Step Your Game Up

Elite athletes seem to have the ability to bear down when the going gets tough. When the clock is about to run down or it's the last attempt on the runway some people just seem to be able to put the pressure aside and do something extraordinary. I must admit, I find myself envious of these types of people. I have always been in a second category--those who panic when their backs are against the walls, those who give up early.
   It's something that I'm working on, that little mental edge that can make all the difference. I think that a big part of it is being able to relax and not over think. Wouldn't it be perfect if you could just shut your mind off for a couple of minutes?

What Does Greatness Feel Like?

I often wonder what it feels like to have achieved an elite stature, in the case of triple jumping I'm talking about 17.00m+. I don't mean how it feels to have all your diligence pay off and finally start to see a return to all your hard work... I mean physically, how does it FEEL to fly?
   Since I've started track in junior high I have almost doubled my triple jump but to be honest it doesn't feel any different. The same goes for sprinting, I don't feel any faster than I was years ago the numbers clearly show that I am. I still have days where I feel flat and like I'm just spinning my wheels--days where I have trouble getting out of bed. So it is my assumption jumping 17.00m doesn't feel much different than jumping 14.00m if you are at 100% of your current physical ability.