The Unconventional Running Coach

My Score :  Coverage : Mental Training  Summary: Some powerful mind play here that expands on Alia Crum's TED talk, worth it if you want more detail. Has some overlap with the confident mind and think these 2 books combined make for a powerful mental training combo.  Review : This book, as you might expect, is about Expectations and the impact that can have with the mind body link. Think to the work I have discussed from Alia Crum , this is basically a book explaining that work in more detail along with practical examples of how to use it. Of course part of the benefit of this book is that in understanding the expectation effect you can benefit more from the expectation effect because you that is, at least in part what the mind body connection relies on.  Now, as I understand it, you can't of course make your mind do stuff to your body that it isn't capable of doing but the books outlines experiments / cases where the brain has been tricked into releasing opioids...

  This is a great talk on the mind and how powerful it can be off the work of Alia Crum. 

My Score : 9/10 Coverage : Mental Training  TLDR : A great book that is easy to follow and has a companion book to help you work through the exercises in the book. My second my used book on mental training behind confident mind.  In this book, Kamphoff reveals the ten practices that the world’s best use to gain the high performance edge. She shares the tools and strategies she’s taught executives, entrepreneurs, NFL ProBowl athletes, Olympians, college athletes, and championship teams. Based on almost twenty years of research and consulting with the world’s best, she provides a practical, inspiring, and easy-to-use guide to radically accelerating your performance and improving your happiness. I do have the audio version and have the paper version of the exercise book on the way, I am hoping this makes is easier to implement. There are also some resources on her website which are provided for free. The book provides practical strategies to implement her practices into your life...

After all how often do you hear, "it isn't on Strava so it didn't happen"? Strava is automatically journaling, especially if you add extra notes but what about everything else you do? Journaling can be a powerful tool for athletes seeking to improve their performance. When used strategically, it can enhance self-awareness, boost motivation, and optimize your training routine. Here's a science-based approach to journaling for athletic success: 1. Track Progress and Performance: Log workouts: Record details like exercise type, duration, intensity, and perceived exertion. This allows you to track progress, identify weaknesses, and adjust your training accordingly. Monitor sleep and recovery: Log sleep duration and quality, along with recovery practices like stretching or meditation. This helps you optimize your recovery routine and identify potential factors impacting performance. Performance insights: Reflect on how you felt duri...

Dr. Alia Crum, a Stanford University psychology professor, explores the fascinating intersection of our "minds over matter" concept and its real-world effects on things like health, performance, and even the food we eat. Her research delves into the power of our beliefs and mindsets to influence our physiological responses and ultimately shape our outcomes. Here are some key areas of Dr. Crum's work: Mindset and Food Choice s: Dr. Crum's research has shown that our beliefs about food can significantly impact how our bodies react to it. For example, in one study, participants who were told they were eating a "healthy" milkshake (even though it had the same calorie content as a "indulgent" one) experienced lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and felt more satisfied afterward. This suggests that simply believing something is healthy can trigger positive physiological changes. Mindset and Stress : Dr. Crum has also studied how our mindsets can i...

The Central Governor Theory, proposed by South African sports scientist Tim Noakes, challenges the traditional view of fatigue in exercise. Instead of attributing it solely to muscle failure, Noakes suggests it's primarily regulated by the brain to protect the body from overheating and organ damage. Key elements of the theory: Brain in control: The brain constantly monitors bodily signals like temperature, heart rate, and blood chemistry. Based on this information, it sets an "intensity ceiling" to limit exertion and prevent exceeding safe physiological limits. Avoiding catastrophe: The Governor aims to prevent catastrophic failures like heatstroke, cardiac arrest, or organ damage. It prioritizes long-term survival over pushing to absolute physical limits. Fatigue as a feedback signal: The feeling of fatigue isn't muscle weakness, but the brain's way of slowing you down before reaching dangerous thresholds. That is all well and ...

My Score : 9/10 Key Area's Covered : Confidence and Race preparation TLDR : Cracking book on confidence and how to build it with lots of practical applications to lots of sports. Can be used by all abilities for a better mindset and to improve race day performance.  The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance by Dr. Nate Zinsser - A Review Pros: Actionable insights: Dr. Zinsser's background working with high-performance individuals in the military and sports world shines through. The book is packed with practical exercises, tools, and techniques that readers can readily apply to their own lives, regardless of their field or background. Easy to relisten / read to. I have the book on audio and paper and have been through it multiple times to pick up  extra info and actions to take.  Science-backed foundation: The book is grounded in research on psychology, neuroscience, and physiology, providing a credible and solid foundation for the prese...