Unlocking the mind for running
‘As a marathoner, I realise that running 26.2 miles is not limited by physical capabilities but rather by the mind’ Uta Pippig (3x Boston & 3x Berlin Marathon Winner)
Despite training going perfectly for races on occasion, why is it that sometimes it all goes wrong on the day. We spend hundreds of hours preparing our bodies physically but very little time preparing the mind.
This is definitely the case for me and although I am not sure of the percentage split between what effects physical and mental capability have on running, I know that my mental incapability has always been a factor for longer races. For example my WAVA rating for 800m PB is 70%, but for a marathon is 50%, where as many people can keep their WAVA rating within a much narrower margin across all their distances. I blame a lack of mental preparation for this as the longer distances give me more time to think and more time to realise how much it hurts.
In addition to my physical training, I thought it was about time to unlock my mental capability and booked an appointment to see an EmoTrance practitioner called Kirsten who lives in Bracknell. EmoTrance stands for emotional transformation and it works with your internal energy system to remove emotional blockages brought on by stress, trauma, grief, anxiety and anger. If your system is blocked your body doesn’t work properly, this technique is reported to have amazing results.
In preparation Kirsten gathered lots of information from me so she could get to know me and establish how my mind works. Everyone is different and with different issues and as Kirsten is a practitioner in therapies such as Neuro Linguistic Programming, Time Line Therapy and Hypnotherapy as well as EmoTrance, the preparation enabled her to tailor our session to be specific to me and to my running.
At our session Kirsten set me up with a resource anchor, which is a location of your choice on the body which you can physically touch and can be used at times when you need motivation, encouragement or comfort. Resource anchors have been reported to be effective by many sportsmen, public speakers and salesmen for example.
She then read out to me a carefully prepared hypnotic script which included some embedded commands tailor made to help me with my running. I found the whole experience of the session to be very calming and a bit funky and Kirsten herself is a lovely lady.
I am not entirely sure how all the things she did work but my enthusiasm for running has more than quadrupled and my running itself since has been much better, as I have found myself flying round training routes that I normally find tough. I noticed half way round one that I had been involuntarily using my resource anchor and also flew up a steep hill, that I often walk up, in The Look Out, without even thinking about it.
I would definitely recommend Kirsten if you feel you need help with the emotional side of your running and particularly if you are training for a big event. Of course these therapies can also be applied to many other aspects of your life and I know that Kirsten has helped two couples conceive who had tried without luck for many years for example.
Her website is http://www.emotrancebykirsten.co.uk/ or if you want to know more before contacting her I’d be happy to talk about my session further, so just reply to this thread, grab me on Facebook or at the club.
Gary Gibbons