How close do you have to be before you give your all?
I "became" an athlete in 2000. Before then, exercise and fitness were at about the same level of importance as weeding every square foot of my backyard - a good idea, but rarely maintained.
Then, changes started happening. Eventually, the workouts became more consistent, and I even signed up for races (running, swimming and triathlon events). Over time, I even started training for those races. (What a concept!)
Last weekend, I raced in the Ojai Heart and Sole 10K run. (Placed 1st in my age group with a 39:14 - a new PR!) I experienced a new peak during that run. I "decided" to give more, earlier in the race. Make sense?
Historically (over the past 6 years that is), I'd always had a little extra when I saw the finish line. I could kick it up a gear, move a little faster, and finish strong. This past race, however, I decided to "do that" earlier. So, at the 27:30 mark (I knew I was on course to run sub-40), I focused a bit more on pulling my foot from the ground and turning over the pacing.
The more focused I was on what I was doing, the more time and distance seemed to disappear. I was running alone (faster than the slow, slower than the fast), and wanted to reach the finish line feeling that I had given my all.
I approached the line, and could hear people yelling. I was the 7th person to finish, and I could see that the clock was well below 40 minutes...yeahoo!
My take-away from this experience transcends sport. By focusing on giving my all, earlier in the process, the result may be even greater at the end...
Great post Jason! I've been to this place once before in an athletic endeavor. In my role in Air Force security we participate in various competitions and this particular one was a 1.75 mile obstacle course that we ran with rifles in a 3 man team. Our best time was 17 minutes, but this competition we were extremely motivated and took first place with a low 15. At the end, we absolutely could not walk. Someone caught my rifle at the finish line and two others caught me. It took about three minutes before I could stand on my own.
As you say, learning your previously accepted limits are actually short of your real capability is a great experience.
Posted by: Nikolas Chapapas | May 23, 2006 at 09:04 PM