By: Miriam Bretzlaff

I made a goal for the 2023-2024 season to expand my training and racing into multiple disciplines; and I am happy to say that I was successful in doing so. This year I began to take part in several Team Athletic Mentors road, gravel, and cyclocross functions which provided me with enjoyable and interesting experiences. I have predominantly raced MTB cross country (XC) for the past eight years since I started MiSCA and Ore to Shore, and my training and riding has reflected this. XC has always been a ton of fun but I’m really glad I started trying new things, too.

Road:  Before this season, the only road riding I took part in was a few weekly Lucky 13 group rides. The first major road ride I did was during the TAMJD North Carolina training camp with my teammates and friends, which was a 70 mile, almost 6 hour, challenging route with a whole lot of mechanical problems and stops. It was probably the most painful ride I’ve ever done and it was pretty eye opening. During that same week, I participated in the attack on Mt. Mitchell, going 33 miles up a mountain and 33 miles back down. While this was yet another painful experience, the feeling of freedom hitting 50 miles per hour cruising down a closed road with my friends next to me was also such a great experience and a ton of fun. Later in the season, I raced in the Waterford Hills road race series for the first time. I did not perform very well and was almost immediately dropped and lapped by my group. This was a disappointing result but I stuck with it and kept competing in those races until I achieved third place, just behind first and second, in the last race of the series. I also attended a larger-scale crit in Ada where I was able to exercise my new skills. Overall, road racing and riding has become a lot of fun and very enjoyable for me this year and I am excited to continue that career next season.

Gravel:  I’ve done the Barry Roubaix gravel race for a few years now, and I absolutely love it.  There are so many gravel roads by my house and I’ve started doing the majority of my training on them. I also enjoy going on longer endurance rides on gravel with my friends because a lot of the roads connect to really cool destinations, shops, and restaurants which enhance the fun of the rides and give me something to look forward to. My peak race this year was the Cowpie Classic 35 mile where I just had a ton of fun while working really hard, and it paid off in my results. Next year I plan on increasing my mileage while training on gravel with the goal of attending gravel nationals. Gravel is one of my favorite disciplines because it’s beautiful, accessible, and enjoyable.

Cyclocross:
This season I continued to attend TAMJD cyclocross practices, which revealed to me how much I love the discipline. I made an effort to attend several CX races this fall but unfortunately I was unable to make it to any due to a busy schedule. Next season I plan to attend multiple of these races and continue training for them.

XC:
While adding these new dynamics to my training and racing, I did not neglect mountain biking. I competed in plenty of XC races this season. At Tree Farm Relay, the first one of the year, I had an unfortunate crash that put me out of commission for a few weeks. However, I got
right back into it and raced Ore to Shore. I did pretty good in my MiSCA season as well, finishing in top ten overall in a stacked field. I am looking forward to racing Iceman this year as well, and get a little redemption from last year. I love the fast-paced technicality of XC and the features I have the opportunity to face.

I am happy to have extended my interests and activities, and I’m excited to continue training and racing in these new disciplines next year.

The post Learning New Disciplines appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Dawn Hinz

Team Athletic Mentors > Athletic Mentors > Mentors

What is in a name? What does a name mean? What are the core values that drive that name?

Team Athletic Mentors is composed of almost 100 individuals who are determined to achieve two main purposes. Sure, we’re athletic, meaning we value the health benefits of staying fit, healthy and competitive throughout all stages of life. But even more than that, we are there to guide people, not just to be healthy and active but in any way we can support a mentee to grow and succeed in life, especially sharing endurance sports with youth.

We had the privilege of spending a weekend with our Junior Development Triathletes and were able to share a few life lessons with them along the way. 

Our first night was spent preparing for a local triathlon race that would start early the next day. First we met at a local grocery store to return pop cans from our fundraiser. Since sports and life aren’t free, we encourage our young team mates to work to support their goals. Afterwards we traveled to the house we would be sharing for the weekend. The teenagers took turns laying out their race supplies for Coach and discussing their race plans for the next morning. Finally, we shared pizza and cleaned the kitchen before heading to bed. Each teenager was responsible for waking up and being ready to leave on time. Life Lesson #1: Prepping the night before makes the morning easier. 

After arriving at the race site, each young athlete collected their race packet from check in before proceeding to set up in transition for the Shermanator Sprint Triathlon. Coach and Crew were nearby to answer any questions and give words of encouragement to ease the natural pre-race jitters. As other athletes were warming up for the swim it was realized that the timing chip adhesive was not holding. Rapidly, Coach and Crew helped each junior to secure their timing chip.  Life Lesson #2: Work the problem. Life will not always be smooth. One must adapt and problem solve.

