We often speak about training our body. We do long runs and speed workouts! We talk about AT work vs Vo2Max work. We figure out the right mileage and the right recovery, but how often do we train our brain to be ready to race??? My guess is not often and definitely not nearly enough. When I hear runners tell me "Coach I gave 100%" Its not that I don't believe them its that the human brain has a function called "Perceived Perspective". This means that based on how you train the brain you may think 100% is all you can give. Its not too different from having a huge lung capacity meaning you can breathe in tons of air but if you VO2Max is low you will use very little of that air or more importantly of the oxygen which is what you need to run fast. So it is true with the brain that X amount of effort may feel like 100% but a brain that is not trained will feel that at 85%. Once you train the brain and prepare yourself to know how to envision a race the pain associated with it you will find that extra gear or that extra effort to go what often we say is 110% but in reality its just getting closer to your true 100% ability. I have see runners with much more ability not race as well as runners with less ability but with great mental conditioning. So now the question is how do we use visualization to prepare for a race.
How to use visualization
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AuthorCoach Rojas has 11 combined years of coaching experience at various levels including coaching a high school D1 State finalist team and 3 years in a row of a top 10 state ranking. He is passionate of the sport of running and loves to see new runners take up the sport! He wants to share a lifetime of running experience to all Archives
March 2018
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