3rd Set High???

Back to tennis parlance, a friend and I began talking about the this thing called "the 3rd set high" the other day over lunch. What i guess he meant it was that in a tennis match when you have gotten to the third set and are on the brink of both defeat and victory your mental state is somewhat in a zone....
That got me thinking really since i have never consciously felt this high but every athlete has a craving for some intangible competitive feeling that we keep going back for more. All professional athletes will refute the theory of exercise endorphins making you feel on top of the world. We have all questioned our abilities after losing a long 4hr battle, or even in some cases sworn that we will never pick up the racket again but of course that never happens. As an athlete of any level we all crave the feeling of being at the edge, of having our hands shake before we are about to serve, or getting to the point of no return.
That is also the point that separates the champions from the rest. The champions crave the opportunity of being able to produce their best with their backs against the walls whereas the others crumble with fear or self doubt. No matter what it is we all still stand back up and go back for more. That is the beauty of sport is that no matter what the outcome and even when the losses feel like the worst possible thing we still head right back down that path because the feeling of being victorious is the best possible feeling that no amount of words can describe.