Visualize This

I am not one to get caught up in many New Age ideas, but lately I have been hearing about the benefits of visualization.  In a nutshell, visualization refers to the process of imagining a specific behavior or event to train your mind to and body to be prepared for that event.

Visualization helps athletes prepare for particular events they are likely to encounter.  An example of this comes from the world of mixed martial arts: Greg Jackson, the coach to myriad UFC and StrikeForce stars, uses visualization techniques with his fighters to prepare them for competition.  Dreaming of knockouts must have some effect, as Jackson has been the coach to multiple UFC title belt holders.

Despite knowing the potential benefits of visualization, I have had trouble including the technique in my personal training regimen.  Just sitting and imagining what I should be doing does not work that well for me, and with kids/phones/dogs running around the house, it is not exactly easy for me to find quiet time for the exercise.

That’s where running comes in for me.  Running is the time and place where I can clear my mind and be free of distractions, so it also happens to be the best place for me to attempt to visualize my upcoming race.  It was not until my last long training run, however, that I was able to fully immerse myself in a visualization of the Baltimore Marathon.

Last Sunday I was just over 10 miles into a 13.1 mile training run.  I came around the last bend of the long trail I was running on and had a long straightaway to the finish.  It suddenly dawned on me: the last few miles of Baltimore are also a long straightaway.  Without actually trying to visualize, I was suddenly able to see down the length of Eutaw Street in front of me.  I had a few runners around me, the Bromo Seltzer tower was on my left, and Camden Yards was approaching quickly.

Looking back at the Bromo Seltzer Tower from Camden Yards

As I passed the mark for ½ mile remaining in the run, I felt myself jumping the curb and entering the space between Camden Yard’s warehouses on my left and the ball field on my right.  The end was in sight, and this was the final chute hurtling toward the line.  My pace continually quickened, and as I exited the far side of the ballpark I saw the sign for 26 miles.

So close...

I went faster.  Now I was on the Raven’s Walk with a crowd cheering me on as they saw me sprinting with all I had left after so many miles.  The line got closer and I could see the statue of Johnny Unitas in front of Ravens Stadium.  The electronic clock clicked off seconds, and there I was, crossing the finish line at 3:50 with more than 10 minutes to spare in beating my goal of a sub-4 marathon.

I snapped back to reality at this point.  I was still on the BWI trail, and it was rainy and cold.  There were no crowds, just me and the personal satisfaction of one more long run completed.  Still, I could picture the finish line; it had felt so real for those few miles at the end of the run.  Suddenly, and for no scientifically valid reason, I felt confident about the race coming up in one week.  I felt that if I could visualize something so clearly, it was only because I had a real chance of accomplishing the goal.

Visualization is obviously not going to put me in a footrace with elite runners to win a marathon.  I am not going to enter the Olympics anytime soon, and simply thinking about being fast will not allow me to forgo training.  But visualization has helped to calm my pre-race nerves and feel more confident about my training.  I am going to hit the starting line on Saturday feeling like I truly have it within me to relive the moment I had felt so vividly.

That added bit of confidence, the idea of knowing that you CAN do something, is what makes visualization a worthwhile technique for both UFC fighters and marathoners.  Being able to picture the attainment of a goal may just help you to actually go out and do it.