Hi Everyone!

Huge congrats to Cheryl who ran the Denver half marathon, and paced her friend to a giant PB! I love that. Way to share your energy.

In fact, that brings me to what I’ve been thinking about this week: competitiveness vs generosity of spirit. I’ve been watching high school track meets recently, because ‘tis the season. It is interesting to notice how some kids just innately want to push, and pass, and beat more than others. In sport, we usually value this. We say, “she just wanted it more” and therefore “deserved” the win. It is impossible to define the “why” behind the desire to win. It is only to beat the other. When it comes down to it, this is the whole reason behind almost all sports. They are competitions.

But boy, if there ever was a double-edged drive, it is this one. The ones who “want it more” can also be seen as pushy and aggressive, and they feel the sting ever more strongly when they don’t get it. When they are young, these athletes often wear all of this on their sleeves. And when they don’t get it, they just have to learn to smile and face the world. I was explaining this to my daughter the other day. I understand viscerally how hard it is to be happy for (or at least act happy for) someone who achieved something that you wanted and didn’t get. It is a hard and ugly feeling as are so many aspects of being human. But you just HAVE to. I understand how this feels – everyone understands how this feels, but that is part of sport. The hardest part. Harder than the last 5K of a marathon or the last 200m of an 800m. Being competitive is a great trait – it is what has driven many if not most human achievements. But we have just got to learn how to have it sit side by side with generosity of spirit.

I was just reading a post by Steve Magness about the running great Emil Zatopek. Zatopek was a Czech running legend in the 1950’s, who won 3 gold medals in the 1952 Olympics in the 5000m, 10,000m and the marathon. Zatopek somehow managed to be both fiercely competitive and deeply generous. He often invited his competitors to train with him, and even gifted one of his Olympic gold medals to a rival who had never won one because Zatopek felt he had “deserved” it. As Magness puts it, “Toughness without connection doesn’t last. Elite performers who endure? They often cite love, mentorship, and friendship as their fuel. Zatopek didn’t just win. He uplifted those around him. His kindness and compassion allowed him to be great.”

This is something I want to continue to work on and to teach my kids in sport. Yes, the drive to win is healthy and acceptable. Let’s not vilify being competitive. But we must learn how to harness that dragon, and have it sit beside compassion and generosity. It is a combination I continue to work on.

On to tomorrow’s workout: Lakeshore and Leslie. 6:05 drills, 6:15 GO.

Let’s do sets of 400’s since I think we still don’t have the west end of the path. Also, 400’s can really be customized to be whatever we want them to be.

Let’s do: 8-10 x 400 @ 8K-5K pace w 1 min rest. 4 min rest. 4 x400 @ 3K-1500 pace w 2 min rest. We don’t do this pace regularly, but it’s good to have a notch or two faster than 5K pace.

People running the TO Women’s 5K: 4 x 500 @ 5K pace + some strides.

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

xo

Seanna