Visualization

Our biggest kid is spending the week with Nana & Papa up North this week, which means I've got only one child, and a LOT of freedom!
It's been a good week.  One kid feels like a vacation!

I can't say I don't miss lil A like crazy, though.  She's such a cool broad.

I've been able to get a few things checked off my list in the way of race season prep, so I'm feeling confident now that I'll be able to get myself to the start line of the few races I've registered for.

I'm planning to re-try the Melissa's Road Race in Banff, as I had to sell my bib last year due to my buggered ankle and some nagging morning sickness.  I'll be running a half marathon when this littlest is around 4 months old.
This is the soonest I've ever attempted this distance.

I was able to also book our Disney resort for the weekend of the Goofy race.
Baby will be around 7 months old when I stand at those starting corrals.

I might feel kind of nervous, or scared, or even filled with trepidation at the idea of completing these races.
But I'm not.

I've been using visualization for so long that I kind of forgot what it was called!

Seeing myself out running, pushing the two little ones while the biggest is in school, or riding her bike along side me.  Feeling the excitement and accomplishment that race day brings.  Imagining myself, prepping my gear the night before each of my races in Disney World.

And my favourite one of all, seeing myself cross the finish line, having a medal placed around my neck, where my family is there to hug me and I'm able to hold them as I add the personal triumph of another race to my roster.

That one can make me cry, even though it's all imaginary!

I think that visualization is so very important when you have goals because it allows you to see only the end result.  There will be challenges and set backs along the way, but visualization doesn't have to include that.  It's never a bad idea to try and predict what kinds of difficulties you might encounter, so you can prepare a plan of attack, however, for myself, I usually use visualization to see myself achieving my goals.

And getting to the start line of each and every one of my races will begin with just a step.  And then another, and another.  I know I can do it, and I'm not naive in thinking that there won't be a ton of work to do to get there.  I'm even visualizing myself making extra wise food choices, as I'll need to be shedding some baby weight in order to make these distances easier on my body.  However, I'm simply not allowing myself to see any other outcome than the most victorious one.

A positive attitude, a mega supportive husband and family, and whole lot of visualization, combined with a lot of quality training - which translates to hills and speed, in my mind - as well as one run for distance alone, and not time, makes the perfect equation for the races I've got lined up.  I hope!

I think my physiotherapist and I may become good friends as well.  But that's a post about maintenance and injury prevention, and I'm sure I'll be visiting that topic in the not-too-distant future!

In the meantime, here's a link to a video for a song that's been making me feel very motivated lately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub9RSrVcBvs