Dick Hoyt's "Why" - Running for Something Great than One's Self

Rick & Dick Hoyt
http://www.teamhoyt.com/index.html

Preface: this story was conducted via telephone interview on August 14th, 2013.  I tried my best to type word-for-word to assure authenticity of the story that is Team Hoyt.  Some interesting facts at the time of the interview shared by Dick: he was 73 years young, he and Rick have competed together in 1101 events with a personal best 2:40:49 in the Marine Corp Marathon, winning his age group by 20 minutes.  Dick and Rick were inducted into the Marine Corp Hall of Fame in October 2013.  Finally, to better interpret this story as you read, imagine the voice of a wise, experienced runner with a beautiful Boston accent.

Judy and I married in 1961.  When we first started running and doing triathlons it was more for my son, Rick.  He attended a basketball game with his gym teacher at the local college where he learned that a student at the college was going to run a race for another student who was in an accident - a fundraiser.  When he came home from the game he asked me if we could run in the race.  I wasn’t really active prior to Rick, not until I was 40.  He was 15 when he asked if we could run.  At the time I ran just enough to maintain health and keep my weight down.  The wheelchair we had at the time was anything but a wheelchair for running.  I had a hard time pushing the wheelchair through the five-mile race, but the gun went off, and we finished.  We finished next to last.  The gym teacher's wife took a picture of us in that race (above).

I wouldn't run in a race without him.  I'm running for him.  He got me into it.  I would never run without him.  Rick communicates with a computer by using a head switch and that night, after the race, Rick said to me, he says, "When we run it feels like my disability disappears.  I'm a free bird."  That's his favorite song, in fact, Free Bird (by Lynyrd Skynyrd).

We initially got a lot of resistance trying to enter these races, with a lot of people telling us “No, you can't run in these races.”  But there's no such word as "No" or "Can't" in my world.  Rick has a personality, a sense of humor, a big smile on his face.  We kept entering these races.  Initially Boston turned us down, turned down the first female, too, saying “You’re different than anyone else.  You're different."  Then in 1981 they said, "You can line up behind the wheelchair participants and run."  We ran 3:18 for our first Boston, finishing in front of 85% of the rest of the field. 

1982 and 1983 was more of the same: unofficial and in the back of the pack.  In 1983 I asked Will Cloney, head of the Boston Athletic Association, if we could run, and he said we didn’t have any qualifying criterion because they were using Rick’s age to qualify us.  They were thinking there was no way a 40-year-old man can push his son in a wheelchair in three hours and 20 minutes.  So we ran the Marine Corp marathon in 2:45:23 and we took our official ticket to the Boston Athletic Association.  We’ve been running Boston since, and in fact now they say “Team Hoyt, you guys are the marathon. It's not Bill Rodger’s, it’s the Hoyt’s!”

The 2013 Boston Marathon was supposed to be our last event, however due to the tragedy of the marathon, 2014 will be our last one, and no more Ironman's.  Right now I am having problems with my back, my discs, and hamstrings, so we'll be cutting back to 20-25 events per year, Olympic-size triathlons and down. 

I've been public speaking for a while now, and receiving emails from people all over the world of whose lives we've changed.  When people come to my speaking seminars, they come up to me at the end and say "I'm gonna hug my kids...I'm gonna go to the gym." It's really something that these people are doing these things because of Rick and I.  In fact, we’ve had a couple young ladies ready to commit suicide, who once they saw our seminar, they began running and it changed them forever.  Drug addicts, alcoholics, presidents, CEO’s, now running because of Rick and I.  They say, "If the two of them can do it, we can do it."  And now, these people are motivating us.  You see people now pushing their kids in wheelchairs like we do and its motivating us! 

Simple Thoughts

There are two successes in playoff baseball:  When the San Francisco Giants are in it, and when the Los Angeles Dodgers are not.  It's really my only true "win-win" in the sport of baseball.

