I just read the most amazing story about a man named Johnny Twomey, he was a runner many years ago. A slight man at five feet three and a half inches tall, weighing only one hundred and sixteen pounds he was usually not the most imposing figure on the track to say the least, in fact it was said he often was the victim of accidental elbow from the much taller runners he competed against.
What was just as unusual as his size, was his larger than life will to win. In fact during a two mile race on a board track, one of his shoes came flying off with twenty two laps left to go. Rather than stop, or quit the race Twomey continued running on a surface that was essentially covered with splinters. Not only did he endure the pain and complete the race earning the name “the flying splinter”, he nearly won it, just being edged out in the final lap.
How many times have we “lost a shoe” in our day to day lives? From family, to work, to training how “many laps” are we willing to race through adversity and pain to get to our goals?
The more goals I accomplish, the more I understand that standing in the winners circle is not as rewarding as the process that got me there, as the relationships that were forged, the work, and sacrifice given daily, and the satisfaction of seeing even the smallest improvements that come with unyielding effort and dedication.
So who cares if your outfit is right, if you think you are too old to start, even if you are missing a shoe….your race is going on right now. Get in there and start sprinting!
-Joshua Page, http://www.hickorymartialarts.com
