Running for Success

Though it may not seem like it when we're drenched in sweat and our legs feel like lead, marathon running is as mental as physical. When we're exhausted, continuing consists of mind over matter. This takes enormous mental power. Once developed, this skill can be transferred from the racetrack to the boardroom.

Training for a marathon is an ideal place to improve the skills needed to achieve success in business: strategy, clear objectives, and a positive attitude. These techniques are also crucial to completing a marathon. Without them, even the most fanatically fit athlete is doomed to fail. Through physical training we can develop and master these skills.

In business, investment and marathon, a well-planned strategy is essential. In each situation, we must commit to our plan, yet be willing to adapt it if it isn't working. Though strategy can be complex or simple, with our first marathon it's best to choose the latter. Simplification is a great way to remove self-imposed pressure. This can mean concentrating on maintaining a steady heart rate or pace. We need to do this during both training and our marathon, since sustaining this relaxed-focus helps remove the barrier of performance anxiety.

The strategy of shifting attention to our body's sensations is called association, and it's a tactic used by many elite athletes. The self-focused introvert may find this more comfortable than directing attention outside. The outgoing extrovert, however, may be more suited to the disassociation technique. This involves turning our awareness outward. According to a report published in The Journal of Sports Psychology: " Considerable evidence exists to link disassociation strategies with increased pain tolerance during endurance tasks." Disassociation may also useful during a dull seminar, or an extended visit from our mother-in-law.

Just as business meetings have objectives, so should your marathon training. Whatever your personal goal, it needs to be specific, measurable, and reasonable. Similar to our professional life, these can be accomplished by choosing to focus on either the process or the outcome. In our business life a process goal would be improving our customer relation skills, while an outcome goal would be making X amount more dollars. For your first marathon, process goals are better. Since meeting them may be as simple as adhering to our training schedule, they guarantee success. As we all know, success produces self-confidence. Developing this gives us courage to challenge ourselves to achieve greater victories. Outcome goals, like beating a rival, are more risky. Since external factors can interfere with them, they are harder to succeed at.

Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to accomplishment. Without belief in eventual success, we'll quit at the slightest obstacle. This is true both in career and running. Everyday, marathon training teaches us persistence through discomfort. This is essential. Without challenging ourselves we can never progress to higher success. Besides the things we tell ourselves, a positive attitude also includes motivating inner images.

Many superior athletes use mental imagery, or guided visualization. These include Marion Clignet, 1996 and 2000 silver medallist on the French cycling team, and 6 times Masters winner Jack Nicklaus. Medical experts have also tested this method. A recent article published in the Journal of Sports Science states: "The power of mental imagery in sport performance has been widely noted. Keep your thinking and mental rehearsing of your upcoming races positive and it may contribute to new personal records."

The importance of mental imagery is also noted in Olympic runner Jeff Galloway's Marathon: You Can Do It. In this book, Galloway encourages us to rehearse parts of our marathon every day. He says that this will help us prepare for and find solutions to problems we may encounter and help us "tough it out." This strength doesn't end in out legs and lungs. Finishing a marathon makes us more tenacious, helping us bring home "the gold" in business.

Galina Pembroke is an internationally published writer. She is also the publisher and editor of New View Magazine online. New View gives you unique articles on health, self-help, animal rights, spirituality and more.

Visit us at http://www.nuvunow.ca.

---

Using Nutrition to Boost Your Cardio

So, you're doing cardio religiously and you're not getting any results?What's the deal?! Good news. You're probably just making some minor mistakes that need to be corrected. If you want to make changes... Read More

Treadmill Workout Ideas That Make Fitness Fun

Research shows that in order to lose weight safely and keep it off, you need to exercise. And even those who are not overweight benefit from an exercise or workout routine. But many... Read More

How To Start a Running Program

Running or jogging is one of the best ways there is to lose weight fast. It burns tons of calories and gets your body burning fat. Running strengthens the heart, lungs and can... Read More

Elliptical Trainer Benefits

There are so many elliptical trainer benefits to list that some would say it's the perfect way to exercise. Elliptical exercise trainers meet the overall need of any exercise program. They combine a... Read More

Cardio Enthusiasts: Discover a More Effective Training Method for Fat Loss and Heart Health!

It is common to hear fitness professionals and medical doctors prescribe low to moderate intensity aerobic training (cardio) to people who are trying to prevent heart disease or lose weight. Most often, the... Read More

Too Much Water Can Kill

Long distance runners and other endurance athletes have long been educated to believe that drinking lots of fluids during a long distance or endurance event was critical. And if you didn't drink enough... Read More

Guidant Corporation Recalls Heart Defibrillators

A worldwide recall was announced by Guidant Corporation for nearly 50,000 of their heart defibrillators due to potential malfunctions in these devices.Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not require Guidant to... Read More

Are You Making This Cardio Mistake?

