Training

 TRAINING in track and field: Meditation in motion

    I had the most blessed opportunity to be on the track yesterday morning at 7 am with my athletes. The above photo was the view of the track before the sun rose all the way up and started to heat the day. For my young athletes, morning training was definitely a new experience. They have been used to working out late in the day and finishing the day off with a workout. Of course, I had to coach them about what happens in the morning as opposed to the afternoon and evening. I know because I have done both. Waking up, getting moving, and understanding how your body reacts so early are all factors that I needed to teach them. Of course, there was a certain excitement in the air for them to be running at sunrise. I felt it too. I wanted to workout. It reminded me of those times I used to workout at the track in the morning. 

    There is a lot to say about training, and it is difficult to know where to start, but I would say the thing that comes to mind first is that athletes often must do things out of the ordinary to get their training in. it was that way for me when i was coming up in track and field, and it is still that way for me now. I constantly have to adjust to make sure I can train. It is not that easy to always make adjustments either. I believe you see the mental strength of athletes with those who can commit to doing what they love to do, in spite of less than idea conditions. We train in spite of pain, lack of sleep, busy schedules, and the list goes on. My athletes are the same way. They come out and train while many of their peers are doing other things. 

In martial arts I have seen a saying that says (in summary) no matter what is happening, just train and it will make things better. I kind of believe that. Whether it is track and field, basketball, martial arts, or whatever else. Just train and it makes a difference. Seeing young people train is such a phenomenal experience because you see this process of discovery. They learn what they themselves can do. They learn their limits, and push beyond their limits. If a coach is good, he or she will train in them in such a way that they will do it safely and become a better person overall, no matter what the situation is. 

In martial arts, I have been taught that an instructor (or coach) should not as their students or athletes to do what they themselves are not willing to do. Obviously there are physical limitations to what a person can do as he or she ages, but I train myself to try to do as much as possible of what my athletes do, particularly in strength and conditioning. I think its kind of like sharing the mat with your martial arts students. They see you leading the way by example. None of them expect you to be 19 again, but to see an experienced athlete/warrior training along side them, explaining from experience and teaching, there is nothing that replaces that. 

    I would like to say I train every day, but I do train as much as I can so I can do what I love and lead by example. This is true in both martial arts and track and field. Training, for me, is a way of life. its not necessarily about a specific goal, although goals are helpful to motivate and guide. It is a process and a way of life. For track and field this may sound a bit strange, but in martial arts this reference is fairly common. But, if you talk to runners, running is a way of life for them. I think for anyone who is dedicated to their craft, their discipline, then it is a way of life anyway. Whether it is jumping, throwing, hurdling, or whatever else. When you see that with someone, training is no longer training, it is more than just training. Mornings like yesterday day morning, while challenging to wake up and drive an hour, are a type of meditation in motion that cannot be described or replaced, it just has to be experienced.