Visualisation - how it can help the everyday athlete's performance

I have been trawling through pages of information on the benefits of positive thinking and visualisation as I struggle to find inspiration and motivation to get back into the swimming pool after a long sojourn from my last triathlon. Elite athletes have been using visualisation techniques for years to increase performance outcomes. I was hoping that by incorporating some of these mental exercises into my training program I could also achieve a better performance. Or at least become enthusiastic about my swim sessions!

Sports psychologists anchor their careers on improving the mental edge of elite sports people. They say that the psychological or mental side of sports performance is as important as the physical (strength, flexibility and cardio) and technical (technique, skills) side, that is to say, roughly one third of the 'performance pie'. But how does the everyday athlete apply visualisation principles and gain the mental toughness that elite players exhibit?

Visualisation is basically mental rehearsal. Visualisation creates and reinforces the confidence for increased performance. The visualised image convinces the subconscious that this achievement is possible. The automatic nervous system performs in the same manner as followed during a physical rehearsal. Neuromuscular co-ordination improves.

In addition, rehearsal and visualisation of an excellent performance convince the unconscious that the actual event can be accomplished at that high level and therefore instils the confidence that is essential for peak performance.

Visualisations and mental rehearsals are most effective when they include the use of as many senses and are as vivid as possible. Elite athletes are familiar with the concept of being 'in the zone', a time when everything seems to come together. That is what visualisation aims for.

Take for example Commonwealth Games Time Trail bronze medal winner, Kathy Watt who not only used visualisation techniques in her preparation but also trained over the course everyday for two months prior to the race to achieve her remarkable performance at the age of 41.

So how do you perform visualisation? We'll use a cycling scenario - you've been dropped from the pack for sometime over a ride route that you believe you should be able to accommodate, taking into account the time you spend on the bike. Instead of throwing your hands up in the air and saying 'I'm over this!' you start on a program of visualisation. You rehearse in your mind travelling in the middle of the pack, catching the draft of the faster riders and maintaining that position throughout the ride. You realise that you have the physical capabilities to continue with the group and maintain your position, even though it may hurt.

Rehearse this scenario in your mind in the times leading up to the ride in question. Be specific about your visualisation, block out any negative thoughts or doubts about your ability, know that you can achieve what you want to achieve, and when it comes time to tackle that ride again, keep that visual imagery you have been cultivating in your mind, do not let anything (other than safety issues) distract you. Be quietly aggressive and work with the image you have created. As you have imagined keep your breathing under control, your cadence at the correct tempo for the conditions, your exertion appropriate to the terrain. Maintain your position in the pack and keep that image firmly in your mind's eye.

Ontario Cycling Association Provisional Coaching Director, Denise Kelly believes that it's better to believe than not - dream big and if you fall short, you're still going to get a lot further than if you never believed you'd get there in the first place.

"I use a lot of positive visualization. There was a time in my career when I was extremely afraid of crashing because I had had three major crashes in three years and I was completely terrified. Shaking on the line, tears, it was terrible. So, I had to make a choice and I talk to athletes about that - you always have the choice. I had the choice to think like that and one of the only options at that point would have been to quit, because there was no way I could have continued racing. Or I had to change the way I was thinking. I started reading positive, motivational books and seeking out positive people to talk to and it took almost five or six months but the positive thinking became second nature. I had to work extremely hard at visualizing myself at the front of the pack and focusing on what I wanted to have happen," Denise said.

This method of positive thinking can also work when you are faced with other cycling challenges that make your nervous or afraid - downhill riding at speed, wearing your cycle shoe cleats for the first time, tackling your first group ride.

Imagery is a technique that provides an ideal picture of a desired performance. According to Davies and West (1991) is can be used as a powerful tool to enhance performance and often acts as a corrective technique, energizer, practical aid, problem solver and control of physiological responses.

And imagery works best in a relaxed mental state. A comfortable, relaxed state of mind allows visualisation of detailed images of different performance situations. The key elements for imagery to become a positive mental training tool are the following:

• The images should be positive and realistic;
• The images should focus on overcoming obstacles and practice mentally repeating positive images.

Now I have to start on my mental rehearsals or visualisation to conquer my resistance to swim training. I don't think I will be imagining following in Thorpe's wake but I will be working on visualising smooth swim strokes, an easy roll from breath to breath, a powerful kick and gliding effortlessly through the water. See you on the pool deck! Or heading towards the front of the pack!

References:

Peak Performance www.weshealth.com.au

Drug Free Sport www.drugfreesport.com

Carol Denicker, North Shore Hypnosis www.northshorehypnosis.com

Jeffery Rose, Advanced Hypnosis Centre www.ahcenter.com