I'm sure we've all heard the phrase "attitude is everything", and I've never believed this to be more true. Sure, elite athletes have the best coaches, genes, training facilities, means of recovery, etc; but they also possess something that is available to all of us: a supreme confidence in themselves and their training, as well as a happy-go-lucky attitude. They enjoy what they are doing everyday, and completely believe in themselves. Some of them are cocky, yes, but it's good to be cocky-in moderation.
Even if we mortals had all of the resources available to us that the elites to us, we would not see great improvement without happiness with ourselves and acceptance of who we are in the present. If you are not happy with yourself today, you have to make the commitment to be better tomorrow. I'm not saying that you should wake up everyday and think "Oh, I'll start training tomorrow." Theoretically, tomorrow would never come in this scenario. One of my favorite running quotes is "Don't spend your whole life wondering how good of a runner you could be. Become that runner today." So my point is, no matter if you are starting from the ground or a couple rungs up, improvement should always be your goal from the day. There's always something we could do better. Be encouraged by the possibilities, not discouraged by reality. Reality is overrated sometimes.
Believe in yourself and what you are doing. There is no room for second-guessing or negativity. It's just not worth it, especially when you are training and racing. No matter what your goal is, it's imperative that you stick with it. No matter how lofty it is, where there's a will there's a way. Keep that frown upside down, and be cognizant of the benefits of a positive attitude. Racing is so much more fun when you have confidence.
This pep talk has been brought to you by a long wait before class and a thunderstorm...
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