Track and Field is perhaps the most basic sport there is. Who can run the fastest? Who can jump the highest? Who can throw the farthest? Yet, as basic as it is, it has left me with some of the most profound and timeless lessons I may ever learn in my life.
1. Close the Gap
Before every race in high school, my coach would tell me, “If you see a gap, close it.” There is no room for hesitation. If you wait too long, the gap will get bigger, and you will be left behind. Treat every opportunity like a gap in a race. Don’t wait to seize the moment, or the pack will pull away, leaving you behind, filled with regret. There is no worse feeling than regret.
2. Success Is Addicting
Every runner has been asked the same question time and time again: “How could you ever enjoy running?” My answer is always the same. The fact is, running sucks. There is not much joy to be found in pushing your body to the absolute limit, leaving your legs stiff as boards the next morning, only to go out and do it again. However, there is a lot to be said for the euphoric feeling of breaking a personal record, crushing the last 50 meters of a race, or even just finishing a hard day of practice. It’s addicting, and it's the force that pushes every runner from one race to the next.
3. Mentality Is Everything
Navy SEAL instructors tell their trainees “Success is a conscious decision.” I believe this can be applied to more than just military training. When you wake up in the morning, you decide right then and there how much effort you are going to put into the tasks that lie before you. When you toe the line at the start of a race, you choose how fast you are going to run, and ultimately decide whether or not you will succeed. It’s a pretty easy decision. Chose to give it 100 percent, 100 percent of the time.
4. You Will Never Regret Hard Work
It is easy to shy away from a challenge, whether it be in school, at work, or on the track. But the easy way out is always less rewarding. When I reflect on my career as a track runner, I regret one thing and one thing only: the days that I didn’t work as hard as I could have. I regret the times that I chose not to give it my all because I was tired, sick, stressed out from school, or some other bullshit reason. The days that I ran myself into the ground, or until my legs could literally on longer support me, those are the days I am most proud of. I will never regret working my ass off, because in the end that’s what made me a better runner. Don’t shy away from a challenge, because if you succeed, every drop of pain will feel more than worth it.
5. Never Drop Out
There comes a point in every race when you feel like you can’t go on. Your muscles are on fire, your legs feel like bricks, and you begin to question whether or not it's worth continuing. Don’t give in. If you quit once, you will quit again. Dreaming about what could have been is far more painful than finishing the race. So if you want to succeed, never drop out.