When the Giants opened up their brief 2016 playoff run at Citi Field against the Mets in early October, pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, took the mound.  For those who take no interest in baseball, let's simply sum up Bumgarner as having some of the best post-season pitching performances and statistics in modern day baseball.  When the Giants played the Mets with Bumgarner on the mound on October 5, 2016, MadBum continued his march into the history books by pitching a complete game, four-hit shutout.  After his masterful, first game of the series pitching performance, catcher, Buster Posey, said, "Syndergaard was unbelievable.  But there was such a calmness in our dugout.  And I think it's safe to say Bum deserves a lot of credit for that."  

With many local high school runners running regionals, state, and perhaps even nationals in the coming weeks, I couldn't help but connect Posey's post-game comments, about calmness amidst chaos, with the simplicity of cross-country running.

A few days after reading about Bumgarner's demeanor in the dugout, I came across another article, which name escapes me, that discussed the importance of competing with "simple thoughts."  Simple Thoughts refers to the strategy of Self-Talk, a key tool in the realm of sport psychology.

Simple Thoughts refers to having confidence in what has brought you to your present state of qualifying for your next race.  It means having confidence in your practices, confidence in your pre-race foods, confidence in packing the right gear, confidence in your pre-race and race strategies, and confidence in every move you make, all the way through the chute.  These simple thoughts clear a path toward optimal, precision-filled thinking on the task at hand. 

Though it can be technical, running is not rocket science.  It's running.  It's a 5k.  To those of you running in the post-season in the coming weeks, keep your thoughts - your self-talk - simple.  Be confident in the process that got you to this point, and be confident in your routines and race strategies.

Good luck!

Dancing with Pain

Boiling down the ingredients to becoming a very good runner is a perplexing task.  There are so many, each with their important contribution to the process.  But there is one particular variable that we must all overcome in order to maximize our potential as a runner - the variable of pain.  Not physical pain such as achy knees or pulled muscles, but the pain of physical exertion.

If you've been running even for just a short while, you have likely picked up by now that pain is inevitable in running.  It is a barrier which we all face, yet few are taught how to overcome it.  

Imagine if you will, you are dancing freely in your room to your favorite rhythm or music.  Minutes go by, you are in a nice groove, when the door opens and "Pain" walks in.  You recognize the presence of Pain, but you continue, seamlessly with your steps.  At some point, you recognize that you may either stop and confront pain, upset that you feel cut-off, or invite Pain to dance with you, so long as you remain in stride.

This idea is something I try to cultivate in my runners - learning to dance with discomfort.  Teaching runners how to run though discomfort can be "coaching philosophy" specific, but  the earlier you intervene an understanding of higher intensity work with an acceptance of temporarily dancing with discomfort, the sooner you can really tap into the potential of that runner.  Intervals, Fartleks, quarter repeats, hill repeats, track work, speed work - it all hurts.  But those who can work through that, physically, mentally, and emotionally, can then focus on controlling their performance without the performance controlling them.

So how does one endure the presence of pain? 

Tactical approaches that I find most beneficial to the runners I work with include the use of a mantra, the use of mental imagery, and of course, combining the two. 

Try this: Identify a moment during a race, a practice, or a mentally captured flash of inspiration (perhaps from a coach's speech, a peer, a stranger, a Bible verse, or other) that you felt supported and encouraged, which created a euphoric feeling of energy and endurance.  If you could put that moment into words, what would you say?  If you had to encompass that feeling or verbiage into a single word or feeling, what would it be?  This word or feeling is your mantra.

This is where mindfulness comes into play via Visualization.  Visualization is the ability to use the mind's eye to control or dictate a performance - in this case, a difficult practice or a race.  Ideally, visualization happens when you have little to no distractions, so you can concentrate on the task at hand.  It is conducted in a quite space with dim lighting, your eyes closed, and it's just you and your thoughts.  Once you become in-tune with your breath, relax the body from your feet to your head, and imagine yourself on a field, running.  When you enter this moment, begin to integrate your mantra, doing so in a rhythmic way so that the mantra itself becomes a part of your run - rhythmically. 

Transferring this mantra-induced visualization session into a practice setting is the prime objective to learning how to dance with discomfort.  Recalling your mantra during times of physical distress, aka practice, takes real, concentrated effort.  Eventually, the effort spent on recalling your mantra at practice will transfer to the race setting, again, with a concentrated, disciplined effort.

