First Official MVXC23 Practice is on August 7!
Distance is a function of speed and time…multiply average speed times the time we are moving and the result is the distance we have travelled. Different people have different cars that can move at different speeds, but we can all cover the same distances–maybe we just have to drive a little longer to get where we are going. There are different combinations of speed and time that can get us to where we want to be. So long as speed is greater than zero and time is greater than zero, there are many combinations that get us where we want to go.
Distance can be a metaphor for achievement. After all, achievement is the progression towards a goal. The further from a starting point, the greater the achievement. Just as distance is the result of speed multiplied by time, then we can think of achievement as talent multiplied by effort. As long as neither talent nor effort are zero, we can achieve a lot!
We are all blessed by varying amounts of talent. But all of us can make great achievements. Tremendous effort can compensate for modest talent, and tremendous talent can offset modest effort. However…the factor we can control is effort. That’s important to remember in our lives. If we are thinking about our cross country goals, there may be others that are more talented than us, but we can compensate with tremendous effort to get where we want to go. The same is true in other (and more important) parts of our lives…math might come easier to other people, and some classmates might find writing easier than we do, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t accomplish just as much with more effort. Angela Duckworth has scientifically shown, in many different fields, that grit effort is a much more reliable indicator of success and long term achievement than innate talent or IQ. My friend Josh Cox would say, “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard”…and that says it all.
Let’s get out and put in the effort to achieve our goals and get the results we want!
Attached is a suggested plan for our runs for the next few weeks.
A Gentle Reminder…Complete Your Athletic Clearances!
As I write this, the only athletes who have begun the process of being cleared on Home Campus are Siran, Katie, Miranda, Darren, Aidan, Abhi, Guatam, Ryan, Kento and Bradley–ten of us! (THANK YOU to you ten!) With two weeks to go before our first practice as a group, we are rapidly getting to the point of ‘waiting until the last moment’. C’mon all you procrastinating procrastinators…let’s get our clearance going! All the information on how to get your athletic clearance completed is posted here. Hopefully you have already had your physical or you have one scheduled in the next two weeks. If not you can always go to CVS or a walk in clinic for your physical. In any case, please get this done in time so you do not miss a practice with your teammates!
Shoes!
It’s also time to get a new set of kicks for the fall cross country season. Maybe racing flats, too. Running Revolution in Campbell is a great local store, A Runner’s Mind is not much further away, there are other good options. Make sure to tell them you run for Monta Vista and you will get a discount on your shoes. Good shoes do more than feel great, well-fitted shoes will also help you avoid injuries! Please, please, please get new shoes before the season starts!
If You Read This Far…
If you read this far…here is a heads up…I am working on something fun for the first Saturday of practice on August 12. To be part of this activity, you must be cleared! So here is another reason to stop procrastinating…trust me on this!
