Yesterday I chose to complete my 10,000 steps (about 6 miles, 563 days in a row) on the trail between the Visitors Center at Wompatuck State Park and the Cohasset Railway Station. It's a trail I ran regularly back in the day, and one our XC teams return to at least once each fall on our Saturday off-site long runs. During the summer when I'm not coaching every day, I look forward to my time walking, just as I did my training runs of years past. It's been 5+ years since I was diagnosed with "exercise induced" ARVC, and though I'm able, following a brisk 2.5 mile walk, to alternate some jogging and walking while keeping my heart rate at <140 BPM, I have not had a single day during that time when I can't admit to seriously missing the joy I took from endurance training. So much so in fact I am at a total loss as to why everybody doesn't feel the same way I once did. Thrilled to lace up the Asics, and feel the slight chill created by the breeze colliding with my neon, sweat-soaked singlet. The feeling of disappointment when it was over for the day, that either time constraints or training safety brought my daily run to its conclusion. Immediately after which planning for the next day began. Sadly, I find the sameness of what I do now severely lacking by comparison. But I've had my time. And I'm still very much involved in leading others to that place that brought me so much happiness. We're gearing up through the summer for what I hope will be a great Fall Cross Country season.
Coaching provides the opportunity to work with young men and women who I honestly hope will experience what I and the rest of our coaching staff have made a big part of our lives. The running experience. We do not live vicariously through our athletes; we sincerely seek and are grateful for the privilege of sharing our experiences with our student-athletes in the hopes of providing them with the same enjoyment we've found in our sport. Many of our athletes through the years have found what we have. I can cite dozens of examples of athletes who have gone on to stellar college careers and then moved on to successful endurance and marathon training. Many, many more have made running a consistent part of their adult lives. Our current dilemma however is how to attract more people to our sport. I read a book over the weekend which I thoroughly enjoyed, got through in a couple of days, and in which I found some of the answers.
Dennis Barker's, "The First Season," tells the story of a fictional high school Sophomore (Linda Nordquist) who is inspired to qualify for the State Girls Cross Country Championship despite the fact her high school has no Girls squad. The book's liner notes read in part, "Running becomes a transformative experience, revealing her inner strength and growing confidence." There is also a testimonial on the cover written by Kara Goucher, NCAA Champion and Olympian distance runner which reads, "the empowerment and self-awareness Linda gains through running is something we all can relate to. I really loved this book." Reasons enough to not only buy the book but follow Linda's lead.
What I feel we must do to attract people to our sport is not so much to continue to point out the positive effects distance running has on our short- and long-term health, or even how welcoming and friendly every member of our team is, but how running can instill that "inner strength" and "confidence" in our students. Traits that will serve our young adults well in the real world. As well as any lesson I've learned along the way. And certainly, traits that I as a parent and grandparent, would love to see in all our children. I promise, with all sincerity, that commitment to our sport will build character, confidence and discipline in any student willing to make that effort. And I pledge to encourage and support anybody making that effort. If I get a single parent to accept this message and point his or her son or daughter in our direction as a result, then I will have met my challenge. A challenge which, I assure you, won't stop there.
More, much more, to come . . .
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