Mark Agnew
Rowing an ocean requires mental strength, but it also requires physical strength. Photo: Ben Duffy
Mental strength is part of a bigger picture
Endurance sports, and life, requires mental strength and resilience. We will also face adversity at some point and need to dig deep into our mental reserves and push on, bounce back and keep moving. I am a big proponent of working on resilience and share stories with audiences across the UK on how they can develop their own resilience.
Without mental strength or resilience in endurance sports, expect to struggle.
However, you cannot rely on mental strength alone. If you are planning on rowing an ocean, running an ultramarathon or climbing a mountain, you cannot think your way to the end. When all is said and done, you are physically moving through space so you need physical strength too.
Physical preparation is mental preparation.
I have seen too many wannabe sportspeople smugly point to their head and say "it's all up here" and therefore neglect the physical preparation. It is naive to think you can take on a psychical challenge with your mind alone.
What's more, physical preparation is mental preparation. Mental strength is like any other kind of strength, it can be trained. And if it isn't trained, you lose it, just like you lose other strengths and finesses. So, for those hoping to rely on their resilience, what are they doing to ensure they have that resilience to draw on?
If you train physically, you train mentally. You become accustom to the discomfort of pushing yourself, you get better at ignoring the voice telling you to slow down, you become disciplined when getting out of bed and into the gym when you would rather sleep.
Read More: How to build resilience
Ironically, if you are physically prepared, you need less mental strength and resilience anyway. If your body is working well, and you are avoiding injuries, then you do not need to dig so deep to push through. If your body is not prepared, expect to have to haul yourself through a pain cave to finish, let alone compete.
Mental and physical preparation are inseparable. If you are planning on taking on a big challenge, do not expect to wake up full of grit. Get out there, improve the capacity of your lungs, muscles and mind all at once and stand on the start line full of confidence that you have what it takes to achieve your goals.