Remember the Perfect

I’m standing at the free-throw line, imagining my favorite basketball player, throwing the ball out a couple of feet with some backspin. I stare up at the rim and give it my best heave. *Brick*. My dad turns to me out on the driveway, shakes his head and says, “quit doing all that excessive crap, keep it simple, 2 dribbles, a deep breathe, and IMAGINE yourself making the shot.” After disagreeing and trying to prove him wrong, I watched him make 88 free-throws in a row. I then decided to take his word for it. I lined to shoot again, followed pops orders, and swished my first shot. My dad continued, saying I needed to remember how the last one felt because it was perfect; always remember how those feel. This concept worked for me when I was playing basketball. It was a great technique which probably improved my free-throw percentage dramatically. Recently however I use it in my running.

You are not always going to have a perfect race, but you might have some moments. I have tried to remember those perfect moments when I am racing. I use workouts, races, long runs... Any reminder of a time when you felt you were strong, in control, and able to react to any move being made. The visualization technique is a huge help for me especially when I am in a new situation against guys that are most likely more skilled and experienced than me. I try to look back on my “moments” during a race and use them to help me win a race or improve a personal record. There are many types of strategies and techniques that racers use, but visualizing, and remembering those perfect moments works well for me... What about you?