THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Preparing for the year-end banquet necessarily requires a complete review of the entire season. This includes analyzing what you've done, right or wrong,  and what the team and each individual has accomplished.  A small degree of pride is found certainly in the records of the teams and the progress of the athletes.  You go over all the data and documentation you've accumulated through the season and recall the highs and lows.  You find yourself looking toward next year when you'll "get it right."  You see the faces of the athletes and reflect on how things might have gone better. You begin to focus on your failings and think to put your mountain of paper away before you begin asking yourself why you do this at all.  But then you find one piece of paper that puts it all into perspective for you . . .

"My life is not measured in days, months, or years, but in infinite amounts of miles.  Ever since joining the cross country team, I have been running nonstop.  Distance running involves a great deal of pain, frustration, bad days, and hard practices, often leading me to question why I put myself through it.  But, over time I have been fortunate enough to experience the fulfillment that comes from working through the pain, and the satisfaction that comes from the frustration.  I’ve come to realize that the good days eventually outnumber the bad ones, and the hard practices get easier with time.  Now I find myself not only running down the street, but running towards new goals, new destinations, and new chapters in my life.  I see my team as my second family, the road as my second home, and running as my second nature.  Through running I have found my happiness, my passion, my dedication, my confidence, my love, and my life.  I have found myself, and that’s all that matters in the long run."

Meredith, who shared the foregoing with me, is now an undergraduate at Villanova. During her four years of high school Cross Country she literally went from "worst to first" and fell in love with running.  We communicate occasionally and I provide some advice as she trains for her long-distance races.  She never misses an opportunity to thank me.  But she owes me nothing . . . it is I who am indebted to her and countless others for reminding me that the greatest measure of success can be found in their achievements.