It's Motivation

Last year when Mike and I went to Iowa for the US Championships, we sat in the car for almost and hour talking about his coaching style and how uninspired I felt as an athlete. I started feeling like getting by was just good enough and nothing more was really expected of me. I guess that had a little something to do with why my season started to go down hill before it ever reached its peaked. I know people say you've got to challenge yourself and compete for yourself, but that doesn't work for everybody. I need to be pushed; I need to feel like I have something to prove, otherwise I'm just getting by. I mean, last year was crazy; I was getting more media coverage than the whole track team had seen since we had athletes go to the Olympics and it all really started to take a toll on me, which is why the conversation in the car started anyways--I wasn't feeling the pressure anymore. Well, since then, Mike has gotten a little better with trying to motivate me and get under my skin a little bit and I hope that when the season comes he really unleashes the beast. Today in the weight room, while I was working out, he said something that kind of pissed me off, which is why I came home to write this blog entry in the first place, but now I cant even remember what he said--must not have been that bad. But, aside from me, I want my entire team to be motivated. Individual awards are great, but before I leave NSU, which is this year, I want to know what it feels like to take a victory lap as a team and hold one finger in the sky proudly. I guess it's about motivation though, some have, some don't. I'm starting to find it within myself and I'm hoping I can help my teammates find it too. When I leave NSU, I'm going to leave a legacy--there's no doubt about that, but I want to leave more than just my name in the record books. I want to be the fuel that sparks a fire of greatness. I want athletes to show up at the big meets and be inspired to be greater than they have before. I haven't figured out how I'm going to do it, but it will be done. Who knows? This blog might be the match.