CATCH UP

I ran the 1600m in track during middle school.

I’ll never forget my first meet! I started out stride for stride with my teammate and the District’s top mile runner, and things went very well… for the first lap!

But his pace was not my pace. By the middle of the second lap I started sliding back as the pack overtook me.

By the end of the race I found myself DEAD LAST.

I didn’t fret it, though… I knew the mistake I’d made and it was an easy fix.

At the final meet of the year, the one that determined which school would take home 1st-place District honors, I ran the mile again.

This time, I ran MY race. I didn’t run against the other athletes. I didn’t run against myself. I simply ran the most efficient race I was physically and mentally capable of running.

On the final lap, I started getting stronger. I moved up one place at a time. By the time I reached the final straightaway I had just enough energy left to make a late burst and ended up finishing in 6th place, and that 6th place finish earned our school just enough points to jump into 1st place and be crowned District champs that year!

Ever since that moment, I have moved through life at my own pace. What seems like a slow start to some is actually me just being efficient at first…

I’m not a sprinter. I will lose the short game every single time. Fortunately, I’m playing the long game, and as I round the last corner of this 23-year quest to bring you “A Bedroom Boy’s Best,” I’m starting to make my move…

Which race are you running today? Do you feel like you’re falling behind?

Stick to your gameplan. Run your race.

Let’s sprint to the finish line together.