Sunday, October 29, 2006
A Rhetorical Question
It was 47 degrees with a 10 mph wind. With over 6,000 runners in attendance, Central Park was abuzz with activity. Folks were: filling out registration forms; stretching their limbs; hydrating; warming up; unpacking their gear; meeting teammates; chatting about where, when, how far and how often they run. After securing her race chip and bib number, Melissa asked, "How is it I can get up at 6:30 and travel all the way for this and can't get up in the morning everyday for work?" "Because this is play," I offered.
After spending the last six months working out in water (pool/bay/ocean/river/pond), I had no business entering a 5-mile race, but couldn't resist a chance to enjoy a run in the park with a friend. And since Melissa was game, we ran: past Strawberry Fields, the reservoir, across the transverse on to the East Drive, chugging towards Cleopatra's Needle, Cat Hill, the boathouse and Tavern on the Green. And while I was challenged by the successive hills today, I found it possible to relax by (as Dr. Keith Bell suggests) "really being there" running and focussing on the glorious autumn day. Each step we took was: a celebration, fun, play.
In Championship Sports Psychology, Dr. Bell recommends the use of imagery to enduce relaxation in a performance situation. He suggests:
After spending the last six months working out in water (pool/bay/ocean/river/pond), I had no business entering a 5-mile race, but couldn't resist a chance to enjoy a run in the park with a friend. And since Melissa was game, we ran: past Strawberry Fields, the reservoir, across the transverse on to the East Drive, chugging towards Cleopatra's Needle, Cat Hill, the boathouse and Tavern on the Green. And while I was challenged by the successive hills today, I found it possible to relax by (as Dr. Keith Bell suggests) "really being there" running and focussing on the glorious autumn day. Each step we took was: a celebration, fun, play.
In Championship Sports Psychology, Dr. Bell recommends the use of imagery to enduce relaxation in a performance situation. He suggests:
- imagining a pleasant, "very comfortable, peaceful setting"
- carefully attending to the scene in detail
- using all of your senses
- looking for the various sights
- noticing different colors and shapes
- listening to the sounds
- being aware of the smells
- paying close attention to how it feels
- experiencing it all in a very calm, relaxing a peaceful way.
