Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Same ol' same ol'
I knew it was going to happen, i just knew it!
Last minute team mate swaps. It's Wilson, the free-agent ARer once more.... Frankly, i sometimes wonder whether any long-term planning is a good idea at all?
It all boils down to my own ability to adapt. Those who fail to adapt, perish. So many variables affect the performance dynamics of an athlete, and even more so the dynamics between athletes. whether they be on the same team or competing against one another... expect change! And unexpected changes too.
Perhaps i should think from another angle (the "Take it easy, man!" angle). It is my build-up race after all, so i should not be fretting so much... although various factors conspire to raise my anxiety level. Let me list them:
All male teams: one of the most fiercely-contested categories in any AR event.
My team mate, good friend, and officer i highly respect - Lien - is a contender, no doubt about it.
I have not been doing much race-specific training, so i'm already at a decided disadvantage.
Mental adjustment and re-prioritizing of race goals: this should be the easiest of all (it's all in the mind... you worry too much!), but when you count mental preparation as a big part of your overall race strategy, it does take a bit of effort to crystalize your thoughts and have new, well-defined goals. Especially in a thinking person's sport like AR.
I've decided, in the course of typing this somewhat 'short' blog entry, that i should not put any pressure on my team. This field of competitors from Sabah is pretty strong... I shit you not. We have Simon Bond teaming up with my old mate Greg and his buddy Cameron; Ryan and Stuart from HK; a huge Ayam Brand contingent including Philippe and Guillame; those good ol' boys from Sabah, Cowboy Miala and Co. (park rangers and perennial winners, it seems); and also Sam and Chris on the other SART team. Add in a couple of dark horses, and also dudes from the UK and Aus.
I've come close to scoring a podium the last time i was on this race, but do i want to podium badly enough next week? That is the question i must ask myself. Whatever the answer may be, it will have i direct effect on our race performance.
Do Lien and i WANT IT badly enough?
"Fortune favours the bold."
Last minute team mate swaps. It's Wilson, the free-agent ARer once more.... Frankly, i sometimes wonder whether any long-term planning is a good idea at all?
It all boils down to my own ability to adapt. Those who fail to adapt, perish. So many variables affect the performance dynamics of an athlete, and even more so the dynamics between athletes. whether they be on the same team or competing against one another... expect change! And unexpected changes too.
Perhaps i should think from another angle (the "Take it easy, man!" angle). It is my build-up race after all, so i should not be fretting so much... although various factors conspire to raise my anxiety level. Let me list them:
All male teams: one of the most fiercely-contested categories in any AR event.
My team mate, good friend, and officer i highly respect - Lien - is a contender, no doubt about it.
I have not been doing much race-specific training, so i'm already at a decided disadvantage.
Mental adjustment and re-prioritizing of race goals: this should be the easiest of all (it's all in the mind... you worry too much!), but when you count mental preparation as a big part of your overall race strategy, it does take a bit of effort to crystalize your thoughts and have new, well-defined goals. Especially in a thinking person's sport like AR.
I've decided, in the course of typing this somewhat 'short' blog entry, that i should not put any pressure on my team. This field of competitors from Sabah is pretty strong... I shit you not. We have Simon Bond teaming up with my old mate Greg and his buddy Cameron; Ryan and Stuart from HK; a huge Ayam Brand contingent including Philippe and Guillame; those good ol' boys from Sabah, Cowboy Miala and Co. (park rangers and perennial winners, it seems); and also Sam and Chris on the other SART team. Add in a couple of dark horses, and also dudes from the UK and Aus.
I've come close to scoring a podium the last time i was on this race, but do i want to podium badly enough next week? That is the question i must ask myself. Whatever the answer may be, it will have i direct effect on our race performance.
Do Lien and i WANT IT badly enough?
"Fortune favours the bold."
