Making Confidence Out of Bull Crap

"All coaching is, is taking a player {runner} where he can't take himself. "
Bill McCartney 


We all need someone to call us on our crap every once in awhile. This is why I believe that even the best of athletes need a coach. Because coaches are able to see things from an outside perspective, provide a fresh outlook, and well....call you on your crap.

Over the years my coach and I  have had our differences. 99 times out of 100 he's right, but I argue anyways. I lose ,and admit I was wrong in the end. We've spent countless hours going over splits and races and arguing about running 9 miles vs 12 miles on a long run day. He stops me from running too much and pushes me when I don't want to run at all.

So this week was my week for my coach to point out some things that I needed to hear.  I am running perfectly fine. I'm in the same exact shape I was last year at this time. Actually I am running faster in practice than I was at this time last year. But what he said that struck me the most is that I do need to stop with the negative talk. I realize I'm worried about my knee and I realize that my legs aren't quite as spry as they were back in high school. But I really need to stop thinking about it in the midst of my races. The knee doesn't hurt anymore. I need to stop being afraid of my own failure and just...do it.  It was a wake up call of sorts. Kinda like "what the heck is going on?" It's funny how sometimes someone else can tell us things about ourselves that we aren't even close to figuring out.

As I've said countless times before winning and PR's and making other people happy  is not what running is about. It's not about 'run or die' or dealing with pain or what have you or getting through it just for the sake of getting through it.It's not about doing it because someone wants you to or because you have to.  It's about love, love, loving it.  To me running is about freedom and speed and a gift that was given to me.

By not using that gift, I'm wasting it. And that's crap.

My coach also quotes Van Halen and Rocky. And then goes on to shove some more confidence at me that I have lost over the past few weeks with all of my negative talk. Don't be cocky...but start believing in yourself dang it!


Thanks Coach....

Remember to thank your coaches for calling all of your crap in the past. It takes a lot for someone to take you where you never imagined you could go.