LAURYN WILLIAMS Career Highlights: 2005 World Outdoor 100m champion; 2005 World Outdoor 4×100 relay gold medalist; 2004 Olympic 100m silver medalist; 2004 NCAA 100m champion; 2003 Pan Am 100m and 4×100 relay gold medalist; 2002 World Junior gold medalist 100m, silver in 4×100 relay; 2002 U.S. Junior 100m champion.

Schienberg: You’re coming off a personal best in Bost at 7:13. How do you feel coming off that meet and coming into Millrose?
Williams: Very nervous last week. Being the first one out is always the hardest. You don’t know where you are even though your training has been going well. You think you are going to run fast but you don’t know what is going to happen when you step up to the line. My start was not as a great as I would like it to be and that’s what we worked on all week. If I get a better start, I’ll get another deal this week.

Schienberg: What is the 7/11 tee-shirt? What’s that about?
Williams: Anything under 11 seconds. Anytime I run under 11 seconds, I will donate $1000 to a female who has applied for a scholarship to my website. The tattoos on my left side are something else. I am donating the sales of the tattoos to my favorite charities.

P: Explain the charity work you did over the holidays in the Miami area.
LW: After the hurricanes, I saw people who needed help. Give $20,000 to families in the Miami area.

P: Tell us about the great field that you will be running against.
LW: It’s like the Olympics indoors. Very excited. It will take a 7.0 to win. I’ve never run Millrose.

It is the best meet in the country. I like indoor.
P: How is the training going?
LW: Very good. There are training days where you feel you can’t do it anymore and it’s not going well. Suck it up and keep going.

P: Do you use visual imaging in the training?
LW: Very little. I did do it in my junior year of college. I tried while I was running, in the blocks and so on. Then I did terribly and said I’m not doing visualization any more. Sometimes I close my eyes a little, but I don’t rely on it.

P: Is it all athletic?
LW: Yes. You can’t get it all out of your mind. It comes whether I want to or not.

P: Do you do anything besides practicing your running?
LW: I do dance. Nothing else.

P: Are there days you are more or less confident?
LW: Whatever your vibe is it is. If you have a negative attitude, it’s just the way it will be. But, mostly I’m concerned about my focus. Like if I notice someone in the stands with a red shirt on, I’m not focusing the way I should. It’s a done deal. Might as well not even get in the blocks because if my mind is over there, bad things are going to happen. Keep the focus on the blocks. One time I remember I was heading towards the blocks and I was thinking about the night before. Some guy had done something funny and I was laughing.

JOANNA HAYES Career Highlights: 2005 USA Outdoor 100m Silver medalist; 2004 Olympic 100m hurdles gold medalist; Olympic 100m hurdles record holder; 1999 NCAA 400 hurdles champion; 2003 Pan Am 400m hurdles gold medalist; 2003 USA Outdoor 400m runner-up; 1995 USA Juniors and Pan Am 100 hurdles champion; 2004 Jesse Owens Award winner.

She will compete in the women’s 60 meter hurdles.

Psyched: This is your first time in the Millrose Games. Tell us about your preparation for tomorrow.
Joanna Hayes: So far so good. Better than last year. I’m not really an indoor runner coming from the West Coast. I’m very excited. If you get a bad start on the 60 meters hurdles, it’s a done deal. I’ve been struggling with my start. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.

P: What made you decide to compete indoors here?
JH: Planned on competing. I wanted to compete last year. It is a way to improve your start. Have fun and work on start. There is more depth to the field. Look at winning. Not great times.

I haven’t beat Gail Devers yet. I worked hard and got to the top. There is always coming after you so you got to watch your back. I love the 100 meters hurdles. After I was off for two years due to injury, I shot to the top of the pack again.

P: Do you use mental imagery in training and running the hurdles?
JH: I watch myself winning. Morning, night, when I go to sleep, I see myself winning. If you can’t see yourself winning, you won’t win. When I’m working out, I do it before I run. I go through the whole race in my head. I count. I go through every step in my head.

P: You mean you actually see yourself running?
JH: Exactly. I see myself and count my steps.

P: Do you ever think your visual imagery needs to be improved?
JH: Sometimes I get side tracked doing the imagery. I could improve it. I’m not great at it. Most of the time, I do well.

P: Moses said it was the flexibility that kept him from injury.
JH: Yoga didn’t work for me. I hated it.

