|
Mind
Training for Triathlon
"Whatever
the Mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve". |
Triathlon Mental Training Tip 3
Get
Into 'The Zone'
http://www.triathlonpsychology.com
One
of the most powerful terms used in world sport for decades is the mental state
called 'the zone'.
This is the mental state which produces super-human
performances, amazing times and winning streaks.
Any triathlete - or
athlete of any kind for that matter, who is in this state is virtually unbeatable
at their respective level of competition - and at the elite level, you witness
records being well and truly smashed.
A triathlete who is in the zone
experiences an unusual feeling of effortless power, allowing them to feel
as if their body is powered by a turbo-charged engine, and they find their body
moving with maximum result but minimum energy.
The strange part
about this is - this powerful performance does not feel as if it is being controlled
by the actual athlete themselves! In fact, they often report feeling as if
they weren't responsible for the result at all - as if their body was being guided
and directed by a more powerful force (and this is exactly what is happening).
Almost every triathlete at some stage in their career has experienced
this feeling to some extent - even if just in one particular segment or
leg of the triathlon - and then wondered afterwards "how did I do that?"
This is the mystery that surrounds the zone - why does it appear so fleetingly,
and then disappear just as quickly as it came? And most of all - why can't we
access it all the time?
What is the powerful force which is guiding
the body during this period? The answer is the sleeping giant that resides inside
all human beings - the subconscious mind, the source of all bodily movement which
also stores all past sporting memories and experience.
When an athlete
is 'zoning', their conscious mind becomes quiet (the normally busy,
chattering mind we use all the time), and this allows their more powerful subconscious
to run their performance on 'automatic pilot', in the way a computer runs
software.
This allows their movements to flow much easier, effortlessly
increasing speed and power in a way that could never be matched by conscious thought.
This means that when you are in the zone, you have virtually no thought
going through your mind whatsoever, your body is just moving on instinct and
automatic-pilot, powered directly by your subconscious mind.
This
is not to say that your body is moving without instruction, on the
contrary, it is simply getting its instructions from a more powerful and reliable
source.
So how do we get into the zone? Everyone must find the method
that best suits their needs, but there are a few threads which run through most
'zoning' experiences, such as: -
Swimming,
biking and running much more instinctively than normal, almost without
conscious direction or thought. The subconscious knows exactly what to do
and advises your body constantly on the best course of action. This is most often
brought on by a state of mental quietness, which is actually a form of
deep concentration. -
Allowing
your body movements to flow naturally rather than forcing the movements,
very much like the Zen principle 'less is more'. Power and speed come from
synchronizing into the perfect rhythm rather than from necessarily expending huge
effort.
I suggest you experiment
with this technique in training, and try to master the best method for you to
use in your future events.
The zone is a very powerful state, and can
help you reach beyond your limitations to achievements you may have never realized
were possible. Try it, explore it, master it, and then show the world what you
can do!
"The
Mind controls the body, and the Mind is Unlimited" The
best of success, Craig Townsend |
