Like all athletes, I’m always looking for new ways to improve. Lately, I’ve found social media has made me focus on how things will look rather than how they feel, and it can warp my vision in training. Another thing that has interfered with my training is the sound of my feet! For years I focused on touch and quiet landings, but now that has gotten in my way because my focus on sound averts my attention. Surely it should be on my freedom of movement, not how loud my feet are. Then I came across a solution: earplugs.
It’s good to consider the fact that when wearing earplugs what’s audible are vibrations that are going through the body.
Wearing a simple pair of earplugs while training has made a massive difference! I’ve used them quite a lot for parkour for various reasons in the past. Using them helped me find my grounding, quite simply by shutting out the wider world. Earplugs have given me some freedom back; not to mention more focus to dedicate to what I’m doing. I’ve always told people; “focus on one thing at a time”, because focus is a finite thing.
Now here is an interesting byproduct. It totally changes what you can hear; (stick with me) I hear more internally. For example, I find hard impact is quite a bassy sound. Which if I’m able to hear it loudly within myself, means I’m not doing a good enough job in my impact absorption. Also for things like climb ups: the contraction can make a shuddering sound which is interesting as the sound can be made either longer to spread the power, or shorter to make the power quicker.
I’ve always told people; “focus on one thing at a time”, because focus is a finite thing.
As a result, I feel able to give a bit more to what I’m doing without feeling disturbed by others or myself, perhaps I’ve found that bit of silence. Also, when I’m being sure to use good technique, there isn’t much sound anyway – be it inwards or outwards – and I am left with what I want to focus on: movement!
Being made aware of potential issues in this way, could mean there is a need for more conditioning – which isn’t a bad thing – as long as you’re willing to do the work. This might be used as a tool to be jumping for longer at higher levels. It’s good to consider the fact that when wearing earplugs what’s audible are vibrations that are going through the body. So the more I can hear, the more vibrations are going through my body and reaching my ears. Which means there is a good chance, that less absorption has occurred in between. So let me ask you: what’s more important? The outwards surface sound when you have no earplugs or, the inwards absorption reduced sound with earplugs?
The influence of social media has to be handled with care. But at least with wearing earplugs while training I have now found a little inner peace, so peace out.
Here is an interesting little link on the science of sound:
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