mental ‘strength’ through tough and difficult experiences.
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