5) if we're talking specifically about racing, i'd add unconsciousness (no, not literally, but psychologically). yes, this is contrary, but not necessarily contradictory, to point 4 added above, which i agree with; however, there's a point in every race where action MUST be reflexive. as yogi berra famously said, "how can you think and hit at the same time?"
socalcush wrote:
5) if we're talking specifically about racing, i'd add unconsciousness (no, not literally, but psychologically). yes, this is contrary, but not necessarily contradictory, to point 4 added above, which i agree with; however, there's a point in every race where action MUST be reflexive. as yogi berra famously said, "how can you think and hit at the same time?"
i think the difficult thing about distance running is you have to be patient, run pace, stay in position, but more or less just sit there and wait. this is very difficult and takes a lot of maturity. then at some point, as bill rodgers said, "sometimes, in order to win a race, you have to go a little berserk." trouble is, we often times are already done by the time we get to that point in the race because of earlier mental errors...
bump
Seems more like a list of what makes a good runner, not a good racer (they aren't mutually exclusive, but there is a difference)...
I'd add something along these lines -
4. Patience/Instinct: A good racer knows when to break away and when to stay with the pack. If he goes too soon, he won't hold off the challengers at the finish, and if he waits too long he won't cross the line victorious. Knowing yourself, your capabilities, being race savvy and recognizing potential moments of weakness in your competitors is one of the differences between contenders and champions.