Many individuals forget that physical fitness is only one dimension of what makes an athlete successful. Mental fitness is just as important and is often overlooked. Skills such as race/competition-day visualization, inner focus, and reacting quickly and calmly to situations - just to name a few - are critical to practice during training, as well as in the days leading up to an event. Especially when leading up to an event, spend 10-15 minutes each day visualizing the perfect day. You may be surprised by how much this helps to elevate your performance during competition. There are many great books on the market that can help athletes fine-tune their mental competition skills.