Surround Yourself With Good People

View from the Woodland Park High School Track at 8,500ft. that has Pikes Peak (14,108ft.) as a spectator every day! 

This past week I began a three week altitude training camp in Colorado.  I will be staying with Dr. Jay Kinsman, who is the team doctor for the American Distance Project, where he resides in Woodland Park, CO, at an elevation of 8,500 feet.  I will be doing a large part of my training in Colorado Springs, CO, (6,000ft. elevation) and Pueblo, CO (4,700ft. elevation).  Many professional distance athletes choose to train in Flagstaff, Arizona, at this time of year, but I feel that Colorado meets my altitude needs in an even better way as I can travel from 8,500ft. to 4,700ft. in a 1 hour drive right down the interstate with track access at virtually any elevation in between.  This is my fourth trip to Colorado for altitude training, and I am focusing solely on letting the thin air prepare me for my first outdoor track race of this 2015 season (and beyond)—a 5k on the track at Stanford University on Saturday May 2.

Dr. Kinsman has two children, Audrey (a 7^th grader) and Colin (a 9^th grader), who both run track.  I had the privilege of speaking to Audrey’s middle school team and Colin’s high school team this past week in Woodland Park.  Even though Knoxville Youth Athletics doesn't have any programs at this time, I am still often times presented with opportunities to connect with youth wherever I go!  Audrey had around 50 athletes on her team and Colin had approximately 40 on his team.  The main focus of my talk to the middle school team was having fun and learning how to compete and set goals for yourself.  The main focus of my talk to the high school team had three parts: how to take care of your body, how to prepare your mind, and to always surround yourself with good people.  As I spent time with each of these teams and reflected prior to and after each talk I gave, I could not help but think about how truly important it is to surround yourself with good people who love and support and invest time in your life.

I was humbled to the core as I thought about all the people on my own support team who have sacrificed an immense amount of time and energy on my behalf.  The more I thought about it, many people on the outside looking in may think that these individuals help me because I am fast or because I am an athlete seeking an Olympic berth.  But truth be told, these people have invested in my life because they want me to be the best person I can be, and they are dedicated to the process of my development as an athlete as a result of this fact.  I challenged the athletes on the Woodland Park middle school and high school teams to find people who care about them and love them for who they are and the rest will take care of itself because the time you spend with these people will be maximized to the fullest and you will be constantly taking positive steps towards your goals in life—on and off the track.

          I am thankful for the support system I have and get overwhelmed as I think about all those who have had a part in helping me become the person I have become today.  God is good, and I know that my relationship with Him has been the catalyst for forming these relationships and in having the indescribable opportunities I have been given through the sport of track and field. So I leave you all with HAPPY EASTER! And remember to thank someone today who has invested time in your life and helped you become who you are today!