In the book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Zhunryu Suzuki, it states, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."  Filtering out the many factors which clutter the mind, i.e. discomfort and pain, and concentrating on productive thoughts, i.e. your mantra, can take your training and performance to a new level. 

Kick-off to the 2016 XC Season - Goal Setting!

Today kicked off the first day of cross-country around the Vancouver area, marking the beginning of a new season with a fresh sense of optimism for athletes and coaches alike. 

For athletes new to running, there's the excitement of meeting new people, creating new friendships, and eventually figuring out why you decided to choose running as your extracurricular activity.  For those who have a few years of running under their belt, there's the wonder for what lays ahead, the vast thoughts of making or sustaining your position on the varsity squad, and the potential of running a sub-X time.

Whether you're a beginning runner or a seasoned vet, implementing psychological tools into your training invariably helps guide your season.  For many Sport Psychologists and Coaches, the use of Goal Setting is often the first tool extracted from the mental toolbox.  The use of Goal Setting provides continuous direction and feedback, which can enhance both reality and confidence.

To begin the process of setting goals, important factors must be considered before putting pencil to paper.  First, how did your summer training go?  More specifically, how did your summer training of 2016 compare with 2015?  The goals you set for the coming season are predicated on past performance and the recent months of training you've put forth.  For example, comparatively speaking, if you've put in quality miles this past summer, and in 2015 you did not, then you should expect a much improved season. Let your Goals show this.

If you are new to the sport of cross-country, then you are likely joining the team because A) you have a friend on the team, or B) a coached begged...suggested you run.  Regardless of the reason, setting goals can create a sense of accomplishment by season's end. 

No matter where you are at in the sport of running, it is best to sit with a seasoned runner or coach to help you create and adjust your goals as the season progresses.  Here are some helpful tips to creating your own goals for the season ahead:

1.       Set both practice and performance goals.

2.       Set an Outcome oriented goal, such as a specific time you want to run.

3.       Set Process oriented goals, which are typically two to four supporting steps toward achieving your Outcome goal.

When you begin Goal Setting, write these goals out on paper.  Once you have written out and expanded upon each of the three steps, narrow down your writing to just a few sentences, and potentially to a single sentence until you have clearly defined and described goals.  Once this is done, transfer your written work to a simple index card, which is small enough to place somewhere you'll regularly see, reminding yourself of the process it takes to achieve your goals.

The effort you put into setting goals will help alleviate anxiety and create a sense of accomplishment as the season gets underway.  As your season progresses, review and adjust your goals as your fitness level increases and the meets unfold.

Speak with your coaches about your goals and if you have any question around the Goal Setting process, don't hesitate to message me at whisperrunning@comcast.net or text me at 360-989-0935.

Good luck to all the XC runners this 2016 season!

Dave

I'm training Bambi!

Recently I have been reminded of the importance of cross-training for runners.  From Tracy’s torn plantar fascia to an inquiring email about shin splints, running-related injuries are aplenty, most of which can be remedied with a regular cross-training regimen specific to runners.

I was inspired to write this blog while training Kiley yesterday at Hudson’s Bay track in Vancouver, WA.  To give you a brief background on Kiley, she’s a very talented young lady entering the seventh grade who has been training with Whisper for a little over a month.  Kiley’s entry into Whisper training has included some very difficult workouts and she has responded very well, both emotionally and physically.  The workouts prescribed from the onset of training have, again, been fairly rigorous, so yesterday I let Kiley choose her workout, while I set the pace – repeat 200m breakdowns – hardly a cross-country workout, but everything else we have done so far has predominantly ranged from 400m-1k repeats, so doing something short and allowing her to feel the sensation of control within her training and development creates a sense of empowerment within – win-win. 

Following the repeat 200’s, we ventured to the gym to do a few basic cross-training exercises, mostly consisting of a lower-body focus – squats, kettlebell deadlifts/swings, and walking lunges using resistance.   It was while performing squats on a Bosu ball that I realized something really cool – I’m actually training Bambi.  Bambi!

