"If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it you can
become it." William Arthur Ward
Before the 1976 Summer Olympics the Soviet Union took pictures of the
facilities in Montreal, studied them and pictured themselves competing
there. So when they arrived, they had the feeling that they had been
there before. American athletes are just beginning to realize the impact
and importance of the mind-body connection in athletics while the
European athletes have been utilizing and honing these skills for years.
One of the most powerful tools an athlete can use is that of imagery.
You've heard it called mental rehearsal, imagery, mental imaging and
visualization - they all come from the premise of creating an experience
in your mind. You create your own internal comfort zone. The body
cannot distinguish between something that is really happening, and
something that they are visualizing. Take, for example, a bad dream,
which I'm sure you've all had at one time or another. You wake up
sweating, agitated and your heart pounding. Your body was
physiologically reacting to something that had only occurred in your
mind. Another example is if you were to remember an embarrassing event
that happened to you. While recalling it you might start to blush or
sweat - whatever it is you actually did in that particular situation,
even though you are not physically encountering the event.
The most common use of imagery is that of your peak performance. This
is the one you would like to repeat over and over again. The event was
perfect, positive and you achieved your goal. The effectiveness of your
imagery is enhanced when you have clear and concise goals. The success
mechanism in your body is activated by goals. They provide direction and
in turn help direct your images and mental rehearsal towards success.
You should always keep in mind the selected goals and behaviors you hope
to achieve.
Write down your peak performance in detail, they exact way you'd like
to visualize it. Visualize the experience in detail, using as many
senses as possible, and be aware of the people, location, surroundings,
etc. Go over the way you felt before, during and after the event.
Visualize it from inside your body and feel each and every movement and
all of the accompanying emotions. Carry it through to completion using
the actual speed and it should take as long as the event. If it's a 5
minute race your visualization session should last 5 minutes (plus any
pre- and post-event visualization).
The key to imagery is that you do it while you are relaxed. It's best
to do after you've done some relaxation exercise so that you will be in
a good state of mind to go over your event. Make sure you use all of
your senses and have the picture in your head be exactly like the race
you would like to complete successfully. Since the mind leads the body,
this is an invaluable tool if it is done correctly and on a consistent
basis.
Have you got a human interest story about a runner you know or
a race report to share ? ontherunevents.com is happy to share stories
with our readers. Send us
your stories, your experiences!
?
"If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it you can
become it." William Arthur Ward