Smith flashes a smile and scuffs his foot across a swath of browned grass where Greene and the other sprinters had vomited. And that's a big deal, because it's no longer a matter of me wanting them to work harder. I have to be smarter in the work that I give them. In Maurice's case, we were already working smarter. He had a problem handling a short recovery, so he put himself in a position where he had to endure a short recovery again and again and again, until he was able to deal with it.
Most people work on their strengths.
I admire a man who's smart enough to work on his weaknesses. That was the day when he felt the effortless, flowing sensation of moving fast, faster than he'd ever run before. It was the day he nailed the world record in the 440. And their mechanics must approach perfection. Every stride is a balancing act, with the body making countless microadjustments so that it can continue moving in a precise line down the straightaway.