Consistency, the ability to master the art of running slowly and the will to endure are things runners can learn from contemporary football legend Lionel Messi.
Be consistent with your goal . Besides his natural skills, Messi has always maintained a high level of performance throughout his illustrious career thanks to his hard work and consistency. “I start the day early and end it late, day after day, year after year,” the Argentina star once said. “It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight phenomenon.”
Messi started his professional football career in 2004, and played his first World Cup in 2006. But it was not until Qatar 2022 that he won the FIFA Gold Cup with the team. Messi played football at the age of five in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, which took 30 years of dedication to reach the peak of his career.
Messi kissed the FIFA Gold Cup – the trophy he pursued for more than 17 years of his peak career – to reach after the 2022 World Cup final at Lusail Stadium on December 18. Photo: Reuters
For runners, consistency, always giving your best is what will help you achieve high results, or simply achieve your goals.
Messi experienced many disappointing matches and tournaments with Argentina, before reaching the top on December 18 at Lusail Stadium, where British commentator Sam Matterface described the Argentine captain’s performance as “sowing seeds”. Magic”.
Similarly, there are no shortcuts to running. You have to spend time, effort, gradually improving your achievements and time every day to be successful.
Master the art of running slow and walking . Many runners hate slowing down, but research shows this has many benefits. Among them, the 80/20 training method – that is, spending 80% of the time running slowly and the remaining 20% running medium and fast – is the most famous. Spending most of your time running slowly will actually improve your performance.
If you disagree, the fact that Messi spends most of his time on the field at a very slow pace or walking may make you think differently.
In the 2022 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, more than half of the distance traveled by Messi was in Zone 1 – the speed zone that FIFA determined was between standing still and moving at 7 km/h. The 35-year-old star is calculated to keep that speed up to 85% of the time, but always explodes when it needs to accelerate.
Messi accelerated past Gvardiol in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Croatia in the 2022 World Cup semi-final on December 14. Photo: AFP
“The fact that Messi regularly walks is not a symptom of laziness or an expression of privilege, but rather a fact of supreme football intelligence and a commitment to efficient use of energy,” said journalist Jody Rosen. written by The New Yorker .
For runners, running slowly most of the time helps you maintain fitness and reach long distances without wasting energy or accumulating large amounts of energy for the body. When you need to run fast, during speed training, sprints or race day, your body will have the energy to exert maximum effort.
Resilience and mental endurance . Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone disorder (GHD) when he was 11 years old. GHD is treated with daily injections of human growth hormone (hGH), and Messi’s family cannot afford the expensive injections in the long run.
Despite his much smaller stature compared to his peers, his hard work and best efforts on the pitch, in addition to his natural ability, have helped Messi get into Barca’s famous La Masia youth academy. . The Spanish club also agreed to pay the full medical costs of the little Argentine player. Throughout his career, at 1m69, Messi has never been the tallest player on the field, but is famous for using a lower center of gravity to his advantage.
Messi dribbled between three German players in the 2014 World Cup final. He turned his small size from a disadvantage into an advantage when playing football. Photo: AFP
For runners, whether experienced or rookie, they have to overcome challenges to become the best version they can be. Mental endurance and resilience are developed when you face obstacles first-hand, learning to bounce back in spite of setbacks.
Accepting your own abilities and navigating the right challenges builds perseverance and mental toughness, preparing you for tough races and the inevitable obstacles in life. living
SRC: https://vnexpress.net/