Each Athlete had a great race – pushing themselves to their best on that day. Sean was leading out of the swim but was passed by fellow adult teammate, Jeremy, on the bike. Sean kept chasing Jeremy on the run and was able to narrow the gap but was just shy of the win. Still, he walked away with 2nd Overall and a very nervous Jeremy knows that Sean is only getting better. Brie was able to put in a solid performance all around and came away with 1st Overall Female. Kellen was also solid all around and was actually faster than Brie but a tough age group meant he secured 3rd. Not to be outdone, our youngest team member, Kinley, raced the Super Sprint Triathlon, securing 6th Overall and 2nd Overall Female in her race. Most of all, it was noticed that each youth were excellent sportsmen, commending and cheering others while accepting praise with grace. As a celebration our juniors pushed Coach into the lake, the quintessential “ice water over coach’s head” but triathlon style.

After the race was over and equipment packed away, we returned to the house for lunch and quiet time before going out for a shake out ride. This weekend wouldn’t be all work and no play. Our generous hosts, Joe and Chelsey Cekola, took us out for a boat ride and we all took turns tubing. You just can’t beat the smile these kids had! Life Lesson #3: Make time for work and for play. It is not ideal to be one sided.

All this activity definitely worked up an appetite. Next the juniors would be guided through preparing a farm to table dinner. Fresh vegetables washed and seasoned for roasting. Potatoes were peeled and cut to make mashed potatoes. Small batch brats from Coach’s farm were grilled to perfection. The parents joined for this meal and really enjoyed seeing the juniors take on this responsibility. Life Lesson #4: Food takes work. From growing, to preparing, to clean up.

When dinner was cleared and the kitchen clean, we enjoyed watching Track and Field from the Summer Olympics. Future goals were discussed as well as the kind of effort it would take to achieve those goals. Life Lesson #5: One cannot control the outcome only the effort one puts in.

We woke the next morning to a mirror flat lake and a perfect sunrise. We set out to conclude our time together with an epic swim across the lake. Each junior wore an open water swim buoy and was escorted by a safety boat. Coaches also joined them in the water. The water was warm, inviting and clear. It was an excellent day for a swim. Life Lesson #6: Pursue epic accomplishments but do so with regard to one’s own safety.

Finally, it was time to say good-bye. Each junior packed and cleaned their rooms. They carried the used bedding up to the washer before being picked up by their parents. Without prompting they thanked our hosts. Life Lesson #7: Leave a place as good as or better than you found it.

This weekend was full of life lessons, friendship, fun and athletic pursuits. Mentoring was present throughout all the athleticism and that is really what Team Athletic Mentors is all about.

The post Athletic Mentor’s Junior Triathlete Development appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Brie Siems

In what ways does consistent training boost our overall performance?

Having consistency while training for a sport is an important part of improving performance. Regular training helps build a great base for achieving and maintaining excellence. There are many different ways training consistently can help improve your overall performance, whether mentally or physically.

 Repetitive skill development helps increase our performance. When you go to the gym or practice field consistently, you may work on the same skills at every training session. Repetition in training while adding intensity helps to build your ability to perform better and faster every week. Each training builds onto the next. This means that over time if you practice your sport regularly, you will see improvement over weeks and months. Practicing skills reinforces muscle memory and increases your ability to perform your sport more efficiently. Repetition also reduces the risk of injury.

Along with consistency comes routine and discipline. The more you train weekly, a routine starts to take place in the gym and your life. You start to have discipline to get the work done even though it may seem monotonous. By also setting a time away from practice, our bodies create healthy training and recovery habits. Habits make it easier to keep motivation and a positive mindset along with other life obstacles.

The mental mindset also is a factor. Training consistently and intensely helps to strengthen our minds.  The mental toughness and motivation you develop during training helps you in competition. During a race, the good mental habits developed over time can help overcome adversity.

The post Consistency Boosts Overall Performance appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Cate Wittman

Any athlete that has experienced an injury understands how it can be hard to bounce back. Often, you lose a lot of ability due to the rest and recovery process. It’s normal to feel like things are out of your control and there’s nothing you can do about it, but it’s important to keep calm. The main thing you can focus on is what is in your control; things like staying healthy with nutrition, keeping your physical ability in check with stretches and/or walks (if possible), and most importantly, resting! While recovering, it’s easy to forget the fact that you have to let your body rest and get your health back before pushing yourself again.

