--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My thoughts before a big race are usually…" description: "\"My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d9/carl-lewis-10327_athlete_my-thoughts-before-a-big-race-are-usuall_3187921.jpg" --- # My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I… ![“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus.” quote by Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d9/carl-lewis-10327_athlete_my-thoughts-before-a-big-race-are-usuall_3187921.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d9/carl-lewis-10327_athlete_my-thoughts-before-a-big-race-are-usuall_3187921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d9/carl-lewis-10327_athlete_my-thoughts-before-a-big-race-are-usuall_3187921.jpg) > “My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus.” [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Lewis emphasizes simplicity and focus, urging athletes to stay relaxed and trust their own pace for success. **In simple terms:** Stay calm, run your own race, and you’ll win. Key Takeaway Maintain composure and trust your training. Themes sports mindset performance Mood motivational confident Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - track events - marathons - competition preparation Key Concepts focus self‑trust mental preparation Questions to Reflect On - What mental tricks help you stay relaxed? - How do you balance focus with adaptability? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on mental cues may ignore physical fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athlete motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete-motivational/) [Athletics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletics/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Best sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-sports/) [Distance running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distance-running/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Funny inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-inspirational-sports/) [Great motivational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-motivational-sports/) [Greatest sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-sports/) [Inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational-sports/) [Marathon motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marathon-motivational/) [Marathon running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marathon-running/) [Motivational inspirational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-inspirational-sports/) [Motivational running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-running/) [Motivational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-sports/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-motivational/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Running marathon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-marathon/) [Running race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-race/) [Running track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-track/) [Running training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-training/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Sports training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports-training/) [Sportsmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sportsmanship/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Track and field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track-and-field/) [Track running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track-running/) [Training for a marathon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training-for-a-marathon/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) ## Related quotes > [The principle is competing against yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-young/the-principle-is-competing-against-yourself/) [Steve Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-young/) > [There is no such thing as life in-between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-is-no-such-thing-as-life-in-between/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/the-winners-in-life-think-constantly-in-terms-of-i-can-i-will-and-i-am/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [The entire race is usually judged by the actions of one man or woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hattie-mcdaniel/the-entire-race-is-usually-judged-by-the-actions-of-one-man-or-woman/) [Hattie McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hattie-mcdaniel/) > [One inconvenience I sometimes experienced in so small a house, the difficulty of getting to a sufficient distance from my guest when we began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/one-inconvenience-i-sometimes-experienced-in-so-small-a-house-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I think its safe to say, that any effort in someone explaining the definition of your message, would fall short upon a plank built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-long/i-think-its-safe-to-say-that-any-effort-in-someone-explaining-the/) [Travis Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-long/) > [Yeah of course, it's a lot of emotions, a lot of different thoughts, it's a big thing, the biggest I've done in my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gustafsson/yeah-of-course-it-s-a-lot-of-emotions-a-lot-of-different-thoughts-it/) [Alexander Gustafsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gustafsson/) > [My thoughts Big I just can't define. Wish I could turn back the hands of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-diddy/my-thoughts-big-i-just-can-t-define-wish-i-could-turn-back-the-hands/) [P Diddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-diddy/) > [If sports do not hold significance in our life, we cannot nurture sportsman spirit as a "Sanskar" in our society and without such "Sanskars",…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/if-sports-do-not-hold-significance-in-our-life-we-cannot-nurture/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [You have to have a good race plan. Our race plan this morning was to win the heat and get into the finals tonight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-ackman/you-have-to-have-a-good-race-plan-our-race-plan-this-morning-was-to/) Alyson Ackman > [I've been fortunate Daytona is a place I've run better than anywhere else, and that's a big race. 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I'm not saying anyone is on anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/countries-like-jamaica-do-not-have-a-random-program-so-they-can-go/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [I've found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/i-ve-found-that-a-person-does-not-need-protein-from-meat-to-be-a/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [Join me in the final race to smash poverty and achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/join-me-in-the-final-race-to-smash-poverty-and-achieve-the-un/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [The best kids are going to become the best. 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I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/i-m-very-serious-about-becoming-a-dramatic-actor-i-don-t-want-to-play/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) > [Amateurism is the strongest form of discrimination in sports. Because it discriminates against the underprivileged, it discriminates against the poor. If we want sports…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/amateurism-is-the-strongest-form-of-discrimination-in-sports-because/) [Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) [Explore all 66 Carl Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. 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Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. 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