Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is a necessity in the world of athletics. As a former member of track and field I must say just about every day was a challenge physically as well as mentally. Even though I know longer compete I help assist the track and field team I was use to be a part of. Just the other day I was helping time one of the tougher workouts and it took me back to when I use to be the one on the track putting in work. And what I realized is that it is so much easier to watch it being done than to be on the other side of the doing. With track and field I think it is overlooked how physically demanding this sport truly is. When you think about the amount of time that a real race takes to finish, especially the sprint events, it seems almost absurd the amount of time we have to put in preparing for it. To compete in this sport it is a must that you have some degree of mental toughness because without it you will not last very long. Every day I had to fight to finish the workouts. I had to give all I had. For some it is easier than others, given one's fitness level, endurance, and strength. As an athlete, a true athlete, mental toughness becomes a part of who you are. There are so many obstacles we have to overcome that it is applied to all aspects of life not just athletically.