Starting lines/Hard work/Dedication

Starting lines are one of the most important stations in life. We need to do more than just avoid them. We need to actively seek them out. Otherwise, we grow stagnant. When you see the first hazy edges of a starting line begin to form in your life, don’t avoid it. Such as, first day of school, first practice or race, speaking in front of others, etc.

Don’t look the other way. Try to bring the starting line into sharper focus. Consider it’s potential. Remember that if you don’t go to the starting line, you will never view the whole course with all it’s possibilities. And you will certainly never see the glories of the finish line. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That’s a familiar old statement. A new one, nothing started, nothing experienced, nothing learned, nothing finished. When I think back over my own life, with it’s full share of first days, I recall that they all terrified me. I didn’t always go willingly. And yet I wouldn’t have given up those days for anything. They were some of the best days of my life. 

Beginnings are like that-both frightening and rewarding, Because of the fear factor, too many people shy away. They never take the steps forward that they should. They hesitate, they procrastinate, they wander around, they count all the things that could go wrong, they catastrophize. We tend to see darkness, not light. We get frozen in place, we don’t get ourselves to the starting line. 

Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there’s no reason to fear starting lines or other new beginnings. Over the years I’ve gone out on thousands of runs and entered many races. Many have turned out badly. I’ve experienced injuries, been chased by dogs, nearly ran off the road by cars, and have been caught out running in some impressive dangerous storms.

Through my life I’ve had plenty of reasons to stop running or never run again. But I’ve kept running because I’ve learned that disappointments, injuries, difficult times, tough workouts, they fade fast and aren’t nearly as bad as they seem at first. “Whatever you’re imagining won’t turn out nearly so bad” “Fear is only as bad as we make or perceive it”

When a child first runs, they have nothing to worry about. They run for fun, for the pure joy of running.  Summer evenings, playing tag, running barefoot, just being outside, being active and having fun.

 I hope that running will continue to bring pure joy and fun as we embark on this upcoming season together. Each one of us has our own unique starting line, may we embrace our starting line, may we push ourselves and encourage our team, and may we support each other through the good, bad, and rough times not only during the season by for the entire year!

What can you do right now to influence not only yourself but others? What can you do to make a difference in someone else’s life? These answers will vary, but we must all share the same attitude: the winner’s attitude, the Murray XC Spartan attitude. We must realize that the quest never ends, there is no finish line, just another starting line. 

We can make a difference. We can be the change for better. We simply must give it our best effort every day. If we are the best athlete and nest person we can be, then we have assuredly won the race of life! We as coaches are EXCITED about his upcoming season. May we all enjoy the journey, the process, and each other’s company! GO!! SPARTANS!!