Overtime isn’t won by the best team. It’s won by whoever still has legs under them.

Late in anything, the advantage shifts from skill toward whatever is left in the tank. Conditioning, sleep, preparation and how you spent the earlier hours decide the end, long after technique stopped being the deciding factor. The finish tests a completely different quality. What you did weeks ago turns up right there.

Build for the end rather than the start: rest properly, pace the early part, keep something in reserve. When you tire in the middle of something, take stock of what is still available instead of what is gone. Whoever can continue usually takes it.