P: Gaining confidence after you have an injury – is it just getting out there and seeing what it is like.
JH: Different injuries cause different healings. It is harder to recover from losing a race than an injury.

P: What makes it more difficult to recover from a loss.
JH: Well, if I loss and I’m not injured, it is more of a loss of confidence. As long as I can make it the fault of being injured when I lose I can get over it easier because I can blame the injury. If I’m 100% and I lose then I’ve got more work to do.

P: Can you imagine winning the gold.
JH: I have no problem in imagining the gold. I can’t even see the silver or bronze medals.

P: Good luck.
JH: Nice to meet you.

Bernard Lagat: Thank you very much for having me here again. My baby boy is doing really great. My wife is doing well too. My wife had some complication and now things are resolved.

Psyched: Are you getting sleep?
BL: A little. People said go to sleep early now because later you will not.

P: Last year you ran your first 5000 meters.
BL: Yes, in 12:59. I’m going to stick with the mile though. I was really happy. In the next years I will start with 5000 meters. I give Bekele a lot of respect for trying the mile. He can do anything.

P: This is a shorter track.
BL: Yes, it feels like you are running longer. Shorter people can run the corners easier than taller runners.

P: Are you going to tell him how to run the corners?
BL: No. He will have to watch us from behind.

P: What is your mental approach to training or when you are walking up to the starting line to begin a race?
BL: For competition I run the race before I step up to the starting line. I imagine all the possibilities of what will happen before the race so I know what to do. I do this so I don’t panic. I know what can happen. For my training, I train by myself. It is more boring. I run with an object ahead of me in my mind – like a motorcycle. I follow my motorcycle. Pick object that I like. I pick an image or a shadow. It gives me focus. It gives me stamina. It helps me get out of boredom.

P: Do you use an image of you winning?
BL: Yes. But, not one set image.

P: Do you hear the sound of the crowd? Environment?
BL: No, in competition I don’t even hear the crowd. I think about the competition. For warm up, I am sitting one hour before or lying down, quiet, imagining competition. I am imagining the whole race. Train my mind. The crowd pushes me on. The crowd is part of the race in the beginning. But, then half of the race you are tired and the crowd becomes handy – it supports you.

P: Do you run better from behind or in front?
BL: Both. I can follow fast pace. In training I like to run from in front. Competition I can just be off the front. I like rushing with everyone at the end.

Playing for a Cause that is Bigger than Oneself
Long after the crowd had left and the cameras had moved, a lone runner entered the stadium to complete the 26-mile-long marathon in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Injured earlier in the race during the fall, he stumbled along, more than an hour after the others had finished. Hurling himself to the finish line, John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania finished dead last. But before you judge him as a loser, take careful heed of the words he uttered when asked why he did not quit earlier when he had been injured: “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it.”

How many other times have we heard of athletes who push to play through and injury to finish an event and even inspire a team to victory?

In the 1972-1973 season, the New York Knickerbockers basketball team reached the 7th game of the championship finals. Their star center, Willis Reed, was not expected to play or even show up. In fact, they left him standing in his civvies as they went out of the locker room. The team was given no shot to win against the very powerful Los Angeles Lakers team. Both teams were out on the court practicing before the start of the game. The crowd was quiet expecting the worst outcome. A roar rose up from Madison Square Garden. There was Willis Reed running out to the court. He grabbed a basketball and started practicing. You could feel the energy shift in the crowd and the team. Ultimately, the Knickerbockers won the game and thereby the World Championship.

“We have all been hurt at one time or another, in one way or another, by one thing or another. Sometimes the pain is so severe that it is just too much to keep going as if nothing had happened. So, we take a breath, rest our body and mind, and pick ourselves up and go at it again. This action can rally a team of any kind.

In today’s modern world, there is no excuse for anyone to be out of shape. There are so many types of exercise varying from football to rowing. Even so, people may still complain that these sports require extra equipment, time, and money. There is, however, one form of exercise that is so simple, that it is sometimes referred to as “the purest of sport” (Aaseng 9). This sport is track and field, in which all you need to participate is a pair of sneakers. It is true that at times, running can be painful and tiresome. However, despite the physical challenges running poses, I continue to run everyday because of the psychological and physical benefits I receive.

