Chapter 3: Entering the Provincial Team

Wang Kai further added: "Currently, there are many individuals in both the national athletics team and the General Administration of Sport who are disciples of Master Chen. For instance, Coach Yu from the national athletics team was once a teammate and disciple of Master Chen. It can be said that if Master Chen were to provide a recommendation, joining the national team would be absolutely unproblematic."

Zhang Guan nodded in agreement, acknowledging that Chen Lao's analysis was very reasonable. He himself was merely a novice among amateur athletes, lacking any athletic skills to speak of. The only reason for his slowdown was that the effect of the skill "sprint" had worn off.

Your speed of 100 meters is impressive. If you can enhance your training, you will undoubtedly become a leading figure in the domestic sprinting events. In the future, you may even compete abroad and bring glory to the country

Upon returning home, Zhang Guan eagerly began to study the system that was in his mind. However, to his disappointment, he found that he could not open the skill bar at all, as he was still in the novice tutorial mode and the system functions had not yet been activated. The only skill he could currently use was "Dash".

Chen Lao continued, saying: "In September of this year, the 15th Asian Athletics Championships will be held in the Philippines. I have received news that the General Administration of Sport has prepared around 50 spots for participation, but that does not concern you. However, in early July, which is just two months away, there will be a selection competition for the Asian Athletics Championships held in Tianjin, and that is relevant to you. The quota for this selection competition is relatively broad, providing a training opportunity for many young athletes. I plan to let you give it a try, to familiarize yourself with the competition environment, and also to make an appearance so that everyone can get to know you. This is a rare opportunity, so you must seize it well"

Provincial team?" After a brief pause, Zhang Guan then asked, "Aren't all the athletes in the provincial team professionals?"

"There is nothing remarkable about this; it is simply the data of an ordinary person. It's strange how such data can run so fast." Old General Chen tossed the physical fitness report aside and said, "Forget it, back in my day when I ran, there weren't so many random things, yet I still won awards."

Zhang Guan was unaware of when the beginner tutorial would conclude, but the next beginner task was to participate in an official competition

Is Old Chen that man in his sixties? Is he very impressive? Zhang Guan said this while piling the clothes he brought into the wardrobe

Zhang Guan gazed at this meticulously handwritten plan, which was detailed down to every day and every time slot, and one could sense that Elder Chen had invested a great deal of effort in composing this document

According to his original life trajectory, Zhang Guan ultimately gained admission to a local second-tier university, where he studied sports management. After graduation, he unexpectedly found himself in a fortunate situation, securing a position within the sports bureau's civil service system. He now enjoys a leisurely lifestyle, spending his days trading stocks online and his evenings playing video games at home. Given Zhang Guan's academic performance, it was virtually impossible for him to gain admission to a first-tier institution, and now, a guaranteed spot at a first-tier university represents a tangible benefit for him.

Zhang Guan, who has just reported for duty, is organizing his belongings. Next to him, a slightly thin young man is lying on the bed, holding a martial arts novel in his hands, reading it while chatting casually with Zhang Guan

"Not going." Zhang Guan shook his head. If he were truly a seventeen-year-old young man, he might easily be deceived. However, Zhang Guan understood that being an athlete is a very arduous endeavor, and it is quite possible that one may never achieve results in a lifetime

"Do not leave just yet." A voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw an elderly man and a middle-aged man approaching.

Wang Kai noted that Zhang Guan did not have much of a reaction, and continued, "Speaking of Old Chen in his prime, he was indeed the 'number one' in athletics in our country, and he was also the fastest runner in the world."

Upon seeing Zhang Guan's refusal, Coach Zhou immediately said: "I have a quota for direct admission to the Provincial Sports University. If you join the athletics team, this quota will be yours."

"Your name is Zhang Guan, right? I am surnamed Chen, and he is surnamed Zhou. We are all coaches of the provincial athletics team." The old man first introduced himself, then asked, "Would you like to come to the provincial team and train with me?"

... ...

At this moment, Wang Kai was lying on the bed with one leg crossed over the other, holding a martial arts novel in one hand and pinching his foot with the other. He said, either intentionally or unintentionally, "I must say, Zhang Guan, you are quite lucky. I have heard that Old Chen will personally teach you!"

The reaction time at the start is influenced by an individual's level of training and current state. For an average person, the reaction time at the start is approximately between 0.5 seconds and 1 second, varying due to individual differences. When drivers face sudden situations, the reaction time for emergency braking is 0.4 seconds, indicating that the reaction time for humans performing skilled actions is 0.4 seconds. Trained athletes exhibit even shorter reaction times; for instance, professional sprinters have a reaction time at the start of less than 0.2 seconds. This threshold of less than 0.2 seconds is not something that can be achieved occasionally or a few times, but rather represents a relatively stable value.

