2008 LetsRun.com Awards

abbsent

RE: 2008 LetsRun.com Awards 12/3/2008 2:09AM - in reply to The Academy

Post of the year for certain:

RE: Running the 800 on pure hate 11/17/2008 12:18PM - in reply to Purifier Reply | Return to Index | Report Post
The night before the race lying in bed visualize your race. Imagine the first 200m going out fast, but controlled. The next 200m is effortless, just flowing. The 3rd 200m is where it starts to hurt, but it is also where your larger cojones show through and you start to move through the pack. At 600m you should be in 2nd or 3rd. Going into the turn you explode onto your toes and pump your arms hard. While you are doing this you should focus all of your energy into HATING your opponents. You don't want to just ease past them and coast to the finish, you want to crush them on that turn and then give them absolutely no hope in the straightaway. Visualize a man raping your wife and then burning your house to the ground while forcing you to look on. Visualize every coworker who got that promotion when you didn't. Visualize you catching a competitor who spat in your face on the starting line. Imagine chasing after a guy who stole something from you and wanting to beat his face into a bloody, pulpy mess.

When you are on the starting lime tense the muscles in your neck and hold your breath till it hurts. Follow this by pounding you chest and slapping your thighs till your eyes water, or until the first sign of blood, whichever comes first. Remember, real men always bleed before they cry, so that's what we're going for here. Flex the muscles in your chest and back. Then start screaming. Not yelling, not shouting, screaming is what we're going for. Sort of like the Alan Webb scream after his Olympic Trials victory in '04, but much more. Clearly it worked for him. Maybe if he had done that before the race 4 years later he would have done better.

Some notes

-spikes. You have them for a reason, and it's not for extra traction! If you know someone is right behind you, try and get em by flicking your heels back more. You can get someone in front of you too. Even someone to the side of you is fair game.
-shoulders-bumping someone with your shoulder is a great tactic. You can either bump someone into the infield a la that Italian guy Longo in the 800m, or, more likely, you can keep them too the outside.
-fists. hard objects on the end of your arms-I think it's pretty obvious what you do with them-use them to strike your competitors, what else would you do with them?
-The 800m race is too long to rage for the entire time, so try and stick to just the last 150-200m.
-Contrary to popular believe, you dont need to train for the 800m. However, you do need to practice your raging.

There are 4 types of rage that are practiced-
Pure Rage Power
Pure Rage Capacity
Concealed Rage Power
Concealed Rage Capacity

Power is more important and is developed by specific instances in your life that have made you angry. Failing that test in 9th grade algebra probably qualified you for states, and your dad grounding you helped you win it. However, rage power will not be effective without rage capacity. This is influenced by continuous shit goin down around you. Try and live somewhere ghetto like Khadavis Robinson. That guy doesn't train, he just has nearly perfected his rage capacity.

Concealed rage is similar but more subtle then pure rage. Your girlfriend mentioning her previous boyfriend would help build this, as would your professor generally being a douchebag. There are instances where you would be pissed off but need to conceal it, similar to the first 600m of a race.

Also Sebastian Coe-he didn't run much distance, just rage sessions on the track with short recovery. He was also very good because his father peter always pissed him off, giving him a massive rage capacity.

Wilson Kipketer was probably the greatest rager of all. He perfected the concealed rage. This most potent rage of all is hidden from your competitors, and thus it impedes their raging ability. I think his concealed rage capacity was due to having three wives.

Peter Snell was a very good rageneer. Lydiard was a good coach not because of his 100 mile weeks (which were in fact false), but because he inspired such rage in his athletes. Such an inspiration. His sessions of 100power rage/100 concealed rage for 2 miles were highly effective. He also advocated hill rage bounding sessions, but thats another story.

Nick symmonds-the rage is there
Andrew Wheating-the rage power is there, but he needs more capacity. Moving to the hood could supply this
Christian Smith. out-raged KD in the last few meters at the OT. Very immpressive. He will rage to a 1:43 one of these days.