There is an idea that my high school cross country athletes, and probably not limited to this group, have been learning this entire fall season: Running is comprised of Valleys and Peaks.
Let me tell you a story.
It was a day where there would be no hint of sunshine. Clouds, clouds, clouds. It had been raining off-and-on the entire day and the ground was fully soaked through. 'Squish' was the noise that echoed after each foot step. The temperature was nearing digits in the low forties. Honestly, the most enticing idea of the day was to climb back under mounds of covers and sleep until the sunshine returned.
Every other team had canceled their practices except one, cross-country. Walking out to the track to meet the athletes, the practice fields were empty, the misting rain pricked the face, and the cracking and popping of trees settling down for a cold evening was a lonely noise - except one.
Nearing the track, there was the pleasant sounds of laughter and banter from about 40 runners. An variation of bright hats, gloves, running tights, and tops lit up the afternoon like the sporadic placement of colored pegs on a Lite-Brite toy. All the athletes bumbling and bouncing around trying to keep warm.
"Coach, WHY are we the only team practicing today?!!" This was the communal question. As coaches, we were silently asking ourselves the same thing, but we all knew the answer.
"Today will be short, but you will remember it," we collectively said as coaches. "We are doing a one-mile time trial."
The look on their faces suddenly changed as they realized the daunting challenge approaching them. It was cold, it was wet, it was gray! Puddles of water stood in the indented places on the track begging to soak through a pair of spikes and socks. A slight mumble rippled through the crowd.
I was not sure what would happen at this point, when one of our senior captains rose up and shouted to the team, "This is OUR weather! Let's go!" It was the sudden realization that 'this was it!' The track was theirs, the day was theirs, the time trial was theirs alone. It would take digging down inside of themselves and rearing back at the cold weather with all their might, leaving all doubt behind and embracing what had to be done.
And as the only team practicing on that very day, the athletes gathered at the starting line. "RUNNERS...to your mark, set, GO." And they were off, charging around the track...
Almost every single athlete ran close to their PR and a few even ran PR's, leaving the other coaches and myself stunned and with goosebumps up and down our arms and legs.
What happened that day has stuck with me. It was a valley and a peak that happened in just one afternoon. As runners, we go through much longer tough periods to get back to those days of 'running high's'. There are always those moments where we just want to give up and quit trying to push through. However, that decision to make whatever the day is or the weather is 'ours' can not only make us stronger, but sometimes give us the pleasant reward of surprising ourselves with what we can accomplish and eventually lead us back to the sunny side of running.
