(no subject)
"'One to go.' This is the place between decision and execution, the moment when desire and outcome are weighed. Here, the end seems near, but may still be hard to reach. A choice presents itself.
"Our hardest workout of the year proved to be just that. With one interval left, our team was worn to the bone. Heads were bent in exhaustion. Everything seemed to be an obstacle that day. The air was thick, the grass high and the complaints frequent.
"'Okay team,' Coach's voice demanded, 'we're going to do something different today.' He paused, then added, 'The last interval is optional.' A murmur of surprise rose from our circle. He had never offered such an option. I waited for a collective sigh of relief, but there was silence. My eyes traced the expressions of teammates. They seemed confused but also empowered by a unified purpose. Everyone understood. We nodded in unison and made our way back to the starting line. Coach clicked his watch and we ran off, leaving behind any doubt. We had accepted the challenge. That day we were going to determine our own fates. We chose to be fearless.
"In running, this choice is presented at endless opportunity. It could be on the backstretch of an 800, in the middle of a straining practice run, or in the last mile of a cross country race. It comes on the good days and the bad. It asks runners to examine themselves, declare their goals, and determine their own limitations.
"This choice usually presents itself in an instant and in that brief window of time, a path must be chosen. At this moment, some runners see downfalls and simply give up. They alter their goals and settle for something more believable and consequently mediocre. The poise and confidence they once had dissolves into a hope of 'just finishing.'
"On the other hand, some rise to the promise of their courage. To them, attaining results overpowers the expected pain of the journey. When everyone else says, 'I can't go any further,' they say, 'Let's see what I can do.' They want to be known as tough, strong, gutsy - the greatest compliments for a distance runner. Taking a risk enables greatness to be uncovered. This greatness could translate into finishing a workout confidently, beating an opponent for the first time, or even winning a state championship. All of this stems from the choice to be fearless.
"On some days 'going for it' comes easily. Other days, it seems nearly impossible to rise to the challenge. but if on that bad day, a runner can find the strength to be 'fearless,' a breakthrough in performance can occur. This breakthrough may not be immediate but in time it will come.
"Two weeks after the season's hardest workout, we stood on that same starting line. This time, though, it was a race, a chance to test our fitness, to prove ourselves. Our team seemed unusually quiet on that day as coach gathered us for his pre-race talk. We settled in, waiting for a long speech, but he said only this, 'Take a chance today. Do something crazy.'
"Another option, another choice to be made. Another chance to define ourselves, to defy our supposed limits. I looked at my teammates' faces again. This time, their eyes declared certainty. At that moment, I just knew. I knew that day, on that course, whether in the first mile, in the last mile, or in the final sprint for home, crazy good things would happen. And they did."
"Our hardest workout of the year proved to be just that. With one interval left, our team was worn to the bone. Heads were bent in exhaustion. Everything seemed to be an obstacle that day. The air was thick, the grass high and the complaints frequent.
"'Okay team,' Coach's voice demanded, 'we're going to do something different today.' He paused, then added, 'The last interval is optional.' A murmur of surprise rose from our circle. He had never offered such an option. I waited for a collective sigh of relief, but there was silence. My eyes traced the expressions of teammates. They seemed confused but also empowered by a unified purpose. Everyone understood. We nodded in unison and made our way back to the starting line. Coach clicked his watch and we ran off, leaving behind any doubt. We had accepted the challenge. That day we were going to determine our own fates. We chose to be fearless.
"In running, this choice is presented at endless opportunity. It could be on the backstretch of an 800, in the middle of a straining practice run, or in the last mile of a cross country race. It comes on the good days and the bad. It asks runners to examine themselves, declare their goals, and determine their own limitations.
"This choice usually presents itself in an instant and in that brief window of time, a path must be chosen. At this moment, some runners see downfalls and simply give up. They alter their goals and settle for something more believable and consequently mediocre. The poise and confidence they once had dissolves into a hope of 'just finishing.'
"On the other hand, some rise to the promise of their courage. To them, attaining results overpowers the expected pain of the journey. When everyone else says, 'I can't go any further,' they say, 'Let's see what I can do.' They want to be known as tough, strong, gutsy - the greatest compliments for a distance runner. Taking a risk enables greatness to be uncovered. This greatness could translate into finishing a workout confidently, beating an opponent for the first time, or even winning a state championship. All of this stems from the choice to be fearless.
"On some days 'going for it' comes easily. Other days, it seems nearly impossible to rise to the challenge. but if on that bad day, a runner can find the strength to be 'fearless,' a breakthrough in performance can occur. This breakthrough may not be immediate but in time it will come.
"Two weeks after the season's hardest workout, we stood on that same starting line. This time, though, it was a race, a chance to test our fitness, to prove ourselves. Our team seemed unusually quiet on that day as coach gathered us for his pre-race talk. We settled in, waiting for a long speech, but he said only this, 'Take a chance today. Do something crazy.'
"Another option, another choice to be made. Another chance to define ourselves, to defy our supposed limits. I looked at my teammates' faces again. This time, their eyes declared certainty. At that moment, I just knew. I knew that day, on that course, whether in the first mile, in the last mile, or in the final sprint for home, crazy good things would happen. And they did."