I know it has been posted before. I am sorry. But…
can some of you suggest some mental training books? I’d love to read a few things. Right now, I am reading “In Pursuit of Excellence.” Honestly, I am not getting too much out of it…but I did just start reading it.
thanks for any suggestions.
Thinking Body, Dancing Mind: Tao Sports for Extraordinary Performance in Athletics, Business and Life. By Chungliang Al Haung and Jerry Lynch.
Competetive Edge by James Anderson and Martin Cohen (ISBN: 0553203584). It’s an old book (published in July 1982) geared toward cross country running, but the concepts are universal. I loaned mine out a few years ago and never got it back. You could do a search on Sports Psychology, also. Another one is Competeive Edge: Mental Preparation for Distance Running, by Richard Elliott (ISBN: 0911521305). Second printing in June 1991.
Also, there’s a lot of good mental training books in the business world.
“The New Toughness Training for Athletes” By Dr. Loehr.
He’s the guy who helped Dan Jansen (sp?) get back on track following his Olympic debacle. This book addresses mental, physical, and emotional needs as they pertain to training/racing. It requires you to do some homework/introspection so it may take a while to get through this “thin” book.
My Coach Marc Becker recommended it and I agree.
Flow in Sports by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
I second, Thinking Body, Dancing Mind. Jerry Lynch also has some other good books. However, my all time favorite is The Competitive Edge by Richard Elliot. It used to be available at trackandfieldnews.com, but I just looked and didn’t see it.
Zeke
sorry for the bump. just want a few more suggestion. i need to read!!
Wow, there are some good suggestions on here… I havew a ton of books on mental training. Many of them may be out of print. I’ll make a list of what I have and post my favorites tomorrow. Excellent questions and topic… Thanks to mjpwooo and Mike Plumb, etc.
Again, sorry for the bump, but I’m just curious what some things you have read through.
And I have started Thinking Body, Dancing Mind…and like it plenty!
Mike, I finally got around to posting a couple of titles I like on this subject:
Body Mind Mastery by Dan Millman, a former world champion gymnast.
Total Mind Body Training by Jacob H. Jordan. This one comes from a martial arts bent, but is worth reading.
Both these books deal with general mental focus and calmness during athletic endeavors and even day to day activity, rather than mental strategies specific to any one sport.
While not specifically on training the mind, I have been helped tremendously by both “Running and Being” by George Sheehan and “Iron Will” by Mike Plant.
“Running and Being” addresses many of the seasons that we go through as athletes, from ‘becoming’ to ‘training’ to ‘suffering’ to ‘winning,’ etc. You’ll find much of it that will keep you focused and motivated regardless of what athletics (or life) throws at you.
“Iron Will” offers an in-depth look at the training of Ironman’s early stars. You’ll find what motivates Dave Scott and Mark Allen through their training and racing. Great food for thought on your own workouts.
May I also suggest the Bible – the New Testament, in particular, offers great insight into endurance, perseverance, suffering, and relying on a Higher Power than the brand name on your bike’s downtube.