ELITE PERFORMANCE

“The mental pain is worse I think, absolutely worse, the physical pain I can tolerate.”

related pain. Performance-related pain is when you are pushing your potential and striding away for a PB. Your lungs may feel like they are hanging out of your mouth, but deep down you know you are in control and it is the other guys in the field that should be scared. Injury-related pain is when a joint or muscle screams it is damaged or something just does not feel right. Deep down you know that your body has a problem and it is time to seek medical help. The more experienced you are as an endurance athlete, the more you may be able to differentiate between performance-related pain and that caused by injury or illness. But don’t forget the golden rule, “if in doubt check it out”.

■ Performance-related pain is under your control. While you may not want to drop out, you can slow down and choose races that suit your level of ability.

■ Pain is definitely not just physical, mental and emotional pain can be more distressing and potentially last for longer. It may help to discuss coping with the ‘mental pain’ with your coach or sports psychologist. Getting professional advice also applies to physical pain. It is always better to seek advice earlier rather then later.

■ We do not all have what it takes to be an Olympic athlete or a world record holder. Therefore while the lived experience of the endurance athletes in this study may involve pain, those of us who use sport as a recreation can focus on having fun. As the saying goes “it doesn’t have to be hell to be healthy”.

WHY ARE OUR FINDINGS IMPORTANT TO COACHES AND SPORT SCIENTISTS WHO WORK WITH ENDURANCE ATHLETES? When dealing with endurance athletes it is easy to become fixat- ed on a performance enhancement model of intervention. In this mode we can become focused on VO2 Max scores, target heart rates, and lactate levels. In doing so we may forget that there is a real person under the statistics whose heart carries hopes and dreams as well as oxygenated blood! Our role as professionals is not just to help our endurance athlete go further faster, but also to care for them and to help them grow as people (2). In adopt- ing this position we are following the strong example set by Dr David Gilbourne at Liverpool John Moores University (3). To do so, we need to understand the experiences they go through when in

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a race and the meanings they attach to it. As our research shows, athletes are all human beings with feelings and emotions, unique as individuals. They are putting their bodies and minds through pain to achieve their goals and aspirations. Our research shows that these athletes push themselves not just for their own self- satisfaction to beat their opponents, but for an ‘other-ness’ the other being partner, coach, parent or significant other. They also feel that if they can train harder than the next athlete, experience more pain than them, then when it comes to competition they will be able to push themselves harder and be better, regardless of how much pain they have to go through.

WHAT NEXT? We believe that the method we used to understand the experience of the elite endurance athlete called hermeneutic phenomenology has applications to other special populations. We would like to follow the lead set by Jim McKenna at Bristol University (4) and apply this approach to clients on exercise referral schemes. We are particularly interested for example in the experience and meaning that those with HIV attach to exercise programmes (5).

THE AUTHOR ■ Teena Smith is a registered nurse who’s previous experience included working as a research sister at the Oxford Regional Pain Relief Research Unit, prior to commencing her degree in Neuroscience Research in York. She has just completed a degree in sport and exercise Science at York St John where she was awarded a first class honours. This article is based on her dissertation. ■ Professor Andy Smith holds a professorial chair in exercise and sport science and is the youngest honorary fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science. He is married to the for- mer Olympic athlete Angela Tooby. He has done enough endurance races to know better!

References 1. Armstrong L. Its not about the bike. My journey back to life. Yellow Jersey Press. London 2001. 2. Watson N. & Smith A. Spirituality’s Role in Sport. sportEX health 2003;17:30-32 3. Gilbourne D. Psychological support in a soccer setting. Abstract Book of the 8th Annual Congress European Colleges of Sport Science. Salzburg, Austria, 2003. 4. McKenna J. The lived experience of exercising with ankylosing spondyli- tis. Abstract book of the 12th Commonwealth International Sport Conference. Manchester, UK, 2002. 5. Doerner R. Lipodystrophy: exercise as a therapeutic intervention. Rapid responses published: 14 February 2003 http://bmj.com/cgi/ eletters/326/7384/337 (Accessed 21/08/2003).

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