Tomorrow is marathon day. I’m looking forward the 26.2 mile challenge once again. I’ve been physically training for over 3 months, but this week required more of a different type of training–mental preparation. Spending months of training on my body would be worthless, if I didn’t take the time prepare my mind for the emotions and stress of the big day.
Positive & Realistic Imagery
Visualizing your upcoming performance is an important mental training technique that is often overlooked. Positive and realistic imagery within your mind can have more powerful effects than a technologically produced simulation. I used imagery in several different ways to prepare for my marathon.
First, I used positive imagery during all of my distance runs. Getting outside and hitting the pavement four times a week eventually starts to lose its excitement. Quite honestly, the running can get boring and sometimes no amount of shuffling songs on your I-pod seems to help. To combat the sense of my training runs feeling like a chore or a task, I would paint a picture in mind of what marathon day would look like. I would imagine the crowd within the starting corrals at the beginning, recognizing that look of anticipation and adrenaline on all of the runners’ faces. I would also imagine the spectators lined up along the race course cheering on their friends, family, and complete strangers. Then, I’d start to see the faces of my friends and supporters. I would imagine the shouts and the high-fives. Often, as I was doing this imagery in mind, I’d physically cover five to six miles and not even realize it.
The second type of imagery I used was a little less puppies and rainbows, but realistic of what race day would actually feel like. This method relates back to my last post on routines. As I started to approach my 15-20 mile runs in training, I would try to create and simulate race day as much as possible. From the time I would wake up to what I wore to how I ran to how I took breaks were all completed as the way I intended doing them on marathon day. The imagery component was that I would start those runs imagining myself running the actual race from the very beginning. I’d see myself starting with my pace group, visualizing our leader in front of me running with the pace flag. I would also see myself running into those “walls” of doubt and physical exhaustion. Rather than fight the onset of those feelings, I would intentionally allow doubt and fatigue to set in, then I would revert back to positive imagery and practice how I was going to overcome it.
Another method of realistic imagery I used was during a very specific training run that I incorporated into my routine every couple of weeks–the 6.2 mile finish. Mile 20 is where I usually hit the emotional and physical “wall.” In training, you never actually run the full 26.2 miles, because you’d be doing more physical damage than good. My plan for training for the last leg of the race though has been to sit for 20-30 minutes before my run, and imagine the first 20 miles in my mind. I would visualize all of the things I mentioned previously, and allow my body to feel the fatigue, hunger, and stress that 20 miles puts on your body. Then, with those feelings in mind, I would go out and actually run 6.2 miles imagining the other runners and fans along the course. By adding this routine to my training, I feel less nervous than I did in three previous marathons, and I’m on pace to set a new personal best!
I.M.A.G.E.
I know that for most people, running a marathon may not be on your radar. Here are my tips for applying imagery to your performance routines.
Isolate yourself from outside distractions
Find a quiet place where you can really delve into your mind and allow yourself to fully visualize and sense the sights, sounds, emotions, and physicality of the event you are preparing for.
Make imagery a training priority
Effective imagery takes practice. It’s a skill like any other, and you need to stay disciplined to work at it for a period of time before you start to feel its effectiveness.
Allow the negative to enter
Let’s be honest, negative feelings are a part of human nature. Nobody can block out all negative thoughts and feelings all of the time. Your imagery sessions are the perfect time to allow those moments of frustration and self-doubt creep and see yourself raise up and overcome them.
Get real
Just like negative thoughts we may have, other performance conditions are not always going to be perfect. What if your event is outside and the weather is cold and rainy? How are you going to react? Visualize different types of realistic scenarios and imagine your success. If ideal conditions don’t exist during your event, you’ll still be confident and have the upperhand!
Emotional is good
If you’re doing imagery the right way, you will find yourself having the same emotions that would normally have during your performance. Pay attention to these emotions, determine if they’re helpful or harmful, and visualize either using them for strength or fighting through them.
Please share your stories of how imagery has worked for you, or feel free to ask me questions about using imagery for enriching your performance.
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