Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORMING
Lately I’ve been focusing on FOCUS. Ha! Okay, this ditty is about my mental game during a trial. This is NOT about where/when my front crosses occur, which verbal to use, nor whether I will lead out from the Table. or not. This is about mental discipline. Apparently there is something to this, because when my mental game is together, the front crosses, verbals, timing and technique pretty much fall into place.
When I am able to blot out other handlers, weather, worry, aches and pains, etc, and just focus on my dog, all is well.
However is not very easy for me. I have the attention span of a fly. My puppy Dani can relate. I have actually had to make a check list that I review on my way to a trial and have to review this list repeatedly during the trial in order to DO IT.
1)Â Â Â Â Â Walk the course.
2)Â Â Â Â Â Feel the course, own the course.
3)     The first 2 steps will CREATE MY PLAN. Once PLAN is created:
4)     STAY WITH THE PLAN (ooh, ooh, this is soooo hard for me.) However, maintaining my own personalized plan, for better or worse, causes me to handle with conviction, and not be tentative. If I’m gonna go down, I’m going down in FLAMES. It is the only way I want to play this game anyhow.  Playing agility safe is boring to me. I don’t mean be reckless, but I don’t want to play conservatively. Â
5)     When I walk to the start line, the PLAN is ingrained and immovable, so now my only task is to WATCH THE DOG CONSTANTLY. React to the dog in real time, let the dance begin! What a rush!
Anyone out there have a mental game for performing?
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for
I ALWAYS listen to a self-hypnosis tape I got from Clean Run a few years ago, when driving to a trial. Its about 1/2 hour long so I pop it in and go through the deep breathing and positive affirmations  during the last part of the drive.
When I am fighting fatigue in the afternoon from running two dogs in multiple courses (USDAA) I listen to upbeat / funny music my kids recorded for me on an MP3 player.
I do the things you mentioned. I once slammed into a fence, walking with my eyes closed while visualizing the up coming run, so I now stand still.
My biggest challange is "feeling I own the course". Its coming as we are learn the skills.
Cheers,
Jean
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for
Self-hypnosis.. hmm.. Do they sell a tape on the hypnosis of judges?
I've got my own "hypnotic" idea, Eric and I should look into student-hypnosis.. Oh, wait, that's what TNT video lessons are for, ;-) !!
Jean, got a DVD player in the car?
Olga.
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for
I have a portable DVD player, but so far dont watch it while driving.
The downloaded TNT lessons wont play on it, if that is what you had in mind. It would be great if Eric knew how to make them compatable.
Cheers,
Jean
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Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for
I haven't had any problems burning the videos for play in my DVD player with the videos Eric had put in MPEG-4. You can't just copy them from your computer to a disk. You need to burn them through a program such as Nero. http://tinyurl.com/2cgyco You can try it for free. I had tried the free program DVD Flick but had problems. The previous videos in flash have to be converted to MPEG using a conversion program. You can get videos converted for free at Zamzar http://www.zamzar.com/ Use browse to input the file from your computer. Hope this helps.
 ChrisÂ
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for
Thanks Chris
I am using DVD Flick. I have no desire to spend the time converting the prior lessons so I will try Nero for # 18 and see  if it works. I would love to be able to take the DVD with me to the  practice field.
Jean
PS downloaded the trial version and it works!! very easy.
In checking the pricing, is the version I need $90?? Pricey if I only use it for the lessons.
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
Hey, Trace!
Flies must do well in Agility.. you managed to put 2 MACh's and an ADCh on your dog, ;-)..Â
Olga.Â
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
For me, the mental management is all about focusing on the course and forgetting about the outcome. If I worry about qualifying then I question my training and over handle. My dog feels my stress and is tentative which makes me even more stressed. I need to get to where I don't think about the qualifying. When I was running my oldest dog, Duke, the last couple of years before he retired, I had that attitude. I never thought that we couldn't do the course. I knew if I could show him the path, then he could do it. We didn't qualify all the time, but it didn't matter. We were just enjoying each other and the game. I knew he would give me his best every time no matter what the circumstances.
