As I drove over to the Sussex League X country race in Lancing on Saturday, I was listening to a CD of Andrea Bocelli singing in Central Park. Listening to him, it seems evident that he is doing what he loves; it feels like he is giving us his gift. He practices and practices and then goes on stage and performs and allows out what is within him.
It made me think that sport is just the same, that we must practice and practice and then just go out and perform and allow what is in us out. The other competitors are there to help us get the best out of ourselves and so all of us are stretched to bigger and better expressions as we paint our picture out around the fields and the road.
I have always related to Steve Prefontaine’s words;
‘Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run’.
We can only do our best, we can only run our own race, and the other people can only run theirs. If we think of our competitors as our friends, who are there to encourage and challenge us to find that we have more within us than we thought, then racing takes on an exciting quality rather than a stressful one. The response in the body is the same when ‘nervous’ or ‘excited’, therefore it can feel more positive if we think of ourselves as excited before we have to perform. This can help us to give of our best and see anything that stretches us outside our comfort zone as a growthful experience, rather than a scary one.
I loved the race. I have improved so much in just four weeks since the last Sussex League. I was 14th in the race, but ‘only’ 57 seconds behind the winner. I am an eternal optimist, I am aware of how far a minute looks when we are streaming back across the fields, but to me it demonstrated how much my body is responding to training and that I am getting faster and fitter – watch out Pete Walters! – He and I have our own personal League, we are so far ‘one all’!
We met in Benidorm when I interviewed him for an article for running Free, and the gauntlet has since been thrown. Competition stretches us; sporting challenges extend us and create the motivation to keep getting up one more time than we fall. All the time I have been injured Pete has been reminding me of our ‘race’ and that has served as part of my inspiration.
On Friday I gave a lecture for Jim, my running friend’s, third years taking a coaching degree. He asked me to come and speak for two hours about ‘Coaching the person’ and asked that I didn’t prepare, but just came and delivered.
It stretched me not to prepare anything, but then I reflected that I have been ‘practicing my art’ everyday for about 35 years, so like running a race, all I needed to do was turn up and trust that I could perform.
I loved it! We talked a lot about stretching out of our comfort zone, to stimulate learning and growth, risking failing, and rather than seeing failing as a negative thing, allowing ourselves mistakes and seeing them as a route to development and growth. When we were babies leaning the challenging skills of walking and talking we didn’t get disappointed with ourselves when we made a mistake – we just tried again and eventually mastered both arts every competently!
I reminded them that we are not a lesser person if we fail or a better person when we succeed; all that is required is that we keep seeking to be ourselves and give of our best, and to quote Steve Prefontaine again
‘To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.’
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That quote of Steve’s is one of my favourites but, coming up to my 80th birthday, I like to modify his second line:
‘Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run.
I like to make people stop and say, I’ve never seen anyone (SO OLD) run like that before’.
Thanks again Julia for your inspirational words.
I like that Gordon! I reckon people do say that about you! I love many of Steve’s quotes, very inspirational and they really resonate !