"He ran not for crypto-religious reasons, but to win races, to cover ground fast. Not only to be better than his fellows, but better than himself. To be faster by a tenth of a second, by an inch, by two feet or two yards than he had been the week or year before. He sought to conquer the physical limitations placed upon him by a three-dimensional world (and if Time is the fourth dimension, that too was his province). If he could conquer the weakness, the cowardice in himself, he would not worry about the rest; it would come. Training was a rite of purification; from it came speed, strength. Racing was a rite of death; from it came knowledge. Such rites demand, if they are to be meaningful at all, a certain amount of time spent precisely on the Red Line, where you can lean over the manicured putting green at the edge of the precipice and see exactly nothing."
Excerpt from Once A Runner
The final race of the season to put it all together is right around the corner. This is indeed why we run; why we compete. I know that I toe the line with this in mind, that I am not only racing those on the line with me, but myself as well, often the toughest opponent.
I heard someone once say, “For once I want to race what I am capable of. That is my goal.” I completely agree with that statement. It is tougher than one would imagine, yet this lies so true among us all. I think this season I haven’t quite done that, but I have come closest to this goal than ever before. I am growing toward the runner I want to become. So I lay this out in mind for the upcoming meets, and anyone out there with races in mind soon to remember this. We race to compete.
….And well on a lighter note, cause races shouldn’t be all serious- to follow our usual rituals which for me is my favorite Gatorade, lemon lime strawberry! Being part of the meet, we share multiple roles- the athlete, the teammate, the bystander. It’s here; the little quirks that get us excited because we’re in it for the fun of the environment; the breathe of it all.
