Across every Discipline, it's the Hours of Effort that Creates Champions

I recently caught up with top athlete Jonny Mellor…Jonny was recently the first Britain home in the Virgin London Marathon, in a time of 2:10:38, meaning that he has now twice achieved the Olympic qualifying time. We asked Jonny three questions.

How do you prepare yourself mentally for a big race?

I mentally prepare by taking confidence from the training I’ve done in the lead up to race day. I look back at my training diary and remind myself of the hard work I’ve put in ahead of the event. I break the race down into process orientated goals or more manageable segments so I can be in the moment rather than worrying about the outcome. For example I break the marathon down into 10k sections, which seems much less daunting than 42k! 

What advice would you give to anyone trying to be the best that they can be in any situation?

I love the classic saying, “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”. If you put the hard work, dedication and commitment into whatever it is your doing, which could be sport or business related no matter what you can always look back and say I gave it my best shot. I would also advise people to have a positive can-do attitude and not be a victim. This means not putting limits on yourself, not blaming others, taking responsibility and being pleased for others when they do well.

Like anyone, you will have received setbacks…How does anyone overcome adversity?

Tough times make for tough runners! I use set backs as fuel for the fire to come back stronger and more determined than before. They are part of sport and life but the setbacks make the successes even sweeter and they are what keep me motivated when I have to cross train due to injury or illness.