Individual Mental Aspects of The CrossFit European Regionals 2012 # 5: Nathan Prosser

My best experience was WOD 4 – being in the top heat after qualifying in 8th.

We were in 8thplace after the girls had been through their share of the workout. When us guys got on to the workout we overtook several people and ended up finishing the whole workout across the board in 4th place. I knew I had done that and performed well so that was an awesome experience.

 

What I find most challenging is being determined enough to train through in the weeks running up to regionals when mental and physical fatigue was high. I didn’t find the mental aspects of the competition too demanding. The only thing was remaining focused on long days when the workout was at the end of the day. And being able to “turn it on and flick the switch” when the workout came around.

 

I did this by remaining focused when the time came and if there was a long wait staying chilled out so there wasn’t a level of mental fatigue.

 

I think the most important mental skills is:

Focus. Determination. Hardiness. Mental toughness. Calm collected.

 

I train this through regular hard training at the pain threshold to train mental toughness and hardiness etc. to develop focus being able to remain cool headed. I think it is more of a permanent personality trait which people who can manage their emotional thinking and thinking about things with a rational and logical mindset.

 

My best advice for fellow CrossFitters is: be able to be tough and have resilience without going “mad” and be able to enter maximal arousal with calmness at the same time.

Thanks to Nathan for his perspective on the mental aspects