The Secret to Sprinting Success

Last Updated on November 16, 2011 by Jimson Lee

This applies to all sports, and to life as well.

For example, take two people..

One invest $100 a month, the other starts 10 years later and puts $300 a month (3 Times more, but 10 years late)

At the end of 10 years for the late starter (or 20 years for the early planner), who will have more money?  Assuming 10% compound interest.

… the one who started 20 years earlier (The actual numbers are $72K vs $60K)

Time and patience will win every time.

The secret to success is 7-10 years of injury free hard work. 

Or you could win the “genetic lottery of life”.  There probably is a man who is MORE genetically gifted than Usain Bolt but he’s probably a shepherd somewhere in northern Chile and has no idea who Usain Bolt is.  He’s working hard on his farm 14 hours a day to support and feed his family.

As well, everyone wants a weight-loss quick fix, or in this case some secret workout that will make them run faster.  Or magically win a million dollar lottery. Or 47 million.  And you wonder why Las Vegas is packed every year?

Enough of the rant…

There **are** some good workouts that will give you the psychological advantage (actually they are more for the coach to know everything is “on cue”).  That I agree on.

Coaches steal from other coaches.  That’s okay, that’s why I post actual workouts and training plans on this blog for free.  But what works for Michael Johnson Usain Bolt may not work for you.

You just can’t jump into a training program of an elite sprinter with 8 years of training under his belt.

Think of your training as a long term goal, and like the stock market, expect a few years of no return or ups and downs.  Deep inside you are building a base along the way that no one can buy. 

If you are into gardening or trying to grow an olive tree (like the folks here in Italy) it will be years before you get a return on investment.

But the most important thing is the friends you make along the way.  That’s the real key.  A good support staff is indispensable.

But I’ll end this rant on an old Chinese Proverb:

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.  The second best time is today.

Corollary: You don’t get to success by taking the elevator. You get to success by taking the stairs!