Turns out it really is all in your head... (Fitness & Strength)

[salvo]

Good morning Gentlemen - I thought this article might be of interest for your training and selection planning.

[If you don't have a nytimes.com login, just snag one here: http://www.bugmenot.com/view/nytimes.com]


Quick summary: there is mounting evidence that a small part of your brain - not your muscles - regulates things like total muscle failure and exhaustion...

'For one thing, Jure Robic sleeps 90 minutes or less a day when competing in ultracycling events lasting a week or more...and goes crazy, like actually insane, during the races because of it. Because he's insane, his support crew makes all the decisions for him, an arrangement that allows Robic's body to keep going even though his mind would have told him to quit long ago.

His system is straightforward. During the race, Robic's brain is allowed control over choice of music (usually a mix of traditional Slovene marches and Lenny Kravitz), food selection and bathroom breaks. The second brain [AKA his support team] dictates everything else, including rest times, meal times, food amounts and even average speed. Unless Robic asks, he is not informed of the remaining mileage or even how many days are left in the race. "It is best if he has no idea," Stanovnik says. "He rides -- that is all.

During one race, Robic hallucinated that mujahedeen on horseback were pursuing him; his support team pretended to see them too and urged Robic to outrun them.

[Green Light]

Interesting. I wonder if he's doing any permanent damage to his psychological side. When they describe him, it's almost like he's high-functioning autistic.

We've all been on long patrols where between 48 to about 60 hours your brain starts showing you things that aren't there. If you can get about two hours sleep, they go away.

The brain seems to ebb and flow as far as function goes. Jet jockeys were given a drug called armodafinil (provigil or nuvigil). It resets your brain and you can operate for days at a time (according to my doctor). It doesn't last forever, but it kept pilots in the air for days at a time during the 2nd Gulf War. But using something like that, you have to wonder what the brain does when it's shifting gears without a clutch!

[jatx]

I was an ultramarathoner for a number of years, qualified for the RAAM, etc. Robic's reaction is not typical for a competitor at those distances. Hundreds of ultramarathoners have completed the RAAM and other extreme events without losing their minds or the ability to think. He is enormously talented, but I think he plays up the "rabid dog" thing a bit to psych out his competitors.

I can tell you for a fact that disassociating to the degree he does will negatively impact most people's performance. Ultras are about navigating that knife-edge of mental focus - maintaining mindfulness without preoccupation with suffering. You cannot withdraw too far from the misery of your sitaution and still optimize your level of exertion over a period of days.

The best mindset is to consider the event a variant of kinhin, or walking meditation. The point of meditation is not to zone out!

Hallucinations during an event can be very interesting, though. My support crew has been sworn to secrecy.

[salvo]

Well noted, I was wondering how much of it was bluster, but he has set several records no? Maybe he's also psyching himself out!

Jatx, I would love to hear about your mental & workout techniques for enduring your ultramarathons, &c. After reading Born to Run it seems like a lot of it is applicable to the mental attitude needed to survive selection - plus makes for an interesting viewpoint on human capacity.

[jatx]

Originally Posted by salvo

Jatx, I would love to hear about your mental & workout techniques for enduring your ultramarathons, &c. After reading Born to Run it seems like a lot of it is applicable to the mental attitude needed to survive selection - plus makes for an interesting viewpoint on human capacity.

Salvo, I haven't been to SFAS and wouldn't pretend to know what sort of mental preparation would be helpful for you there. Others here have made interesting contributions over time in the Mindset thread.

In a sporting context, there are a large number of books on visualization techniques, which can be helpful in boosting your confidence and in helping to focus your alertness on the right things. I have seen some of these echoed by shooters, such as Enos in his book. I used these techniques extensively with the help of a sports psychologist when I was competing.

Simple meditation is also helpful. There are few aspects of life which are not improved by the ability to "sit down and shut up".

ETA: As far as workouts go, it was a highly structured program and most were planned out a year in advance (necessary for periodization and peaking for multiple events throughout the year). I worked with Rob Sleamaker, who had an early book published about his approach to working with endurance athletes, although many of his ideas have since become mainstream within the cycling and triathlon communities. If you are training for non-military objectives, it might be worth checking out.

[jatx]

Salvo, just to add, if you are interested in RAAM you should research Pete Penseyres, who set the current record in 1986. He was Robic's polar opposite in most ways.

[salvo]

Hey jatx thanks for the thorough reply! Best of luck on your own training.