So what is pressure? Is it pressure that makes people do odd things? Why does this thing called pressure get to some people and why do others thrive on it?
I find this interesting as I build towards Sunday and I begin to feel nervous. Can I make the full 26.2 miles? I have never done this before, can I do it? I know this isn't the Champions League, but I am bloody nervous. Is the pressure going to get to me?
It is a widely known fact that John Terry has no bottle. This lack of bottle was in evidence again last night as he failed at the highest level to keep his cool when it mattered. If I was picking the England team I would not allow anyone who shows such a complete lack of calmness in the heat of the moment to be near my team for the upcoming European Championships. John Terry initially demonstrated his lack of bottle on a major stage in a penalty shoot out in the 2008 Champions League final as he fell over while performing an act as simple as connecting his foot with a ball that was not moving. If we forget about the fact that John Terry is not necessarily someone you would want to spend an evening down the pub with - as that doesn't matter really - John Terry has no bottle and therefore should never be trusted with a position in the England team again, or Chelsea for that matter.
What was so brazen about this lack of bottle was not just the violent act of hacking an opponent unfairly, it was the fact that John Terry, when questioned about the crime after the event made all sorts of excuses about 'players backing into him', 'players brushing against me' and other nonsense. John Terry's attitude demonstrates that not only does he not have any bottle, he believes he does and any evidence to the contrary will not sway him. Clearly he has no capacity to learn. I believe it is this capacity to learn that separates those that can handle pressure from those that can't (like John Terry).
Anyway, now I have finished my character assassination of our former England captain, just what does all this mean for my jog on Sunday? I have heard a few things associated with handling pressure:
This reminds me of a comment I read a few years ago by a Dutch football coach in an amazing book called 'Brilliant Orange' by David Winner. The coaches comments on pressure were something like this (on penalty taking):
'When taking a penalty, I want a dumb guy to take it. I don't want someone who is smart who is thinking about the beauty of the situation, of what it means to his life, to his family or to the nation, I want an idiot to take the penalty. An idiot will just think about kicking the ball in the goal. The smart guy will kick the ball over the bar as he is thinking too bloody hard'.
Wonderful, so maybe John Terry is too smart then? Hahaha maybe not.
I find this interesting as I build towards Sunday and I begin to feel nervous. Can I make the full 26.2 miles? I have never done this before, can I do it? I know this isn't the Champions League, but I am bloody nervous. Is the pressure going to get to me?
It is a widely known fact that John Terry has no bottle. This lack of bottle was in evidence again last night as he failed at the highest level to keep his cool when it mattered. If I was picking the England team I would not allow anyone who shows such a complete lack of calmness in the heat of the moment to be near my team for the upcoming European Championships. John Terry initially demonstrated his lack of bottle on a major stage in a penalty shoot out in the 2008 Champions League final as he fell over while performing an act as simple as connecting his foot with a ball that was not moving. If we forget about the fact that John Terry is not necessarily someone you would want to spend an evening down the pub with - as that doesn't matter really - John Terry has no bottle and therefore should never be trusted with a position in the England team again, or Chelsea for that matter.
What was so brazen about this lack of bottle was not just the violent act of hacking an opponent unfairly, it was the fact that John Terry, when questioned about the crime after the event made all sorts of excuses about 'players backing into him', 'players brushing against me' and other nonsense. John Terry's attitude demonstrates that not only does he not have any bottle, he believes he does and any evidence to the contrary will not sway him. Clearly he has no capacity to learn. I believe it is this capacity to learn that separates those that can handle pressure from those that can't (like John Terry).
Anyway, now I have finished my character assassination of our former England captain, just what does all this mean for my jog on Sunday? I have heard a few things associated with handling pressure:
- The anxiety you feel before an event, don't see it as a negative, it is your mind/body preparing you for action. It is part of the process, don't fear it - channel it!
- Stop over-thinking, just remember your training, you have built towards this, exclude everything from your mind apart from achieving the goal
This reminds me of a comment I read a few years ago by a Dutch football coach in an amazing book called 'Brilliant Orange' by David Winner. The coaches comments on pressure were something like this (on penalty taking):
'When taking a penalty, I want a dumb guy to take it. I don't want someone who is smart who is thinking about the beauty of the situation, of what it means to his life, to his family or to the nation, I want an idiot to take the penalty. An idiot will just think about kicking the ball in the goal. The smart guy will kick the ball over the bar as he is thinking too bloody hard'.
Wonderful, so maybe John Terry is too smart then? Hahaha maybe not.
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