“I was so worked up and excited about this new thing for running. I couldn’t sleep. I put on my race clothes and looked in the mirror, and thought deep thoughts about what I was going to do each and every mile. And how I would feel the last mile and and how I would finish.”
by Patti Catalano Dillon
I have a story about how I was introduced to the technique of visualization. Now I had never heard of visualization.
At the 1980 Olympic Trials a new women’s event (the 10k) was going to be an exhibition. I was desperate to run. My sponsor said no. I was a roadrunner and should do Cascade Run off. I begged my coach to insist and be persistent to let me run to no avail. Eventually, I went to the head honchos and begged and offered up a deal. Let me run the 10k on the track and I’ll run Cascade, too… AND I WILL WIN BOTH. True story.
Answer was a steadfast no. I was to be a roadrunner.
All did not sit well with me. While my coach stayed back to watch the Trials in Eugene, I hopped on the bus to make the trek to Portland. Nobody sat next to me. Thinking back and seeing it now, I was fuming and I was wearing it on my sleeve. Another runner, Ron Wayne, was the last one on the bus and having little choice, sat next to me. I just stared out the window and barely acknowledged Ron, which was unlike me, as I was usually happy as a puppy.
After a bit, Ronnie asked me if anything was the matter. I told him what had happened. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was I had to prove to my sponsor, that ‘Yes, it could have run and won both events But how to show and prove it. What could I possibly do?’
Ronnie asked me the same thing. He answered my questions with another question. I started thinking…then I told him what I wanted to do, but that it was unattainable. He introduced visualization to me.
Now I had never heard of visualization. That if I saw it in my mind and I believed it, then it would happen.
I thought about this for a bit and looked right at him – very intensely – and asked, “Really?”
“Really,” he said.
Ok. Then I told him what I came up with. He didn’t miss a beat and said, “Done!”
I could not believe how easy it was… See it, believe it… Ok. I’m in.
I was so worked up and excited about this new thing for running. I couldn’t sleep. I put on my race clothes and looked in the mirror, and thought deep thoughts about what I was going to do each and every mile. And how I would feel the last mile and and how I would finish.
My coach came around early in the morning. I was still awake. How could I sleep? I was getting ready fight or flight.. He convinced me to settle down and take a nap. I did for about 30 minutes. I was up and out warming up at 5:30 AM.
Now my coach knows my goal. He’s upset because he thinks I can’t do it. Tells me to just see if I can win and call it a day. Now I’m really believing I can do it. No matter what, I’m doing it. I don’t care what anybody else says. He also reminds me not to take it out hard and not to take the lead after the hills, about 6 miles in the 15k.
The gun goes off. I bolt, as is my M O. I hold back and settle down into the pack. All I see is what I saw in the mirror, determined, brave, I don’t care attitude. I take lead about one mile in. I run free. Because I already ran it about thirty times, visualizing each and every step, every breath. Chin up. Breathe. Pump. Repeat.
Closing towards the downhill finish, I see my coach along with two other coaches Sev, and Squires. [Bob Sevene & Bill Squires.]
When I see my coach…I leapt into the air, right fist punching the sky claiming, “I told you I’d do it!”
I finished wishing there were miles to run. I had won. I knew it. And I was the first American woman to run sub-fifty minutes with a 49:42! I visualized sub-50. Beforehand my time was the American Record of 52:34. And it hurt. The 49 was easy.
From that June day, I officially ignited the rage The fire within. I mean rage in all the good sense. I had a furnace that held a lot to burn.
Visualizing is real. Though one needs to back it with strength.
So that’s my Ronnie Story. I told him about it last year at Boston. He promptly took credit for all my racing success thereafter.
