What is too hard for you to do? I was watching a WWII movie "Twelve o'clock High" and the question of what exactly constitutes a "Maximum Effort?"
Oh I am not wondering about how fast I can go - but for how long. I am not wondering about how far the other man can go - it is how far I can go. I am pretty sure that I will not be able to compete at the 2 hour mark with the Kenyans. But I can compete against myself.
What am I built for? Several years ago I began running. It began as short distances. Then it began to be something that wore out shoes. I had never worn out a pair of "running" shoes in my life. I did not know that you could only run a certain amount of miles before all your shoes were good for would be to walk to the mail box and back. Destroying shoes became what I did. Right now I am looking at my current pair and wondering if the tread is water tight or if a squall would leave the bottom of my feet wet.
So - I wear out the shoes - and what is the goal Do I run the races? Oh yes - there is hardware to spare. Shirts too. lots of them. But glory such as that is fleeting - hardware rusts, shirts stain and piles of shoes decorate the closet.
No, it is not for the detritus of the runner, but to become closer to what my Maximum Effort would be. Previous running does not indicate success in todays run, but it does teach your body that you are serious. Oh anyone can out and go a mile. People walk a mile every day. But can you go the distance? Which distance do you want to go? How fast do you want to get there? Who are you competing with? What effort, sweat, grind, sun, snow, rain, grass, terrain, or obstacle are you going to encounter?
I don't think the outside forces matter. Oh I think that if you have hypothermia and delirium tremmons that yes that might begin to matter. But you can dress for the cold, you can dress for the hot, you can haul gallons of water to cool your cooking exterior and you can down runners goo by the gallon to give you the pep in your step to get through the next mile or the next 50 miles.
What makes the difference is in your cranium. Today I went out for a run. Six miles. Yesterday was a titch over four. When you are on the run - your body knows what you are doing - pump, run, pump, run, breath. Oh yes it knows what you are doing. You can leave that part to the physical. The mental part is where you can either succeed or fail. That globe mounted directly over your shoulders is going to drive you harder and faster and at a more furious pace than you would ever logically condone.
So what do you tell yourself to get to the next block? The next mile? The next, next, next? Oh that is the battle of wits and that of the goal.
Outrun your fears, drive yourself to Maximum Effort. I at times think - what exactly am I doing today? Riding a desk little Red Riding Hood. Quit being a baby and push it up. Some might call it "Trash Talking" but when you are the only one in the coliseum and it is you against yourself - it is time to answer the bell, time to dig in deep, time to sacrifice some pleasure of eating the endangered Twinkie and avoid an open heart surgery bypass. Tick go the seconds, grind go the miles, and the goal is out there. Taunting, beckoning, Embracing. "Come along little runner, run with me..."
Oh I am not wondering about how fast I can go - but for how long. I am not wondering about how far the other man can go - it is how far I can go. I am pretty sure that I will not be able to compete at the 2 hour mark with the Kenyans. But I can compete against myself.
What am I built for? Several years ago I began running. It began as short distances. Then it began to be something that wore out shoes. I had never worn out a pair of "running" shoes in my life. I did not know that you could only run a certain amount of miles before all your shoes were good for would be to walk to the mail box and back. Destroying shoes became what I did. Right now I am looking at my current pair and wondering if the tread is water tight or if a squall would leave the bottom of my feet wet.
So - I wear out the shoes - and what is the goal Do I run the races? Oh yes - there is hardware to spare. Shirts too. lots of them. But glory such as that is fleeting - hardware rusts, shirts stain and piles of shoes decorate the closet.
No, it is not for the detritus of the runner, but to become closer to what my Maximum Effort would be. Previous running does not indicate success in todays run, but it does teach your body that you are serious. Oh anyone can out and go a mile. People walk a mile every day. But can you go the distance? Which distance do you want to go? How fast do you want to get there? Who are you competing with? What effort, sweat, grind, sun, snow, rain, grass, terrain, or obstacle are you going to encounter?
I don't think the outside forces matter. Oh I think that if you have hypothermia and delirium tremmons that yes that might begin to matter. But you can dress for the cold, you can dress for the hot, you can haul gallons of water to cool your cooking exterior and you can down runners goo by the gallon to give you the pep in your step to get through the next mile or the next 50 miles.
What makes the difference is in your cranium. Today I went out for a run. Six miles. Yesterday was a titch over four. When you are on the run - your body knows what you are doing - pump, run, pump, run, breath. Oh yes it knows what you are doing. You can leave that part to the physical. The mental part is where you can either succeed or fail. That globe mounted directly over your shoulders is going to drive you harder and faster and at a more furious pace than you would ever logically condone.
So what do you tell yourself to get to the next block? The next mile? The next, next, next? Oh that is the battle of wits and that of the goal.
Outrun your fears, drive yourself to Maximum Effort. I at times think - what exactly am I doing today? Riding a desk little Red Riding Hood. Quit being a baby and push it up. Some might call it "Trash Talking" but when you are the only one in the coliseum and it is you against yourself - it is time to answer the bell, time to dig in deep, time to sacrifice some pleasure of eating the endangered Twinkie and avoid an open heart surgery bypass. Tick go the seconds, grind go the miles, and the goal is out there. Taunting, beckoning, Embracing. "Come along little runner, run with me..."