As Kiley jumped right up onto the Bosu, which had been placed belly-side down, it was when she went through the squatting motion that I could see areas of potential development within her core and lower body.  More specifically, as she went through the range of motion of the squat, her knees moved inward upon the concentric (up) phase of the squat.  This inward movement is very common in beginners.  For individuals wishing to run regularly, say 3-5 days per week, strengthening the legs to assure a patella-over-second-toe movement is crucial for running healthily. 

There are a number of exercises which can help strengthen and align the legs, but it’s important to perform these exercises with intentional focus to assure proper form from feet to head.  Keeping the heals grounded, just outside the hips and the toes pointing straight ahead (okay, slightly outward, but the patella should be in-line with the second toe).  When squatting, emphasize your movement so the hips go back like your rear is reaching for a chair, then forward while contracting the glutes (versus thinking the squat is a down-up exercise).   The squat, along with the following exercises, strengthen and align the muscles from hip-to-knee-to-toe, so that you can run further and faster without a decreased risk of injury:

• Walking Lunges (with some resistance)
• Single-legged squats (with supportive apparatus, perhaps a TRX or other device to help with balance if desired)
• Step-ups (9”-12” is sufficient)
• The above exercises barefoot (walking lunges barefoot can be difficult on the heal, so standing lunges are preferred)

Please use caution when performing these exercises.  Doing these exercises incorrectly can accelerate or exacerbate injuries.  If you need suggestions, consultation, or training, contact Dave at Whisper Running. 

Here's to happy and healthy running!

Intentional Running

A few weeks ago I discussed some important variables on performance in the fall season of Cross Country.  Variables such as shoes, water, sleep, and nutrition are all important to achieve optimal results, but if you are running without mindful intention, then perhaps you are training yourself to become slower.

So what is intentional running? 

Quite possibly, it might just be what you need to reach your potential.

If you were to look at your summer running plan it will likely have four to six days of running each week, consist of both long runs and short runs, include intervals, tempos, hills, and Fartleks, and likely group runs.  Those are the physical aspects of training.  The mental part of training includes the psychological strategies which help assist physical performance.  Two popular and effective psychological strategies include goal setting and visualization.

The first strategy to help with physical training and performance is the creation of goals that you set, followed by the action plans to achieve those goals.  Goals that go beyond accumulated miles in a week include appropriately timed intervals, appropriately timed rest intervals, and monitored tempos by means of a running watch and journaling progress.  Monitoring your runs and tracking your progress are simple and effective strategies to begin awakening the mind while running.  Tending to timed intervals, whether the interval is a running interval or a rest interval, provides an intentional focus away from the potential misery and pain of running.

Visualization can also help with intentional running.  With visualization, or seeing with the mind's eye, you can imagine running in a certain place or location, like a district or state meet, or you can imagine running like your favorite runner, like Alexa Efraimson or Mo Farah.  Pretending to look as they look, feel as they may feel, and effortlessly tap along the ground just as they do, may help you feel and act more confident and efficient with every stride.

Intentionally practicing these psychological skills, goal setting and visualization, can truly be a game-changer in how you approach running.  In fact, off-season and pre-season is the ideal time to practice these psychological skills.  For the next few weeks, practice setting goals for your work and rest intervals within your workouts, meanwhile use your imagination to push yourself into the uncomfortable unknown.

Good luck!

XC Pre-Season Training: The first step is to take one.

Recently, my wife asked where the school year went, and upon consideration, it really is difficult to believe how quickly the last nine months have gone by.  And if the previous nine have gone by in the blink of an eye, then it’s easy to imagine how quickly the summer months will disappear.  In the midst of a run, it can seem like time slows to a crawl, but rest assure, June, July, and August, will come and go, and the mere question for middle school and high school cross country runners will be, “How did your summer training go?”

Whether you’re goal is to run 100 miles, 300 miles, or 500 miles this summer, the hope for all cross country coaches is that their athletes are at least running.  In a 12-week summer training program, that’s 8 to 42 miles each week.  Clearly, for middle school or beginning cross country runners at any level, even 10 miles per week can seem daunting, but regardless of your starting point, the point is to at least start.  Consistent running during the summer months is the most important variable to the results in the fall, otherwise you spend the entire regular season running to get into the shape of those in front of you, living the season in what-could-have-been mode.  Not only are you wondering what could have been, your coach is in wonder as well. 

