“If you think time goes by fast, try running a marathon.”
Undoubtedly, the best sign I have ever read while racing a marathon.
At 4am I awoke from a deep slumber to an ever growing list of realistically unrealistic expectations, yet there I found myself without the necessary time in the day to complete all of the days tasks, so I did what most people do and I picked up my phone and checked my Instagram. While scrolling through the endless Seinfeld memes and Farside comics my mind drifted back to the list of tasks. So much to do, yet so little time.
Just yesterday, or so it seems, we were running into the middle of the street in Reno, Nevada to take this photo.
Following my IG fix, I began sifting through a dose of light research on the perspective of time. The “speed of time” theories abound, from the Holiday Paradox and Forward Telescoping, to the Proportional Theory and, interestingly, the Body Temperature Theory. Theories aside, the stress remained: How am I going to get my first core group of freshman (Whisper runners) to college? Hardly fair to bear the responsibility alone, yet there I lie, now in a sweat, knowing these kids must do what I needed to do right then and there – get shit done!
Just 30 months ago, sweet Kiley was in the 7th grade and together we prepared her for running at the high school level. Now to the present date and sticking to the Proportional Theory of time, she is three years away from high school graduation, which means the ratio of time we have before college is brief, and together, we must get shit done if she has a shot to compete at the next level.
Kiley is not alone in this approach. My role, as I have welcomed, is to prepare middle school runners for high school running, and high school runners for college running. Realistically, I do not expect all of my Whispers runners to run at the next level, whatever level that may be, but if they desire to do so, then I desire to help them achieve that goal.
To say “Winter Training is going to be loaded with a foundational curriculum and miles of trials and intervals” would be a major understatement. Whisper is a team. An organic, fun, genuine, hardworking team. Though the time will go fast, our moments together will be impactful and savored.
Final note: the person holding that sign was a teenager.