For my I-search, I wanted to learn more about the benefits of running and why I continue to run, despite the physical discomforts associated with it. Being a runner for the Council Rock High School South winter and spring track teams, I am involved in running everyday after school. This also entails participating in track meets every Friday night. Since I am involved in other extracurricular activities, staying after school for track each day and making time for homework can become hectic and overwhelming. However, I make time for running because it is a way for me to relieve stress and stay fit at the same time. Obviously, running isn’t always enjoyable. It takes a lot of persistence and determination. Many people do not like running because unlike other sports, it is continuous physical exertion. However, as my teammates and I say, you have to “run through the pain.” For my I-search, I also wanted to learn more about not only the physical aspects of running, but also the psychological. Prior to my search, I had already heard of something called “runner’s high.” Other runner’s explained this high as a sense of well-being and a heightened feeling of invincibility (Kahn 295). I wanted to learn more about this high and the other benefits of running. I hoped that this would help me to better understand my desire to run each day.

When people hear that I am a member of the Council Rock High School South track team, their first response is usually, “Why would anyone want to run? It’s painful, hard, and boring.” I usually respond to their question with the most common reasons people choose to run: to lose weight, become fit, or to meet new people (Galloway 6). To me, however, running is so much more.

Associated with running are a wide variety of physical benefits. First, running helps to improve respiration. When a person runs, their body needs more oxygen (Liberman 7). Their lungs are working harder and faster to supply more oxygen to the body (Liberman 7). As the person continues to run, their lungs become more proficient at supplying extra oxygen to the body, which in turn makes breathing easier at rest and when the person is active (Liberman 7). Having asthma, breathing was difficult for me when I first started running. However, tests have shown that as I continue to run, my lung capacity is increasing. Although I still have asthma, running has decreased the chances of me experiencing an asthma attack.

One of the major benefits of running is that it improves muscular strength, endurance, and bone density. Running keeps your muscles functional and strong (Liberman 8). Muscles are attached to bones, so as your muscles move during a workout, it is forcing your bones to grow (Liberman This helps to keep bones dense, firm, and healthy (Liberman 8). Everyday that I run, my legs are increasingly getting stronger. I know this is happening because each week, I am able to add more weight to the machines I use in the weight room.

Running also helps improve a person’s nutrition. Before you run, it is important to have a well balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat to give you enough energy to make it through the workout (Galloway 226). Running also makes your body much more sensitive to overeating or eating the wrong foods (Galloway 233). I can agree with this because during track season, I always find myself eating healthier, having an apple instead of a candy bar.

People who run also tend to have renewed energy, a better outlook on life, an improved quality of sleep, and more self-confidence (Liberman 6). Running is also highly motivating (Averbuch 145). Whenever I run a personal record, it makes me feel like all of my hard work has paid off. Nancy Gerstein, editor for The New Yorker and a daily runner describes her feelings about running, which are similar to mine:

Running gives me a sense of controlling my own life. I feel I’m doing something for myself, not depending on anyone else to do it for me. I like the finiteness of my runs, the fact that they have a clear beginning and end: I set a goal and I achieve it. I like the fact, too, that there’s real difficulty in running; when you have to push yourself to finish a run, you feel wonderful afterward. A good run makes you feel sort of holy. (qtd. in Fixx 14-15)

Along with the physical benefits gained from running are a variety of psychological benefits. Running causes the production of endorphins, which are natural morphine-like hormones (Liberman 9). These endorphins are believed to reduce stress levels and improve your mood (Liberman 9). When these endorphins are released, a mental change called runners high takes place (Kolata). John Donahue, a 43-year-old man who runs five miles everyday, explained this high by saying, “After about 35 or 40 minutes, it seems as if all sorts of tension are relieved. It’s almost like floating” (Glover 339). Paul Schienberg, publisher of Psyched Magazine, also described this high by saying, “It is a point where all biological and psychological systems are running in harmony and it is effortless.” This high, however, does not usually come easily. It often occurs after a period of continuous exercise when the cardiovascular system is working harder (Kahn 295).

Running is also one of the leading ways to reduce stress. During a run, you can use the time to reflect, plan your day, or clear your mind from pressure (Liberman 9). Because of these positive effects, runners are usually calmer, have higher self-esteem, and have less anxiety (Glover 342-343). Ben Bobrow, a runner, says, “Being an emergency physician, I encounter my share of stressful days (and nights). I have consistently found, however, that I feel better, perform better, and am actually a more empathetic doctor when I work after running” (Liberman 5). I have also found that I am less stressed after I run. Especially when I have a lot of homework due the following day, I always find it helpful to run to make me feel less overwhelmed.