So where and how do you begin?

Shoes: Prepare by getting fitted with a good pair of running shoes from a running shoe store.  Fit Right or Portland Running Company are good places to start because they typically have seasoned runners who know their stuff.  However, if they offer orthotics, then as a chiropractor once told me, “you need different shoes.”  I completely agree.

Water: Make it a point to start and end your day with a glass of water.  Any water you get in between is a bonus.  Avoid any form of soda or energy drinks and make it a goal to have only water with your meals.  Hydrated runners sweat more, which helps regulate your internal cooling system while you run.  One place you don’t want to experience dehydration is in the midst of a long run.  Stay cool.  Drink water.

Sleep: With summer ahead, it can be exciting to think about staying up late playing the latest video game, watching movies, or hanging out with friends.  But if there are two variables which cultivate discipline and confidence within runners that isn’t running, it’s healthy nutrition patterns and prioritizing sleep.  Eight to ten hours of sleep each night, while going to bed at a consistent time, 9-11pm at the latest, ensures recovery and alertness for the next day’s run.

Nutrition: Sugar, salt, and fat taste delicious, but teaching and encouraging healthy alternatives to energy drinks and candy is pivotal to not only running, but general health.  With summer upon us, there are plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables to choose from.  If you have children, empower them by allowing them to choose their fruit and vegetable preferences while at the store.  If you are a coach, encourage your athletes to take part in the grocery shopping, specifically for healthy options.  Doing so, giving them control of their food options, will lead to them actually eating those options.  Also, try to connect food with mood and energy levels.  If they are in a good mood or had a good run, ask them what lead to the enhanced mood or successful run.  Were their foods involved with this process?  Just like running, healthy eating begins somewhere.  Let it begin at the grocery store and in the kitchen.

Goals: Setting a goal is simply not enough, you must put that goal into action.  Setting goals and not following through with them can lead to a decrease in confidence beyond running.  However, following through with your running goals cultivates an enhanced self-efficacy and a general improvement of self-confidence as a whole – pretty cool stuff!  For beginners, begin with tangible runs of 2-3 miles a few times a week, and progress from there.  Starting minimally can decrease the overall anxiety of running, teach the body how to deal with CO2 buildup, regulate breathing during running, and provide a positive sense of ability within running.  From there, steadily progress to five to six days a week, with a longer run once per week of five to seven miles by summers end.  Doing so will provide a base to start with, when cross country begins in late August.

Good luck this off season!

Trickle Up

Most things in running begin at the ground and work their way up, so this is where I’ll start.

Introduced and discussed in a previous blog, Ethan and I have been working together since November 2014.  Both physically and emotionally, he has improved by leaps and bounds, and he can tolerate a much greater dose of training now than ever before.  Most coaches would agree that workouts should always feel more challenging than the races, which is where Ethan has learned how to emotionally tolerate the pain that comes with running.  I often refer to these moments of painful running as “the dance,” and he is just now understanding, after 18 months together, what it means to dance with pain “a little while longer.”  There are a few ways in which we discuss increasing this pain tolerance, one is by being mindful of our biomechanics (form) while running.  Allowing the pain of running to trigger thoughts of form and technique takes an abundance of discipline, acceptance, and self-belief.

From right to left, you can see Amara is a heal-striker.  Performing drill work, cultivating a mindful foot-strike and foot-placement upon landing, and repetition will help Amara's efficiency and improve her running times. 

Meet Amara, Ethan’s teammate.  I began working with Amara just a few weeks ago.  Physically, Amara is where Ethan is at now – school record holder in the 800m, vastly talented, and District Champion.  Admittedly, our first workout together was too brief to learn anything I didn’t already know – she’s fast.  It wasn’t until the second workout, two 800m simulations, when I learned where Amara is at emotionally.  Initially, my plan was to run the first 800m-sim with her, then video record her second 800m-sim to better assess form.  However, during our recovery interval between the first and second 800m-sim, something told me to run the second with her, which ended up being the right decision.  During the final 150m push, with only 70m to go until the finish, I felt Amara flinch.  She continued to display great strength and perseverance though the finish, but the subtle flinch provided an abundance of feedback to help dictate a focus for her summer training. 

