It's All in Your Mind

I read the following article from Runners World with interest. I have to admit, my initial reaction was a bit smug. The article follows the age old, "mind over matter," or as the article says it, running is "90% mental." The writer quotes Lore of Running author Tim Noakes's claim that the brain is the "central governor" of the body, keeping it from over-exerting, or in runner parlance, performing, and thus damaging itself. I immediately jumped on the tendency for the "mind over matter" cliche to confuse the mind with the brain. Then, though the article sometimes leaned in that direction, arguing that physical fatigue might be overcome with mental fortitude, I realized my own perceptions (I'm going sidestep words such as preconceptions or prejudices) were leading me to miss the point. Yes, the brain is not the mind--because it is part of the body. It is a muscle. Thus, mind over matter is mind over brain. That might be worth trying. 


http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-web-exclusive/mind-over-matter