By Coach Maxx

Today we wrap up this blog series with the final step in the approach to your daily workout, taking advice from Olympian Michael Johnson’s coach: PRAY

PRAY – Don’t you love the sound of this one?! Even Michael Johnson and Wade Van Niekerk, the most highly trained athletes in the entire world, have a 500 lb gorilla jump on their back around the 320 meter mark. Okay, it’s not a real gorilla, although that’d be fun to watch. No, this gorilla also goes by the name of lactic acid. To quote the movie Fight Club, “I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.” It feels like your limbs literally can’t be picked up off the ground. If anyone has actually sprinted 400 meters or possibly biked 60 seconds all out on the Air Assault then you know the feeling. At the end of the workout, your body should start reaching it’s limit. If you’ve pushed, paced, and positioned yourself correctly then you should begin to “redline” at the end of the workout. “Redlining” is where your body begins to freak out. This is typically, hopefully, the last 1-2 minutes of the workout and it’s time to do exactly what this step says, PRAY! This is where you abandon pain, keep breathing, and stay in control. Push your body further than you thought you could go at the beginning. Too many times I see athletes look at the clock to save them or they know they’ve only got 10 reps left so they start thinking about dinner. The pray piece of the workout is where you learn about yourself and become a better athlete.