Multiple times I would ask my coach if I could do it, to which he would blow the question off or just look at me and say something like, “What do you think?”  I kept my goal and watched the course in videos and pictures online.

On the day of the race me and my coach left the hotel and went to the course alone.  He late-registered me and I went on a lonely warm-up.  At the starting line I met a kid named Daniel Rieger. Dan and I talked after a couple strideouts and he shared that he wanted to place top ten.  I told him I wanted to win.

From the gun I had my mind set on 1st.  At the first mile I was in 6th, the second mile I was in 3rd.  Before the final turn I was in 2nd place.  I was drafting off of the 1st place kid, who had led the entire race, and my coach told us both as we passed, “There is a group coming fast, you two need to go now.”  I didn’t wait a second and I took off sprinting as hard as I could with about 600 left.

In those 600 meters, I lost everyone behind me by 10 seconds.  I collapsed at the finish, pupils dilating, unable to see or walk straight, and wondering what the heck had just happened.  Here is the video of my race.

You can see me at 1:05, 2:10, and 3:10.  My finish is embarrassing to watch now, but I know I left it all on the course.

Daniel, the kid who I met and talked to before the race, finished in 2nd place.  You never know what can happen if you run hard.

My coach wrote this paragraph about me on the team website:

Without question, the best performance was turned in by none other than JAKE TAYLOR- also one of the best, guttiest, and awesome displays of cross country running that I have ever seen. Several times throughout the race Jake could have packed it in and settled for 4th or 3rd or even 2nd, but he had set a goal for himself and he refused to settle for anything less than what he had set out to do. On paper there is no way Jake Taylor should have won that race! So much for paper. 16.34!!!! UNBELIEVABLE! What a performance and what a race to watch and learn something from. I talked to both varsity teams about Jake’s performance before their races and how never quitting and never giving up are are traits of Mountain View XC racers. Jake went out and proved it on race day! Not bad; one entry- one victory.

The proudest moment of my XC career so far has been the moment he came up to me after the race.  I had PR’d by 54 seconds, set a new standard for the team (which they broke when it was their turn to race later that day), and had given it my all.

If you skip to 4:18 in the video and listen closely you can hear my coach yelling my name, the best moment of my xc season.

Success in running doesn’t come from accidents, runners who hold world records, state titles, or get their goal times in a fun run all have worked hard to achieve what they have achieved.

This year MVHSXC’s team slogan is “You GET what you GIVE.”  It rings true to almost any sport, the more curious you remain and the more you pour your heart and dedicate your mind to something, the more you will get out of it.

My goals are high this high school season, I will dedicate myself to running and my team.  Set a goal and put your heart into it.

The wall is the point in a marathon around miles 18-20 when your body runs out of Glycogen, the compound we use as a basic fuel for our bodies.  Most people contain 20 ‘miles’ of Glycogen in their bodies, even the most fit people, and when they run out their bodies must turn to other things for fuel.

When running the marathon earlier today, my mind was the only thing that kept me going.  But alas, during the last mile of the marathon tears streamed down my face as I felt physically, and mentally beaten.

Reading up of marathon training I found Breaking Through the Wall.  My favorite passage from the article was this:

When a person first starts training, there’s more physical than mental effort required. As we push ourselves harder, as we make the decision to test our own personal limits, that mental line - the mental effort necessary to accomplish our goals - increases faster than the physical line.

Nearly every post on this blog mentions the importance of mental training in running.  Work it into your races and runs.  Push yourself beyond your limit.  Never say that you cannot do something, because impossible is nothing.

This marathon was one of the best things I have ever done, push yourself in whatever sport you do and Remain Curious always.

During the cross country season I had run 6 days a week consistently and did speed workouts, easy days, and honestly just whatever the coach said.  The week of the half-marathon I didn’t do squat.  Laziness and over-confidence kept me from performing at my best and it hurt at the finish line. (see picture)

When signing up for a road race, don’t forget that this is a race like any other.  Race to get a new PR, or to meet a goal of your own.  Remember to train for the race you are running; when I trained for the Zeitgeist Half Marathon I ran under thirty minutes for a week… not something I would recommend.