My experience with injury:

Summer of 2022 I was racing Ore to Shore in Marquette, MI and dislocated my shoulder in the race. I had to be in a sling for a month and was off the bike for three months. I found myself feeling like I could never get back to what I was capable of. My ability and strength on the bike was diminished greatly while in recovery and I could feel it. After a little while, I got professional help with physical therapy and allowed myself to rest. With this time, I reflected on my biking and created goals for myself when coming back. I made sure I was ready physically and mentally to start from the ground up and had to be willing to put in the work to reach my goals. I reminded myself what I was working for and why I am willing to push through these hard times.

After the injury:

Coming out of an accident/injury can be scary. You may feel unsure of how active your future might be and frantically try to get back to how things were before, but slow down. Take time to reset and take a break from the usual of pushing yourself to your hardest. Your body needs to heal fully before you can excel again, or you’ll do more harm than good to yourself. Make sure you’re prepared to put in work to get back to where you were; one thing that could help is creating a plan to achieve your new goals.

Recovery:

It can be difficult to manage resting and keeping yourself healthy when in recovery. Make sure to ease back into what you were doing before. Training can look like doing yoga one day and intervals another. Allowing your body to settle back into harder workouts is important so you don’t overwork yourself as you try to get back to how things were before the injury; things like easy days and active stretching will help you fully recover. Another thing to keep in mind is listening to your body and how it reacts to these workouts, especially on more intense days. If your body isn’t up to sprints, you probably are rushing into things too fast. Take as much time as you need; patience is how you excel in the long run.

Being able to find your confidence and ability is key to achieving great things. Getting comfortable with what you used to do isn’t easy; it takes time, patience and practice in order to be great. No matter what, you always have to believe you can do something in order for you to be able to do it; so make sure you believe in yourself and your ability to improve so you can be better. Today, I am on the bike again after learning how to be confident with my riding and my training.

The post The Aftermath of an Injury and Recovery appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Olivia Perrine

Nearly all athletes will face an injury at some point in their athletic career. Perhaps even multiple injuries. Injuries that keep you from competing at your best are not fun to say the least. At separate times during my junior year, I experienced two stress fractures in my right foot while running track, cross country and playing club soccer. It took me around 4-5 months each to return to my previous level of competition. During this time, I had to adjust my training and lifestyle to recover. Here are 5 tips I found helpful in overcoming injury:

Seek out Professional Medical Help

• This may seem like an obvious step, but often people avoid the doctor because they think their injury isn’t serious. However, it is imperative to seek out professional advice if the injury is persistent and prevents you from competing or training at your best. Doctors can help keep you from making the injury worse and can provide insight into the root cause of the injury (if it isn’t obvious already). Doctors can also refer you to specialists or physical therapists to help meet your specific needs. Doctors also have access to equipment such as MRIs or X-Rays that determine the severity of the injury. 

Physical Therapy

• Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with physical therapy. It is helpful for building your strength back up, however it can be difficult, even frustrating, when you do not see results right away. PT is often a slow process that requires patience, but staying consistent pays off. Also, when you go to PT, you have a Physical Therapist who will monitor your progress to ensure you recover  as quickly as possible from your injury. PT is also helpful for the mental side of injuries. When I was dealing with my stress fractures, it was encouraging to be doing something about my injury. For me, PT was one of the most important steps in overcoming injury. 

Cross Train 

• Like PT, cross training was helpful for staying positive during recovery. While PT is more injury specific exercises, cross training can help with general strength. Exercise is shown to improve mood, cognitive function, sleep quality, etc. Even if you cannot do your sport, there are low impact options like swimming, biking, or weight lifting that may allow you to be active during injury. Before starting any cross training however, it is important to talk with your doctor about which exercises you can do without upsetting recovery. If you experience discomfort with your injury even in cross training, it is important to stop. It is not worth prolonging an injury.

Stay Active in Team Events

• Even though you might not be able to compete, you can still show up for your teammates! One silver lining with having an injury meant that I could now cheer on my teammates that I normally was racing with. Even though you want to be competing, if you are faced with an injury outside of your control, you should focus on what you can control such as using energy to support the team. Athletic Mentors has countless volunteer events to partake in where you can spend some energy for the team’s sake. This kind of support is important in establishing a positive team environment. Also, if it were the other way around, you would likely want your teammates cheering you on too. 

