Track and Field

This is an inspirational track and field book, unlike anything that has been written on the topic. It challenges those who believe that genetic makeup is the only significant contributing factor to becoming an elite track and field athlete, and goes beyond technique to explore the critical importance of mindset. It offers evidence-based tools to help build sustainable and performance-enhancing training philosophies, with a capacity to support athletes from all parts of the genetic spectrum on their journey to the top. The book is a unique story of one athlete’s journey in the decathlon from humble beginnings in rural Latvia, through the US college experience on the plains of Kansas, and most recently training with Olympians in Prague, in the heart of Europe. The book documents the physical and mental challenges encountered, the struggles to overcome them, and the training and coaching lessons learned along the way. The book contains personal stories, observations, collected training wisdom and scientific evidence in an easy-to-read format. It offers practical lessons that are often overlooked in track and field training, but which are crucial both for athletes’ development and elite performances. The author is an international decathlete from Latvia, who has trained under Olympic-level coaches, as well as with numerous Olympic athletes and Olympic medalists. The book is structured into three sections:1) Training Lessons2) Recovery and Performance Lessons3) Mindset LessonsThe first section offers fifteen critical training philosophy and methodology-related lessons. The second section provides nine lessons from recovery and performance angles. And the third section describes seven sports psychology lessons that can be applied effectively in track and field. All three sections of the book work together to provide an answer to the same question: how can track and field athletes challenge their assumed genetic potential? The core theory focuses on the concept of the “cumulative training effect”, and the book guides the reader through the different elements of training, recovery and mindset that can offer a significant contribution towards a cumulative training effect. The book is aimed primarily at athletes and coaches involved in the sprint, hurdle and field disciplines of track and field. It is relevant for athletes at all stages of their development, from middle and high school, through college, and onto professional and ultimately high-performance athletes. However, the life experiences and struggles of the author will appeal to anyone involved in track and field, and sport more generally, including sports fans, the families and friends of those in competitive sport, and anyone who enjoys an inspirational tale of triumph over adversity.