Lessons from the track

I remember back in primary school we were “forced” to take physical education as a class and at that time my body was not built for any physical activity that did not include food. Just try and imagine a short chubby boy in small shorts sweating and panting just after 200 meters of running and unable to continue even though he still had 1300 meters left. We have all been through a point in time where we had been so victimized by life to the extent that one small victory caused our minds to instantly shut down and our body to follow suit.The irony of such a situation is that the body seems to be the one that is exhausted when in fact it is our mind that has resigned because the immediate target has been met even though the actual goal is still far from achievement.

 It was when I went to high school that I discovered that there was a technique  for these long-distance races. These methods were taught to ensure that the athletes learn to reserve their energy to release it at the right moments. I decided to adopt these techniques and apply them to my life. It took years to grasp and fully understand but I have compiled the techniques and put them in context to our day  to day lives. I call this the 1500-meter rulebook which is made up of 5 important rules that will help you in achieving your goals.

1. Breath

Ever long-distance runner will tell you that the most important part about the race is breathing. Proper breathing can help increase your endurance and provide your entire body with the oxygenated blood it needs to sustain the run. So, for me I understood that whenever I came across a problem much like a hurdle on the track field it was very critical that I paused and breathed slowly for at least 2 minutes before I do or say anything else. This made me have more relaxed muscles and a clearer level of thinking. So in every situation faced understand that for your brain and muscles to function at their absolute best it is essential to provide the body with sufficient levels of oxygen and just BREATHE.

2.    2. Countdown to completion

The long distance race coach always stressed out how important it was to keep a mental estimate of the

distance you have run and the distance that is left whilst also keeping your mind on the finish line. In his view this helped as a boost for your mind’s positivity.  By telling yourself constantly that you are closer now to the finish line than when you started pushes you to continue going and believe in your abilities much more. For every goal set you should break it down into sub goals which are achievable and are a building block to your overall goal for example the 1500 meter race would be broken down into 300m portions in your mind which help in creating a checklist so as to keep track of your progress.

3.      3. Know when to sprint and when to jog

I had always wondered how by the time I reached the first 400m marker I would be completely exhausted and must watch all the other kids pass me by and I would always wonder where they got the energy. What I then realized was that the more experienced kids knew when to sprint and when to jog to preserve energy. How I then adopted this strategy was I decided to adopt the sprint period as the things which are essential to the achievement of my goal and the things which were useless as the jog. This way I ensured that all or most of my energy was spent on the things that mattered most and that it wasn’t shared with things that were of no benefit to me.

      4. Focus on the moment

The coach always emphasized to his runners how crucial it was for them to not get overwhelmed by the event or the distance. He would always tell them to focus on the moment and not feel pressured to increase their pace but should just go with the flow only without losing sight of the finish line as well. This taught me to understand that at times we tend to lose the plot when we choose to feel as if what we are doing is too small or insignificant. We should rather relax and understand that what we are doing counts as the building blocks to achieving the goal much like how every race is completed through a series of small strides. We should be comfortable with a steady and consistent build up to our goals and not be afraid to start small whilst thinking big.

  

5. Run your own race

Even though these were inter-school competitions the coach would always emphasize how important it was to keep a sharp eye not on your competitors but rather on your own performance. The best way to win the race would be to win it first in your mind where no one else but yourself exists. So, if you have your goal it is very crucial that you achieve your goal in your mind first where no one else but yourself exists. This ensures that whatever you do outwardly is as a result of your inward victory meaning that any obstacle that comes will just be a curve or hurdle which may slow you down but won’t stop you from reaching the finish line

I hope that my lessons from the track field help you in achieving your goals and not running out of energy in the middle of the process. Have a fruitful, productive, positive week ahead of you and don’t forget to THANK GOD ITS MONDAY.