As athletes, we’re used to reacting quickly. Here, it’s ’come, stop, come, stop.’ There’s a lot of downtime. That’s the toughest part of the day.

Jordan contrasts the continuous, reactive flow of competitive sport with an environment governed by waiting and interruption—“come, stop, come, stop.” The remark highlights a less-discussed challenge for elite performers: not effort itself, but the psychological strain of inactivity, uncertainty, and broken rhythm. For athletes trained to stay engaged through constant stimulus and immediate feedback, enforced downtime can feel harder than physical exertion because it disrupts focus and adrenaline. The quote also suggests that “toughness” includes patience and mental regulation—enduring boredom, maintaining readiness, and repeatedly restarting intensity on command.