Running also teaches the body how to handle, in a productive way, substances that are produced by running and stressful situations, which can have both positive and negative effects (Jonas 38). In the positive aspect, running can cause the athlete to have more responsibility, persistence, courage, self-discipline, and independence (Griffin 27). However, by exercising 30 minutes, several times a week, runners can develop an addiction to the relaxed feeling associated with running (Galloway 20). The body and mind begin to anticipate the after exercise effect, and yearn for it when they don’t exercise (Galloway 20). Withdrawal symptoms can vary from irritability to tiredness (Galloway 20). Although I do not feel as though I am addicted to running, I did experience some of these withdrawal symptoms when I performed my experiment of not running for a week. The first few days I did not run, I felt weary, tired, and overwhelmed. However, as the week continued, the symptoms progressively became less detectable as I became accustomed to not running.

Although I am a regular runner, it does not mean that my workouts are easy and effortless. They are, however, much the opposite: hard and tiresome. Up until my completion of the I-search, I had found myself questioning my motives to run. Why do I exert myself to physical discomfort? The I-search has led me to the answer to this question. From this research project, I was able to learn about both the physical and psychological benefits of running. Just as listening to music or reading is a way for people to release stress, running is a way for me to release my tension. Now that I am aware of the numerous advantages of running, it will make my workouts seem easier because I am aware of the benefits I am gaining. Running is a state of mind; the way you think about your running determines your success (Burfoot 112). When my workouts become hard or tiresome, I can think of the positive effects my training will have, and it will help me to continue my workout.

Mbarak Hussein was born and raised in Kenya. Some of his successes as a long distance runner include Second place in the Rock and Roll Marathon (1999), fifth (2001) and fourth (2002) in Boston Marathons, American’s Finest city half marathon champion in San Diego (2002), Seoul International marathon champion (2002) and Honolulu marathon champion (2000,2001,2002). He resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Psyched: I want to congratulate you on winning the marathon in Honolulu for the third straight time. It’s a great achievement.

Mbarak Hussein: Thank you.

P: We appreciate that Coach GP* has helped arrange this interview with you. How did you meet? How does he work with you?

MH: He’s been a good friend of mine for a long time. I met him in Santa Cruz – a local race there. He was my host family. He helped me with my strength training through speed work.

P: Tell me more about that training.

MH: Specifically, it is a long sustained workout – 4 to 6 miles – alternating pace each lap by one minute per mile (15 seconds a lap) between 5k race pace and marathon pace. He is a great motivator. You can be down and he gets you into the right frame of mind. GP taught me some great stretches as well. Stretching is such an important part of running especially as you get older.

P: Long distance running requires many hours of training. How do keep motivated?

MH: I am one of the oldest long distance runners – 37 years old now. As I get older, it is easier to get out there because I know there is only a limited amount of time I will be able to run competitively. It gives me more focus, discipline and motivation.

P: Are there any mental approaches you use on the day of the race to help you focus?

MH: I’ve learned to be very patient – compose myself. The longevity in the sport has helped me. I get nervous but I don’t panic. Focus on the race. Know who is in the race. Focus on the last race you did. I look at the previous race and how I did. I see me being good at the last race and it calms me down. Most the other racers are a focus. I know who is racing. I know what they do. I keep up with how the other racers are doing. I know what kind of shape they are in. I evaluate all the racers. It makes me comfortable. It help me focus and calm down. How they run a race is important for me to know. I review the entire race in my head. I make a rough idea of what I am going to do in each part of the race. I figure out when to make my move. But, the other racers can change their strategy. So, you have to adjust.

P: There seems like a psychological war going on between the runners.

MH: I don’t play psychologist that much. I think who looks good.

P: Do you remember a race where you didn’t feel right? And what did you do?

MH: Yes. I look back at the training. I remind myself that I trained well enough. So, I can do this. I look at the work outs. I have a visual image of myself running well. When I’m in training, I imagine I am in a big race – not in a training session. This motivates me to take the training seriously.

P: Kenyans are known as great long distance runners. How come?

