Designing a Mental Game Plan: That's What It's All About!

I had the privilege of listening to former Olympic Sports Psychologist,  Bobby McGee, this past weekend at the USAT triathlon clinic. He shared several true gems of wisdom, and wanted to pass 2 of them along. 

Exercise #1:Print a map of your race route and visualize the following:

1. How will your body feel at the different points of the race

2. What will you tell yourself for motivation during the different points of the race

3. What do you want to remember during the race

Next, write out those sentiments on your race map. You might have 'relax shoulders' during the second half of your run, and 'I'm an endurance athlete' as your overall mantra written at the top of the map. Keep the map in a visible place (bathroom mirror, kitchen fridge)  to refer to often.

And practice, practice, practice visualizing these verbal responses and feelings, several weeks before your race/event. Treat it as part of your workout and training. 


Exercise #2: Imagine it's 2 days after your race, your sitting in your living room, and your best friend calls and asks "How was your race?". 
What do you want your answer to be? How do you want to describe the race? How you felt pre and during the race? How did you feel mentally and physically? How was your performance? Formulate your answer and practice, practice saying this to yourself often, several weeks before your event. Make your race thoughts a habit.


Again, these are strategies learned from Bobby McGee, expert running coach. I'd love to hear if you've used these strategies before or how you mentally prepare for a race.