Second Wind

There seems to be no consensus to the exact meaning of "second wind," as a visit to wikipedia will reveal, but in my experience, it is a very real, physical and psychological phenomenon. Here is the way that normal people can experience it. Begin jogging or running and go as far as you can at your current level of fitness. When your body cries out in pain for you to stop and you begin gasping for breath and feel you can't possibly take another step, you are almost there. Trust me. Just keep on putting one foot in front of the other. Find yourself gasping for breath and then, focus on expelling air as hard as you can, to remove carbon dioxide, and allow yourself to gasp in more oxygen, and keep going.
This is where mental toughness comes in. Your body says, "No," but your mind has to say, "Just a little more." Here is where I sing the chorus, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall rise up with wings, as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. Teach me Lord, teach me Lord, to wait." [Robert M. Ridley put these words to music in the 60's on a tape he gave me as a wedding present.] You have to take it on faith that you will "run and not be weary," but keep going, just a little farther.
Depending on how out of shape you really are, and how mentally tough you really are, and whether or not you have a running coach or partner, you might not make it, this time. But try it again, in two days, and again, two days after that. Don't give up. You will find, once your body has gotten used to this treatment, and once your mind has gotten you to push a little farther, that you can cross this threshold, and then you can keep running. It will become easier, and your breathing will become slower and regular, instead of gasping, and then, you can keep running for any distance you want. You will have gotten your second wind!
As you persist in your training, you will find that the second wind comes at a predictable time. For me, it has been somewhere between the two and three mile mark. Once you have achieved your second wind, you are somehow more coordinated, your can sense more of the world around you, and you can focus better.
Basketball players should run and get their second wind, and then go practice, scrimmage, or play. You will find your passes are more crisp. You can see the court. You can focus on the goal. You lose the me-centered consciousness and can do more for your team. You can play a full forty minutes. You will really feel yourself rise up on wings as eagles.
Go for your second wind!