Rest 

• Rest is not always what we want to do as athletes but when dealing with an injury, it is the most important thing. Your body cannot heal if you continue to break it down by training or competing. You may think that it isn’t a big deal if you just push through the pain, but when making the decision to race or rest, you need to think about the long term impact. Serious athletes need to remember that just because the short term self might be fine if you ignore the pain, your long term self may end up dealing with a worse injury. The only way you can heal is if you give your body the time to heal. Some of the most common injuries that athletes face are caused by overuse. Getting an overuse injury is your body telling you that it needs rest. Listen to it! 

It is discouraging when injuries prevent us from taking part in the sport we love, but implementing each of these steps can help you focus on what you can control (getting rest, doing PT, going to team events, etc.). Remember that the injury and pain is temporary. Your body will heal itself, it just needs you to look out for it. Choosing to take care of the long-term athlete by following each of these steps will help you make a full recovery. 

The post Overcoming Injury appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Olivia Perrine

Nearly all athletes will face an injury at some point in their athletic career. Perhaps even multiple injuries. Injuries that keep you from competing at your best are not fun to say the least. At separate times during my junior year, I experienced two stress fractures in my right foot while running track, cross country and playing club soccer. It took me around 4-5 months each to return to my previous level of competition. During this time, I had to adjust my training and lifestyle to recover. Here are 5 tips I found helpful in overcoming injury:

Seek out Professional Medical Help

• This may seem like an obvious step, but often people avoid the doctor because they think their injury isn’t serious. However, it is imperative to seek out professional advice if the injury is persistent and prevents you from competing or training at your best. Doctors can help keep you from making the injury worse and can provide insight into the root cause of the injury (if it isn’t obvious already). Doctors can also refer you to specialists or physical therapists to help meet your specific needs. Doctors also have access to equipment such as MRIs or X-Rays that determine the severity of the injury. 

Physical Therapy

• Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with physical therapy. It is helpful for building your strength back up, however it can be difficult, even frustrating, when you do not see results right away. PT is often a slow process that requires patience, but staying consistent pays off. Also, when you go to PT, you have a Physical Therapist who will monitor your progress to ensure you recover  as quickly as possible from your injury. PT is also helpful for the mental side of injuries. When I was dealing with my stress fractures, it was encouraging to be doing something about my injury. For me, PT was one of the most important steps in overcoming injury. 

Cross Train 

• Like PT, cross training was helpful for staying positive during recovery. While PT is more injury specific exercises, cross training can help with general strength. Exercise is shown to improve mood, cognitive function, sleep quality, etc. Even if you cannot do your sport, there are low impact options like swimming, biking, or weight lifting that may allow you to be active during injury. Before starting any cross training however, it is important to talk with your doctor about which exercises you can do without upsetting recovery. If you experience discomfort with your injury even in cross training, it is important to stop. It is not worth prolonging an injury.

Stay Active in Team Events

• Even though you might not be able to compete, you can still show up for your teammates! One silver lining with having an injury meant that I could now cheer on my teammates that I normally was racing with. Even though you want to be competing, if you are faced with an injury outside of your control, you should focus on what you can control such as using energy to support the team. Athletic Mentors has countless volunteer events to partake in where you can spend some energy for the team’s sake. This kind of support is important in establishing a positive team environment. Also, if it were the other way around, you would likely want your teammates cheering you on too. 

Rest 

• Rest is not always what we want to do as athletes but when dealing with an injury, it is the most important thing. Your body cannot heal if you continue to break it down by training or competing. You may think that it isn’t a big deal if you just push through the pain, but when making the decision to race or rest, you need to think about the long term impact. Serious athletes need to remember that just because the short term self might be fine if you ignore the pain, your long term self may end up dealing with a worse injury. The only way you can heal is if you give your body the time to heal. Some of the most common injuries that athletes face are caused by overuse. Getting an overuse injury is your body telling you that it needs rest. Listen to it! 

It is discouraging when injuries prevent us from taking part in the sport we love, but implementing each of these steps can help you focus on what you can control (getting rest, doing PT, going to team events, etc.). Remember that the injury and pain is temporary. Your body will heal itself, it just needs you to look out for it. Choosing to take care of the long-term athlete by following each of these steps will help you make a full recovery. 

The post Overcoming Injury appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Kellen Siems

Training for Track and Field is not just about running in circles and jumping over hurdles. It requires dedication, hard work, and a strategic approach to reach your full potential. For high school athletes, the goal is often to qualify for the state meet and compete against the best in the region. In this blog post, we will take an in-depth look at the training methods and techniques that can help you chase those coveted medals on the track.

