A Matter of Heart

It is almost 5:00 am and as I sit sipping my French Roast with a dash of half and half, the rain is coming down in the darkness that awaits me. I have not had the best of sleep over the past two nights due to the fact that my dad is in the hospital for the second time in less than six months due to his heart. Having an uncle you had a massive heart attack at 51 and my grandpa die of a heart attack at 51 and my dad in his early 60's in the hospital with a heart episode, knowing that he is going to have to make some drastic life changes, is a little unnerving.

As a coach, the number one attribute that I look for in athletes is heart. The number one thing that I hope that my teammates and my two coaches can say about me, is that I had heart. I love this sport and I love to compete. I was never the best, but better than most. If it is raining and cold, so be it. If it is over 100 and I need to wake at 4:30 in the morning to run, so be it. Nothing is more disappointing than when you coach an athlete and they give you a million excuses why they can't practice or compete. I know running is not everyone's cup of tea, and quite honestly, if you don't like this sport, it is really miserable. However, when you fall in love with it, you just can't get enough.

One athlete that I coach, Lupe, is the epitome of "heart." Although Lupe is not my most talented runner and barely made our top five, he never finished a race where he did not cross the line exhausted and spent. On several occasions, Lupe would apologize after a close, hard fought race for not placing higher or running faster. (Never mind that he just ran a pr or passed an opposing team's runner to secure the win.) Each time I would put my arm around his shoulder and tell him, "Lupe, you gave me everything you had out there. No coach could ask for more than that from his athletes."

I believe I developed this whole notion of "heart" from my dad. Throughout his whole adult life he has worked very hard, often 14-16 hours a day as an ag mechanic. My dad is a firm believer if you are going to do something, you should do it right. More importantly, he did it mainly so that my siblings and myself could experience a different type of life than what he has. If there has ever been anyone who encouraged me to stay at this crazy running life, it is my dad. If there was someone who encouraged me to do it right, it was my dad. So even though his physical heart is starting to get a little worn out, I know that his true heart is still just as strong as ever.

I'm going to head out the door now. Today, more than ever I need to run. It is who I am. A runner. It's a matter of the heart.