GIVE EVERYTHING YOU GOT
AND YOU'LL NEVER BE RUNNING ON EMPTY
It’s been a whirlwind couple of months. From late Summer and dropping kids off at their dorms and apartments all over the east coast to rocking out with 80,000 people to the brothers Gallagher of Oasis at Metlife Stadium to getting COVID to having my seven year plus running streak broken to traveling to Portugal for an event to cheering on badasses at the Berlin Marathon and the Portland Marathon and the Chicago Marathon and the Big East XC Championships, and the New York City Marathon and then doing a series of events at Fleet Feet Winston Salem and then heading to the NCAA XC Championships in Columbia, Missouri. I also snuck in a drive across the country in there with Coach Bennett the Greater and our two dogs.
I’m tired. I’m inspired. I’m grateful. Did I mention I’m tired? And I’m motivated. It’s one of those odd things about coaching and sports and starting lines and sidelines. You can give an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny bit of yourself towards something you’re not really passionate about and feel empty afterwards. And then you can give everything you’ve got… you can pour it all out to something you love and care about and end up feeling totally filled up inside. Like every crack and divot and hole you have inside you has been repaired and strengthened by simply giving wholly of yourself to something or some people that matter to you.
That’s close to how I’m feeling right now. Filled up. Granted, this feeling could be a result of not needing to travel anytime soon for the first time since early August or the fact that the cough I’ve had for over two months seems to finally be gone. (Thank you science and medicine and doctors and nurses.) But I think it’s because of all of you. I believe it’s because of this sport. It’s because you give me hope. And it’s because you remind me that there is beauty and courage and kindness and joy when I start to get overwhelmed by a world that wants so many of us to believe that there’s only ugliness and cowardice and cruelty and despair. Well, there are those things for sure. And knowing that is essential. But seeing and be a part of and not apart from all that good stuff you all create and share means I have the fuel to get back to another starting line in a world that’s always in the midst of breaking and putting itself back together again.
Ahh, those starting lines. That’s where all of you are. That’s where we meet up. That’s where we help each other cross those lines to start, start over or start again. And it’s not just a run on the other side of that line. It’s a first day of high school or it’s the last exam before earning that graduate degree. It’s a new job or a new song or new page in a journal. It’s another attempt to repair a relationship worth saving or it’s a fresh start after leaving a bad relationship that’s best left behind.
Those starting lines are where we need help from each other. That means it’s also where we get to help each other. Yeah, I said get to help each other. It’s a stone cold gift to be able to help someone else. It’s not an obligation. It’s not a requirement. It’s not your job to help someone else. It’s a gift you’ve been given. You get to help people. And when you do you prove that you have purpose. You have evidence that you matter. There is real living testimony to the need for you to be here and be here now. I hope it feels good to know that. It should. You are needed. Soak that truth up.
And don’t get me wrong. Just because its a gift to get to help that does not mean I’m saying that helping is easy. Help is a verb first. And that means it’s an action. And action takes effort. And effort takes strength. So, you’re going to need to power that help you’re giving. That’s the deal. You’re going to be tired. You’ll fatigue. You may even be exhausted. But one thing you won’t be is empty.
WHY MILE 22?
The video above is a compilation of moments from Mile 22 during the NYC Marathon.
When I coached high school cross country I made sure to go to the quietest parts of the course. Why? Well, they were the quietest parts of the course! That’s where my athletes could hear me. And more importantly those quiet parts were where no one was cheering or supporting or watching the runners. And that’s when things can get wonky fast. It’s easier to quit when you are alone. It’s easier to back off when no one else is around. It’s easier to give up on yourself when no one is supporting you. So, I made sure that I was there. I tell you this because I’ve been asked a lot lately why I show up where I do during road races. Why don’t I show up at the big cheer stations or at the famous cross street or by the legendary hill. Now you know. I’m not needed there. I’m needed somewhere else.
That’s why I was at Mile 22 at Berlin, Chicago and NYC. That’s why you’ll find me on the rolling hills after the Bowl at Holmdel Park. You can spot me on the back section of the XC course at Nike Cross Nationals. I’ll be in the middle of the second turn at Hayward Field. You can see me after you cross the bridge at Van Cortland Park to head into the backwoods and again before you cross the bridge on your way to the last 1200 meters. I’ll be where it’s quiet on the outside and loud as hell inside that runners. head. I rarely if ever get to see the finish of a race. That’s okay. That’s not where I need to be. But it’s where you need to go. There’s a whole bunch of people waiting for you there. Waiting to cheer for you.
The video above was taken by a runner during the Chicago Marathon. By the way, she finished the marathon like a rock star. The moment was then shared nationally by NBC Nightly News. in a segment called “There’s Good News Tonight”. You can watch that below.
NCAA XC RULES
NCAA XC gets mentioned time and time again by the pro runners I get to talk to as one of the toughest races if not the toughest race that they ever ran. It’s brutal and honest and relentless. According to them that is. I was never fast enough to run in the race. Today I got to be there in Columbia, Missouri to watch it though. And it was epic. Massive crowds. Insane fields. Every one of these collegiate athletes should be so proud of themselves. This sport is awesome. XC RULES!
Check out the crowds watching the end of the Men’s above and the start of the women’s race below. If you’ve never been to a championship XC meet you are missing out.
NEW COACH BENNETT PODCASTS FOR YOU TO ENJOY
Thank you for reading Coach Bennett’s Newsletter. And thank you for letting me be a small part of your (running) journey. I hope you all know just how grateful I am to be a part of this sport and a part of this community. Special thanks to everyone subscribing to the newsletter and extra special thanks to those of you that have chosen to be paid subscribers. I appreciate the support. 👊
Meet you on the next starting line!
Cheers,
Coach Bennett
Coach- Thank you. Thank you for that post today and thank you for the posts before today and all the guided runs you've helped me through. Heading to Death Valley in less than two weeks for the Death Valley Marathon. This will be the third marathon you've helped me train for and today, at age almost 48, I feel the strongest I ever felt. I'm ready to look mile 22 in the eye and wink. I'm ready to look mile 26 in both eyes and blink. And, I am ready to look at that last .2/mile and hopefully smile. Thank you.
Coach B. Thank you for all the inspiration and wisdom u gave us and all the wisdom words