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What you think about affects how you feel, act, and perform. One of the basic
psychological principles is that you move toward your most dominant thoughts.
Your thoughts may be in the form of words or images. They have a great deal
to do with how well you achieve your training and racing objectives. Remember
that positive thinking is a skill that can be conditioned (trained).
There are four areas of mental conditioning that you can develop to help create
positive performances. These are (1) self-talk, (2) mental imagery, (3) focusing,
and (4) relaxation.
Self Talk
During training and racing your mind swirls with constant internal banter. Too
often the mind interprets training or racing stress as negative and sends negative
messages to your consciousness, such as “this is uncomfortable; shouldn’t we
slow down or stop?” By developing and practicing positive affirmation statements,
you can encourage new habits that will lead you to think positively during
training and racing. Here are some guidelines:
- Use brief, direct statements (for example: “Yes”, “Strong”,
“Relaxed”, “Powerful”).
- Use positive terminology (avoid terms of obligation: “I must”,
“I should”).
- Focus on your strengths.
- Focus on possibilities.
Develop several positive affirmation statements that have personal meaning to you
and practice them regularly during training.
One important, yet often overlooked, element of human nature is the natural
up-and-down pattern to our moods. Low moods and high moods are as normal as
night and day. Typically, if we are experiencing a naturally occurring low
mood, then the lens we see life through becomes a bit distorted. If we give
this too much energy, we can be very hard on ourselves and our self-talk can
become very self-destructive.
If you find yourself using destructive self-talk, take a moment to step outside
the situation and gain some perspective. Perhaps you are experiencing a naturally
occurring low mood. Notice it, trust that it will pass, and have a good laugh
at yourself and this very normal part of being human.
Mental Imagery
The mind uses images for much of the information it processes. Imagery is a
powerful tool for performance. You can use imagery to practice a performance,
develop self-confidence, or learn a new skill. One of the greatest benefits of
training with athletes who are technically more proficient is that you can
watch them and use that image to improve your technical skills.
Imagery techniques are best developed with an open, optimistic attitude and in
a quiet setting free from distractions. Begin to develop your imagery abilities
by increasing your sensory awareness of your activities. During training and
racing, focus your attention on how the activity feels, smells, tastes, sounds
and looks. This will give you a library of sensory information to create a
real-life image in your mind. For example, if you are riding your bike, imagine
a miniature of yourself sitting on your shoulder and watching you ride. What
would he or she see, hear, smell, and feel? Developing an image inventory from
outside and inside your body are very useful tools.
Focusing Skills
Elite athletes are remarkable in their ability to pay attention to what they are
doing while competing or training. They have learned to associate (focus on the
activity), rather than disassociate (think about other things). Focusing during
exercise takes practice and an awareness of when you are not focusing appropriately.
There are several questions to ask yourself while you are exercising that will
help to determine if you have the right focus:
- What am I doing right now?
- Does what I am thinking about help me right now?
- Is what I am thinking about something I can control?
These questions, when asked regularly, will get you in the habit of focusing your
attention. Start paying attention for short periods (5 to 30 seconds) during your
training, and gradually lengthen your period of attention as your focusing skills
improve.
Relaxation Techniques
Another common thread among accomplished athletes is that they make their activity
appear to be effortless. Much of this image is due to the athletes’ ability to
relax during activity. As you become more skilled doing an activity, you tend to
eliminate unnecessary muscular contractions, those that don’t contribute to your
motion. For example, a death grip on the handlebars of a bicycle does little to
move the bike and much to cause fatigue in the neck, shoulders and
arms.
As with all mental techniques, you can learn relaxation with practice. A good time
to increase your awareness of a relaxed state is during your imagery training. As
you settle down to practice your imagery, focus on the feeling of your body relaxing.
During your training and racing, do an inventory of your body by checking for and
releasing tension. Focus on letting go of unnecessary tension and releasing your
speed, rather than forcing speed with tense muscles. Remember that relaxed, loose
muscles are powerful, quick and efficient.
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