Mind Stops Before the Body Does

Goggins says it really well, “The brain always quits before the body does.” I think that’s one of the things that runners or endurance athletes build from a skillset perspective. The ability to shut the mind off and just force through the pain. It’s funny because what do you tell and somebody new to running. How do you tell them to train differently than somebody who’s an experienced runner?

I know when you are overweight and out of shape and just staring. You will try to go up a hill. You will get a hundred feet in. You will wanna stop every two seconds. You will want to puke. You will feel dizzy. Your brain totally shuts down and you want to give in. If I was training that person, each of those are teachable moments to get them to shut their brain off and push through.

If I’m a top-notch athlete who’s got that skill set built pretty decent, and I get to a point where I’m hurting, I don’t want to DNF. As the coach, do I push you through that? or Do I respect that you know your limits to a different degree?

Our brain is so evil it quits before we start. I mean, I think that’s procrastination. This task is so miserable, so painful. I’m not even gonna start doing it. I’m gonna stop before I ever start. How many times do you force yourself by saying, “I’m just gonna do 15 minutes of this”, and then 20 minutes later, the task you thought was gonna take a week is done.

That’s where the real magic skill is at. It’s being able to push the brain through it’s natural, starting points and stopping points.

Becoming a master to your will instead of a master to your motivation.