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Writer's pictureBrad Johnson

Built in the boring



In recent months, I have had the pleasure of facilitating numerous workshops attended by business owners and coaches from across the coaching spectrum (sport performance to life coaching to executive coaching and beyond). The focus of many of these workshops is on creating a master goal for life-long pursuits and connecting that vision with today’s actions. A few weeks ago as we dove deeper into individual pursuits, one of the coaches attending brought up the need to set aside adequate time to focus on the boring tasks that are essential in creating a foundation for success. He used the phrase, “Businesses are built in the boring.” His point being that without solid foundational elements in place, most of which happen out of the spotlight and are not very exciting, the likelihood of achieving long-term success is limited. I immediately thought of endurance training.

 

As in business, success as an endurance athlete is often “built in the boring.” Many of us love variation, whether it be power intervals on the bike, an LT set in the pool, or pace work at the track. These workouts are mentally engaging and physically stimulating. They can give us the feeling that we have done more in an hour than when we simply go for an aerobic run. They are important aspects of our physiologic development when implemented appropriately as a part of a training program, and at times those long, or even short, slow and steady base-building workouts don’t seem to carry the same weight. If this has ever been the case for you, I would challenge you to consider a shift in how you think about these workouts because endurance success is truly built in the boring.

 

Short and long aerobic workouts not only build the aerobic foundation which supports our athletic success, they also provide us with an opportunity to develop a primary mental skill associated with elevated endurance outcomes – associative focus. Unlike many other sports, endurance performance and associative focus (paying attention to what you are doing in the moment – breathing, technique, body positioning, effort level, etc.) go hand in hand. The practice of tuning out on your long workouts may be impeding your performance. These workouts provide a time for us to develop our ability to maintain focus and concentration, developing a stronger mind-body connection (mindfulness training can supplement and support this as well), and this allows us to recognize changes like shifts in breathing or a breakdown in form. When we are aware, we can maintain our performance for longer, and we can recognize and correct when needed. When we maintain longer and correct more quickly, we are more efficient and economical. When we are more efficient and economical, we are faster. Instead of tuning out on those easy workouts, try to embrace the boring, develop your ability to maintain focus, and improve your outcomes.


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