Learn something about yourself.
Posted by Ethan Barron on Friday, April 9th, 2010
Some people say that you learn something new everyday. I’m not sure if that is 100% true, but I think you should strive for it. If not, life gets boring. You lose sight of that when you’re in school getting information crammed down your throat around every corner. Maybe we should do less time trying to force-feed students their education and doing more to make them lifelong learners. If you take care of the first then everything should take care of itself.
This thought comes from two main things. One, it’s 6AM and my brain hasn’t fully warmed up yet. And two, I just posted a new blog on a website partly run by a former Tufts runner. Mike Don helps run the Athletes Honey Milk website. Here’s the post. As a result, I’m excited to learn two new things today.
1. Sometimes our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness. That same drive that pushes a runner to be great can also be the same drive that pushes him over the limit. It’s a fine line between motivated and over-motivated. It’s one that get’s blurred from time to time. I love working with motivated runners, but there are times when it is even more challenging. The concept of “less is more” in training is a tough one to get through. Some people just feel like they need to be doing something hard everyday in order to feel bigger, faster, stronger, more fit.
2. Sometimes it’s important to focus on the positive and not the negative. As I step back and read my post on Athletes Honey Milk, I realize that I focused more on the negative aspect of motivation. I should be happy that our athletes are always looking for the next step to make themselves better. And trust me, I am grateful of that fact. Sometimes coaching seems to be a whirlwind of constantly changing what you’re saying. You could have a conversation with one athlete where they need to work harder and do more. Then immediately turn around and have a conversation with another athlete about doing a little less and resting more.
It definitely keeps the days fresh and interesting though.
Filed in My Approach to Sport |