You are probably wondering what this has to do with running. Easy. What the team showed on the field last Saturday night was heart. They could have folded after being down 31-0 at half time. Instead, they dug deep and found a way to win. As Vince Lombardi famously said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” As I was finishing my long run today and thinking about what I wanted to write this week that quote popped into my head. I realized that the true measure of heart is the willingness to keep going and trying even after you have been beaten or performed below your expectations.
As I look back on my years of running and all the races I have run, there have been numerous days where I came up seriously short of my goal. I would be mad, depressed and frustrated with myself especially when I had trained so hard. But I would get up the next morning, lace up my shoes and start again. I would remind myself that a 12 minute mile is the same distance as a 6 minute mile. Regardless of the outcome of the race, I had participated and done the best I could on that given day. As John "The Penguin" Bingham said, "“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Like the Horned Frogs on Saturday, I kept trying to improve and find a way to achieve my running goals.
When I had finally built up my running ability to run a marathon, I decided that the ultimate goal would be to break 4 hours at that distance. In my first marathon, I just wanted to finish. But once I knew I could run the distance, I really wanted to break that magic mark. After four more attempts, I was no closer. In fact, my fifth attempt was my worst time finishing dangerously close to 5 hours. I could easily have just quit trying. Instead I looked for a better training regimen and tried again. Finally running for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute team in Boston, I did it. There are no words to describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt that day. My heart was full.
The definition of heart is the willingness to keep competing even when the odds are stacked against you. Having the courage to try in the first place shows heart. The truth is that our toughest competitor is our self and those nagging doubts in our head. The key is learning to listen to your hear rather than your head. I have learned to accept all of my shortcomings and to fully understand my limitations. My motivation comes straight from my heart and my love of the sport of running. This love allows me to conquer the distance. I now realize that my internal nature evolves from training my mind and body to be wholly present when I am out there on the road. I stick to my daily routine and believe in my training. The discipline I show each day comes from an internal focus where my competitor's heart resides.
I believe that our heart as runners propels us to run that next mile no matter how bad we are feeling. I ran the last 10 miles of the 2014 Boston Marathon with a bad hamstring. I did it because I was running for a higher cause. My motivation was to honor those people who so generously donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I also knew that the pain I was experiencing was nothing compared to those fighting the disease. Heart is what allowed me to stay out there on the course despite excruciating pain. Heart is always about love and that is what should motivate us to keep at it. Our mutual love of the sport will help us reach the finish line. If we fall short of the goal that day, our heart will help to pick us up and allow each of us to lace up our shoes and get out there again.
Watching the Horned Frogs show such heart and dedication to the team made me feel so proud to be a Horned Frog. You could feel the love of their teammates. It reminded me that I too am fighting for what I love. Running allows me to stay healthy. Being in shape and healthy allows me to have more time to spend with those in my life who I truly love. The Horned Frogs showed real sportsmanship and competed at a level far beyond their ability on Saturday. That is the definition of heart. In the end, heart is the ability to accept failure and to grow from it and to try again.
Jan. 1 – 4.10 miles (35:55, 8:46 pace)
Jan. 2 – 3.20 miles (28:36, 8:56 pace)
Jan. 4 – 6.10 miles (55:42, 9:08 pace) - San Antonio, TX
Jan. 7 – 5.10 miles (46:24, 9:06 pace)
Jan. 8 – 6.20 miles (1:02:17, 10:03 pace) - Hill Repeats
Jan. 9 – 10.10 miles (1:27:48, 8:42 pace)
Jan. 10 – 9.10 miles (1:35:16, 10:28 pace)
Total Miles: 43.9 miles
2016 Total Miles: 43.9 miles
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