Visualization
Recap
1.1 Goals & Overwhelm
1.2 Dream Big / Start Small
1.3 SMART goals
 Visualization

Creates details around your dream
Empowers your body to intentionally and actively work towards a possibility
Engages mind, body, spirit

 
Creates Intentionality

Intention means Vision
Vision allows you to work with intention

Sense of Calm

Recognized as part of meditation
Used in religious services
Engages multiple parts of the brain

Refine your dream by visualizing what happens when you make it happen.
Story:
I struggled to breathe. Literally, I struggled to breathe. And in hindsight, I think I know that much of it was an allergic reaction to some of the things that were going around and also what was happening in our local water supply. Swimming in the outdoors, unfortunately struggling to breathe when you're in an endurance sport is actually a big deal. And when you're in the water, you really do not want to have an anxiety attack, which will only exacerbate that. We also know that in aging athletes, and sorry to admit but I do fall into that category, but in aging athletes there is something called exercise induced bronchioconstriction (EIB).
It's sort of like having an asthma attack, and one of the things that exacerbates it is cold water. And unfortunately, swimming in cold water with potential allergens only exacerbates the entire problem that I was having with breathing, so going into Nationals this year, I was struggling physically and mentally to jump into the water and race my heart out.
I needed a visualization technique to get me through the day. I needed to find a sense of calm. I needed to find a reason to want to race. And I needed to find an image that I was going to hold tight in my brain as I was going through working through the emotions of being afraid to swim in cold water.
I needed to find an image that would work for me that I could handle getting into cold water and overcoming the fear associated with not being able to breathe.
So my visualization while I was in the water was this image of calm and this image of safety. Yes, my swim is 25 minutes, depends on which course we're doing. But I needed a sense of calm, I needed something that would help me regulate my breathing, and I needed something that would give me the focus that I needed to complete and so this was my visualization that I choose to share with you. And then the other reason that I visualize the other part that I have for my visualization in my racing technique is also.
Find your calm:

Dbreathing
Avoid distractions
Visualize your success

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