MH: Big difference is I look at what I can do. Kenyans want it more. Other runners don’t want it as much. The commitment is greater. We struggle more in Kenya. It is a harder life. In other places they have it easier.

P: Have you ever sustained an injury?

MH: Yes.

P: How do you deal with it mentally?

MH: We overlook the injury. I don’t focus on the pain. I run through it. I endure more. We get away from the excuses – because of our background. We say we want to be a runner. So, we give it all. Don’t let anything get in the way. We feel the pain sometimes but we also block it out. The mental approach, when in training, is very important. It is the most important part. I have lost a couple of races because of it. One time I lost a race because I thought I had someone beat – I was a better runner – I quit mentally when he came back after falling behind. He wanted the race more than I did. I didn’t see myself winning the race. I learned a lesson from that one.

P: We appreciate the time and focus you gave this interview. I am sure our readers will get a great deal out of it.

MH: I hope so.

*AUTHOR’S NOTE: Coach GP is co-founder of RunningBuzz.com and is the author of the upcoming book Run Tall, Run Easy: The Ultimate Guide to Better Running Mechanics. For Advanced VIP notice, contact Runtallruneasy@aol.com

Edwin Moses is a three time Olympic Medallist winning the Gold medal in 1976 and 1984 as well as the bronze in 1988. The U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics probably cost him another Olympic Gold medal. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Moorehouse College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. Mr. Moses is currently the chairman of the Laureus World Sports Awards, an organization that attempts to better the world through sports. Psyched caught up with him during this year’s ceremony held in Monaco.

PSYCHED: What were a couple of mental approaches that you used to explain your athletic success?

Moses: I was always more of an academic than a jock. I used biomechanics to save time when I was competing. In particular, I studied German and Russian biomechanics. I was always a mean and lean athlete- not tall- not large. I overcame size with mechanics. Stretching was a major part of my preparation. I stretched with a ballet dancer. I began to think of myself as a ballet dancer. I was the best player/coach that ever lived.

P: What external obstacle did you have to overcome in order to become a great track and field athlete?

M: I went to Moorehouse College. There was no track and field there. So I had to brake into facilities that had tracks in order to practice. It was sort of like “Rocky”- I used whatever I could to get better.

P: What competitor had the greatest impact on you?

M: One of my major competitors was Harold Smith. Smith beat me in 1977. I was loafing during that competition. It was until two decades later that I lost again. I always had to keep improving my skills in order to remain competitive and keep winning.

P: How did you deal with injuries over your long career?

M: I never struggled with injury problems because of my preparation – in particular my stretching.

P: What contribution to amateur athletics stands out for you?

M: Sebastian Coe and I were the first track and field athletes to make money doing it.

P: What were your plans academically?

M: I wanted to go to medical school. But, I never got a college scholarship.

P: Can you tell me how your parents effected your athletic career?

M: Both parents supported my becoming a world class athlete. My father was an all-American football player. My mother played tennis. My father was also a principal of a school and mother was a curriculum advisor. Both were educators. They were from Ohio. They were strict. I always got my work done before playing.

P: What does the Laureus award mean to you?

M: In digital world, sport provides opportunity to bring people together. Also, Laureus wants to explain to kids that they already have skills – that it is only a matter of working on them.

Herb Douglas is a former 1948 Olympic Bronze medalist and an advocate and practitioner of total mental preparedness. Leveraging his success in world-class athletics, he became one of the highest-ranking African-American business executives in the country at Scheiffelin & Somerset, a subsidiary of the giant Luis Vuitton Moet Hennessey corporation. In 1980, Mr. Douglas founded the International Amateur Athletic Association (IAAA), an organization that presents the prestigious American-International Trophy and American-International Global Awards to the world’s best amateur athletes. Mr. Douglas presently serves as Chairman Emeritus of that organization. We met with him at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in New York City, after a press conference given by the IAAA for their 2002 Sportsman Of The Year, Ian Thorpe of Australia.

PSYCHED: I am talking with Herb Douglas about his successful athletic career. Specifically, we will be focusing on how he used his mind to enhance athletic performance. What makes for a successful athlete?

DOUGLAS: What separates the talented successful athlete from the talented unsuccessful athlete is what goes on between the ears – how an athlete evaluates (his) or (her) body. You have to do the four basics components of success: analyze, organize, initiate and follow through. If you do that with yourself, and use the data, you will be successful.

