Atlanta. Sydney. Athens. Bejing. London. Some athletes have been privileged enough to make it to one of these Olympic cities. Some have made it to a few. Amy Acuff, 37, has been to all five. (Oh, and don't count her out for Rio: "I haven't ruled anything out," she says. "I think physically I know I can do another 4 years, if the passion is there, if I have the desire to.")
While she's never walked away with a medal, Acuff has learned a lot throughout her enduring career—and not just about the technicalities of jumping six feet in the air over a pole. Steal these four hard-learned lessons from her book to get you closer to your goals.
Any sweat time is enough time
It's what we all want to hear: exercise less, get better results. After years of overtraining to prep for the Games, Acuff now calls herself the "minimalist trainer."
If you think only elite athletes can put in too much gym time, think again: "Overtraining is very common amongst athletes, but can be even more common in the everyday gym go-er," says Lauren Scheinfeldt, head coach and general manager at Reebok CrossFit Back Bay in Boston. "Many times they believe if they train more they will achieve better results." Unfortunately, the opposite tends to happen. Overtraining can cause fatigue, declines in performance, and increase risk of injury.
Have 10 minutes? Try one of Acuff's favorite workouts: Hill repeats. Find a steep hill (or ramp up the incline on the treadmill), then sprint up hill and walk down to recover. Keep yourself going hard for 10 minutes. (Acuff made it even harder by pushing a baby jogger, kind of like the sled pulls she did in her college days.)
Take a deep breath
Acuff can sum up the Olympics atmosphere in a word: distracting. "It's really easy to get pulled out of your routine and to want to indulge in the mental stimulation around you," she says. "But that adrenaline you have, you have to really contain that." To balance out the go-go-go, Acuff makes sure to schedule an afternoon break back at the Olympic village to do some deep breathing.
Is there anything to her inhale-exhale routine? According to Dr. Marilee Ogren, adjunct professor of psychology at Boston College, there is. "Focused breathing moves an athlete's focus into their bodies," she explains. "This heightened sense of their bodies, called kinesthetic sense, is a wonderful way to gain control over their movements."
But it's more than just a performance enhancer. Conscious breathing can help anyone recover from acute stressors throughout the day, says Ogren. "In fact, acute stress often becomes chronic stress, which can negatively impact your immune system, blood pressure, and cardiovascular system." You don't have to devote an hour of zen to see a payoff: Just a few minutes whenever stress hits—whether it's crazy traffic, looming deadlines, or a fight with your friend. (Try this pattern: Breathe in for six counts, out for six counts. After a minute, up it to eight counts, and then again to ten.)
Don't wait for it to happen—make it happen
Acuff started jumping around 12 years old, and even through high school there was never a specialized coach at school to help her improve. Her solution? She coached herself, finding books and videos that taught technique—and this was long before the rise of YouTube—and then relying on trial and error during practice.
Envy that yogi in class that can bust out a handstand? Want to learn how to sew like the designers on Project Runway? Wish you could decorate a dessert like the bakers at Georgetown Cupcakes? Hop to it! Research, practice, repeat.
Go with your gut
High jumpers have only moments to analyze their first jump before making their second attempt. If things didn't go well, not only does Acuff have to shake it off, she also has to be able to make a quick decision—like scooting back before she starts, running with a different tempo, changing her stride—and stick with it.
"You can't second guess it," she says. "You really have to stick with it and follow it through so that you get the right information to make further adjustments." Experts agree: Researchers at Florida State University found that people who select the first good option—rather than searching for the best possible option—are more likely to be happy with their decisions. It's likely due in part to the fact that searching for the best option can lead to doubt, which is associated with low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression according to a study in Personality and Individual Differences.
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