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Don't neglect mental preparation Recently, I wrote about how you should prepare to run your best JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge race. This time, I want to stress one of the elements mentioned in that article - being mentally prepared. I feel pretty safe in saying that mental preparation is probably the most neglected part of racing among many of the participants in the Corporate Challenge. You set a goal for yourself to run a certain time and you line up feeling great and in prime condition, but something happens before you reach the finish line. How you perform is very much affected by what goes on in your mind. In many of my races it was the mental part that helped me run the best I could on a given day. A major element in mental training is visualization. You don't need any special skills to handle this technique. I believe it comes naturally to most people. I am one of them. Whether you are planning your career or imagining a special event, you have already probably done visualization. Visualizing a positive outcome can create a pattern of success, so keeping a positive mental attitude about running and racing is important. In my running career, visualization always came with very little mental effort. When I trained for a race where I wanted to do well, I had a specific scene in my mind: being on the starting line, running well and finishing number one. When visualization was a hot topic in the 80's people would approach me and ask about mental preparation. I didn't know what they meant. Then I read about it and realized I had been doing it ever since my teens. If visualization is going to help you run a better time in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, you have to practice focusing on your running. Talk to yourself about your running. Convince yourself of success and the possibility of achieving your goal. See the event in detail, the set up, the crowd of runners, the place, the time, the way you run, etc. Don't use visualization just during training time. When I was competing, I could be driving, sitting on a bus or even reading a book and my mind would be on the upcoming New York City Marathon. I didn't decide to think of the race. It would just pop into my head. And when I would think about winning, my heart rate would go up. I could physically feel the rush of success as a powerful effect of visualization. Another overlooked aspect of running and racing is the ability to relax. I know first hand how races can cause a lot of tension, but in order to race well you need to learn how to relax before the competition and also during it. Try to keep your face muscles, neck and shoulders relaxed so you can maintain a smooth and efficient running form. A good example is the Kenyan runners. At the Corporate Challenge I often see runners gritting their teeth, and you can easily see the tension in their faces and upper body. There is one more thing to keep in mind about positive thinking. Before a race that is important to you don't say things like: "I am not in good shape, I am just running through the race, I didn't taper for this one, or I am just taking it easy today." I have heard them all. I am sure you have too. If you speak and think negatively, it can affect your running. Have a great summer and keep on running. |
