Week 11 Summer Miles (PRD)

Week 11 Summer Miles (PRD)

Tradition

Tradition- the need for an anchor in a fast-running world. Check out the video below. 

Being a part of this program, I hope will be the beginning of an incredible tradition of family, support, dedication, success, team and individual accountability.

Every runner has unique traits, rituals, quirks, and passions. Here are 5 traits that successful runners all have in common.

PATIENCE- I’ve never known a runner who had as much patience as they needed, but any and all amounts of this precious quality are invaluable. We runners simply don’t get better fast enough to satisfy ourselves. Like the hare, we blast away from the starting line with visions of glory. We should be more tortoise like. For that is the path to success.

Every runner gets injured at some time (always the wrong time). Every runner catches a cold or flu just before a big race. Every runner has to deal with pressures, schoolwork, jobs. Life and many other concerns. When the frustrations and obstacles seem to great, every runner is tempted to quit.

This is when you most need patience. This is when you need to tell yourself that tomorrow or next week or next year is soon-enough. Distance running requires you to take the long view. It takes weeks and months, at least, to get in shape. Give yourself time. Don’t make hasty and unnecessary mistakes. Remember: You’re in it for the long run. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, pace yourself accordingly.  

  BALANCE-In running, as in life, moderation truly is the key. Running is great, particularly if you run often enough to keep you in good shape through all four seasons. If you’re having fun, you’ve probably achieved balance.  At times, you’ll have fun by pushing yourself to achieve the most you can do. At many other times, however, you’ll be satisfied by doing a little, not a lot, and keeping things in their proper perspective.  Figure out what balance looks life for you. 

STOTANISM- This is a word that not many people recognize. Stotan (or Stotanism) was coined by Percy Cerutty, the great Australian coach. Cerutty meant his new word to combine two others, stoic and spartan. Stotanism is about toughness.  The stotan must be willing to stand on his own, to resist pain, to stick to his ideals. A stotan is quietly self-sufficient. He accepts the challenges of training, injuries, races, and disappointments without complaining, because he understands that simply by keeping on, by sticking to the path he has chosen, he will get stronger and better.

RESPECT- You can’t go far in running without respect. First you have to respect the distance, which is often said about marathons but applies equality to all distance running. If you don’t understand the many ways running can challenge your body and mind, it can overwhelm you. Second, there’s the mutual respect all runners feel for each other. It doesn’t matter what your time is, it is the experience that matters, and the experience is the same for all of us. A true runner understands this.  

HUMILITY- This is one of the surest lessons that running inevitably teaches. No one escapes unscathed. If you run, you will eventually face a disastrous day. You’ll drop out of a race. You’ll finish last. You’ll finish first. You’ll trip and fall over a sidewalk crack. You’ll run into a parked car or pole, because you were distracted.

And these are some of the most commonplace things that will happen to you. Every runner invents more embarrassing ways to humiliate him or herself. Fortunately, humility is a positive force. It teaches us that even after a stumble, you can get up and start running again. If you’re lucky, maybe no one noticed. If they did, so what? Everyone stumbles at one time or another. It’s the human condition.

Nothing Ventured, nothing Gained.      

Traditions, whether big and public or small and private, they have a magical power. They give us strength and stability, while reconnecting us with the people and places we love.

Remember that we love each member of this team, we love that you are a part of it. We love this school (Murray). We love this sport (XC). And we love sharing, experiencing, and living these moments/memories with all of you!!!