Esta noite culminei uma semana muito boa de treinos...
Após os acontecimentos da passada semana, tentei focar-me nos treinos...
Estou a passar quase incólume a tudo o que aconteceu e, ou «ainda não me caíu a ficha» ou realmente soube «dar a volta por cima»!
Numa semana que teve de tudo: séries, dois duplos diários (corrida, onde reencontrei o excelente Prof. José Mendes de Almeida, seguida de natação), nova alteração de planos desportivos (maratona passa para Amstersdam) e depois de um fim de semana em família pelo Luso (esquecendo a Corrida da Linha)...
onde fiz tudo excepto treinar...
Adorei voltar ao Bussaco (sim, com dois "ss") e imaginei organizar um trail pela mata... recordei o Vale dos Fetos...
Mas no regresso, estava decidido a fazer os 24K planeados.
O Lança ficou um pouco atónito com o horário planeado (21:00), mas lá conseguimos orientar as coisas para começar o treino a essa hora.
Excelente temperatura, bom ritmo, o Rui a pedir-me para fazermos go and back (tinha planeado duas voltas ao paredão), demasiada calçada com os joelhos a dar bastante sinal, mas muita conversa, boa disposição e kms a desaparecerem como se não houvesse amanhã, tendo o Rui feito um excelente treino para quem não andava a fazer longos...
Dei-me conta que era o treino do final do Verão e entrada no Outono (21:44)!
Como disse ao Rui: "vou-me lembrar deste treino na maratona!"
Sou fã de Chris "Macca" McCormack, desde que comecei a ler o seu livro "I'm here to Win" e desde que descobri a sua história no triatlo. Por muitos do circuito Ironman, considerado um «bocas»... por contraponto com o «clean» Craig Alexander, mas já ganhou duas vezes o campeonato do mundo no Hawaii e para além disso, tem um palmarés fantástico na modalidade, desde a categoria sprint.
Infelizmente este ano não irá participar no referido campeonato, após a frustação de no ano passado não ter sido seleccionado para os Jogos Olímpicos de Londres (um dos seus grandes sonhos).
Este texto tem muito a ver consigo, mas também tem muito a ver comigo! Thanks, Macca!
«It
is easy to admire and study the “physical” side of an athlete and
appreciate the skill, strength or endurance it takes to win. So much
focus is given to the physical development of an athlete, while the
cerebral aspect is considered peripherally. But to me, the mind has
always provided the most fascinating study. What is it that makes
athletes believe? It is the ego that defines them, and their
understanding of ego as a tool.„
Throughout my own career, it has been my absolute conviction and
desire that has put me onto the podium more than any physical training I
have ever done. I think it has been this stubbornness to accept that,
although physically I might be outclassed by many athletes, when it
comes to desire and want, I can out-play anyone. This mind-set has led
to me being labelled everything from “brash” and “cocky” to a
“smack-talker.” I have always accepted this, because it’s this mind-set
and ego that have been my biggest weapons in many of the battles I have
had. Whenever I discuss methods of improving performance with young
athletes, I always start on the mindset because it guides our progress.
Growing up in a tennis-obsessed family, we settled in front of the
tele- vision in Sydney, Australia, in 1987 to watch the final of the
greatest Grand Slam of all, Wimbledon. Pat Cash, an Australian, had
qualified for the final and was playing Ivan Lendl, the greatest
baseline tennis player ever.
Lendl marched into the finals and, on paper, it appeared that he
would walk right through Cash and capture his first title at Wimbledon.
In an interview prior to his first-ever Grand Slam final, I was
mesmerised by Cash’s answer when he was asked if he was ready for the
task ahead: “Ready? I am beyond ready. I had no idea who would be facing
me in the finals tonight in Wimbledon, but I have known my entire
tennis career I would be in this final. It is all I have thought about.
It is all I have dreamed about. I have been ready for this day since I
picked up a tennis racquet.”
I just melted. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t nervous. At the time I
was competing in running races, and I would get nervous to the point of
almost feeling sick. Here was this guy, about to play a monster in Ivan
Lendl, and he seemed confident and excited. He did not have the power,
the experience or the serve to truly push Lendl, yet in every answer to
every question, he spoke like at the end of this match his dream would
finally become a reality. I will never forget his confidence. (Funnily
enough, one of the TV commentators called him “brash and cocky” for
daring to believe the way he did.)
When Pat Cash went on to defeat Ivan Lendl that day, I was lost in
the emotion of his victory. To have the audacity to stand in front of a
“superior” competitor like Lendl, with no fear or doubts, and to execute
what he believed he could, changed me. He won against the impossible
and never faulted. Suddenly, everyone was a believer.
In his post-match interview, the Australian TV reporter said, “Pat,
if I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t believe it. You did it. You won
Wimbledon.”
His response was something that has stuck with me my entire career
since: “You see, that’s the difference between most people and myself.
You think you have to see it to believe it. I think you have to believe
it before you see it. That’s a big difference, isn’t it?”
I realised that it was this thought pattern that had guided Pat Cash
to his vic- tory—it was driven by his ego! It was like a light went on.
Going forward, I didn’t care if anyone thought I couldn’t win. It was up
to me to believe I could.
Our ego is simply the way we see ourselves, and in a competitive
environment, this is without question our defining variable. This word
“ego” is tossed around nowadays with such a negative spin on it. It
annoys me to think that by believing in yourself and pursuing your goals
and ambitions with conviction you can be ridiculed.
The issue with ego is it is up to the athlete to develop this
self-belief. It is up to the athlete to accept his fears and weaknesses
and implement strategies to strengthen his character in accepting them
and holding true to his dream. This is difficult to do, and for this
reason it’s often neglected. Believing in something takes courage. And
it’s not easy learning how to find new courage.
Stop hiding behind your fears. Embrace your ego—mould it, change it
and utilise it to take you where you want to go. I have never said or
done anything within the realm of this sport that I regret. I have been
labelled brash, confident, cocky. At times I wondered if my desire to
achieve my personal dreams was too much for people to accept, so
labelling me was the easiest way to pigeonhole this drive.
But what I’ve come to learn is that it is not who we think we are
that holds us back; it is who we think we’re not. Remember, great things
happen to those who make great things happen to themselves.
Go and be
great.»
Chris “Macca” McCormack has more than 200 race wins to his credit
and is widely considered one of the best athletes the sport has ever
seen.
Texto original publicado aqui, no dia 10 de Setembro.