Are you exercising for long periods of time to try to burn fat? If you're like most people you probably are, but there is a better way. It's called "high intensity interval training"... Read More

Running on Empty

A sexy pair of legs moseys its way down a soft, vacuumed carpet, around a bend, and through a long, narrow aisle.Suddenly, these shapely stems, which are encased in bright spandex, dissolve into... Read More

Integrated Training for Improved Cycling Performance - Part 2

The previous article looked at postural issues and possible muscles imbalances involved with cycling. Now that we have an understanding of the imbalances that arise from a prolonged cycling position, we can develop... Read More

An Alternate Fitness Tool

Any competitive or recreational athlete will use a variety of cross-training methods or tools to complement their particular sport or to meet their fitness needs. One such tool that is becoming increasing popular... Read More

Benefits of Elliptical Training

The basic motion of an elliptical trainer is a smooth, flowing...well...elliptical motion. The low impact nature of these machines greatly reduces stress on the joints of the lower body (ankles, knees, and hips).Since... Read More

Maximum Cardio

Depending on your goals and body type, different amounts of cardio may be required. A lean "hard-gainer" trying to add mass may benefit from only one or two cardiovascular sessions per week. On... Read More

Do You Need an Expensive Padded, Cushioned, Air Bubbled, Gelled Running Shoe?

Nike Free does not think so; and neither should you. Read on to find out why this concerns every one of us, our health and a good deal of wasted money. This is... Read More

Spinning Exercise

Spinning exercise or studio cycling is not only popular these days it's an excellent form of fitness. It helps strengthen your heart, tone your glutes, calves, thighs in addition to being a great... Read More

5 Tips for Starting Runners

So you've decided to take up running? Maybe you are starting back up after putting it off for years. Here is a list of tips that I have found beneficial to the starting... Read More

Better Cardio Workouts

The Cardio KingChange it upOne of the most important aspects to a cardio workout is changing it. Most people get bored with exercise simply because they pop these DVD's in and do the... Read More

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise

The real benefits of aerobic exercise are achieved by increasing your heart rate and breathing hard for an extended period of time. During this aerobic activity your body produces more energy and delivers... Read More

Heart Matters

Your heart is between one to two times the size of your clenched fist. Contrary to popular belief, it is not located to one side of the body - it is located almost... Read More

Cardios Effect on Overall Health

When most people hear the word "Cardio", their mind automatically pictures jogging, or threadmills, or stationnary bikes. Yes, those are some forms of cardio. They also think it's only purpose is to loose... Read More

3 Keys To Finding Your Natural Running Stride

When I think back to when I was at school, my worst nightmare was running. I hated it, even more than football and rugy which I don't like even today. So I never... Read More

The Best Cardio Workouts

The benefits of exercise are abundant and well documented, and the best cardio workouts can increase your quality of life. One can hardly read a magazine or watch the news without stumbling across... Read More

Running for Success

Though it may not seem like it when we're drenched in sweat and our legs feel like lead, marathon running is as mental as physical. When we're exhausted, continuing consists of mind over... Read More

Running in The Zone: A Personal Account

Running in The Zone has to be one of the most satisfying experiences. When it all fits together it can seem effortless and intensely rewarding. But why are some runs better than others?... Read More

Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss

Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.Aerobic... Read More

Stay in Shape - Cycling Workouts For the Winter Months

It's that time of year. The time when you decide it's fine to ride in 12 degree weather. The time when your food and water freezes, your hands and feet go numb, and... Read More

Why Your Cardiovascular Workouts Might Be A Big Waste Of Your Time

What if I were to tell you that most if not all of the cardiovascular exercise you do was worthless? Well, guess what? over 50% of the people who perform cardio in an... Read More

Chronic Headaches And Pain Often Can Be Eliminated By A Special Dentist

Denver, Colorado/Las Vegas, Nevada-Sometimes as Freud once said, "A good cigar is just a smoke." A headache, on the other hand, occasionally can be a sign of something much more serious than just... Read More

Burn 340 Calories a Day with Aerobic Exercise

Strengthen your heart and lungs and give your body a wonderful shape with Aerobics.Aerobic Exercise ? Improve your fitness the right way.==========================================================Aerobic exercise involves the manner of muscles drawing on oxygen in the... Read More