Three reasons why learning to relax will make you a better racer

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Three reasons why learning to relax will make you a better racer

How well-drilled relaxation techniques increase your performance
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Hi there

It’s now February 2009 and your pre-season preparations will be coming to a peak.

As your first major race of this new campaign approaches, your stomach may tighten, your excitement may rise, your heart may race and your mood may lift as you anticipate putting all your proper practice to the real test of going racing. The start of a new season is always a fun time for racers.

Some of your reactions like this may help you go faster more often, but other reactions you have might slow you down. Sometimes you might not be sufficiently ‘up for it’, sometimes you might be too wound up.

What you then need is a solid system of calming yourself down when you notice yourself being too wound up, if you’re going to give yourself the chance of performing at your best.

So why should applying such targeted relaxation skills make you a better racer?

Reason 1 – Your brain will operate at a more helpful frequency

When you’re awake, alert, perhaps anxious and a little ‘on edge’, your brain will operate towards the top end of what’s known as the ‘beta’ range of frequencies (between 14 and 30 Hz). The lower you can get this frequency of brain waves, the calmer, more focussed, more attentive to the job in hand you will be. Get the frequency down and you’ll make less mistakes.

In fact, if you can get your brain waves down to between 8 and 14 Hz then you’ll be in what’s known as the ‘alpha’ zone. You will rarely experience this in the race car but if you ever do, you will truly be ‘in the zone’. The outside world will slow down to you, every braking point will be nailed and the track will seem wider as you get close to your perfect lap. With what seems like no effort, you’ll be on the pace everywhere.

Reason 2 – Both sides of your brain will work together more

When you’re calm and relaxed, your brain will be far more ‘integrated’. This means both sides of your brain will work together more.

You know how the left side of your brain controls the right side of your body and the right side of your brain control the left side of your body? Well also, in rough terms, the left side of your brain is more logical and systematic whilst the right side of your brain is more creative and intuitive.

What matters to you is that when both sides of your brain are in-tune and working together, your performance will increase. Being relaxed helps this happen.

Reason 3 – You will have less unhelpful nerves

The reduced brain wave frequency of Reason 1 will actively reduce any tendency to think negatively under the pressure of competition.

You will allow yourself to carry more confidence into the pressure situations when you apply the practised skills of relaxation.


* The Mindset for Racing Finish Line *

Sometimes you can be too relaxed, but 99 times out of 100 with young aspiring racers, they go the other way and get too wound up.

Bringing in well-honed physical and mental relaxation skills gives you another tool with which to beat the opposition. You might get so good at it you’ll experience truly ‘being in the zone’.

(And by the way, Sun1400 R&D is working on some revolutionary measurement and feedback sensors that can show you how unconsciously ‘wound up’ you are and then how to control it. Stay tuned!)

You know what the top guys do and what you should be doing, don’t you?


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Next Edition – How your kart’s or car’s handling balance relates to your mental approach

Why you need to catch your mental slides early
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Enjoy your racing and never give up.

Regards

Mike

Mike Garth
Helping karters and racing drivers perform better
+44 (0) 7737 655 912
www.sun1400.com
Sun1400: Sunday 2pm - Ready to race?


© Sun1400, 2009. All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the Mindset for Racing eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include a complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Mike Garth of Sun1400. Please visit Mike's web site at www.sun1400.com for additional articles and resources on helping karters, racing drivers and their teams perform better." (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or in a web site.)