Training for a long race, or a fast race is hard work.  Here is a quote from Sir Roger Bannister fitting for this:

“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”

I would just like to change the word ‘win’ to ‘meet goals’.  Running is not about winning all the time, but it is about self-improvement.

If you have never run a race unattached, take some initiative and sign up for one!  Find a fun run or a race for a cause you support, you will enjoy it (with the proper training).

The Race

By Dee H. Groberg

“Quit! Give up! You’re beaten!”
They shout at me, and plead
“There’s just too much against you now.
This time you can’t succeed.”
And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure’s face
My downward fall is broken by
The memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene
For, just the thought of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.

A children’s race, young boys, young men
Now, I remember well,
Excitement, sure! But also fear,
It wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope
Each thought to win that race,
Or, tie for first, if not that,
At least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side
Each cheering for his son.
And each boy hoped to show his dad,
that he would be the one.

The whistle blew, and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire
To win, to be the hero there
Was each young boy’s desire.

And one boy in particular,
Whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running near the head and thought:
“My dad will be so proud!”

But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip
The little boy who thought to win,
Lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself,
His hands flew out to brace
And ‘mid the laughter of the crowd
He fell flat on his face.

So, down he fell, and with him hope
- he couldn’t win it now -
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.

But, as he fell, his dad stood up,
And showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said:
“Get up and win the race.”

He quickly rose, no damage done,
- behind a bit, that’s all -
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.

So, anxious to restore himself
- to catch up and to win -
His mind went faster than his legs;
He slipped and fell again!

He wished, then, he had quit before
With only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now;
I shouldn’t try to race.

But, in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father’s face.
That steady look that said again!
“Get up and win the race.”

So, up he jumped, to try again
- ten yards behind the last -
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought
‘I’ve got to move real fast.”

Exceeding everything he had
He gained back eight or ten,
But trying so, to catch the lead,
He slipped and fell again!

Defeat! He lay there silently
- a tear dropped from his eye -
“There is no sense in running more;
Three strikes, I’m out, why try?”

The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away
So far behind; so error prone
A loser all the way.

“I’ve lost, so what’s the use,” he thought
“I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But, then he thought about his dad,
Who, soon, he’d have to face.

“Get up!” an echo sounded low,
“Get up, and take your place
You were not meant for failure here,
Get up, and win the race.”

With borrowed will, “Get up,” it said
“You haven’t lost at all.
For winning is no more than this;
To rise each time you fall.”

So, up he rose to run once more,
And with a new commit
He resolved that win, or lose,
At least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now
- the most he’d ever been -
Still, he gave it all he had,
And ran as though to win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling.
Three times he’d rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner,
As he crossed the line first place,
Head high, and proud, and happy.
No falling, no disgrace.

But, when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer
For finishing the race.

Even though he came in last.
With head bowed head low, unproud,
You would have thought he won the race
To listen to the crowd.

And to his dad, he sadly said,
“I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won!” his father said,
“You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and hard,
And difficult to face.
The memory of that little boy
Helps me to win my race.

For all of life is like that race
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win,
Is rise each time you fall.

• Get at least nine hours of sleep two nights in a row! Two good nights rest makes quite a difference versus one night of rest.
• Eat healthy the day before.  Have complex carbohydrates for dinner, and stay away from soft drinks.
• Go on an easy run.  It doesn’t have to be long or hard, 30 minutes will be just fine.
• Plan out your race!  Planning your race the day before means it will be fresh in your mind.  Think about the plan as you lay in bed.  Think about it when you wake up the day of, and then stick to it during the race.
• Start hydrating a little extra.  If you hydrate a little bit extra the day before, you know you will have plenty of water starting off on the day of the event.
• Pack a ‘race pack’.  Having everything you need in a pack that you can grab is nifty.  If something comes up and you need to be ready in 20 minutes, have no fear!  You already packed a bag with your spikes, socks, race clothes, water, and a snack.  Throwing in your ‘lucky’ items would be a good idea too, because then you will be sure to have them if they are a must.

Whitney M. Young Jr said it best:

“It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”

This article on two-a-days goes through the benefits of running twice and when you should start your new training.

My personal opinion is that it can’t hurt to run twice a day, but if you are on low mileage maybe only run two-a-days on 2-3 days of the week.

