--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I race my mind is full of doubts…" description: "\"When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish second, who will finish third?\" — Noureddine Morceli" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png" --- # When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish… ![“When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish second, who will finish third?” quote by Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png) > “When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish second, who will finish third?” [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Racing triggers self‑doubt about ranking and performance, causing mental distraction. **In simple terms:** Competition fuels anxiety about placement. Key Takeaway Focus on personal effort, not others. Themes competition self‑doubt focus Mood determined anxious Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - races - training sessions - goal setting Key Concepts psychology performance anxiety Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay present during competition? - What strategies calm racing thoughts? A Different Perspective Mind‑wandering can reduce performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athletics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletics/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts/) [Doubts Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts-finish-4673223/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Finish Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish-second-1073922/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-doubts-1362214/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-mind-823060/) [Racing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racing/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Uncertainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertainty/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing is achieved by a mind that doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/nothing-is-achieved-by-a-mind-that-doubts/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [“The heart never speaks to a mind full of doubts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-k-green/the-heart-never-speaks-to-a-mind-full-of-doubts/) [Alice K. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-k-green/) > [“While his mind had doubts about what he wanted, his body apparently did not”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-roberts/while-his-mind-had-doubts-about-what-he-wanted-his-body-apparently/) [C.J. Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-roberts/) > [Thoughts race, as if, in a mind devoid of memory, each idea has too much space to grow and move, to collide with others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-watson/thoughts-race-as-if-in-a-mind-devoid-of-memory-each-idea-has-too-much/) [S.J. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-watson/) > [Far too often scripts are being written with race in mind, but the subject matter doesn't lend itself to any conversation on race. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-parker/far-too-often-scripts-are-being-written-with-race-in-mind-but-the/) [Nate Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-parker/) > [I don't mind doubts, they motivate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-don-t-mind-doubts-they-motivate-me/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [“When you embrace the mystery and refuse to give in to temporary stumbling blocks, you will not receive what you think you deserve, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/when-you-embrace-the-mystery-and-refuse-to-give-in-to-temporary/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [Dont even worry about walking a mile in my shoes, try living one day in my head, seeing everything that crosses my mind, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-even-worry-about-walking-a-mile-in-my-shoes-try-living-one-day/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder who is going to finish second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-bolt/i-wonder-who-is-going-to-finish-second/) [Tommy Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-bolt/) > [There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. I have finished second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/there-is-no-room-for-second-place-there-is-only-one-place-in-my-game/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [I take every race like my ride is on the line, like it's my last. I don't get sponsors when I finish second. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hailie-deegan/i-take-every-race-like-my-ride-is-on-the-line-like-it-s-my-last-i-don/) [Hailie Deegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hailie-deegan/) > [I'm of course jumping right in with the attitude that I can win the Eurovision Song Contest - or at least finish in second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saara-aalto/i-m-of-course-jumping-right-in-with-the-attitude-that-i-can-win-the/) [Saara Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saara-aalto/) > [In this country, when you finish second, no one knows your name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mcguire/in-this-country-when-you-finish-second-no-one-knows-your-name/) [Frank McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mcguire/) > [You don't go to a race track to finish second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-logano/you-don-t-go-to-a-race-track-to-finish-second/) [Joey Logano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-logano/) > [I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/i-have-finished-second-twice-in-my-time-at-green-bay-and-i-don-t-ever/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) ## More by Noureddine Morceli > [I run to be known as the greatest runner, the greatest of all time. I could not eat or sleep for a week after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/i-run-to-be-known-as-the-greatest-runner-the-greatest-of-all-time-i/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [And then in life, you always have to try, and today, I may not have succeeded, but I am happy to have tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/and-then-in-life-you-always-have-to-try-and-today-i-may-not-have/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [My real motivation is to reach 3:25... I am still young; I have a lot of time left in my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/my-real-motivation-is-to-reach-3-25-i-am-still-young-i-have-a-lot-of/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [Barcelona is now in the past. I was sick and boxed in, and that's understandable why I lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/barcelona-is-now-in-the-past-i-was-sick-and-boxed-in-and-that-s/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [Perhaps I don't give the impression that I'm hurting on the track. But that is because I am animated by an interior force which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/perhaps-i-don-t-give-the-impression-that-i-m-hurting-on-the-track-but/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [The new Kenyans. There are always new Kenyans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/the-new-kenyans-there-are-always-new-kenyans/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [(Algerian athlete, 1996 Summer Olympics, on the 3000m world record) I think my 3:27 for 1500m is worth 7:21 for 3000m.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/algerian-athlete-1996-summer-olympics-on-the-3000m-world-record-i/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [I think my 3:27 for 1500m is worth 7:21 for 3000m.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/i-think-my-3-27-for-1500m-is-worth-7-21-for-3000m/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [It was an extraterrestrial performance. It is very special to go below 4:50, but I believe I can do better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/it-was-an-extraterrestrial-performance-it-is-very-special-to-go-below/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) > [I am still young. I have a lot of time. And if someone breaks my records in the future, I won't cry. That's sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/i-am-still-young-i-have-a-lot-of-time-and-if-someone-breaks-my/) [Noureddine Morceli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) [Explore all 11 Noureddine Morceli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/) ## 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. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. 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": "When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish second, who will finish third?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noureddine Morceli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-who-will-finish-second-who-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-who-will-finish-second-who-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01a/noureddine-morceli-38470_athlete_when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-wh_2175019.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I race my mind is full of doubts - who will finish second, who will finish third?” — Noureddine Morceli", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Noureddine Morceli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noureddine-morceli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I race my mind is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-who-will-finish-second-who-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noureddine-morceli/when-i-race-my-mind-is-full-of-doubts-who-will-finish-second-who-will/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```