An old boss of mine once said that he doesn’t hire people that didn’t play team sports before, to that I say, “Running is an individualistic team sport.” The Peachtree Road Race is coming up in a couple of days here in Atlanta and runners from around the world are coming to participate in the relatively small purse based on the hours runners put in to prepare for the race. Some of them it will be the race of their lives. Some of them know they will be out there running with their team trying to help their top runner win the race much like a Nascar race team drafting and pushing each other in the top position.
World's Largest 10k
So what makes these runners travel so far to run in the World’s Largest 10k? Are they doing it for themselves, for their country, or for their team?
There is a perseverance and intestinal fortitude that comes with pushing your body to the limit within your own mind, but do you do it all on your own? What about the people clapping and cheering you on? What about the other runners that you run next to, behind, and pass? Don’t they help you win your own race? It takes 100,000 people to make it the world’s largest 10k with many people running to run their personal 4th of July best. Some are running to run with their friends and family.
Whatever your motivation may be, you know that you aren’t running this race by yourself. You have all the help in the world as you beat your feet one foot at a time, one foot in front of another. Listen to the cheers and look around you as your running family flows you to the finish line.
Happy 4th of July and run like the wind with the crowd to your back and the sounds moving through your ears!