Selfishness

I was thinking on the run this morning. I do that on occassion. It's how I role.

What I was thinking about midway through the run -- and consequently mid way through the series of hills we were taking on -- was how easy it would be to give in to the discomfort and pain. How very simple it would be to just slow down and make it all go away...

By mile 5, most of the runners I could see were singletons, the groupings that formed early had evaporated like fog in sun. Hills have a way of doing that.

So there in mid-hill, alone, I'm sure the temptation to slow down and take an easier pace to the peak must have tempted some of you. Right?

Well my next thought went to the team, and it dawned on me that in a team sport like ours, every mile run well, helps the team. Every mile run too slowly hurts the team. It's easy in the midst of a workout where you might be splintered from a group to get selfish and think only of how much you hurt, how much "faster" everyone else is and order up some cupcakes with extra frosting for the little pity party you're holding in your mind.

"Cross country is an individual sport" say the uneducated. Far from it, yet in the midst of training (and suffering) we can convince ourselves that the pathetic pace we're holding, or the bail we just took on the longer route, will only affect ourselves.

It will ... but it will also affect your team.

How? Because your failure to improve makes us less competitive. Because your cutting a workout short may "convince" someone else to go with you. Now we're two people down. On the reverse, when you run hard, you inspire others to do so as well. We get better as you get better.

Selfishness. It's tempting, it's even celebrated in our culture. It's also the worst thing for a team.

As the days stretch out into weeks, I challenge you to conquer your selfishness.