Sometime in this sport, you need to get back to basics. Number one is just to gain a passion for running. To love the morning, to love the purity, to love the pace on the track. The technical aspects. And if some kid gets really good at it, that's cool too. But you need to love what you do, in every single possible way.
The more I talk to different athletes, the more convinced I become that the method of training is relatively unimportant. There are many ways to the top, and the training method you choose is just the one that suits you best. No, the important thing is the attitude of the athlete, the desire to get to the top. Your training partner's name is pain. You start out trying to ignore him. Can't do it. You attempt to reason with him. No way. You try to strike a bargain. Hah. You plead. You say "Please stop, please go away. I promise never ever to do this again if you just leave me alone." But he won't. But i promise you, the pain of disipline is far less than the pain of regret. And the Truth is that Running Hurts. No one gets faster without meeting their personal pain barrier straight on. No amount of junk miles, fun runs or affirmations are going to get you to any place worth going. Wether thats winning states, nationals, or any international event.
No one ever won the Gold medal with an impressive training diary. Your hard work MUST be met with a determined mind. Faith can move mountains, doubt can create them. And yeah, sometimes its hard not to doubt yourself when the rest of the world doubts you. But its important to remember that we are truly judged by what we finish, not what we start. and only a person that has done nothing, is sure that nothing can be done. If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win. Its continuous effort, not strength or talent, and a strong mind that is the key to unlocking our potential.
A winner makes commitments to a goal, a loser makes promises. And yeah, you wont win and you wont run your best every single time you hit the track, if we did i would be a 7.5 100m runner by now. But bad times do have a great value, these are the times a good learner would not miss. Errors and mistakes are so important but once you have learnt from them, they MUST be forgotten. Just do what you love. Love what you do. And deliver more than you promise.
You should also keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great athletes make you feel that you, too, can become great. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; It does not exist and I am not cut out for defeat. I can be destroyed but not defeated.
Ever.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though splattered by failure, than to rank with those worthless people who neither enjoy much or suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory or defeat. If you believe in yourself, have dedication and pride and never quit, you'll be a winner.
The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards.
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