By Rameshon
Date -26 Nov 2024 Time Published-5pm
Marathon Personal Best Time - 2hrs 22min 24sec
(Masters In Education, University of Western Australia, 2005 - 2008)
Buddha told that it is thought that becomes our action, itself. Positive thoughts lead one to positive action. The outcome will be happiness. It is reverse and otherwise for negative thoughts. So, we must be careful in entertaining the thoughts that come through our mind. By meditation method, one will become more aware of the thoughts processing through our mind, and it takes time to observe this. One can change the thought. For instance, sometimes the mind will be thinking, " I am weak". This will make one weak, definitely when we channel thoughts of weakness. By becoming aware, I can say, " I am feeling strong" one will see positive action coming from the body. So, if you say that you hate running, you will not run the marathon and also will not feel good to do a 3km jog. Reverse the thoughts to positivity and see what happens. Satisfaction only is the outcome of positive thinking.
A champion's mind is usually positive. Therefore the outcome is positive. In Loughborough University of Technology, England, 1992 to 1994, we went through mental training practise, meditation and relaxation during our psychology lesson, for my degree programme. To hit a gradual goal or sub-goal time, athletes imagine that they perform mentally and achieving the result successfully by entertaining on thoughts and imagery that one can accomplish it.
With regard to this, I have checked on the importance of mental thoughts and mental training with my former coach Alan Guilder whether he had practised mental training before he attained 13min 32sec for 5km track. He told me he does not know about mental training, as a matter of fact, and he has never done or practised any. That made me to learn something from here that some top runners don't really practise any form of mental practise or any kind of visualisation. However, after with some few steps of running, as we were running on the pavement of the road in Loughborough, he paused and revealed that he used to imagine that he was going to take part in a future race, and entertain his mind of mental imagery, which came to him in an autonomous fashion, that he is running fast and go through a mental play of having done well and even getting good prize for the run. Alan has come in top position in races in some parts of England. In one race we did a 15km race and he did 48min plus, while I came in 5th for men open doing 50min 18sec in a race, where both of us ran in the same race.
So, in some good top runners' mind this automatic thoughts and imagination comes in and they are not really aware of what is going on in the mind. Good that Alan was aware and he shared this with me. Eventually, I realised that with or without mental practise or doing visualisation, people like Alan do positive day dreaming during runs and picture themselves accomplishing it. There is a mental play which has taken place. No wonder they keep improving and become elite runner. As for those who are not able to go through this day dreaming while running, it is a good idea to do conscious mental practice by imagining that you are going through the mind, creating a scenario of achieving the goals or sub-goals in the mind.
This correspond to what Albert Einstein have mentioned. He said that imagination is higher than intellect. Obviously, the person who visualises and pictures themselves successful by first imagining in the mind. Upon doing that, there is this miracle of believe that the environment collaborates with the individuals mind creating opportunities for the individual to achieve the reality from the imagination fed to the mind by mental practice or visualisation practise.
In short, in psychology, it is mentioned that our thoughts are more real that the solid things that we see outside, in the environment. There are alot of u-tube, instagram, face book and other media where right now individuals who want to be enthusiasitic in running can reach. Like I have mentioned, the more one reads, writes, talks and listens on running, the more there is this action to perform and one can become addicted to running in the long run and achieve tremendous result, according to one;s progress and capacity. This applies to top runners or runners who are not concerned about being a top runner but would like to have some improvement in running, and over time, being able to complete a marathon with a reasonable time, irregardless whether it is sub-3hr or sub 4hr or sub-5hr or sub- 6hrs. The most important thing is to get hooked to running and keep excising to keep the body and mind healthy, which should be every runner's ultimate pursuit. It is to do exercise as a lifelong pursuit.
