The strategy of the rehearsal drill will get you focused and organized, while also reducing the stress for the first third to half of the race or workout. Magic words will pull you along through most of the remaining challenging sessions. But on the really rough days, it helps to have some dirty tricks to play on the reflex brain.
These are quick fixes that distract the monkey brain’s emotional hormone secretions for a while, allowing you to keep going for the next segment of the workout or race. These imaginative and sometimes crazy images don’t have to have any logic behind them. But when you focus on a creative thought, you activate the conscious brain, which will stop the production of negative messages.
This can change the peptides from negative to positive. Having fun with these visualizations will unlock more positive hormones, improving confidence and attitude.
A shift to creative images can further shift action to the right side of the conscious brain. This often triggers a series of creative thoughts that can entertain you. Once engaged, the right brain can subconsciously solve problems, dig into your inner resolve to keep going, and find hidden strength.
The giant, invisible rubber band
When I get tired at the end of a hard race, I unpack this secret weapon and throw it around someone ahead of me—or someone who had the audacity to pass me. For a while, the person doesn’t realize that he or she has been looped and continues to push onward while I get the benefit of being pulled along. After a minute or two of mentally projecting myself into this image, I have to laugh for believing in such an absurd notion. When you take charge over the situation by projecting a set of behaviors and acting on them, you activate the conscious brain to take control. Furthermore, laughing activates the creative, resourceful right side of the frontal lobe. This usually generates several more entertaining ideas, especially when you do this on a regular basis.
The right brain has millions of dirty and entertaining tricks. Once you get it rolling, you’re likely to receive intuitive solutions to current problems. It can entertain you as you get closer to your finish step by step. Most important, this circuit can empower the legs, feet, and muscles to do what they are capable of doing on that day. The result will often surprise you.
More dirty tricks:
The jet engine behind you
When you start to slow down, imagine that there is jet engine from a giant 777 aircraft that is blasting you from behind. Run in this tailwind.
Oxygen molecules in your shirt
When you are feeling the fatigue from a hard run, tap your shirt 3 times and inhale. There are powerful oxygen molecules released that will help to revive your muscles.
Bouncy air pads on your feet
During the last third of your race when you feel that the feet aren’t bouncing any more, turn on the mental switch that inserts air into the skin on the bottom of your feet. It is only activated if you shorten stride and keep your feet low to the ground