Take the Leap
As a rather rambunctious, competitive youth, I may have pushed the limits of what is considered "normal" or "safe." I remember having neighborhood competitions to see who could (or would) jump out of a tree from the highest point. Or see who could run the most laps around my parents’ house. Our daily "play" was always a competition of some sort. Often, it was us against ourselves. We would try to jump from a higher perch than we did the day before—without knocking ourselves out (at least, for too long). We would try to run more laps than we did the previous week. Success earned us a well-deserved drink from the garden hose. I often think back to those fun and slightly crazy play times when I talk with aspiring athletes.
When we decide to run a half marathon, we're not doing anything as reckless as jumping out of a tree. But the task we have set for ourselves scares us just the same. We are greeted with the same "jumping into the great unknown" feeling that we felt during our childhoods. Marathoners are often called crazy and half marathoners are called half crazy (never by other runners, mind you). We're not crazy, of course. We just have a slightly unbalanced view of life relative to the norm. That slightly off-balance view, however, puts us on a level playing field with other runners who are also inspired to dream big and set goals. Revel in that feeling of being off center. Crazy is a relative term.
Come join in where your eccentricities will be appreciated and personalities abound. Our Half Marathon program kicks off in just over a month. Take the leap. Jump into the unknown and go for it. The fear of taking that next step has squashed too many dreams. There is no better time than now to tackle your goals. And no better team than the FLEET FEET Training Team to help you reach those goals. It's your time to be just a little crazier than you were yesterday!
Good Luck and Happy Racing!
Coach Cary
Tim Cary is FLEET FEET's Assistant Training Manager, coach of the FLEET FEET-sponsored Runnababez Elite team, and manager of the FLEET FEET Racing Team. Over his 20 years of coaching, Tim has coached athletes to three national team championships, five national individual championships, two national records, and numerous All-American and All-State honors. Click here to receive Tim's weekly article via email.
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