Part of training is building muscles and stamina, but an equally important part is building mental toughness. Mental toughness will allow you to train harder and to race faster. Here are some questions to determine how mentally tough you are:

Do you always have enough energy left at the end of the race for a really strong kick–stronger than those around you? It could be that you will always have enough energy to do a fast sprint at the end. However, I believe that if you normally have that much energy, you could probably run faster for the rest of the race and get a better overall time. I certainly believe this is the case if you are always passing people at the end of the race. If this happens, try a different strategy. Go out a bit faster and pass people at the beginning. Find someone who is normally faster than you and stick with them. You may surprise yourself. If you have a weak kick at the end, at least you know you’ve left it all on the course.

When you go running on your own, do you find yourself running more or less than the goal you set out with? Running on your own can be mentally demanding. There is no one to distract you. There is no one with whom you can compete–only yourself. Usually you’ll have a goal of how long or far you want to run. Meet that goal! If you can, go a little further. Sometimes I will force myself to run a certain distance by heading in a straight line away from my house and not turning around until I’ve completed half of my goal. If I’m tired on the way back, I have to learn to face my doubts and negative thoughts and go all the way, after all, there is no short cut.

Have you developed ways to eliminate negative thoughts? Many runners allow negative thoughts to destroy them. This is evident when a “good” runner has a terrible race. A truly good runner can run well even when he or she doesn’t feel well. One way I maintain positive thoughts is by singing positive songs in my mind. Another good way I’ve maintained positive thoughts is by designating points on the course that are mine. For instance, for one race I found a turn out of which I decided I would accelerate. During the race, we hit that point and since I knew it was my turn, I gained an advantage over my opponent. A final way to find positive thoughts is to watch inspirational movies. Two that I recommend are Gattica and Rudy, but try to find your own.

Do you slow down when someone passes you? One strategy I use during races is to speed up when I’m passing. It can really destroy the mind of your opponent. But don’t get on the wrong side of that tactic! Know your strategy and stick to it. If someone passes you unexpectedly, either speed up or maintain your speed, but don’t slow down.

Do you find yourself looking back at the end of a race? Believe me, I’ve looked back and I know exactly what it means: “I don’t want to go any faster and I won’t go any faster unless someone is going to pass me.” Boston knew what they were talking about–don’t look back! Leave everything on the course. Don’t be lazy. Go as fast as you can so that the person that might be behind you gives up.

The Tour de France is in full swing. Michael Barry, a professional cyclist, wrote in a New York Times piece that:

Everybody in the Tour de France will suffer; the winner will probably be the one who is prepared to suffer the most.

The same is true for distance racing. Don’t think that it’s just a runner’s stamina that got him/her first place; it was also his/her mind.

• To stretch more successfully, go on a 5-10 minute easy warm up.  This causes the muscles to literally warm up, making them easier to stretch.
• When you stretch, you should go to the furthest that you can without overextending the muscle.  Hold that position for 20-60 seconds.
• Stretch both sides of the body the same amount, not doing so can hurt your form and cause injuries that you are trying to prevent.
• Do NOT bounce when stretching.  This often causes overextending of the muscle and can cause injury.

If you currently have poor flexibility, don’t worry!  Adding stretches to your running routine makes you a more flexible person over time.

Stretching after your workout is another important thing to do.  After a workout your muscles are warmest.  They will take the stretches easier and it will feel great!  Post-workout stretching reduces soreness later.

Add stretching to your routine.  Some great stretches for runners can be found on this webpage.

Stretch you Curious Runners.

Nick Symmonds shot past competition to take first in the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials at Eugene,

Oregon.  Symmonds ran the 800 in a time of 1:44.10, the second fastest 800 time ever run in the United States.

“It’s one thing to say that I have the potential to do it. It’s another thing to do it on the night everyone else is trying to.”

-Nick Symmonds

Something I admire about Nick is that he knows you cannot truly win unless you have to compete.  I have known many runners who win races but do not run their hardest.  They don’t set personal bests, they don’t feel tired after the race, but they get first place and are satisfied.

Run your hardest every race, don’t settle for what you know you can do.  Remain curious.