Wang Kai suddenly turned over and sat up, saying: "You may be able to get by in this athletics team, but you absolutely must not be unaware of Coach Chen! Do you know who he is? He used to be the coach of our national athletics team. A few years ago, he retired, and it was only with great difficulty that the provincial sports bureau managed to invite him back to our team."

... ...

Old Chen continued, "As a professional athlete, your foundation must be solid. You are relatively young and can be said to have no technical skills at all; this is the perfect time to build your foundation. Therefore, all your training will start from scratch. In the next two months, your main focus will be on the start. Your starting posture needs to be corrected, and your reaction time at the start should be quicker. My preliminary goal is for your reaction time at the start to be consistently within 0.3 seconds in two months."

Old Chen handed a thick stack of manuscript paper to Zhang Guan and said, "This is your training plan for the next month, take a look first"

Provincial Sports Team Athletes' Dormitory

... ...

After Zhang Guanchong crossed the finish line, he looked around and, finding that no one was paying attention to him, prepared to leave

Zhang Guan immediately felt a surge of excitement, secretly thinking that it was indeed a case of getting what one desires. The task in the system, "Participate in a formal competition," had been lingering there, and Zhang Guan had been troubled about how to complete this task. Little did he expect that the opportunity for the competition would come knocking at his door.

Old Chen continued, saying: "I have analyzed your current situation in detail. Overall, your main issue is the lack of professional training. Your starting point is still at an amateur level, your reaction time at the start is very slow, and your posture is not very standard, which affects your power output during the starting phase. During the course of the movement, you lack control over the rhythm and have no technical skills whatsoever. Additionally, your physical strength is insufficient, and there is a loss of power in the final segment, which greatly affects your sprinting speed"

At that time, the coach who led the team to break the Asian record was Coach Chen. Wang Kai continued, "During the hand-timing era, Coach Chen once achieved a time of exactly 10 seconds, which was the fastest in the world at that time. Coach Chen equaled the world record for the 100 meters at that time. Before Coach Chen, only four people in the world had ever run a time of exactly 10 seconds. Coach Chen was the fifth person to reach the 10-second mark! Do you think he is impressive?"

This slender man is named Wang Kai, and he is also an athlete on the track and field team, specializing in the 1500-meter long-distance running event. He is also the roommate of Zhang Guan

Participate in a formal competition? Where can I find a formal competition? Is this a joke... Zhang Guan looked at the task prompt with some helplessness. Clearly, without completing this novice task, the novice tutorial could not proceed, and he would be unable to explore other functionalities of the system

Old Chen nodded and said: "Of course, it is a formal competition organized by the National Athletics Association."

If I can really be guaranteed admission to the Provincial Sports University, then I will join." Zhang Guan said.

In the afternoon, Old Chen looked at the data in the physical fitness report, but his brows furrowed. Judging solely from the physical fitness data, Zhang Guan showed no outstanding qualities; all the figures were far from those of professional athletes, and even fell short compared to amateur athletes.

On the second day, Zhang Guan did not immediately begin training, but instead conducted a series of physical assessments. At the same time, he also performed the 100-meter test again, achieving a hand-timed result of 10.32 seconds, which completely reassured Coach Chen.

So it was him! Zhang Guan nodded. He had heard about the deeds of Chen Lao in his youth, but he never expected that the man who was once referred to by the West as "the fifth fastest runner in the world" was the same elderly man he had seen just a few days ago

At this moment, Zhang Guan suddenly recalled the excitement of his parents when he was admitted to university. Although it was only a second-tier university, he could still feel their sense of pride. He thought that if he could be directly admitted to a first-tier university, it would perhaps be a wonderful gift for his parents. Thus, in almost an instant, Zhang Guan made his decision

On the international competition stage, the reaction time of sprinters at the start is often around 0.15 seconds. Achieving a time of 0.14 seconds indicates a very successful start, while exceeding 0.17 seconds is considered a slow reaction time at the start

... ...

"Why choose me?" Zhang Guan asked immediately

"Mr. Chen, is this selection competition an official match?" Zhang Guan asked with an expression full of anticipation

Really? Zhang Guan felt a surge of emotion at that moment

"May I leave now, esteemed examiners?" Zhang Guan asked.

The smaller the range of a person's movements, the faster the reaction. For an average person, the reaction time for a slight movement such as moving a finger is between 0.2 seconds and 0.3 seconds, while a larger movement like starting a race requires a longer reaction time

To shorten the reaction time at the start, extensive training is required to enable the body and muscles to memorize the starting movements. This process itself necessitates time accumulation. For beginners, improving the reaction time by 0.1 seconds within two months, while not particularly difficult, is not a simple task either

Who is the fastest person in the world? Didn't they set a world record?" Zhang Guan smiled and then said, "Brother Wang, I haven't read much, so don't deceive me. As far as I know, in our country, the 100-meter event broke the Asian record in the 1980s, but it has never broken the world record.

The elderly man with the surname Chen nodded and said, "Yes, they are all professional athletes. If you were to come, you would also be a professional athlete"