I have two teammates Bonnie Averbuch and Deanna Culbreath who, on good days, run a lot faster than most. And on bad days, they still run faster than most. In Boston on Monday, both of these stellar athletes had respectable, but sub-par races by their standards. Deanna runs a 1:24xx half while Bonnie has covered the distance in 1:29xx. It’s a common sighting to see the ladies doing 20 mile training runs gabbing with friends and effortlessly running a 7:30 pace. Hard work is a given, and running is second nature to them.
So they have the talent, did all the right things, and then under-performed. Both women learned the hard way how brutal a marathon can be when it isn’t your day. In each race there are two questions my coach asks me at the end. “What went well?” and “What could you have done better?” The races we remember most and draw the most from are the ones that don’t go flawlessly. Beyond the PRs, the great benefit of racing is having each performance add to the memory bank and skill set of future races. More than providing the physical challenge, races are an opportunity to test character and grit. Everything about these two exemplify that they are brave warriors. Furthermore, Bonnie and Deanna are athletes who are much greater than their many athletic accomplishments. Humility and kindness inform their actions. They would never dare tell you how good they are; instead, they cheer you on and make you feel like a superstar. You even start to believe that until you find out what company you are in. Is there anything more delightfully surprising than learning from someone else how talented the person who celebrates you is?
Well, I am the someone else who can guarantee you that my gals will be making the necessary tweaks, and to the competition, I say, “I’m sorry for you.”
*** Deanna trains with CityCoach and is on the team as a multi-sport athlete. She is also a member of the New York Flyers.
Very nicely written, very accurate.
Posted by: joncane | Apr 20, 2011 at 05:24 PM