I feel awful. I'm going to lose today
! How often have we said that to ourselves ? If that is what you think,
then YES ! - you will be beaten.
However, suppose your opponent does not feel so good. Are you both going
to fight it out for last place ?
I personally won a number of races when the best man in the race finished
second or third. NEVER, Never, let your opponent know you are not feeling
on top form. Everyone has a bad day sometimes and we have all seen world
record holders unaccountably beaten on television. It could happen TODAY
to your opponent. As the financial wizards say..."past performance
is not always a good guide to future results" Why should YOU, always
fail and they succeed ? Believe in YOURSELF ! The biggest single factor
in athletic success is DETERMINATION. Don't give up, keep trying and one
day you will surprise yourself.
Give yourself every opportunity to win.
Check where the venue is and at what time your event is on. How do you
get there ?
How long does it take ? Allow yourself EXTRA time for the journey. Have
your bag packed and ready the night before. Report to the team manager
in good time and warm up properly. I was very talkative before a race
but most people aren't. That's not a crime.
Have a couple of good strides to get your legs moving fast and report
to the start in good time. If your draw is not what you would like, don't
worry, world championships have been won from the inside and the outside
lane. CONCENTRATE on what YOU have
to do and ignore others. This might all sound very basic -- yes it is
but an opponent like me can destroy your concentration whilst maintaining
their own.
If you have to qualify, check the qualifying
conditions carefully. If it is 3 to qualify, don't run for third place.
A fast finisher could catch you on the line. Make sure you are in the
right position to make your move at the right time. If you are too busy
worrying about saving yourself for the final, you might well discover
you are not in it. The guy who comes from last to first in the final straight,
is a rare bird indeed. From the start you must position yourself in the
field where you can immediately move up to the front as distinct from
second or third. Don't allow yourself to be boxed in. If you are (and
it happens to us all), GET OUT before everyone takes off for the final
sprint. Watch as many qualifying races on television as you can. Record
them and play them over, not once but 4 or 5 times and each time watch
a different athlete and see how they tried to qualify. WHY did they get
it right ? and
WHY, did some of them get it wrong ? It is NOT just about how fast they
can run but HOW EFFECTIVELY THEY CAN RUN.
I hope this will get some athletes thinking.
by Ken Norris