04/26/2024
Today, I was reflecting!
I was reflecting about my days as a "athlete" you see, in order to get ready for the "wrestling season" I would participate in CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING!
Running cross-country, is different from any of the track and field events. You run on dirt roads, uneven terrain, uphills, down hills, literally cross-country.
After school, we would all go to a park that had some really steep hills and the coach would have us not only one 3 miles, but he would also have us do "Hill work."
It was grueling!
What all this running, Hill work etc. did was strengthen my skinny legs and lungs.
I was not a strong FINISHER. Like many, I would blast out into the front of the field during races – – hang in the pack during the race – – and then usually before the end my gas tank would be empty.
The coach told me that I needed to work on my endurance so that I would have a strong KICK at the end.
If you have ever one in high school or college, you probably know about having a strong finish or a KICK.
In the Beijing Olympics, Galen Rupp relied on his endurance to stay in contention. But it was his improved ability to finish with power that saw him winning an Olympic medal for years later in London. He surged past to Africans in the closing meters with a powerful display of why distance runners need FINISHING speed and have to train for it!
The East African runners have dominated the world of track and field. These guys are elite sprinters having to hold the speed for longer distances than others.
They began training Rupp in these FINISHING techniques. Most people believe that you either are born a kicker or not.
In life, most people in January start out strong but by the middle if not earlier in the year they die off.
Life is just like a cross-country race.
You're going to have uneven terrain, it may rain, there will be hills to climb and you may even fall.
However, it's not how fast you start that wins the race of life – – it's how STRONG you FINISH!
