“You must unlearn what you have learned. … Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try,” declared Yoda before Luke Skywalker’s ill-fated attempt to raise his X-wing fighter from the Degobah swamp in the Empire Strikes Back. Within this scene, and scattered elsewhere throughout the Star Wars movies, are undeniable nuggets of wisdom to believe in the untapped power of your mind.
For better or worse, our daily mindset plays an integral part of what we ultimately become on our best days. After troubling events such as an injury or a poor race performance, our minds often send us spiraling downward toward negative impressions that tell us we are not good enough and that we never can be, because we are — fill in the blanks — too slow, fat, lazy, busy, uninterested, weak, etc.
How do some runners overcome such mental blocks to soar in pursuit of lofty goals, while others stay mired in mental distress? The answer lies in an initial leap of faith, followed soon and often by reinforcements from consistently frequent training workouts. And most importantly, your body, mind, and soul must first believe you can achieve greatness. Every training session (and for that matter, any time) is an opportunity for you to collect and connect these positive thoughts and experiences that re-accelerate you toward becoming the best runner you can be.
Setbacks will inevitably occur, but how you perceive these set-backs is key to long term success. If you view them as opportunities for growth or as stepping stones toward success then you can continue to catapult your fitness forward beyond the limits of your imagination. In my personal journey, and in helping others with their training, I have discovered that we are all capable of achieving so much more than we initially think we can.
Just as Luke eventually learned to channel “the force,” so can you. The force to achieve great things is within us all if we just believe and then do … there is no try.
May the force be with you.
DREAM * BELIEVE * TRAIN * CELEBRATE
Nicole Hunt
Speed Endurance Coaching
Please contact me anytime with questions
