MATRIZ DE VALIDACIÓN

This chapter is primarily about mental training, but, like the Spartans of An- cient Greece, I view physical training to be a bridge to mental and character development. Physical development is also the first mountain of SEALFIT, so I would like to share our philosophy. How we physically prepare SEALFIT athletes is very relevant for serious obstacle racers preparing for a major event like a Spartan obstacle race.

SEALs must handle a diverse range of physical challenges as well as known and unknown tasks on a daily basis. The primary physical capacities they must draw upon include endurance, strength, stamina, work capacity, and durability.

SEALs must be prepared for long and arduous endurance events on sea, air, and land. Their endurance must be oriented to the challenging environments that Special Operators work on and under. Having biking endurance isn’t go- ing to help on a long ocean swim with gear. Being able to run a marathon isn’t going to ensure they can do a 26-mile hike with 60 pounds of equipment and supplies. Thus they must have “functional endurance” for the environ- ments they operate.

Next, SEALFIT athletes must have an advanced level of relative strength and stamina. Strength and stamina are the foundation on which endurance and work capacity are built. Because SEALs operate as a team, each individual must be able to carry his load and have the stamina to do so over long dis- tances. This may show up as having the strength and stamina to carry a wounded buddy a mile to get out of the danger zone. SEALFIT Coach Chriss Smith recently related the story of having to hump the 85-pound rucksacks of a couple OGA (Other Governmental Agency) operators up a very high

mountain in Afghanistan. They could not carry their own load and let their egos get in the way of mission accomplishment. Not cool.

SEALFIT athletes must develop a high level of what I call “work capacity,” essentially horsepower—our ability to do an intense amount of work in a short period of time. Work capacity, combined with skill and awareness, de- termines survivability in a firefight. Work capacity is trained through super- high-intensity workouts of the CrossFit variety. The athlete must be compet- ent in moving external loads at velocity without getting injured or resulting in rhabdo.4The average person can only sustain output at this level for a few moments. SEALs must be able to do it for up to 20 minutes at a time. The only way to develop this capacity is to train like an animal for it. Competition is a great way to build intensity and work capacity, therefore we like to time each work capacity training session.

Finally, SEALs must have serious durability. They can’t afford to get benched during training or break during an operation. Just making it through SEAL training is an ordeal in durability. The training places so much load on the candidates’ bodies and minds through the 11-month ordeal that those who are not durable will break. Training for a serious physical challenge like BUD/s must prepare the extremity bones, joints, ligaments, spine and neck for the constant pummeling. Normal gym training is ignorant to these de- mands. The SEALFIT Operator Workouts posted onwww.sealfit.comare a free resource for military, first responders, obstacle racers, and adventure ath- letes and others to prepare themselves in this model. They are very challen- ging, and the program has proven extremely effective as evidenced by its use at the US Naval Academy, Canadian Infantry, numerous US and foreign Spe- cial Forces units, as well as many SWAT and first responder teams.

SUMMARY

It is impossible to be confident and prepared for the known and unknown and to lead your team through major challenges if you do not prepare yourself mentally as well as physically. However, the knowledge to do so is not

readily available; it is buried in the clutter of commercialism and dumbed down by the litigious and politically correct society we live in. There is no excuse for an obstacle racer not to explore mental training to prepare for a serious challenge race. Stepping up to the challenge in the first place shows that you are unique in our society. It is incumbent upon you to train and lead the way as a Spartan would. This means taking responsibility for your own actions as well as those of your teammates. This includes proper mental and physical training.

Those of you who are already big event racers know that the mental side of the race is the determinant of success or failure. You must also know by now that physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of your being are inextricably in- tertwined, and so must be trained in a “whole person” fashion.

Those of you who are new to serious competition may find this novel; but as you become acclimated to the concepts and practice the methods of mental training, you will realize that mental fitness enables you to succeed not only at your competitive endeavors but in every other aspect of your life as well—your whole person will become stronger, more resilient, unbreakable. I hope the information in this chapter is helpful to you in training for mental indomitability, and I look forward to your inevitable success as you continue your journey!

Mark Divine at SEALFIT Training Center (Photo courtesy of Rich Vernetti/Vernetti Arts)

SPARTAN WARRIOR: ELLA KOCIUBA