"TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More" - Unknown

I have been doing this for a while now and as with many people who focus on one thing or another for very long, I have started to notice trends. One recent observation is that runners, especially varsity runners, always seem to get sick on this particular week of the season from year to year. I am not sure if it is stress related or some sort of incubation period of a nasty germ they pick up when school starts, but it is an interesting phenomenon. Today at practice, as I surveyed the symptoms of the many coughers and sniffers, I got to thinking about other trends. When forced to stop and contemplate it for a few minutes, one popped out at me pretty quick: the tendency to want to emulate the successful even when it does not fit our style.

I don't think it really matters who you are; I think it applies to most of us. We see someone do something that we also do (or attempt to), only they do it really well. Let's just say we're talking about running for the sake of argument. You watch a marathoner on TV run a new world-record time and you are naturally impressed. You are so impressed that you start to research this person to find out how he did it. You read articles about his nutrition and training. You read the book his coach wrote. You watch interviews about how he runs a million miles a week. All of this leads you to the familiar conclusion that if you are ever going to be that good, then you have got to do what he did. And that would be perfectly logical right?

WRONG!!

That man is a runner first, human second. He eats the way he eats because some scientist told him it works best with his blood chemistry and digestive system. He runs all those miles because his body responds well to the callousing that a million miles a week brings. It all works...for him, not you. Why, because you're not him, and it is as simple as that. In order for you to be that good (if you are physically able) you need to find your own scientists, doctors, and master coach. Then you have to spend years trying and failing with different strategies that are designed specifically for you. By now you're asking why I'm telling you all of this. What could this rant possibly have to do with me? Well the funny thing about this trend I have noticed is that is doesn't seem to just apply to individuals, it applies to whole teams too.

Last year we had a tremendous amount of success running in a style that can only be described as cavalier or even supercilious at times. The runners that departed from that team took with them that particular style of running. In the early going this season I have seen runners attempt to emulate this style of racing, though it does not mesh with their training or personal history. At Bob Firman, I saw almost my entire varsity team try this brash and overly confident approach though they were warned against it. But with every failure comes learning and we mustn't miss the lesson here.

This year's team is not last year's team. There will never be another team like that one again. However, that does not mean that their level of success will go unmatched or unbested. It simply means that there will not be another team that runs and wins in that exact fashion. About six weeks ago, I asked this varsity team to come up with an identity. Just an underlying set of principles that defined them as a team. They never really did that... at least not with words. I watched them train and after watching them try to race the last few weeks, their identity is clear to me now.

As with the past few years, we have some front-running strength. Scott and Riley can rub elbows with the best the country has to offer. But, what is different this year is we have depth. We have a lot of depth on the varsity level and if we use it correctly, we can achieve a lot this season. As some of you realized this week in practice, sometimes you can gain more when you do a little less. In running this principle is called "pack running."

In a pack, runners work together to collectively accomplish a team goal. This can at times require a runner to slow down a little or to speed up a little depending on their ability and confidence level. The pack allows runners to pool their strengths and collectively cover their weaknesses. Packs can do a tremendous amount of damage in terms of scoring when they work together to finish high up in a race. When a team runs as a pack and does it correctly, they are nearly impossible to defeat.

So in short, this team is a unique blend of talents that can achieve a lot of success in the remaining weeks of the season if they work together. They have an identity now and are gaining the confidence that comes with knowing who you are. We still have high goals and we are still committed to out working our opponents. We just have to do it a little smarter and continually remind each other who we are. If you asked me to describe what this team is capable of, I'd say, think of how good El Toro's team would have been last year if they had their normal pack and two Brandon Bethkes running up ahead.