Why Even Bother with a Wrestling Season?

[98lberEating2Lunches]

10 hours ago, scourge165 said:

I happen to think that's what pushed Gable to go out and run 6 miles immediately after winning a World Championship because he had to get ready for next year. 

People say he was a workaholic and didn't like losing.  Hard to find a statement answering "Why?"

Excerpts from around the web:

(after losing to Larry Owings)

"At first after the loss I couldn't face my parents," he said. "I felt I had let them down. I know they didn't feel that way, but it took time for me to adjust. I worked out a little, stayed up late, went out with the guys. I couldn't keep my mind straight."

 

"I'm afraid Dan might commit suicide," said one onlooker. "I mean, what else has he got in life but wrestling?"

But all Dan Gable did was cry.

(Aside: That doesn't sound mentally healthy to me.)

In his book, Gable describes a visualization exercise he used to perform during his training on the cycle.  While cycling, he would imagine in vivid detail his entire workout routine.  As he relived the challenge, sweat, and exhaustion of his workouts, that pushed him to work harder on the cycle.  In every training exercise, his sole concern was pushing himself to his limits--making himself more than he already was.

"If you know you haven't cheated, physically in your preparation, that makes you mentally tough," Gable observed for a 1973 Esquire article.

[98lberEating2Lunches]

Gable Interview

All is a good listen, but 11 min 07 sec point thru about 14:30 seems most relevant.  

[98lberEating2Lunches]

At about 28:20 thru 32:49, Dan Gable specifically addresses "fear," as it relates hypothetically losing his Olympic Gold medal match afyet having lost his final NCAA match.  In that discussion Dan Gable indicates:

1) He wasn't really afraid of a repeat scenario.

2) (Because) He recognized and adjusted his approach and preparation (including with media).

3) It's an ever learning process.

4)  Any fear (presumed as being out there) should only be to his advantage (i.e., his opponent's fear), and he wanted his conditioning to place that fear in his opponent (i.e , they couldn't keep pace with him).

5) Doesn't know whether he ever really had fear, but recognizes there are a few times when he believes he underperformed.  And in retrospect, he attributes this to probably the fear of not being a wrestling artist (versus the best conditioned wrestler).

My take away, Dan Gable thought to perform at the highest level, sources of fear are targets of elimination (i.e., "fear" is not one's ally).

[scourge165]

3 hours ago, 98lberEating2Lunches said:

You've been clear about your personal value system, I acknowledge and see you (me, my). And, I don't mean to devalue what has worked for you or the basic codes you've come to live you life by.

Any disagreement lies in the generalization of your specific life experiences to others or the nature of sport (i e., competition).

Sure, fear can be a great motivator, as in the fear of failure or any of the myriad of other forms of fear-mongering we see every day.  I just don't believe it is the best motivator or that succumbing to it leads to a best life lived.

Yeah...I'm tapping out here. 

 

This was in response to YOU suggesting people who feel that way don't want to be "seen as a loser." 

Quoting one line from an entire post removes all context and any attempt to have a reasonable discussion.
Also, this is getting tiresome.

 

You're either willfully or somehow accidentally missing the main points by going back and quoting single lines like this with no context.

[scourge165]

30 minutes ago, 98lberEating2Lunches said:

At about 28:20 thru 32:49, Dan Gable specifically addresses "fear," as it relates hypothetically losing his Olympic Gold medal match afyet having lost his final NCAA match.  In that discussion Dan Gable indicates:

1) He wasn't really afraid of a repeat scenario.

2) (Because) He recognized and adjusted his approach and preparation (including with media).

3) It's an ever learning process.

4)  Any fear (presumed as being out there) should only be to his advantage (i.e., his opponent's fear), and he wanted his conditioning to place that fear in his opponent (i.e , they couldn't keep pace with him).

5) Doesn't know whether he ever really had fear, but recognizes there are a few times when he believes he underperformed.  And in retrospect, he attributes this to probably the fear of not being a wrestling artist (versus the best conditioned wrestler).

My take away, Dan Gable thought to perform at the highest level, sources of fear are targets of elimination (i.e., "fear" is not one's ally).

My thought is this is genuinely willfull ignorance

 

Who said anything about Wrestling with fear? We're talking about training, preparation, the running 6 miles after winning that you just claimed in YOUR opinion wasn't healthy...

Ah, what's the point. 

[98lberEating2Lunches]

14 hours ago, scourge165 said:

And it doesn't even have to be the "fear" of losing, it's remember what it felt like when you lost, holding onto that and using that to drive you to get better. 

If you think that's unhealthy...so be it. I happen to think that's what pushed Gable to go out and run 6 miles immediately after winning a World Championship because he had to get ready for next year. 

Ignoring Gable's words regarding "fear" 

39 minutes ago, scourge165 said:

is genuinely willfull ignorance

 

[scourge165]

I feel like I've made my point over and over...

If it's still not resonating, it's not gonna.