Free Blade Runner by Oscar Pistorius

correctly) and I did not feel ready to compete
on the international stage.
    In rugby, when you run your body is in a state of alertness
and you are conditioned to be aware of what is happening
on the entire field. You watch the other players, calibrate the
distances between you and watch carefully for any gaps or
changes in the rhythm of the play. Athletics is the exact
opposite. In athletics you need to be absolutely focused
within yourself: indeed, were it not for the fact you need to
see to keep within your lane it would be better to run with
your eyes shut. Peripheral vision only serves to distract you,
detracting from the energy and focus you need to win.
    Rugby is a very physical game: you are in a state of
perpetual tension waiting and watching for your opponents
to move. Your entire body is required as you scrum, tackle,
jump, score and run. In athletics it is vital to relax: I found
this very difficult and had to work at it considerably. While
I was at the Athens Paralympics a journalist asked me why I
was chewing gum. The truth is that it helps me to relax. I
find it loosens my jaw, which is a great help – to run well
you need to loosen your jaw and neck in order to facilitate
movement in the shoulders. My coach is forever reminding
me: Relax, Oscar. Initially relaxation seemed to me to be a
contradiction in terms – how can you relax at the very
moment you are required to run as fast as you possibly can?
But slowly I have come to understand the thought process
behind this.
    Posture is also of paramount importance, and I am still
working at perfecting mine. Take Maurice Greene, the great
American sprinter: when he begins a race, he pushes from the
block with his legs spread far apart and then he gradually
narrows the distance between his feet. As he is very fast I
thought I should try to imitate his style, but of course the
way in which you run is determined by your size, weight and
frame. For a shorter athlete, the choppy style adopted by
Maurice Greene is very powerful, but for a taller athlete that
same style will simply cause him to waste energy and lose
speed accordingly. As an athlete you need to calibrate the
technique and elegance of movement with the energetic yield
of the sprint so as to obtain maximum speed and therefore
results. The more aggressive or tense you are the more energy
you waste. You need to be calm and in harmony with
yourself to feel the moment that your foot touches the
ground and then judge the instant at which you must again
push forward.
    I have also had to learn to use my arms. To be honest I
still struggle with the concept of the kinetic chain, which
means simply that everything is connected. In other words, if
you push your pelvis forward your bottom will stick out and
so you will lose momentum. This is known technically as
being seated, and it prevents you from developing speed. You
need to pull your pelvis inward and bring your spine
forward. These may seem tiny adjustments (sometimes it is
just a millimetre forwards or backwards), but they make all
the difference.
    I struggle with the initial part of the race. The weakest
element of my sprinting is the point at which I am ready to
go, bent over with my feet on the blocks. Your body follows
your head, and as I am a naturally inquisitive person I like
to look around me. The instant the gun goes and the race
begins I look up too quickly, and so my back straightens too
soon. I have to concentrate on keeping my head down for at
least the first 30 metres of the race so that I keep my body in
the correct position, straightening my back gradually without
any brusque movements. I am still working at this as I know
there is much room for improvement, but with Ampie's help
I am sure I will get there.
    Ampie is an excellent coach. With me he uses the 'zones
method', a sporting technique made famous by Michael
Johnson. When I race, I do a lot of stretching during my
warm-up, then I enter the first 'zone': I relax by deep
breathing and by