What’s in a flinch?

A lot!

Without breaking it down too far, a flinch can be both seen and heard.  For starters, a change in the foot strike can be heard, from a tapping to a skidding or thudding, the legs become weary and careless – a clear disconnect from the brains demand of heightened intensity, into the body’s acceptance and defeat of the onset of fatigue.  Next, the knees cave or buckle, increasing what kinesiologists call the “Q-Angle.”  These two variables alone, skidding of shoes and the increase in Q-Angle, increase the amount of time spent on the ground, ultimately decreasing ones elasticity and power.  From there, the signs continue trickling up the spine - the core weakens, the elbows widen, and the head bobbles.  These signs are certainly not all-inclusive, but many will appear if you watch close enough.  All of which start with a mere flinch, which in my world, is where training begins.

In order to train through the flinch and improve emotional tolerance, you must begin by ensuring work beyond the comfort zone.  This is done mindfully, yet begins with a keen attention to detail in drills, warm-ups, and in each run.   As mentioned before, assessment should begin from the ground up.  Once you feel you’re in the groove of your run, which is typically beyond the warm-up period, begin focusing on footstrike by landing flat-footed, with your foot as close to mid-line as possible (actually, landing on the forefoot is idea to maximize speed, however, since most runners are heal-strikers, let’s start with a mid-food/flat-foot strike, and go from there).  This means that if you were to draw a straight line from your shoulders through your hips to the ground, your foot should land directly below your hips.  Admittedly, this is extremely difficult, but it will at least provide you with something to think about while running, instead of the monotonous grind of 8-20 miles remaining on your long training run, or the 8-20-quarter mile repeats you have left.  Moving up through the body, additional thoughts to focus on could be the hips pushing forward to remain tall, confident shoulders and chest, an efficient arm swing, and/or a centered head on your spine.  Regardless of the attention to detail, running with an intentional focus to improve form and efficiency can not only take your mind from the drudgery of running, but can also make you more efficient and faster! 

In summary, when things become difficult in your run, this is the precise moment when you cue attention to detail by recalling good mechanics, visualizing an efficient runner (someone you have watched before) or what you would like to feel like, and implementing this thought or vision.  This takes discipline and acceptance to new things, but will ultimately enhance self-belief within your running. 

Enjoy!

PIL Middle School District Championships

On the night my cross-trainers were working out on the Cascade Middle School track in Vancouver, I was lounging at Marshall High School in Portland watching the PIL Middle School District Track & Field Championships.  The conditions were consistent with the unseasonably warm weather patterns the Pacific NW has treated us with in 2016.  As the sun began setting on this Tuesday evening, the runners on the track were beginning to heat up. 

Overall, the races were competitive and positive sportsmanship was shared amongst all.   Knowing I was in attendance to watch Ethan, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the athleticism and speed of many of the top performers.  Still, after training Ethan for the past 18 months, I cannot help but wonder which of the kids on that field had yet to tap into the core of their potential.  It saddens me that track runners, and cross country runners as well, often use the season as a springboard into other sports, instead of an actual sport itself.  How might school and university record books look if more athletes and runners participated in track and field?  More importantly, how might they perform if they performed off-season training, or year round training, similar to other sports?  After working with Ethan for 18 months, I am more convinced than ever that reaching your peek potential takes commitment and an open mind.  An open-minded approach includes the willingness to learn new philosophies of training and competing, and most importantly, using those philosophies to construct your own in due time.

What a difference a year makes.  This night, Ethan was scheduled to run the open 400m and 800m., whereas last season he raced the 200m and 400m.  With Ethan being a distance runner in the fall, and the crazy-fast speed of the 200m sprinters likely becoming future 400m runners, moving up to the 800m just makes sense.  To prepare for Districts, we spent the previous weekend running mock races.  Lots of block work, focusing on acceleration, sustaining pace, staying relaxed, understanding when and what to focus on during various aspects of the race and also staying within himself.  Informally, meaning without actually conversing about it, Ethan was put through a degree of visualization as well.  This is done to see the field, without actually exerting physical energy.  Think of it as contemplating a game plan, memorizing the plan, then rehearsing the plan, literally.

