News from Delco Road Running Club

Gary Cohen

www.garycohenrunning.com

As we take our journey through each day of our lives we have choices as to what we do and how well we do. Sometimes the 'what' may be school assignments, household chores, parenting, job-related tasks, yard chores or other things in our daily routine. We may also practice playing a musical instrument, train for fitness or athletic competitions or take painting lessons. Our ability to complete these many varied endeavors depends on two main elements - our ability and dedication. I want to challenge you - in all you do, to be the best that you can be!

Some people have great ability and just 'slide by' with their mental wizardry, musical talent or athletic gifts. They succeed beyond the dreams of the average person, though they don't realize their ultimate potential. Others aren't gifted in a certain area but work hard to achieve their best. Often they do better than the gifted people who only use half or three-fourths of their talents. If you mentally evaluate your friends, family and co-workers you will know what I am talking about. How many of them take the easy path rather than putting forth extra effort to use their gifts and talent? I'm guessing that less than one in five people work to squeeze through the narrow door of opportunity.

This is how it is for those who start walking, jogging and running. Everyone has varying levels of genetic gifts that set an ultimate level that can be reached. Consistency and dedication can put you on the pathway toward scaling your own personal mountain. You do need to check up on yourself and see if you are maximizing your talent or if you are just skating by. Do you combine proper nutrition, sleep, hydration and stress reduction so that you can focus on being at your absolute best for your training sessions? Do you use concepts such as periodization, progression, tapering, rest and recovery? Do you get advice from successful runners, running magazines or running websites? Do you use a coach to set up, review, adjust and evaluate your training and racing? If you answered 'yes' to these questions, then you are on your way toward doing your best. If not, you may want to reevaluate your level of commitment and step it up a notch.

When I was at my competitive zenith in high school, college and in my early twenties, I did everything I could to be in peak training and racing form. But my genetic gifts didn't put me in position to win an Olympic Gold Medal. I was an All-State runner in high school and Southern Conference Champion in college. But I didn't make the next levels of NCAA qualifier, NCAA champ, Olympic team qualifier or Olympic medalist. However, I did do my best. We can't all sing like Luciano Pavarotti or Frank Sinatra, but we can sing our best. We all can't play guitar like Jimi Hendrix or B.B. King, but we can play our best. We all can't run like Joan Benoit-Samuelson, Steve Prefontaine or Usain Bolt, but we can run our best.

You may not win age group awards or overall race victories, but know who you are and what you are and be happy doing the best you can. Do everything you can to run the best you can run. I am repeating what I said earlier. I want to challenge you to be the best that you can be!