Training. Is it Blind Faith or the True Power of Positivity?

I recently had a conversation with my husband about training and how different it is for each person. Which of course lead to him saying that he believes that people get results due to the true power of positivity AKA...Firmly believing in what they're doing before they do it. His comment stems from that fact that over the years training has changed in so many many ways. In the 70's long slow distance was the way to accomplish peak performance at marathon distances, in the 80's & 90's the tag line "No Pain No Gain" became popular....so hard training was the method of choice and now the Furman Institute is putting out studies that show you get to a better peak performance running only three days a week and that rest is just as important as anything else :)

So is it blind faith in the trainer/coach? Is it because of their knowledge? Their skills? Or is it all coming from inside the athlete? What do you think???

My opinion is that its a combination. I think that a person needs to have a level of positivity when it comes to being successful in their training. There are some people in the world that are just gifted natural athletes and then there are the rest of us mere mortals. I think that when you put together the knowledge of whatever sport you are training for with a trainer/coach that clearly understands and can mold that information into something that is "fed" to the athlete through their training and then on top of that add in the athletes own positivity.... that can only lead to SUCCESS!!
I have seen and have experience first hand what both positive and negative attitudes/thinking can do to ones performance. Currently I am working on my running and I will tell you for me with this particular discipline its ALL MENTAL! My coach has me running more than I ever have and has me running faster than I ever have. Every workout I remind myself that the only thing that is stopping me is my brain!!! My legs are plenty strong, I have a HUGE cardiac reserve, I have a skilled coach......SAM I AM in my head, that's where I used to stumble. Note I said USED TO STUMBLE. :P

My husband's retort was....there are 100 ways to skin a cat...aka ways to get faster/be better...speed work, hill work, etc etc etc. He reminded me about a book that was written I believe some time in the 30's called "Think and Grow Rich". The book's entire first chapter was dedicated to the message that if you wanna get rich you need to come up with a plan, think it out in detail, dedicate yourself to it and never quit! There were no guideline just those few suggestions. If you never quit at your plan then you can only have one of two outcomes -- Get rich or die trying, NEITHER of which is failing. If you wanna apply that to Training , then if you are positive that what you are doing is going to work/heed the results you desire, and you truly dedicate yourself to it with no doubts then you will only have the option to succeed.

So next time you go out to do speed work which I personally love and hate at the same time ;), make sure you are grounded/positive about your workout.....take a few seconds to dedicate yourself to the workout and you will rep the short term and long term benefits. Let your brain help unlock what maybe your legs aren't so willing to do!

And if that doesn't work...eat some Nutella. Nutella makes EVERYTHING BETTER!!! ;o)