The reason why this technique works is for several reasons - it's a combination of several techniques all working together (all of which we've discussed separately in the past). These techniques include using your memory, visualisation (which is picturing in your mind the perfect swim), your own 'peak emotional state', plus the mental state known as 'the zone'. As I've mentioned previously, 'the zone' produces your absolute peak performance in the pool. This is well-known in all sports all over the world. When you are swimming 'in the zone', the memory of this swim is then stored in your memory-bank forever (you never forget those swims in a hurry!).
When you recall that swim six months later, it's memory comes flooding back to you in a fabulous array of images and feelings, reminding you of everything that happened that day - the mood you were in, how the swim felt during the race, how you felt after the race, everything! Every time you do this, and remember a great swim from the past, you're literally 'visualising' that swim all over again in your mind in absolute vivid detail, just like running a movie through your head over and over again. When you do this, it will usually get you all emotionally 'stirred up' as you remember every fabulous moment of that race. These emotions you feel will actually make the visualisation exercise (we've often talked about) even more powerful that it usually is - and this is what 'programs' the mind for another great performance in the pool. So this is a powerful method to use before races or training - remember your past victories in vivid detail, and then simply going out there and allowing it to happen all over again. This is also a good method if you're going to swim at a pool on the weekend which you've never been to before, and can't imagine clearly in your mind.
Allow your victories and PB's from the past make you an even better swimmer now.