Some of the most challenging events at a track meet are the 1600 (one mile) and the 3200 (two mile). In order to run these two events you have to have a good balance of speed, endurance, and mental fortitude. In order to place high in these events you need to have the ability to endure discomfort and pain. You also need to have strategic pacing. 

One way I kept my endurance up while training for the track season was by running constantly throughout the week. I would have a schedule that would tell me if I  had a long run meaning I would run five to ten miles. Some days I would have a workout day meaning that I would head to a track and perform a workout. Some of my workouts include; 2 sets of 4 by 1000, 4 sets of 4 by 800 at mile pace, and ladders up to 800 and down to 100. 

A key role in long distance races is being able to pace yourself to the end. In order to pace you need to start fast and conserve the rest of your energy. Every lap on the track you have to run faster and faster in order to maintain your splits. A good way to improve pacing is by practicing running at your goal or target pace. To be good at running longer distances not only do you need endurance but you also need a strong mental toughness. By having the ability to push through your pain and keep your focus is crucial. 

In conclusion, no matter what sport you do, training is always important. Being able to train properly is the key to success in any sport you do.  By encouraging yourself and not giving up you can reach whatever goal you set for yourself.

The post Chasing Medals: An In-depth Look at Training for Track and Field appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Ozzy Tobiczyk

Hello, my name is Ozzy Tobiczyk and this is my first year on the TAMJD team. I am 14 years old and a 9th grader at Milford High School. I have been riding my bike ever since I could walk. Living in Milford, Mi has given me access to so many mountain bike trails, it was only natural to get into mountain biking. I joined the Huron Valley United Racing (HVUR) team in 5th grade and raced my first MiSCA race in 2020. I was hooked from that point on. What I love about cycling is the scenery on the rides, jumps, and having a fun group of people to ride with. This year I will be racing varsity on HVUR. 

I joined TAMJD because I wanted to push myself, become a better rider, explore all types of cycling, and have fun while doing it. I have learned a lot about how to properly fuel myself before a race as well as how to mentally prepare for a race this past year. I know I have a lot more to learn and that is another reason why I joined TAMJD.

My goal for this season is to be in the top 10 in Varsity and to get first place in my age group in Iceman and Peak to Peak. I am really looking forward to racing more gravel races. I am also starting to learn road racing techniques and have been racing in the Waterford Hills Summer Road Racing Series on Wednesdays. I had the pleasure of going to TAMJD training camp in Brevard, NC during spring break this year. It was so much fun. We had been training all winter to climb Mt. Mitchell which was about 44 miles up a mountain and 44 miles down. I think my top speed going down was around 49 miles an hour! It was awesome and I loved the views! I also really liked spending time with my teammates and going into town. We rode the mountain bike trails and roads in Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest. It was a great experience and I can’t wait until next year! 

I have been to many places in the United States to ride bikes but my favorite place to ride is in Marquette, Mi. My family and I go up there every summer for the Ore to Shore race and to camp for the week at Rippling River. I love the South Trails and the jumps on the Eh Line. My favorite race is Iceman. It’s such a fun venue. I like not knowing what the weather will be like. It’s always a surprise and different.

I like doing non-bike things too. I really love snowboarding and wish it was something I could do year round. I built a mini park in my backyard this last winter which really had the neighbors talking. I joined the boardercross team at Milford High School this year and rode varsity on the team. We won the state championship, which was really cool! I also have started to really like fishing and plan to do a lot of that this summer. I like hanging out with my friends too.

I’m really glad I joined the TAMJD. In the short time that I have been the team I have been introduced to so many things that I wouldn’t have done on my own, like road racing. Next up, I will be traveling with the team to the Tour of America’s Dairyland where we will have 5 days of Crit races in Milwaukee, WI. Wish us luck!

The post Welcoming JD Rider Ozzy Tobiczyk appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  Parker Crane

I’m Parker Crane, a 14-year-old cyclist from Milford, Michigan and a 9th grader attending Milford High School. My biking career started in fifth grade with my first mountain bike ride on Milford trail. I thought it was really so fun I joined the Huron Valley Mountain bike club and the next year made my way to the Huron Valley Race Team. By 2021 I was MiSCA State Champion in my category and knew biking was a good fit for me. I got big into biking and started doing a variety of races including gravel and cyclocross. I wanted to upgrade my skills on the bike, and also be a better person off the bike, so I was super excited when I was accepted into Team Athletic Mentors Junior Development (TAMJD). This is my first year in the program, and I have already seen a big improvement training with other skilled cyclists, and being pushed by my teammates and coach.

