Concerns
Many competitors express concerns about all aspects related to race day.  What are the conditions of the course? Who will be there? What’s best to wear? When is the post-race party? Many of these questions can be answered, thereby relieving anxiety, others cannot. Instead of letting fear fester, learn to visualize what might happen and how to deal with it. No one can tell you exactly what will happen at any given time, so you need to prepare yourself for all possibilities. Proper preparation reduces the anxiety that builds up prior to the race and allows you to over come any distractions that occur within the race itself.

Programming the Mind
How do you prepare your mind so that you are truly relaxed on the day of the race? Simple.  By exercising your mind along with your body.  One technique that exercises your mind involves hypnosis.  Hypnosis teaches you to be more relaxed on race day, as well as to program your mind to focus on those techniques that make you fast.  Novice walkers sometimes focus only on winning.  While you need a positive image of attaining your goal, focusing solely on that goal distracts you from the mechanics that enable you to achieve it. By focusing on appropriate techniques that make you fast, you become fast.   

Self-hypnosis, like regular hypnosis, is just a form of relaxation.  You do not accomplish it by waving a watch in front of your eyes; nor do you bark like a dog when you are through.   Instead, by learning to relax deeply, your mind becomes more susceptible to suggestion.  Once relaxed, by placing positive suggestions about the race in your subconscious, your mind accepts these suggestions as natural truths.

It often helps to make an audiotape of this lesson, or go through the steps in your mind. When I first began using hypnosis techniques, my coach led me through them.  Later, I used a tape-recording that repeated my coach’s script.   Finally, I found the tape unnecessary, because after some practice I could simply think through the steps in my mind.

The best way to relax deeply is to use mental imagery. Start by finding a place to lay down undisturbed and assume a comfortable position.  Next, imagine yourself in a quiet, peaceful setting, maybe on a beach or near a lake. Imagine a fire near your feet, warming them. Then begin, very slowly, to imagine the warmth from the fire traveling up your feet, through your legs, and into your upper body. Gradually, allow the warmth to travel to your arms, shoulders, neck, and head.  Once you’re relaxed, imagine your body getting light, and then heavy, and then light again.  By this point, hopefully you feel very relaxed.  The best way to relax deeply is to use mental imagery. Start by finding a place to lay down undisturbed and assume a comfortable position.  Next, imagine yourself in a quiet, peaceful setting, maybe on a beach or near a lake. Imagine a fire near your feet, warming them. Then begin, very slowly, to imagine the warmth from the fire traveling up your feet, through your legs, and into your upper body. Gradually, allow the warmth to travel to your arms, shoulders, neck, and head.  Once you’re relaxed, imagine your body getting light, and then heavy, and then light again.  By this point, hopefully you feel very relaxed. 

• Being relaxed and confident that you are accomplishing your goal.

• Seeing your training partners arriving for the race.

• Starting the race and feeling good because you trained hard and well.

• Passing the mile/kilometer markers of the race, happy at your pace and comfort level.

Once you feel comfortable with the race scene, step it up a bit. Repeat to yourself the positive suggestions you used during your training sessions.  By mentally preparing advice about improving your walking stride, you automatically remember these suggestions during the race: just like having your own personal coach inside your head. Here are some potential suggestions:

• I drive my hips forward.

• I swing my arms from a couple of inches behind my hip to just above my chest line.

• I carry my foot through, low to the ground.

• I keep my head up.