Superstitions

[rainbowgirl28]

What superstitions do you have?


http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/st ... 3229c.html

Track topic: Getting into a routine
Athletes' routines: Ice bath, 'hospital,' prayer
By John Schumacher -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, July 13, 2004

The hours leading up to competition can be nerve-wracking. It's time to collect your thoughts and make sure nothing goes wrong.
For some track athletes, that means performing certain rituals. For others, the final countdown centers around avoiding the wrong kinds of food.

Pole vaulter Derek Miles admits to a weird superstition: He won't clip his fingernails or shave 24 hours before his event.

"You go to a meet, have a bad meet, OK, how many different things contributed to that?" he said. "If you can't figure it out on the runway, if you can't figure out why you didn't jump high, then it's got to be because you clipped your fingernails 24 hours before.

"It's one of those things that has no bearing on it whatsoever. Vaulting is such a hit-and-miss sport, it's hard not to become a little bit somewhat superstitious."

Whatever you call it, it worked; Miles finished third in the pole vault Sunday to earn his first trip to the Olympics.

Miles also tries to relax in the final hours, spending time in a fictitious place his coach Earl Bell calls "the hospital."

"You've got to be in the hospital, not doing a whole lot," Miles said.

[theflyingkorean]

I always have to have my green lawn chair and an icechest with 2 gateorades, 2 litres of water, and a redbull and 2 cliffbars. I have to listen to my music on the way in because of the "No electronics rule" on the field. I have so many others and I had so many when I played basketball.

[BritDawg118]

I eat a peanut butter sandwhich and a power bar before every meet and I have to have 2 red gatorades during competition. At my highschool meets I had to wear the same singlet and bikers and have my sparkely shoelaces in my spikes.

[fong520]

hah i have tape on the top of my jersey that i never take off for the back so its like moving aroudn too much. i have lucky nderwear and socks. hah. i wash them but i only wear them to meets..after my first meet which i did my pr the next 2 meets i wore the same clothes hah.

one of my friends. if he trips or like steps wrong during a run, hell do it 3 times again right afte rhe did it the first time. during xc him and another friend they never washed their jerseys and they just left it in their gym lockers.. smelled like .. u get the point

[Skyin' Brian]

i used to take off my spikes and put on my shoes between each jump putting my spikes just before i got on the runway

[Scott Go Pre]

Back in high school, the day of the meet, I would have breakfast at Waffle House. I would order a waffle with bacon adn a o.j. to drink.

Then at the meet, I would setup my own little island (a chair with an umbrella, an ice chest full of drinks and apples, and my cd player).

Until last year, I now untie my shoe laces between each jump.

[ashcraftpv]

my last year in college, i used to get too excited the night before and had a hard time falling asleep, so I started drinking 3 Newcastles before bed. Not enough to affect me, but just enough to take the edge off and let me get a good 8 hours. It was a challenge to do on road trips, but I still managed.....

[Skyin' Brian]

newcastles.........sorry to hear that. beware of beer in clear bottles. almost always skunky

[Lord of the Poles]

I just try to relax and not cause anything bad to happen any time before the meet that doesn't get resolved in time for the meet (like argument with girlfriend)... because when I'm feeling shitty about life, I don't do well in meets... when I'm happy with how things are, I do awesome.

[rainbowgirl28]

I just try to relax and not cause anything bad to happen any time before the meet that doesn't get resolved in time for the meet (like argument with girlfriend)... because when I'm feeling shitty about life, I don't do well in meets... when I'm happy with how things are, I do awesome.

Heh at my conference meet this spring, I broke up with my boyfriend the night before, found out that morning that my only girl pole vault teammate was transferring, and it was cold, rainy, muddy, and miserable... I ended up jumping a season PR, winning, and auto-qualifying to nationals.

Go figure

[K_Rabbit]

The morning before a meet i have to watch my Neovault C'mon Video to get me pumped up. O yea i and i can't forget my lucky underwear

[Scott Go Pre]

I hope that your "lucky" underwear has been washed each time before you use them!! Other wise, that is disgusting