OMC News and Updates

Our triathlon club hosted a sports psychologist (Marv Fremerman) a few years back. One of Marv’s main points was the link between athletic performance and mental health.

He told us that we, as athletes, would never reach our full potential until we were able to sort out the major sources of conflict in our lives. The feelings associated with the conflict create a sense of negativity which spills over into our psyche and limits us.

At the time, I was skeptical. How could, for example, being mad at my wife disrupt my workouts or racing? But I’ve noticed that I do indeed have “better” workouts when things are going well at home and at work. I can’t say why, but it’s true for me.

In a related point, I’m now listening to a book on tape authored by a leading emotional health researcher and the Dalai Lama.

The section I just finished centered on the poison of hate in our lives. While hate can be constructive in the short term (motivating you to beat a competitor, for example), in the long term it causes many more problems. For example, while hate helped me push myself harder in races, it dulled my ability to monitor my systems. I often pushed much too hard early in the race and then raced slower overall due to the acidiosis.

Interesting stuff.

Via: http://www.coachej.com/2009/09/mental-health.html