Maintaining your momentum

It is the Bank Holiday weekend, and this is not only the last Bank Holiday for a while, but also this signifies the end summer. That means that the outdoor season for athletics is soon to end, and while I write this I am watching the athletics at Gateshead - I will be in mourning soon, as I love athletics!

This is the second grand prix after the World Championships and the athletes are tired, you can see it on their faces.

So how to you maintain your momentum? That is million dollar question, the answer will be different for everyone. It is not a one size fits all solution.

Many athletes who came out of Berlin with medals are feeling the pressure of a season which has had a world class event directly following an Olympics, the cumulative effect of that is huge. The psychological pressure and physical demands on your body are draining and to maintain good performances throughout the season is difficult. I think that Carmilita Jeter (USA) summed it up brilliantly today, by saying that you just have to get lots of rest and take your vitamins! Jeter is one athlete who is made of tough stuff and after all the traveling she has done, and perhaps after a little disappointment in Berlin, has managed to maintain her level of good performances. Her consistency is commendable and I think that she has been able to, health permitting, concentrate on the job in hand at all times, which has been to win as many races as possible.

We can all suffer lapses in our performance when at work, be we professional athletes or not. However, we need to know what it is which will help us maintain our levels of performances as best we can, and if not, we need to put mechanisms in place to cope with the dips in performance and ensure that they are short term blips on the radar and not long term lows which can create long term problems.

Jenny Meadows came 3rd in 800m race and admitted that she was tired and not 100%, but she was aiming for a top 3 finish and that is what she achieved. Knowing our limits is important as well for maintaining your momentum and this is something we can all bear in mind.