I spent the past week mulling over an idea for a blog post, struggling to clarify the message I wanted to share. Then yesterday, I came across an article about “the strictest headmistress in Britain,” featuring these quotes from two of her students:

“It was quite difficult to adapt to the expectations that the teachers had for us,” one boy admitted. “But once we did, it allowed us to be more successful and to have high goals for ourselves as well.”

An older girl echoed this sentiment: “The whole environment is reinforcing the norms of excellence,” she said. “Which I think is what’s so difficult in certain schools where, even if you want to try your hardest, if you’re not around other people who are doing it, it can be very difficult to be the only person living by certain standards.”

As I read that, I thought—exactly! It’s like running; you might want to try your hardest, but it can be very difficult if other people around you don’t want to push the same way. Having a team with standards helps.

What they described about their school, are similar words you might say about an athletic team with high standards. This is a key point I often try to emphasize, and one that Angela Duckworth champions as well: hard things become easier when you’re surrounded by people who share your values and aspirations. If you want to develop grit, join a gritty team.

I was reminded of this while recording the results from our distance group’s workout on Monday. At first glance, it was just another practice. But in reviewing the results, I saw a story.

Monday is typically a workout day for the Monta Vista distance group. Unlike basic run days, workout days involve stopwatches, time targets, and recorded progress. Our baseline workout volume is 4,800 meters (three miles), though I generally consider 4,800 to 6,400 meters of high-stress volume reasonable for most high school runners. The core of Monday’s workout consisted of 4,800 meters, broken into 1,600-meter intervals at lactic threshold pace. After completing that, runners had the option to add up to 1,600 more meters in 400, 800, or 1,600-meter intervals.

Knowing that Monday is the hardest training day of the week might tempt some athletes to skip practice. But here were 24 athletes on the line, completing the workout. Of those 24, 13 voluntarily added extra distance, running an additional 400 to 1,600 meters. I didn’t push anyone to do more—it was entirely their choice.

The most striking part? These weren’t just the top runners. Their paces ranged from 5:40 to 8:22 per mile. This isn’t just a story about elite athletes; it’s a story about athletes with grit—athletes choosing to push themselves. But more than that, it’s a story about a team.

Just like the girl in the article who recognized that academic excellence is easier when surrounded by like-minded peers, the same holds true for athletics. That’s why we emphasize shared standards: showing up every day, being on time, showing up when it is raining, staying until the end of practice, bringing a positive mindset, and caring about our journey and results.

These things matter—not just for our team, our season, or our personal records, but for life.

Angela Duckworth, who literally wrote the book on grit, describes it as a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. She also emphasizes that grit doesn’t have to be a painful, white-knuckled effort. If you want to be grittier, surround yourself with gritty people. It’s easier to go the extra mile when your teammates are doing the same.

Now, I know many Monta Vista students and parents might say, “Grit and running are great, but my calculus/APUSH/robotics/debate matter more.” But that misses the point. Even if your mile PR won’t get you into MIT** or land you a job at Google, grit will.

Don’t take my word for it:

“Harvard admits as many students who have made a personal commitment to pursue something they love, believe in, and value—and have done so with singular energy, discipline, and plain old hard work. We don’t need those students to pursue the same activities. Let’s take athletics as an example. Let’s say the person gets hurt or doesn’t make the team. What we have tended to find is that all that energy, drive, commitment—all that grit—that was developed through athletics can almost always be transferred to something else.”

—Bill Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions, Harvard University

Running might not be your thing. Maybe distance running doesn’t excite you. But for you, if you were on the debate team and that was your passion and priority, you might find yourself up at all hours honing arguments and practicing your craft. Grit isn’t about a single activity; it’s about persistence in whatever challenges you choose.

So congratulations on being part of a gritty team with high standards. Thank you for supporting those standards. We can’t wait to see where you go with your running—and your life.

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who gave their best effort on Monday. Coaches aren’t in this for the paycheck—we do it because we love seeing athletes embrace the sport. And for me, nothing is more rewarding than watching runners at all levels commit to improvement.

See you all at the next workout—and congratulations on a job well done!

_____

*This is even more impressive than it sounds. Mr. Bonacorsi mentioned that there’s a lot of illness going around. With fewer than 10% of our athletes missing Monday’s workout, some were likely running even while sick. I don’t condone that, you should be home, but it says you are not looking for excuses not to work–you are looking for reasons to work.

**Well, at some point, your mile time might help, even at MIT. It did for at least one Monta Vista athlete. But you need the grades first!

***Running is awesome. I always struggle when I meet kids who I just know would love distance running if they gave it a real shot! I can’t help thinking, how can I convince them that running is the bomb? You must not be doing it right; if you were you would love this sport like I do. Just give me one season—a season of true commitment to trying your best every day—and I believe you’ll love this sport for the rest of your life!