I pretended to be a track and field athlete for a year of college...oh what an experience it was.
I only participated in field events because that's where my expertise was...
Or because I was not the fastest and that was the only place where I thought I could hide my slow-twitch fibers.
Considering the fact that even the events that I participated in needed speed, I will let you conclude why my career on the track was cut short.
One thing I learned on the track more so than anything, is that you cannot..
I repeat...
You CANNOT hide speed, or in my case, not having speed at all.
On the basketball side of the world, there are ways for me to disguise my lack of straight away speed.
These ways include the amount of direction changes in a game, the smaller dimensions of the court compared to on a track, and running away from heavy footed post players I've had to avoid my entire playing career so I don't break any bones.
The thing with track is there is only one finish line, and whoever gets there first wins. There are no deceptions or loopholes, you are either faster than the people you are running against, or you are slower than the people you are running against.
Long story short, on a track...I am not fast.
While I participated on the track and field team, there were several times where I realized that the people I was 'running against' (also known as 'running behind'), moved more like cars, trains, and cheetahs, while I felt like I was still at the starting line waiting to hear the gun sound.
Even during the first pre-practice warmup laps, I knew I was in for a blog post at some point in my future.
I spent several practices racing against multiple school record holders and conference champions while I was quietly setting my own records myself.
No one could lose a sprint at the consistency that I did...
While I was losing, I did a lot of thinking...
Every once in a while I'd ask myself why my feet weren't moving as fast as everyone else, no matter how fast I tried to make them go.
Other times I was thinking about non-related activities, such as basketball, homework, programs, dinner, etc.
I don't know if that played a role in my inability to catch any teammate ever in a foot race. It could have been, but it could have also been and more likely because they were just faster than me on the track...
There's something about acceptance that is extremely calming.
Not everyone is supposed to operate at the same speeds regardless of the task. We all have different methods and approaches. Our job isn't to pick and choose which ones we have. Our job is to find which ones are already within us and cultivate them.
Find the activities that suit your unique set of skills, and don't be afraid to find out which activities you may need work on. Once you know, you have the opportunity to work at those weaknesses, or apply your skills elsewhere.
You'll never know how good you are at something, or how good you can be until you give an honest effort.
Afterwards, you can make a much more informed decision on how to proceed within that particular practice. It is hard to find out where your limit is if you never try. Have that honest dialogue with yourself and determine where you stand.
If you are at the back of the pack, take that time to think about ways to get to the front. It's not going to be easy but that's fine.
You'd be shocked how many losses you can endure. We are much stronger than we give ourselves credit for.
It may be hard to tell where you fall sometimes, but trust yourself, and the answer will show itself.
All you have to do at that point is take that answer and run with it.
...probably faster than I would run with it, but you catch my drift.
Moral of the story...
Track speed is faster than every other kind of speed.
Period.
Until next time,
Long Live The People
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