P: What is the benefit of participating in athletics for children and adults?

D: I believe in sports because I was always a part of sports. It developed a confidence in me whereby I could transcend whatever else I did. I could be fair with myself. I could assess myself accurately. I learned a great deal about limits. If I could not handle something, I knew it. Then I would give it to someone else who had the ability to do it.

P: Do you have a moment in your life that might illustrate this point?

D: Oh yes. If you would have told me six months before I got my masters degree that I wasn’t going to be a physical education teacher and a coach, I would have told you, you were crazy. This is what I want(ed) to be – to be a coach. Because of the racial situation, there were no coaches in Pittsburgh in high school. After three years working at Shefflin Summersett, they made me a national spokesperson. I had people who worked for me and I told them if you follow me, you will succeed.

P: When you were an athlete, were there things you did to get through long practices?

D: I always wanted to compete, never felt bored, that was between my ears. When you are running and you see someone behind you or peripherally, you relax and don’t know why. There is non-thinking about it. It just happens. In my day, there were no coaches and no one to tell you how to do it. I lived on a steep hill in Pittsburgh and I ran up and down hills and did gymnastics so I had upper body muscle strength. No one taught me how to train physically or mentally.

P: Was there a pre-event mental routine you taught yourself and would go through before an event?

D: I had a vision that I would come out on top. You have to go all the way through it. You have to look through the whole event and see the end result. I was in the 1948 Olympics. I saw myself on the stand winning a medal. But, I didn’t have the vision that I would be on the top stand. There are placers and there are winners. I saw myself as a placer. I see competitors who are in the lead in a race and if someone comes up on their side, they give up. These are not winners. There are placers and winners. I knew I was going to be a placer. If I had the right coach, I don’t believe anyone in the world could have beaten me. I ran the 100 and the long jump.

P: What was going on in the blocks before the race begins? What were you thinking?

D: That’s always intense. The tighter the race would be, the more some runners would lean backwards as they ran. Others would lean forward. That was between the ears.

P: Were there particular competitors that inspired you?

D: I won three national titles in long jump and four ICAAAA championships in the long jump. In running, I would always place. Never win. I didn’t have a vision of me winning. To make the Olympic team, I had to be first, second or third in the AAU, first second or third in college division, first second or third in the Army. I knew I was going to get to the final. When I got to the final no one could talk to me, I had to focus. What am I going to do? Again, I only saw me placing. So, that’s what I did. Same thing happened at the Olympics.

P: Was there any differences in the way you approached qualification races?

D: As you get to the semi-finals and finals, the competition gets more severe. The first two races you are more relaxed.

P: Did you put out more or less energy in the races to pace yourself through the rounds of competition?

D: No. The same energy is put out in each race. But, when you are more relaxed, athletes find themselves surprisingly setting world record times. As you tighten up in the later races, there is a tendency to have a poorer performance. It is important to remember the state of mind you were in when you ran so well and try to duplicate it. It is important to enter that relaxed place again. It is hard to measure how well you did after a long jump. But when I heard the crowd go “wow”, I knew I must have done really well.

P: You mentioned relaxing as being really important. Did you have particular ways in which you relaxed yourself?

D: Keep your form. Try to get into a rhythm. And keep on going.

P: Did you ever use breathing exercises to relax?

D: Not really. Just took deep breaths.

P: How about relay races? How did that effect your mental approach?

D: In the 4×200 race, I led off with a 20.6 seconds run. The world record was 20.7 seconds. I was trying to get this thing in my hand to the next runner in the staggered lane. There was teammanship. I knew the guys really well. I respected all the guys. I always thought that I could beat my competition.

P: Did feelings ever effect your performance?

D: One day I was angry at this one guy. I wouldn’t pass the baton on to the next guy who I was running with. I never ran so fast.

P: Tell me about the four basic components of success.

D: Be analytical about your body. If I am not built big and strong for a shot putter, I am built big and strong for something else. The next step is to organize yourself to approach the goal. You have to put all the pieces in place and organize your next step. The third step is to initiate – practice your skills ‘til its part of you. The final step is to follow through on all your efforts.

P: Children are so impatient. Is it important for them to learn these steps?

D: Oh yeah. They don’t do their homework. They just want to put it out there without any of the steps.