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2005-06-09 - 4:59 p.m.
"There will come a day when there is no tomorrow, so make it happen today." That's a top quote. Up there with my coach's "You must to struggle", said in thick Russian accent. I was kinda touched by the two sentiments. Lieswyn is a top American pro racing on a domestic team which has cleaned up most US races so far this year. He's getting to the tail-end of his career but hasn't managed to win the big ones. As he winds down, he was reminded of all the missed chances and close calls he has had and decided to remind younger riders of the imperative to make the most of what you have before it's too late. My new coach, who is turning out to be a bit of a guru when it comes to mental issues, has recognised that sometimes, I look for the easy way out, a quick end to the bout, or some way to avoid the pain that comes with an intense match against an opponent who is close in ability to myself. He said that this rush to close out the match either means I make ugly hits that do little to benefit my development as a fencer, or I throw it all away and get ass kicked. "Suffer", he says succintly and solemnly. And that makes sense to me. If I put myself through the fire and keep plugging away, I might actually figure out how to make decent hits under pressure instead of making messy crap touches that are 50-50 at best. Aside from the fact that it HURTS, I guess that's a good idea.
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