The topic is simple. What are your fears right now?
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[li]Achievement. This year is my last to show something to myself and everybody as a high schooler. No football this year has put me in a position where I am looked down by many “friends” and other people in the school. When I tell people I do track, some don’t believe me!
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[li]Not letting it happen. Sometimes I force things in training, in competition, and in life and it usually does not work out well. Letting it happen as part of a culmination of my training is something I need to learn.
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[li] Letting myself down. Everybody says it is not the result, but the effort you put into it. Bullsh*t. If I do not obtain top 3 in the region (it will take sub 11 FAT to do this), I am going to have a tough time justifying my work this season other than a way to keep in shape and keep from eating junk if I cannot obtain this goal.
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[quote=“Davan”]
The topic is simple. What are your fears right now?
[li]Not letting it happen. Sometimes I force things in training, in competition, and in life and it usually does not work out well. [/li][/quote]
Sometimes it takes courage to do the seemingly weaker thing. When I read Gold in the Water I was amazed by Kurt Grote’s determination to continue an 80 mile :eek: bike ride when his knee started hurting partway through. My thinking was, A) Why is a swimmer riding 80 miles ever, and B) Why would he not stop immediamente upon feeling something wrong. Too many athletes work harder than they should because they’re “supposed to”. Forcing in competition manifests differently usually – the athlete attempts things they can’t really do, and it hurts their overall performance. Or they don’t trust themselves, the classic example being a baseball player who goes into a “slump” (statistical deviation) and changes the things that got him there in the first place. As far as life, amen to that. Almost evey time I’ve “forced myself” to do something it’s been a mistake, the exeptions being those times when I was just inclined to be lazy or timid.
[li] Letting myself down. Everybody says it is not the result, but the effort you put into it. Bullsh*t. [/li]
Word. My friend blows that smoke, and the thing is, people don’t believe it themselves. None of the pro sports has a best effort award, and no one cares how hard or easy it was, just do you have results. I’m up against that one now, on the cusp of either being somewhat successful in my sport (which I see it as) or a guy who just pissed himself off a lot (and other people with my dropping of clubs and the accompanying F-bombs) doing this thing that almost no one respects.
I’m also fearful that my website won’t work, but that ain’t training related so I won’t go into it. But that’s there too, with about 40 others
Fear is good, i have fear in my life all the time.
Its your best friend, Franky Fear on your shoulder. Keeps you on your toes, alert, gets you out there to train. I fear not acheiving what i want, not getting a job. But Franky Fear makes me try harder, to achieve, i will suceed i am unstoppible.
So fear is good, all the great sports athlete have a element of fear.
An element of healthy fear is OK, like, I can have a fear of sucking at track, in school, or at my job that makes me want to perform my best, but it becomes a problem when we become gripped by fear, or worry, and we develop unhealthy stress. I probably have a different out look on this topic than many will. One of the unique things about me is that I’m a free spirit and not worried about anything or anybody, but at the same time, I do have some concern about things–we all do and should. I place my trust in Christ, so what do I have to be scared of?
I don’t put a lot of un-necessary pressure on myself and say, “I’ve got to run that 10.5 before I get out of high school” or “I’ll let myself and others down if I don’t_________”…there’s nothing you’ve “got” to do. I don’t “got” to run 10.8 today, I’ll still come out and train if I don’t achieve it. But, I “want” to run 10.5, it’s not a case of “got to” do it or else…or else what? What if I enter a masters meet and only long jump 22 feet or run a 11.5 100m? My family will still love and care for and they don’t care what I run.
Letting things happen is part of a process involving learning and experience. As I grew up, I said, “screw it” and I’m going to be all right if I don’t long jump 24 feet or run a 10.8. Like I said above, I “want to” acheive but I don’t “got to” do it. Prepare, train, make realistic goals, and go for it. If one does those things to the best extent they know how, then I don’t see reasonable cause for a let-down. But, that’s just me…Thanks Davan for this thread, we need more topics like this.
