Tori Bowie et al Perk Up the Weekend and Inspire Us All to Have a Great Week
While Justify was winning the Preakness over the weekend, Tori Bowie took the 100 meters. I missed the Preakness but didn't miss Miss Bowie.
NBC Sports broadcast some track and field (the so-called "Addidas Boston Boost") on Sunday. Seeking respite from a bit of a busy and pressured week, it proved a pleasant way to pass a chunk of afternoon. If you like track and field (as I do), it was a treat.
Most track and field athletes don't make mega-millions as do many of their confreres in other professional sports. No spoiled or pampered divas, so there's a level of straight talk and humility when they're interviewed that's rivaled only by hockey players. And while I find the hockey players patter refreshing, they're part of a team; so you've got the "put the team first" logic working. Runners mostly run individually, with the exception of relay races. Still, they manage to avoid sounding self-centered. Again, refreshing.
As for Tori Bowie, she's one of those athletes from some isolated rural part of Mississippi, raised in a big family that had no money. So there wasn't any fancy coaching or high-tech equipment getting her off the dime and on to the world stage. It was all about recognizing her skill and her working incredibly hard. Period. That's refreshing too. If you've never heard of her, that's no surprise. Track and field isn't the most popular of sports; and aside from a select few names like Usain Bolt, most of these athletes pursue perfection in relative anonymity. It doesn't seem to hold them back any.
Watching these athletes percolated two thoughts, the first absurd, the second important.
The first absurd point was a desire to be in that kind of shape. Working out is one thing; getting into that elite shape a whole different ball of wax. Why that thought even crossed my mind, I can't say. It's way beyond my capabilities. But if it serves to motivate me to work extra hard this week during my scheduled work-outs, why complain?
The second, and more serious point: The focus and dedication you find in these folks isn't beyond any of us. When I approach my work, desk-bound though it is, there's no reason not to bring the discipline of these world-class athletes to my laptop. And to do that means eating well, getting a good night's sleep every night, avoiding time-wasting and energy-sucking activities and people. I can do that and so can you.
Not being Tori Bowie, either in background or accomplishment doesn't mean you can't win your own version of the 100 meters this week. Join me and go for it.
NBC Sports broadcast some track and field (the so-called "Addidas Boston Boost") on Sunday. Seeking respite from a bit of a busy and pressured week, it proved a pleasant way to pass a chunk of afternoon. If you like track and field (as I do), it was a treat.
Most track and field athletes don't make mega-millions as do many of their confreres in other professional sports. No spoiled or pampered divas, so there's a level of straight talk and humility when they're interviewed that's rivaled only by hockey players. And while I find the hockey players patter refreshing, they're part of a team; so you've got the "put the team first" logic working. Runners mostly run individually, with the exception of relay races. Still, they manage to avoid sounding self-centered. Again, refreshing.
As for Tori Bowie, she's one of those athletes from some isolated rural part of Mississippi, raised in a big family that had no money. So there wasn't any fancy coaching or high-tech equipment getting her off the dime and on to the world stage. It was all about recognizing her skill and her working incredibly hard. Period. That's refreshing too. If you've never heard of her, that's no surprise. Track and field isn't the most popular of sports; and aside from a select few names like Usain Bolt, most of these athletes pursue perfection in relative anonymity. It doesn't seem to hold them back any.
Watching these athletes percolated two thoughts, the first absurd, the second important.
The first absurd point was a desire to be in that kind of shape. Working out is one thing; getting into that elite shape a whole different ball of wax. Why that thought even crossed my mind, I can't say. It's way beyond my capabilities. But if it serves to motivate me to work extra hard this week during my scheduled work-outs, why complain?
The second, and more serious point: The focus and dedication you find in these folks isn't beyond any of us. When I approach my work, desk-bound though it is, there's no reason not to bring the discipline of these world-class athletes to my laptop. And to do that means eating well, getting a good night's sleep every night, avoiding time-wasting and energy-sucking activities and people. I can do that and so can you.
Not being Tori Bowie, either in background or accomplishment doesn't mean you can't win your own version of the 100 meters this week. Join me and go for it.
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