A while ago, I finished reading Usain Bolt’s autobiography called “Faster than Lightning
Ever since I first witnessed Usain Bolt winning multiple Olympic gold medals, I became more inspired. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to see what goes on inside his head in order to learn how champions think.
I wanted to know what he went through to get to the top, in order to understand what it takes to continuously get better, faster, stronger.
This book was definitely an inspiring eye opener.
The way Usain Bolt faced his challenges was nothing short of admirable. He persevered in times when most people would have given up.
First, he was diagnosed with an unusual back condition that derailed his training. Then, he was in a potentially career-ending car accident in 2009 if he had not been lucky enough to escape serious injuries.
He is definitely a role model to many. Although realistically the majority of athletes may not reach his level of success, fame and fortune, we can all learn something from him that will help us all get better.
Below are my takeaways from the book.
1. Relax before races. Worrying about a race or who you are competing against will not help you perform better. In fact, it will cause unnecessary stress, which is detrimental to your performance. You already did all the work leading up to the race, so why worry about any outcomes that you really can’t control?
2. Manage your injuries. As an athlete, you must learn to be aware of your body. If you catch an injury early enough and take care of it properly, you will prevent a disaster in the future.
3. The point of no return. My understanding is that if an athlete is healthy, then it’s acceptable for him/her to experience the point of no return a few times during their training cycle. This is the type of workout where you test your limits. You push yourself harder than you ever have before to see what you are made of. However, one has to be careful with this one and ensure adequate recovery after a session like this (example: intervals).
4. Believe in yourself. Regardless of what was happening in his life, Usain Bolt learned to believe in himself. He thought like a champion. It doesn’t really matter how good you are, if you love your sport, you will keep trying to get better. However, before you can do that, you have to believe that you can.
5. Compete and train with the best. You have to strive to be the cream of the crop, not cream of the crap. If you’re always competing with those who are weaker and slower than you, then you won’t get any better. Training and competing with the best will push you to step up your game.
Usain’s story is very inspiring and I’m thrilled that I had the opportunity to learn about him. I give this book 5 stars for the inspiration and I encourage every aspiring athlete to read it. It’s entertaining, motivating and informative. The road to success is not always paved with gold.