How does it happen?

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     It sneaks up on us, little bits of progress that we are hard pressed to notice day to day. Increments that hide as we are distracted by things like how tough it is to breath, how our shoes are feeling like cardboard, the slight hill we are running at the time. We consume ourselves with the present, which is a great thing, yet the added benefits of a few weeks of solid training sessions are not something that is able to jump up and wave at us like a fan on the sidelines.
     But we know it's out there, like a deer in nearby woods, hunkered down and surrounded by tall prairie grass. And one day, we show up on the route a little early and surprise the doe that again has patiently waited for us to pass by at our normal hour. This day, we've started early and our course is run with a bit more enthusiasm. Faster early pace, steady longer in the middle and then a wonderful finish that we are able to maintain to the mailbox that marks the end of our runs. We flourish on this day and then we look at each other like, "Where did that come from?"
     I've watched my children and their teammates in sports for many years, and coached for a number of them. And each year it's the same. Shaky start, fun during the season, and a nice finish. It's hard to see from practice to practice, game to game, but improvement happens. Add in a little faith, a little positive attitude and some confidence and their efforts yield great results. Not every season brings a PR or a championship, but every season is a chance to experience something new, something memorable. Even if it is the same sport or the same route.
      We get better!

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