What happens to you toward the end of a WOD? Maybe you wanted to beat the fastest time on the board, or you had a pre-conceived time goal for the WOD. The closer you got to your goal, what happened? Were you able to perform, or did you start missing reps and/or taking longer breaks?
The diagram above is my perception of the psychology of a CrossFitter (or any athlete really!). Traveling from left to right on the bottom line, the external and internal stimulus goes from very low to very high. The bell curve represents performance based on the stimulus: not enough = low performance… too much = low performance… optimal = complete awareness, which leads to outstanding performances.
So let’s apply this to you and what happens at the shed (or where you do CrossFit).
Take a WOD like “Grace” or CFG Open 11.3 – a heavy Olympic lift and a lot of reps. Where do you fall on the curve when fatigue sets in?
Next take something like double unders, kipping pull-ups or even overhead squats and muscle-ups (CFG Open 11.1 & 11.4). When fatigue rears its ugly head, where do you end up on the bell curve?
Do you…, can you…, focus on the task at hand? Do you have one coaching cue in your head, or is it three or four? When you miss that overhead squat, lose your kip, or fail on that muscle-up, how can you stay on top of the curve?
Self-doubt and impatience move you to the left and right respectively.
Focusing on the negative? You are moving further to the left. Negative self-talk creates a disengaged athlete.
Fear of failure? You are moving more to the right. The “I gotta catch up” mentality, and straight up “fear of failure” leads to an athlete who is out of control. Too much stimulus, not enough performance!
Focusing on the task at hand, positive self-talk and self-awareness will keep you closer to the middle (or top) of the curve. This athlete can be methodical and quick at the same time… always in control.
So how can you start and end the WOD at the top of the curve?
Prepare.
Practice your position of power.
Visualize how you are going to react when the pain comes…. and when the pain comes… clear the mechanism…. then,
Think less.
React more.
CrossFit is intense. There is a timer on the wall, and it is watching you while you are resting between movements. It is sneering at you when you lose your kip, and it laughs at you when you fall on your ass at the bottom of the last rep of an overhead squat. If you let it, that timer will push you over to the right side of the curve, and off the graph altogether. If you are too anxious to keep up or too scared to fail another rep…. next thing you know, your brain is more fatigued than your body.
Focus, Find your Balance, Be Self-Aware…. Perform!
Strive to be on top of the curve!
Ring the Bell!
I strongly believe in the CrossFit methodology of training, and I believe it leads us to self discovery… almost on a daily basis. Where else does that happen, besides in a sporting arena? You are an athlete, and the WOD is your competition. How do you feel about that? Do you understand your “psychology of sport”. Are you intrinsically motivated, or do you need to be re-assured by the whiteboard?
CrossFit makes you think, and I want you to think even more, everyday.
