Be Curious -- Day #2 Week #3

 

"I just tried to focus as much as I could on the process. I just tried to slow it down a bit beforehand, then tried to be curious in the race and look for what was going to happen and respond"
Kenneth Rooks

Todays Workout is: 

10 Minutes Warm-up VF; 18x35 seconds (35 Second Recovery jog) FFFF GGF GGF GGFF FGFG; 5 minute Warm Down VF

That code means start your run with a 10 minute warm up run at a VERY FRESH Effort then go immediately into 18 repetitions of 35 second pickups with 35 second recovery jog in between. The effort varies on the pickups. The first 4 are all FRESH. Then 5 and 6 are GOOD, 7 is FRESH, 8 and 9 are GOOD, 10 is FRESH, 11 and 12 are GOOD, 13 and 14 are FRESH, then 15, 16, 17 and 18 alternate FRESH then GOOD. Then a 5 minute warm down. 

That's a lot to keep track of and you might want to write the code on the back of your hand. But I always enjoyed this workout. 

My suggestion is to take Kenneth Rooks advice in the quote above and just be curious today about how you will feel. 

We are in the midst of the Olympic Trials. Today is the end of Day #4. I have enjoyed watching the meet and sharing my 'hot takes' with coaching friends and assorted Raiders who are interested. 

I was especially interested in the remarks of Kenneth Rooks who won the mens Steeplechase Sunday evening. In his post race remarks, he mentioned he approached the race with a sense of curiosity. I found that a fascinating attitude to take in such a high pressure event. 

I began googling Rooks and discovered that he had dealt with a fair amount of disappointment before but he's excellent at bouncing back. It seems to be all related to an strong mindset for challenges. 

His senior year in high school he missed out on competing in the state track meet because of a late season injury, but he still went on to ultimately earn a scholarship to BYU. 

His Mormon mission to Uganda was initially cut short by COVID-19 but he eventually returned to finish it. One of things he learned from that was "it's important to be focused on the positive and doing the best you can. Having that mindset has helped me in my life."

And last year at the US Track and Field Championship meet he fell early in the finals of the Steeplechase but got up to win. When he fell, he felt like quitting but thought "It's really important to choose to keep going. I was able to accomplish a lot more than I thought I would be able to just because I decided to get up and keep going....A lot of times before races, especially when I'm preparing, I remind myself that there is opposition in all things. That is natural. I need to just respond and try and do my best to choose what's good."

Maybe we should approach every workout and every challenge with a similar sense of curiosity like Kenneth Rooks did Sunday evening. It seems to have served him well.