Last weekend I got a bit of that with Jaldi. I only entered Gamblers and Snooker (hoping to avoid teeters and there weren't any required to qualify). I got to choose the courses so that immediately made me more confident because I could choose to do the obstacles that she does best. And she flew through the courses, no sniffing, nailed the weave poles, and qualified in both runs. I'm hoping I can maintain that attitude next weekend. We are doing NADAC and are entered in Novice. Jaldi already has all the Novice titles except Touch n Go, so there should be no pressure. My only goal is for her to run fast.
ValÂ
Re: mental game, performing
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
Like Elizabeth, I need to be able to visualize my dog running when I walk the course. I can do that with Night and am starting to be able to do that with Treena. When I walk a course, I also need to stand at different areas in the ring (front, back, sides, middle) to help me see what the course looks like from different spots - sorta like driving - sometimes going the opposite direction looks different.
When going out for my run, I take a deep breath and let it out. I need to run with mental intensity which, for me, means fight for the whole course and don't give up. At times, I need to tell myself, when I recognize a difficult sequence that I remember from class, that Olga has done this with me before and I have succeeded. A big mantra of mine on course is patience.
Chris
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
Keeping negative thoughts at bay is important for me. If something on course is tricky, then I try to flip the negative angle into a positive - sort of like a challenge. If I know the teeter contact is going to be shaky based on the course design, I tell myself that THIS time it will of course work because I've ptracticed x,y,z....
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
Another aspect of mental management for me is remembering the course. Not so much the sequences, but how I intended to handle it. I usually walk the course several different ways until I find the path that I like best. I need to review it in my mind just before I run. However, when I do this, I lose the connection to my dog while I'm visualizing the course. If I don't have time to get reconnected then the run usually isn't too good. If I don't do the visualization, I often find myself handling the course the way I DIDN"T want to do it.
ValÂ
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT for PERFORM
Great discussion, guys!
It is very important to take stock of what is happening when you perform with your dogs.. and why.
In a way, trials put your training to a test, regardless if you run "for fun" or "to win".
Take time to examine your trial experiences and try to do it without mental distortion, meaning: take off your rosy glasses and put away the "glass is half empty" attitude. Look for signs of improvement, both in general and with particular training that you have been working on. Identify problem areas and see how they can be eliminated..
Olga.
Re: Ramblings of an agility nerd. MENTAL MANAGEMENT
Hey Tracy!
I agree, this is a great topic. That said, it is really hard to get out of a "rut" that you might have spent years developing out of habit. For me, it was really hard to have a plan with Gus....it was more like having to have plan A and plan B, and in case of a real emergency, a plan C! If I managed to get through, I was happy. (Of course, from time to time he'd go out and win 24" Ex A JWW, or get a Masters Gamble that only a handful of dogs could do....countered by the time he picked up the cone in snooker and paraded around the ring... or do a jump jump tunnel, then off into the next ring to chase that cute little Aussie girl on her Grand Prix run....) Oh the sweet memories!!!
Anyway....although Freddie and I have only been in a handful of trials, meaning, we don't really have a routine yet, my plan is to trial a couple of times per month this year (very exciting!). I've actually been giving a lot of thought to this concept.
My goal is to develop a focus routine that will let ME be consistent and unstressed, so that Freddie and I can go out there and do what we do....and let the foundation and training we've worked so hard on, speak for itself.
I find that checklists help with both the physical aspect of what I need to do, and the mental "reminders", so I don't waste energy worrying about what I might be missing or forgetting.
I like your list....in fact, I'm going to print it out, if you don't mind!
As for running, I want both me and Freddie to have FUN out there....that is first and foremost.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, white zin (I think the actual quote is champagne...but me & Olga like white zin.....) in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO! What a ride!"
THAT is how I want to run agility....can I do it? I don't know....but I'm gonna try!
That's my mental management plan!
Becky
PS - Happy New Year!!!