Detailed accounts as the foundation for fantasy

I stay psyched on running by keeping detailed accounts of my personal records (PRs) and then using those accounts as a foundation upon which to project my goals. Many times after a run, I’ll find myself zoning out for long periods to calculations of extrapolated times, mixed with fantasies of actually running faster. If my PR for the mile, for example, is 4:58, then I can calculate that, at that pace, my 5k time would be 15:26 — and then I imagine, “What would it feel like to run that distance at that pace?” Never discounting these fantasies as “day dreams,” I truly believe in the power of positive visualization. Continue reading →