Gamer or Choke?!

Hello everyone...whether you are a pro, amateur or weekend warrior perform/play as you practice...and you practice as you play.
Over coming mistakes quickly is critical to mental toughness and being a gamer. When you are performing well, you are not thinking or judging how you are doing...you are just competing. Having a short memory and letting go of mental or physical mistakes will help you maintain your confidence at peak levels. Don't get down on yourself...if you allow the "get down" mood, you will repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Accept the fact that you will make mistakes and that your are not perfect. Develop a routine to snap out of it. Mine is to whisper the word NOW.
Have a meaningful life everyone. Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

Trust Yourself?!

Hello everyone...trusting your skill set is paramount in achieving success and longevity in competition as well as in life. Let's start with..."practice/train how you compete...compete how you practice." If you train the right way, you condition your body to react in competition. Train to trust your skills. Practice/training is the time to access your skill set. When tinkering, you interfere with actions you normally would routinely perform. That's known as
"paralysis by analysis." Over the past ten years, 100's have participated in my seminars and instructional clinics. It was amazing to me, how many did not trust their skill set...especially with the game on the line. 'Flashback" can be positive or negative. Reinforce the positive, or continue to settle for "being close." That's what I term "brain isolation compromise."  Don't fall into the "close trap." Have a meaningful life everyone. Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

Tribute to Women

Hello and welcome everyone...followers of my writings in Social Media and blogging are fully aware of my Hero Tribute to men, women and children who have achieved a measure of greatness against all odds. October is dedicated to the fight against Breast Cancer...women who have faced or lived with breast cancer. I admire your courage in facing and overcoming the mental and physical suffering...for so many in silence, alone. As a prostate cancer survivor, I fully understand and feel the word HOPE. Remission and survivor for many are temporary words. In my weekly talks to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, I hear the word terminal all too often. You have experienced life defining, life changing moments. Understand women...your courage, your cause,
has motivated others beyond your circle, that you may never know. So today, extend your arms, embrace your beauty...give someone a hug. Have a meaningful life everyone...Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

CHOKE???

Welcome everyone...funny how this works...when you accept failure, it will find you. When you accept success, you will find it.
Relentless mind set. This past week several readers contacted me regarding pressure and that word "choke." Pressure is self induced.
Whether you compete or not. "I'm in it for recreation." That may be what you are selling yourself on. Don't fall for that cop out...built in excuse. Goals...long term goals look good on paper and sound good. You want to climb Mt. Everest. You look at only the peak. But, you start at the base and work your way up. You MUST have beginning goals. After writing down an annual goal, then it's about daily goals. You can "feel" daily goals Muscle "freeze" begins in the brain. You tighten up. You allow, force yourself out of your skill, talent zone. You freeze...choke. When your system freezes,
"liquid wrench" is not a solution. Press "refresh." Go back to basics. Start at the base.
Have a meaningful life everyone...Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

Excellence vs. Perfection

Hello and welcome to all...Bury the damn perfection...come as you
are. Pursue excellence vs. the pursuit of perfection and "no hotdogs
allowed." Striving for perfectionism is a curse, IS A  CURSE for athletes
and non athletes. This curse creates stress that leads to burn out and
injuries...which leads to regression and failure. The perfectionist attitude makes it impossible to cope with setbacks. Every mistake is viewed as a failure. Eventually, you crack under unrealistic goals. In the pursuit of excellence: Pushing to reach your limits. Pursuit to being better, the best you can be. Pursuit of your potential. Effort, not just accomplishment. Excellence follows motivation. You train...you practice...the way you will perform. Funny how that works.
Have a meaningful life everyone...Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

Against the Clock (2)

Welcome everyone...part two of my drills. I used to do sit ups and
crunches...now 9) standing in place, arms waist high, palms face down and jump in rapid fashion with knees hitting palms. Do 30 each set, 5 sets. 10) speed bursts, 10m at half speed and then full speed for 50m. 5 sets. 11) repeat last drill up hill, 5 sets. 12) ladder
drill, forward and side ways, quick step, 10 sets all 3 ways. 12) sled pull. 100 lbs and sprint 30m. 10 sets. An old tire will work also. 13)steps. Any football stadium or the like. I have a hiking trail with 84
steps...sprint up, 10 sets. 14) repeat stair drill with kangaroo jumps,
5 sets. 15) on track or any hard surface, with a soccer ball or any ball that size that bounces. Holding the in one hand, knees slightly
bent, throw the ball back overhead, turn and sprint for the ball to try
and catch it on first bounce. When turning, alternate turning to the right and the left. 10 sets. Now, cool down. Various stretches, slowly for 20/30 min.
Have a meaningful life everyone...Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

Against the Clock

Hello and welcome...as promised, I will list my basic drills. For 10
years I competed in T@F, 5 events, sprints, LJ, HJ. martial arts, tennis and racquet ball. Trained two + hours a day, 6 days a week, 48 weeks a year. If my math is correct, that's 576 hours, 34,560 minutes and 2,073,600 sec. And especially in track, I have to prove myself in less than 8 sec. in the 50m and 14 sec. in the 100m and 32 sec. in the 200m. How much is enough? That's what I had to do.
Drills...alternating daily. 1) lunges and X lunges with w/20 lb wts.
in each hand, 5 sets forward and backward, 10m. 2) skips, 5 sets, 10m. 3) high knee, heel to butt and skip. 4) jump sideways and when balls of feet hit ground, sprint forward and backward 10m. 5 sets. 5) Kangaroo hops forward and backwards, 2 feet at a time and then 1 ft. 5 sets, straightway or incline. 6) 8/10 Hurdles 32 inches high, going side ways, chg. lead leg each time through. 10 sets. 7) 10 lb wt. squat and explode jumping straight and push that wt. high
above your head. 5 sets, 10 X per set. 8) box jump, 5/8 boxes, about
two ft. apart, 1st box about 12 inches high and last box set at about
40 inc. high. POP drill. Fast, landing on each box. Pop off the ground. Will finish drills next. Have a meaningful life...Jimmy O
www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com