So … Visualization…
There’s a school of thought out there that much of sport is rote reflexes; that training should primarily focus on the physical. (Actually, as far as I know, I’m just making this crap up. But it’s going to sound good, so please bear with)
I’d like to turn that on its head and propose that the biggest value in training, regardless of the activity, is to build a mental database for the athlete of situations, such that the conscious mind can anticipate any potential situation. From the ability to, on a split second basis, be able to develop a theory of how an activity is going to progress, develop an execution plan, begin to carry out the plan, and to receive feedback such that the plan can be adjusted to fit conditions.
Wha? you say…
This evening, the boys are in bed, the sun is still shining, the birds are singing, and I grabbed the mountain bike to chase the last rays of day and get in a quick workout. I haven’t been actually riding singletrack much for about 5 or 6 years, so the last couple of times I’ve tried have been disastrous. But, I’ve come back with a crap-eating grin each time, so it’s not all a lost cause.
Anyhoo, tonight I had my first MTB visualization moment in about a decade. My mind eased into the zone, the deathgrip on the handlebars eased up, and I was flying, ’cause I was picturing myself flying.
The downside to visualization, though, is that it’s easy to get sucked into the vision. The ability to cope and remodel one’s theory of execution is what separates the elite athletes from, say, me…
On the next to last stretch I came to tonight, I was loving life. Spot a newly knocked down , shift the weight, and deal with it…
and the next thing I know, I’m lying on my face in the dirt. The visualization failed to catch the stick that jumped into my spokes…
Man, I love to ride…