Although my main passion is cycling, it isn’t my only interest. I fish in the summer around Milford and once in a while I’ll go on a fishing trip. I also like kayaking on the Huron River through Milford or in northern Michigan to test my luck fishing. Camping also brings good opportunities to fish, which takes me to another one of my hobbies, camping with family and friends. During the MiSCA race season we camp with teammates and coaches on race weekends. We also camp in Marquette Michigan for Ore to Shore at Rippling River Resort every year, and ride the trails for fun with some of our biking friends. My family also likes to travel to different places out of state. Last year we went to Bentonville, Arkansas for spring break, and this year Brevard North Carolina for TAMJD camp which was awesome. In the winter months I’m not just on the bike trainer, but I’m also snowboarding and on the Milford High School boardercross team. In my spare time, I work on building trails in my backyard, and helping out with trail maintenance on Milford trail.

As for goals this season, I am aiming high this year. As I’m racing varsity and want to get top 10 or better in every MiSCA race, achieve a podium spot in Iceman, and make top 20 overall in the Ore to Shore soft rock this year. Ore to Shore is also probably my favorite race because of the fast road downhills at the start to the flowy single track at the end. And I can’t wait to focus on road riding this year since it’s something new that I don’t have much experience with. I have done a handful of road rides already and am excited for my first race on the road.

Since I’ve been racing I have learned that I am a very competitive rider and I like riding technical trails. My favorite local trail is definitely Highland Recreation mountain bike trail because it made me so much better over the years and because it is the most technical in my area. I also really enjoy cyclo-cross and mountain bike races. The best part of biking is improving with every ride and the bike community that comes along with it. I am looking forward to this upcoming season and can’t wait to see how I develop as a rider with TAMJD.

The post Meet New JD Rider Parker Crane appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.

By:  JoAnn Cranson

Running for a specific team or club is a great opportunity and honor, but along with that comes an expectation.  Being on Team Athletic Mentors is a prestigious position to be in.  Naturally we (as a team) want to do our best and win races, whether running, cycling, triathlons, skiing, etc., but that’s not what it’s all about.

As a master athlete, I’m not going to finish in the top overall positions in events I compete in.  But there is so much more myself and others  can bring to a race.  My goal is to inspire others to find what they enjoy doing and to motivate them to pursue a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude.  This world has a lot of challenges and negative issues.  But as we are running, cycling, swimming, etc., it’s amazing what an encouraging word will do for others.

I worked hard at my running and qualified for the Boston Marathon this year.  I ran it just 4 weeks ago.  It was very inspiring, very challenging and the enthusiasm from the spectators was amazing.  It wasn’t about my finishing time, it was about taking in my surroundings and soaking in the achievement of making it to this Grand-Daddy of races in the United States.  The spectators lined the whole 26.2 mile route!!  The kids wanted to give us “high-fives”, others were handing out candy and orange slices in front of their houses, some were spraying water hoses to cool us off, many signs were held up, clapping, bells ringing and shouts of encouragement.

The last weekend in April my grandchildren’s school had a yearly fund raiser with a 5K run.  This is the second year – we ran it as a family.  Three generations with my son, my daughter-in-law and 2 grand-daughters.  My grand-daughters wanted to run with grandma.  Pretty cool to inspire the younger generation to be healthy, challenged and positive.

On May 5th, I ran a 10K (6.2 miles) in Kalamazoo.  As I was at about 2 miles, this young man was running beside me.  I told him he was doing really good and asked his age.  He said this was his first 10K and he was 13.  I told him we had a 50 year gap between us and he was surprised.  We ended up staying close by each other most of the way.  I tried to keep him updated on our pace, the mileage, encouraging on how great he was doing and that we were getting close to the finish line.  How fun it was to just encourage this young man and watch him achieve his goal.

JoAnn Cranson & William Bates

When we finished I asked him if he would be willing to take a picture with me.  As I put my hands on his shoulder and he put his hand on mine, I was thinking how great it is being complete strangers yet we could feel such camaraderie in 4+ miles of running together.  A big thanks to Zeigler for sponsoring this race and giving all of us, but especially new runners, the chance to compete.

So next time you are out and about don’t miss an opportunity to take a moment in the busyness of life to encourage someone.  You never know what an impact it will make in their life!

The post Competing in a Race is Not All About Winning appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.