Taylor Brown on the Mindset Forge Podcast
Join Barton Guy Bryan with Taylor Brown as they chat about how powerful the mind shapes training, performance, and handling negative thoughts. Taylor is the founder and director of EnduroMind, a high-performance coaching program. In this episode, Taylor goes over his career as a rower and how he coaches Olympians on the mindset of performance. He also explains how to understand the stress and anxiety of the moment and have acceptance around it.
The Mind-Body Gap
“Push to the limit” is a common phrase often used in training. But what happens when the mind tells what the body is not? Taylor explains that this is what he calls the “Mind-Body Gap.” When at a high-level effort, the mind will convince you that you have reached 100 percent when in reality, the body is only around 80 percent of its physiological limit. The gap lies in the 20 percent you can physically give. Therefore, understanding the body’s signals is a must to work with the body and not in opposition to it. Taylor expounds that when dealing with this gap, he asks himself whether he is physically capable of continuing despite the discomfort at the moment. Invariably, his answer is usually yes. He used his team’s race against Harvard as an example, where he gave his all at the last 30 seconds despite the fatigue.
About Taylor Brown:
After a decade in high-performance sport, Taylor knows what holds many athletes back from realizing their true potential, and it’s not talent or intelligence. It is one’s relationship to their inner experiences like thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. Taylor seeks to empower athletes and coaches through building mindful awareness, acceptance, and aligning their actions with their values.
Taylor is a Certified Professional Coach and is trained in Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement. Taylor also produces a podcast, Mindful Sport Performance Podcast, with Drs. Keith Kaufman and Tim Pineau.
Taylor holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brown University, where he competed on the men’s D1 rowing team, placing top three nationally. Taylor earned an M.S. in Kinesiology @ UT - Austin.
Episode Outline:
[02:49] The big moment from Taylor’s rowing career where team came together
[07:58] What happened in the last 30 seconds of Taylor’s rowing team going against Harvard
[10:46] Mind-Body Gap: when the mind thinks you are at peak level, but the body is not
[14:48] Taylor’s approach in coaching and the preparation mindset around it
[21:01] Training involves the mind, too, not just the physical aspect
[23:20] Taylor helps prepare two female Athletes for the Tokyo Olympics
[28:11] “People live at the effect of their experiences”
[32:14] It is not the experience itself that causes screwing up but the relationship with it
[37:15] Wrap-up of the episode
Resources:
To Join the Premium Membership, click here: https://themindsetforge.supercast.tech
Taylor's Website: https://www.enduromind.com/
Austin Rowing Club Event: https://bit.ly/3zRVklo
Brown University Vs. Harvard at the Eastern Championships Clip: https://bit.ly/37wZX8e
"Go for the Gold" Competition - Postponed till Oct. 23rd
Taylor refers to the book “Endure” By Alex Hutchinson: https://amzn.to/3Cw6huG
The Mindful Sports Performance Podcast: https://apple.co/3s3D3yt
Mindset Forge Website: www.bartonguybryan.com
Follow Barton On IG: https://bit.ly/37uZrrc
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- Barton Guy Bryan