Do You Give Your All?

Growing up I participated in a lot of competitive sports.  I played softball, basketball, track, cross country, and was a cheerleader.  Those sports had their competitive side… but the only sport that was truly independently competitive was track and cross country.  It was you against the other runners in the pack.  There was a team… but the end results, the final time was all dependent upon you the runner.

I have a very vivid memory from one of my freshman year cross country meets.  I watched as one of the amazing, state qualifying seniors flew in to the shoot at the finish line.  She won the race.  I was super proud of her.  Yet, as she crossed the finish line she collapsed and couldn’t walk.  She had to be supported by our coach and her parents.  A few steps beyond the shoot she threw up.  Cereal.

Why do I have this memory?  Well, shorty after the meet our coach gathered us together and commented on Jennifer’s valiant effort.  He commented and praised her for giving her all.  She gave 100% effort on that race.  He was proud of her.

Do you give 100% of your efforts each and every time you workout?

As a young, impressionable 14 year old girl… I didn’t know what to take home from that inspirational speech from our coach.  I was inspired by her time and commitment to the sport.  But I was conflicted by the final result of her giving her all, 100%.  Does giving you all always look like that?

I was motivated and a good runner.  I did want to win races.  I do still to this day.  Yet I have never won a race.  But still my take home lesson from that day was not to push hard and to win races.

My thought was… Wow… If that is what giving your all looks like. I am not sure I ever want to give my all.

I don’t want to throw up.  I don’t want to appear weak.  Prideful? Maybe.  Naive? Perhaps.  Unmotivated or lack of drive. Not sure

What I do know now, almost 20 years later is that I still do not give my 100%.  I play it safe.  I do the bare minimum.  I challenge myself,  but when it gets too hard, I back off.  I lack the competitive edge needed to push myself beyond that wall.

Even in racing.  I run a comfortable race at a challenging pace.  I will even sprint towards the finish if I have extra left in the tank.  However, according to all my track and cross country coaches through the years… one should not have a lot extra in their tank at the end of the race.  A runner should leave it all out on the track.  Which I can honestly say that I have never done.  I do not want to bonk so hard that I can’t finish the race.

As I ran my 12 miles a few weekends ago, I paused to think about my training and my goals.  Am I barely cruising by with my training plan?  Am I doing the bare minimum needed to reach my goal of a pre-kid personal best?  Am I capable of doing more? Running faster? Running further?

Do I need to give more to achieve and receive more?

All sorts of questions began floating through my head.  Should I challenge myself to give 100%?  My all.  To see what I am truly capable of?  Tempting. But not sure this girl is competitive enough.

Do you give your all?  What does your 100% look like?