Trusting the Process
“Trust the Process” is a popular phrase that coaches share with anxious athletes. But what does this mean and look like as an endurance athlete?
What is the Process?
“What was the secret, they wanted to know; in a thousand different ways they wanted to know The Secret. And not one of them was prepared, truly prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of their training shoes. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.”
John L. Parker Jr.
We live in a world where the “secret” to success isn’t a secret- it’s discipline. The cumulative impact of daily action repeated over time is enormous. To do what others can’t, you must consistently and repeatedly do what others don’t. By daily acting exceptionally different than the majority with your habits, you make yourself extra-ordinary. Consistently repeated, this purposeful extra-ordinary behavior creates the habit of excellence. Talent is a gift, Greatness is a choice. Practice Habits lead to Competition Habits lead to Competition Results.
Using the analogy of baking cookies, you can’t have the best cookies if you don’t use the best ingredients. To do well at the big things in life, you have to do well with the complementary little things. The whole is made up of numerous interconnected parts — and a better whole can be created by improving the individual parts. A synonym for these ingredients is habits.
The Process must include the 5 Training Principles:
- Overload and Recovery
- Progression
- Individuality
- Specificity
- Systematic Approach
We never rise to the occasion, we either rise or fall to our level of training/preparation for that moment in time. Your level of achievement will always match your level of training and preparation. Again, preparation can be just as much mental as it is physical. Overprepare and then Go with the Flow.
Honest efforts should be both smart and taxing- purposefully planned and progressively stressing your current fitness level. This all circles back to having a purpose with a plan. The not so popular “secret” to success- figure out what you want and then work as hard as you can for as long as it takes. Energy and Persistence conquer all things.
What is Trust?
Trust is synonymous with both self-confidence and confidence in the prescribed training and racing plan.
Self-Trust is belief in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations, also known as self-confidence and self-efficacy. Self-trust is the secret ingredient that can make or break one’s performance in a variety of situations. From athletics, to a job interview, taking a standardized test, to leading an office meeting, etc., this belief in one’s self and performance is a requirement. Self-Trust can be built, maintained, and strengthened through consistent and intentional repetition- purposeful practice.
Your future first begins as a narrative that your brain tells you. The more clarity you have with this end desired state, the better plan you can make to achieve this. The more clarity with the required steps, the more likely they will be achieved. The journey to being better than yesterday requires you to know and continually revisit your “why” of doing whatever is that you are doing. This “why” will be the fuel for you to execute the actions that your dream state demands. Your focus in the moment is connected to your end vision. The clearer your vision for the future, the easier it is to focus on what is currently required of you.
Trusting the Process is most evident in two situations:
- Ideal Weather Conditions
- When athletes begin to taper for Championship season
Ideal Racing Conditions
“There is no such thing as bad weather- just soft people.”
Bill Bowerman
Gutting through the tough weather days allows the fast times to come when the weather is not a factor. I like to affectionately call this the Callousing Effect- a physical and mental toughening of the organism. Completing workouts and races in less than ideal conditions creates a Callousing Effect. This not only boosts confidence in the moment but this success can be revisited when a confidence boost is needed at a future time. You have done it before, you can do it again mentality.
Tapering Training
Tapering is a general term used in endurance sports to describe the reduction of training prior to a specific events/races. The physical goal with tapering is to strip away fatigue while minimizing fitness loss as much as possible to be the freshest (least amount of fatigue) and thus fastest (most amount of fitness) on race day.
Your body loses fatigue relatively quickly compared to losing fitness. However, a consequence of trying to reduce fatigue as much as possible is a loss of fitness, as well. Reduction of fatigue is accomplished by more than normal rest and a reduced training load. This has to be for a relatively short amount of time to limit the amount of fitness lost. Again, the goal is to be the freshest (least amount of fatigue) and fastest (most amount of fitness) on race day.
Specifically looking at the taper period before a targeted race, I believe in operating under two principles:
- The closer you get to race day, the more your training should simulate the race and its demands. Law of Specificity.
- Both time spent at this specific intensity as well as total overall volume (workout duration and weekly volume) are decreased as race day approaches.
In closing, success requires that athletes have purposeful training and a purpose for their training. Having a purpose encompasses a lot- purpose for the interval, purpose for the workout, purpose for your goals, purpose for your life! In sport it boils down to being both physically and mentally present at training (completing your training with purpose) and to having goals (your purpose for completing the workout!). Have a purpose both in your training and for your training. Practice Habits lead to Competition Habits lead to Competition Results.
