TJisms (just love it)
Stumbling down stairs, sitting down and getting up, walking after sitting for a period of time, in general, those times when my joints feel like rusty hinges I think of something TJ once said to me.
TJ was my son's football coach a few years ago. A guy built like he's been in a weight room or two, he is passionate about at least two things: football and his players. I loved talking to him because I always left the conversation feeling energized. He has a style reminscient of Herm Edwards, the Jets head coach - no wasted words; short, powerful phrases and dramatic pauses, where he looks you in the eyes to make sure you're focused on the conversation.
And I was thinking of him as I hit the road yesterday, my first run since the half marathon. It was a familiar six-mile up and down loop on the streets of the quaint little tourist town I live in. Pleasant enough, but dang, I was sore and stiff.
It was then I remembered picking up my son from his first day of varsity football practice. My son was a tall, skinny 15-year old offensive tackle with little football experience. He was banging heads with 18-year olds, young men whose physical maturity greatly outweighed his. As my son met me at the car, TJ came up and spoke to both of us.
"Your forearms are going to be pretty sore tonight," TJ said to my son. "You can rub them down with some ice, maybe even rub them down with some lotion, that should make them feel better.
"Or," and with this TJ locked eyes with me, "you can just love it."
As I go through this process of trying to become a runner, feel the discomfort of my lungs and heart as I demand more from them, feel my joints, not wanting to bend at first, slowly become more flexible, feel my feet and toes become a little tougher each day, I think of that TJism. I don't embrace the pain every day. I still ice, pop tylenol and put lotion on my feet. I listen to my body for telltale signs of impending injury.
But when I'm climbing a tough hill (hello Hurricane Point), or flirting with the idea of taking a walking break, I go to TJ for my mantra, "just love it."
TJ was my son's football coach a few years ago. A guy built like he's been in a weight room or two, he is passionate about at least two things: football and his players. I loved talking to him because I always left the conversation feeling energized. He has a style reminscient of Herm Edwards, the Jets head coach - no wasted words; short, powerful phrases and dramatic pauses, where he looks you in the eyes to make sure you're focused on the conversation.
And I was thinking of him as I hit the road yesterday, my first run since the half marathon. It was a familiar six-mile up and down loop on the streets of the quaint little tourist town I live in. Pleasant enough, but dang, I was sore and stiff.
It was then I remembered picking up my son from his first day of varsity football practice. My son was a tall, skinny 15-year old offensive tackle with little football experience. He was banging heads with 18-year olds, young men whose physical maturity greatly outweighed his. As my son met me at the car, TJ came up and spoke to both of us.
"Your forearms are going to be pretty sore tonight," TJ said to my son. "You can rub them down with some ice, maybe even rub them down with some lotion, that should make them feel better.
"Or," and with this TJ locked eyes with me, "you can just love it."
As I go through this process of trying to become a runner, feel the discomfort of my lungs and heart as I demand more from them, feel my joints, not wanting to bend at first, slowly become more flexible, feel my feet and toes become a little tougher each day, I think of that TJism. I don't embrace the pain every day. I still ice, pop tylenol and put lotion on my feet. I listen to my body for telltale signs of impending injury.
But when I'm climbing a tough hill (hello Hurricane Point), or flirting with the idea of taking a walking break, I go to TJ for my mantra, "just love it."
posted by dave kellogg at 10:41 AM
1 Comments:
I also ran the 13.1 with you on the 6th and intend to run the April 2006 full marathon....keep up the dedication and know that the more struggle you go through now the less that you will endure on race day.
Mike Dolan
Lompoc Ca
http://tazzscarunning.blogspot.com/
Nov 6th Big Sur Half
Overall position: 343 of 3380 runners
Men's Overall: 284th of 1453 runners
Age group place: 38th of 201
Gun Time : 1:41:12
Chip final time: 1:40:26
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