Ethan holding his PIL 800m District Championship ribbon.  Earlier in the evening, he won the open 400m, and then anchored the 4x400m relay to a second place finish. 

Starting in lane four for the 400m, the gun went off and Ethan caught the runner in lane five within 30 meters.  When that happened, I remember telling Ethan’s dad, “There’s one” because the speed at which he was accelerating was precisely what he had rehearsed the weekend prior.  He continued catching and passing the other runners and he remained aggressive through the tape.  Not only did he earn a winning time of 55.74, but a PR of over two seconds and a new school record! 

Next up was the 800m, which is a tough double at any level.  The weekend prior, we keyed in on two strategies for the race, and Ethan’s demonstration of self-control was admirable.  Though he took the lead on the backstretch of the first lap, he slowed the pace to a near crawl, or so it seemed.  From where I stood on the backstretch, it appeared he may actually start walking, but when I looked at my watch, his first lap split was 71 – hardly a walk.  Runners began getting anxious at the pace, and when the second lap began, two others made an attempt at passing on the outside.  Knowing what Ethan had tolerated during the weekend workouts, I had a much better feeling about the conclusion of the 800m than I did with the 400m, so I felt he had a good chance of winning with 250 meters remaining.  Focusing on form and posture for the remaining duration, he powered through the finish with a 2:17 (unofficial – still waiting on athletic.net).  Another PR and another school record.

Two races, two championships.  Ethan’s accomplishments on this night is difficult to put into words, but I suppose it’s what I said before – commitment and a willingness to be open-minded.  Being open-minded goes beyond simply running workouts.  It’s entrusting the process and knowing the pain and anguish we are experiencing during the workouts will be present, but they will always pay dividends.  Ethan has learned the process and knows what’s next.  When I approached him after the 400m he asked what his time was.  I showed him the watch and he covered his mouth in disbelief.  He then stole my line, which I have borrowed from coaches of the past.

E: “You know what that means?”

Me: “What’s that?”

E: “Faster intervals” (during practice).

This is what it's all about!

Not many things bring me greater joy than watching others converse.  Seeing people happy through connecting with others is something I like to sit back and watch.   I don't know if this is because I have read the effects of isolation and its contribution to emotional disorders like depression, or if I simply enjoy playing a small role in their social bonding.  Whatever the reason, when I see moments of genuine, authentic companionship, I do my best to allow these moments to last as long as possible. 

In my profession as a teacher at Clark College, I see bonds being made in my classes around weeks two and three, so by weeks five and six students know one another pretty well.  By mid-quarter, students know each other pretty well, so when I hear discussions at the start of class, allowing them to continue their conversations well into the lecture hour is a common, strategic practice.  Again, this is because of the significance of social bonding among social creatures.  At a community college, where there are no dormitories, fraternities, sororities, or large social engagements, cultivating an environment conducive to talking/sharing is both important and POWERFUL for a students development and future.  

Though at some point this lovely group did discuss the workout of the night, there's a pretty good chance, when the picture was taken, the discussions revolved around wine, dogs, and up-coming events.

In cross-training, I have noticed this sort of bonding happening more and more frequently.  As a group, we are now hitting a nice stride which includes support and genuine love and friendship between one another.  This is beyond cool!  For example, the picture taken at the gym is from last week, 10-15 minutes after our final lunges and cool-down.  It's not like these athletes don't have obligations, things to do, and important priorities at home.  This group simply enjoys one another and they all have a common interest, which extends well beyond running and cross-training.  

Post-workout group selfie from Cascade Middle School after killin' the 8x400m workout!

Individually, these champions want to be better moms and dads, better daughters and sons, the best employees, better citizens, less stressed, happier to be around, feel better physically and emotionally, supported, normal, different, unique, progressive thinkers, pushed, challenged, lead, empowered, and the list goes on.  No matter their need or what they seek, my hope is that each one of them finds their purpose, their goals, and their true happiness through the achievement of the once-thought impossible.

This truly is what it's all about.