Notes on Training
Seeking success is one thing, getting it is another. What is hard, and only gets harder all the time, is winning. Practice may not guarantee victory, but without a lot of rehearsal, no athlete can hope to get near it. Dedication gets results.
Do not forget the mental training that your physical training provides. Physical training and mental training do not exist in neat, separate compartments. They are both interwoven into the fabric of every training activity. The mind and body exist as one. Train them together.
It’s important that physical training accustoms the athlete to actual race conditions. Racing is difficult. It happens at the edge of our current abilities. This is one reason why the quality of training is more important than the volume. Intensity is a powerful driver for change.
You never stop learning in this game. Figuring out how to modify training in order to keep an athlete improving is a primary function of the coach. The harder the training, the greater the need for careful thought and sensitivity by the coach. Temporary exhaustion is not dangerous, but permanent exhaustion is. Strike a balance. When you push forward, don’t forget to then pull back. Rest must follow stress for growth to be realized.