When I first started competing on the track, my main event was 400m hurdles. To get some insight into the event, I read David Hemery’s biography hoping to get some good tips about training. Hemery had spent the winter of 1967 at university in Boston before competing at the 1968 Olympics in the altitude of Mexico City. Hemery set a new world record in winning the gold medal – by the largest winning margin of any Olympic sprint event for 50 years. As well as his running training, Hemery spent time in the weights room. What really struck me though was the amount of time he spent on mental rehearsal. He was prepared for any type of race in any lane come the Olympic final because he had already replayed the scene many times in his … [Read more...]