110%

Football (soccer) is the major sport in Peru. Not nearly as organized as it is in Europe, but still each club team has its more than fair amount of fans and the media gives the sport great importance.
I remember growing up and listening to these athletes saying how they will soak wet with sweat their shirts and give 110% in the field. I don't remember though ever seen what this 110% is.
I actually don't remember ever seen what giving 110% is until I came to Japan and watched the runners here.
I imagine that giving 100% is giving all you have. That you run (play) until you can run no more, so when the race is over you just collapse or barely stand using the energy you have left. So running, making a personal best and winning, but finishing with energy is fore sure not giving 100%.
So then when is 110%?
Some weeks ago I watched the famous Hakone ekiden. This is one of the major races in Japan where the best 20 university teams of Kanto area (area around Tokyo) present their 10 best runners in a 2 day road relay. Each of their runners, all young students must run for about 20 km giving in many cases 110%.
This year (first time I watch it) 3 university teams were unable to finish the race as their runners simply collapsed few kilometers and in some cases few meters from the finish line. They collapsed after giving 100% of their energy, stoop up, kept running, only to collapse again, and again and again, until they were stopped by the organizers.
Now they are not just your regular jogger, as they train as hard as professionals running over 20 km per training day.

Then this last Sunday I watched the awaited debut of Kayoko Fukushi in the marathon.
Fukushi is an all star runner in Japan, having the national records for 3000, 5000 and half marathon in the country. Her debut on the marathon (qualifiers for Beijing) was awaited by the running world...and what a debut. Just like the hakone runners she fell flat on her face several times before finishing.
And, she is an olympic first class runner.

Scary ...
Discouraging or encouraging, I guess this is what giving 110% means.