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Aimee's Soapbox!
October 2006: Visualize Red to Win Gold!
You've put in the training. You've purchased new lightweight trainers. You've loaded up your water belt with sports drink and energy gels. So you're all ready for your big fall marathon, right?
Nope.
To paraphrase Tom Hanks, what about that big lump 2 feet above your heinie?
If you haven't trained your head for your next event, you aren't quite ready. Whether it's a marathon or a 5K or even just a workout, sports visualization is the key to your success.
Now, many people associate "visualization" with yoga or Zen Buddhist meditation, and assume it is some new-agey-touchy-feely thing that is not for them. (Of course, if you're a regular reader of this column, you of course already have some degree of grooviness in you, so I don't mean you.)
But sports visualization is a very simple process that does not require any new-ageyness or touchy-feelyness at all. It may take some practice till you get the hang of it, but once you do, you can perform it instantly, even on the start line of your next race.
First, some quick tips. . . .
1. You do not need to "empty your mind" or "think of nothing." In fact, you will be doing the opposite. You will be picturing a very clear image in your mind.
2. When you visualize, do so from the perspective of your own eyes. In other words, if you are trying to visualize the last mile of your race, do it as you would see the course out of your own eyes, not as if you are watching a film of you running the last mile.
3. Decide if you want to visualize a specific event (the finishing kick of your next 5K, the hitch kick technique in your long jump, etc.) or if you want to visualize a feeling (confidence for presenting your idea to your boss, power off the blocks for your 100 meter race, etc.). You can use a slightly different technique for each.
Ok, so let's go over the basic process.
Choose the event you want to use for your visualization. Then decide if you want to focus on the event itself (meaning, visualizing the whole event from start to finish) or if you want to focus on a specific feeling (that is, “staying focused” or “being confident”). For our example here, let’s say you want to use an upcoming 5K race.
IF YOU WANT TO VISUALIZE THE WHOLE EVENT: For this exercise it is helpful if you are already familiar with the course. In this exercise, you will pretend in your mind that you are running the course and that there is a camera in your eyes. So your visualization perspective is the “film” of the race from your own eyes. To begin, close your eyes and pretend that you are on the start line. How does it look? What do you hear? What emotions are you experiencing? Then choose the way you want to feel on race day (confident, strong, happy, etc) and “script” your film so that your Pretend Self in your mental movie is feeling that way too. Then, hear the starter’s gun and begin your run. See the whole course in your mind. Remember to script each section of the course—pushing hard up any hills, blowing past that guy in your age group who always nips you right at the end, coming across the finish line and seeing the time you want on the clock. Repeat this process several times before race day, and then repeat it once more ON race day, just before the start. Include as much detail as you can in your visualization. The cool thing is that your brain does not know the difference between “reality” and “perceived reality,” so come race day, the film that you made in your head is already a foregone conclusion as far as your brain is concerned.
IF YOU WANT TO VISUALIZE A FEELING: For this exercise, you need to decide WHAT feeling you want to create. If you feel like you die in the last mile, you might want to work on a feeling of “I am strong.” If you feel like you always back away when someone tries to pass you, you might want to work on a feeling of “I am confident.” Choose your feeling, choose your phrase, then use that as a mantra. (For instance, at Dragon Boat Nationals in August this year, I repeated to myself “I am strong” on every stroke. Since DB is a sprint sport, it came in handy for the last race of the last day after multiple heats when all I really wanted to do was take a big nap.) After you have your mantra, you will do your visualization. This technique is slightly different from the one above. Symbolically, the color red represents strength, confidence, competition. So you can use the color red for this visualization. Close your eyes and picture your entire body, again from the inside, not as if you are watching yourself. Then, picture that your entire body is filled with the color red. Start at your head, and imagine the red pouring through your whole self—down your neck and shoulders, into your arms and torso, and finally filling up your legs. Picture your whole body as one giant red being. You will use this image at any time during the race. Practice being able to call up this image at a moment’s notice. Then you can simply picture it at any time you need a shot of confidence.
Sports visualization techniques provide the finishing touch to your training program. You’ve done all the physical hard work; why not give yourself the added mental edge over the competition?
Coming up. . .
A Birthday Rant, or How I Feel about Turning 39
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