Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
As we enter the 3rd week of school and the second week of preseason, there is a common thread woven throughout our daily activities. Simply put...we are officially off and running (literally). The word running, unless you were born with whatever it is that God gave cross country runners that none of the rest of us seem to possess, often carries a negative connotation. That being said I am going to explain how running is the most positive thing that happens during our entire preseason.
You will often see the members of our team running around throughout the day. It may look like they are in a hurry, rushed, or simply on a mission, but the truth is...they are running around getting things done. Being a good student-athlete is a full time job. 15 hours of coursework, weights and conditioning workouts, individual workouts, study groups, getting treatment in the training room, community service, observation hours in the local schools, being involved in FCA, departmental clubs, student athlete advisory council....get the picture? And I haven't even mentioned the "extras" such as supporting all of the other athletic teams that support us throughout our season. Being a student athlete at such a high level lays the groundwork for the "real world" in one glaringly obvious way. Our student athletes are extremely busy and always on the go. Running around and being busy is one of the GREATEST things about being a student athlete!!
As a player, I dreaded the preseason for one reason and one reason only...running. I was not born a runner and I do not possess that inner passion for running. Running was always a means to an end. The end, or course, is being in good enough physical shape to push my body on all levels in order to be ready for a grueling 6 month basketball season. I believe it safe to say that our players view running very similar to the way I once did. I have learned so much about running now in my post-playing days, but the biggest thing I learned is that the goal of running in the preseason is 2-fold. The ONLY way a person can gain physical toughness is to force their body far outside its comfort zone. By the same token, the ONLY way a person can gain mental toughness is to force their mind far outside its comfort zone. Running forces your mind and body far outside of their normal comfort zones. There is probably nothing more positive that goes on in the bodies and minds of our team, than what happens during the time we spend out on that track.
This Friday morning we will take part in our annual Jog-a-Thon. The Jog-a-Thon is a fund raiser centered around (you guessed it) running. Starting at 5:45am at Fred G. Hughes stadium we take off on a 5-mile run (actually we run for a whole hour, so if there is time left over after we finish our 5 miles, we just keep running). We are blessed to have so many wonderful families and friends that sponsor us on our run. Some people sponsor per lap (20+, for those of you counting) and some sponsor the whole event with one lump sum. I (yes, I run it as well) really enjoy running the Jog-a-Thon because it is one of those things that you never think you can do until you do it. 5 miles seems like a mountain to climb for a "non-runner", so I actually enjoy the competition of running against the clock. I have set a personal goal to get the 5 miles in under 40 minutes this year (I've ran it in 38+ and 43+ min the last 2 years). A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have given to our program. There are so many things that we would not have if not for your generosity!!
Well, I gotta run.
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
