VAK training can transform your running.  VAK refers to the practice of stating your running goal verbally – and then experiencing the achievement of the goal Visually, in an Auditory fashion, and Kinesthetically.

 

For example, your goal might be the achievement of a certain finishing time in a marathon. To begin a VAK training session for this goal, you would simply make yourself very comfortable, relax, close your eyes, and say, “I am going to finish the Boston Marathon in 2:59 (or any relevant race and time).”

 

Follow up your statement by experiencing the finish of the race Visually. Think how you will look as you run the final 800 meters to the finish line, your legs striding forward powerfully, your arms moving rhythmically and in synch with your legs, your shoulders back, your head up, and with a broad smile on your face. Visualize how it will look to take that final stride across the finish line, to accept the congratulations of the race-support crew, to walk toward the recovery area with a feeling of great fulfillment and accomplishment. Focus on such visual images for a few minutes, relaxing and enjoying them completely.

 

Then, experience the final moments of the marathon in an Auditory fashion. Hear the cheering for you as you approach the finish line, the clapping from bystanders and the strong words of support from the crowd. Hear the announcer calling out your name. Hear the sound of your feet bounding along the ground and the sound of your very rhythmic breathing. Hear the heartfelt congratulations you will receive after you cross the finish line. Hear your friends shouting to you, “You did it!”

 

Finally, experience the finish of the race kinesthetically. Imagine how great it will feel to see the finish line ahead. Think how exhilarated you will be as you make your final charge toward the finish line. Feel your nervous system and leg muscles waking up for that final surge. Think how the ground will feel as you stride across those last few meters. And feel how great it will be to relax totally after you cross the finish line. Your whole body will be warm, and your spirit will be joyful; your mind and body will be unified.

 

The Law of Attraction says that we make things happen by thinking about them in advance. It says that we make our goals real for the first time and begin to believe and trust that we can attain them by thinking about them deeply, by thinking about what they really are and how much we really want them, and by experiencing them in the VAK ways. I know that VAK works. I never truly realized that I could attain my goals until I began using VAK. Regular practice of VAK also brings great internal peace; it is a form of meditation.

 

VAK is also the perfect antidote to negative or doubting thoughts. If you think “I might be able to achieve this goal,” then that doubting thought becomes ingrained in your mind, forms a groove right across your cerebral cortex, takes on a life of its own and “lights up” on race day, and – sure enough – on your day of competition you might be able to attain your goal, but then again you might not. It is important to use VAK immediately whenever the doubtful voice shows up, during your preparations for a key race or within the race itself. VAK is the perfect anti-venom for the crippling fatigue and I-can’t-go-on syndrome which can strike during competitions. When exhaustion strikes, you can call up your VAK images, sounds, and feelings instantly – and say “I am going to do this!!”

 

VAK is also extremely forward-thinking. When you employ VAK, you focus on future successes, not past disappointments and mistakes. VAK is an extreme confidence-builder: As you see, hear, and feel yourself succeeding, you come to believe that you indeed have the power to reach your most-important goal.

 

Let’s face it: You want to reach your running goal very badly. VAK puts your whole mind and body to work on the task of achieving your goal, and hitting your target time becomes very real and absolutely possible. Using VAK can be a very emotional process, helping you see just how important your goals are to you – and why they are important. You’ll understand yourself better when you employ VAK regularly. Systematic use of VAK will boost your self-esteem and create the mental state which is necessary for optimal performance. When that mental approach is combined with the physical prowess you have achieved through challenging training, your previous limits will be broken, and you will soar far above your previous performances.