Associate Professor in Sport Science, and former Swedish national team runner, Dr. Stefan Wagnsson describes how he transitioned from soccer to an elite 1500-meter runner at the relatively late age of 19 years old. Despite his late entry into the sport, Dr. Wagnsson managed to win a bronze medal in his first Senior Swedish national championship. His early success fueled his intense desire to win and his mentality of running to exhaustion.   These ingredients fairly quickly led his body to start breaking down and to ruminative thoughts about injury that were constantly on his mind. In response, Wagnsson used coping methods such as alternative training methods (e.g., water running) and a continual focus on what he could be doing. Based on his injury experiences and his research on optimal motivational climates, he suggests that athletes and coaches should temper their focus on winning with a focus on mastery of skills and self-improvement.  For further assistance dealing with the challenges of injury or for performance enhancement consulting visit: podlogconsulting.com