READ and HEED

Tomorrow's meet at Duxbury may be postponed until Thursday due to the weather.  Regardless of which day our meet is held our bus will depart at 2:30 and directions to the meet at 100 St. George Street, Duxbury, are as follows:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Whitman-Hanson+Regional+High+School,+Franklin+Street,+Hanson,+MA/100+St+George+St,+Duxbury,+MA+02332/@42.0737797,-70.8665291,27289m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e4996289132a11:0xbbfb2e682f55a39e!2m2!1d-70.9063805!2d42.0708831!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e4a42fd5db7181:0xe54eec4f1f615550!2m2!1d-70.6786909!2d42.0489538

Today is an EASY day for all our runners.  Today is also practice day 22.  Nearly all those who participated in Saturday's Big Wave Meet achieved his/her season best Mile pace after four meets.  (Precise numbers: 29 improved, 2 DNF, 1 matched season-to-date, 4 did not improve, 26 did not compete.)  We can obviously see that there is improvement with MOST of our runners.

There was a purpose to posting this picture earlier on our blog.  It was NOT necessarily intended to motivate you to a PR.  All runners have good and bad days.  Rarely do we see an athlete improve in each and every race during a season.  The photo and the quote were intended to help you understand that regardless of your ability, your results, whether you measure that in time, improvement, or simply your happiness in what you are doing, is determined by YOUR self-motivation and YOUR attitude.  That is true in any endeavor you take on.

Over 60 years ago when I came home with my first report card, my parents said something they never waivered from.  "Our primary concern is for your Conduct and Effort grades."  They were smart enough to know that if I went to class with the right attitude and motivation the rest would take care of itself.  They were right.  Lou Holtz, a former college football and NFL head coach, who is quoted in the picture, is right.

Today, there will be some change in the running groups.  Those that move up are expected to continue the work they have started and maintain the effort and attitude which thus far have achieved a level of success.  I'll re-state what we've said all along.  We genuinely hope to eliminate our 3rd group and have everybody running 4 miles at a 10 minute pace.  You can't achieve that if you're sitting by the retention pond during a workout, or not showing up for practice or a meet, or walking while others are running.

After 22 practices, I will refer back to Admiral McRaven's speech . . . which all of you saw. Remember his 10th way to change the world?  Here's a reminder . . .

"Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see.
All you have to do to quit—is ring the bell. Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims.
Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT—and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training.
Just ring the bell.
10. If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell." 

If you're ready to ring that bell, no problem, we'll part amicably.  If however you want to push yourself to be the best you can be, show up today at 2:30 ready to put your backside in gear and then willing to work it off.