Many athletes can fondly recall the time they snagged that impossible pass in football, hit the pin on a crucial golf hole or sank the go-ahead three-pointer in hoops. When I think back on some of my finer moments in competitive sports, I remember my mind was entirely detached during 'the moment.' When I dove horizontal to snag that uncatchable line drive, all I recall is a quick movement toward the ball. Next thing I knew it was in my glove and I was rolling on the ground. That's when I realized I had been totally horizontal.

But when I'm jogging, I think all the time. I think about how much longer I have to go, how out of breathe I'm getting, how much my sides ache and how long and nasty that hill looks ahead. No wonder my times have always sucked. But I keep coming back as jogging is a convenient workout and the pain is always replaced by the endorphin high.

The technique of leaving your mind behind while challenging your physical body to reach its near-maximum performance is called disassociation. Paula Radcliffe, winner of the 2007 NYC Marathon, utilizes the technique when she's struggling in a race. She counts to 100 three times, and before she knows it, another mile is behind her. She heads inward, focusing only on her breathing and stride. Many ordinary and elite athletes have disassociation strategies, whether it's concentrating only on a cyclist's shadow in front of you or counting numbers in your head. Sky's the limit on this personal out of body, into mind experience. In the end, the experts say those who get their mind out of the way by disassociating can shatter their personal best or regularly come mighty close on a regular basis. Now I've got to figure out a disassociation strategy for jogging (a.k.a. the sport I hate). I think it starts with a lower-case "i" -- time for an iPod.