5 Lessons from Track & Field
In honor of the sports-centric focus that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has given this summer, and our very public obsession with all things foot-related, we decided to sit down with Soulo’s very own Shauna Cheatham — our marketing lead and a former Division I track athlete — for her thoughts and reflections as a competitor.
When I went to my first track practice my junior year of high school, I didn’t know that it would lead me down a path of competing on two Division I track teams, being coached by two former world champion competitors, training with world-class facilities and trainers, and meeting dedicated teammates that would become lifelong friends. While looking back, I am amazed at what I was able to accomplish in four years. I also acknowledge the life skills I gained from running at such a high, competitive level. Here are the lessons that I take with me every day.
1. GREATNESS TAKES WORK
While I started playing sports as soon as I could walk, I had a very late start to running compared to other college athletes. In fact, many of my teammates started running on AAU track teams in elementary school. I ran decent times compared to other high schoolers in my area, but college was another level, and my times were far from any of my teammates’ personal bests.
I learned early on in practice that my sprint form was terrible — my high school coaches didn’t bother to fix it because I was winning and it was a predominantly distance program — I was learning warmups for the first time, and our weight lifting sessions were much more rigorous than I was used to.
Despite where I was starting, I always had the goal of being the best on the team, and I worked towards it every single day. In fact, I never looked up my teammates’ times. When I started practices, I didn’t know who the best runners were. I just focused on myself and pushed myself in every workout. To put it simply, I ran as fast as I could. I worked hard in the weight room, I did drills to improve my form, and I learned as much as I could in a small amount of time. I even ran extra after practice. Surprisingly, I was consistently one of the first to finish the workouts even though I was relatively new to the sport.
“I never looked up to my teammates’ times. When I started practices, I didn’t know who the best runners were. I just focused on myself in every work out. To put it simply, I ran as fast as I could.”
In life, you can’t control your competition. Other people may have more work experience than you, more education, more endorsements, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep up with them. It’s about preparation, your ability to take correction and grow, and how willing you are to put in the work to reach your goals. Focus on the things you can control and believe in your ability to achieve.
2. BEING A LEADER IS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, NOT YOUR TITLE
Many track teams have team captains, or an unofficial captain that’s a top runner on the team. However, there were many times where teammates looked up to me because of my work ethic, dedication, and willingness to offer words of encouragement to younger athletes. Often, someone who the coach designates as the team captain isn’t necessarily who the team looks up to. Being a leader comes from your actions, the way you treat people, and the example you set for others to follow. Whether it’s in class, in your job, or in a sport, anyone has the ability to step up and take that position in the eyes of others.
3. BEING A PART OF A TEAM TAKES SACRIFICE
The Notre Dame track team calls this concept “team over me”. Many people consider track an individual sport because you compete as an individual, but where you place in your event contributes to a team score. While the relay is the only event where you rely on multiple teammates for a single event, a great track team needs great individuals with a team mentality.
By pushing your teammates in practice, lifting each other up, and holding them to the highest standard, the team only becomes better as a whole. But this extends off the track as well. Taking care of your body, from making sure to warm up fully to taking the time to ice after a workout, gives you the ability to contribute to the team by preventing injuries. Getting 8 hours of sleep, eating healthy, and avoiding alcohol are other ways to improve your performance. This comes with sacrifice. In college it’s sacrificing a typical college experience of drinking and partying, late nights with friends, recreational sports that might cause injury, junk food, but it all contributes to a stronger performance for your team, so it’s about collectively agreeing to make that sacrifice together and lean on each other. It’s about seeing your teammate as someone to push you instead of as competition and encouraging them to be at their best like a coach would. The more everyone buys into a team-first culture, the sweeter and more frequent those team wins become.
“It’s about collectively agreeing to make that sacrifice together and lean on each other. It’s about seeing your teammate as someone to push you instead of as competition and encouraging them to be at their best like a coach would. ”
I’ve found this to be true in life as well. Companies with a supportive, collaborative, encouraging culture that put time into how to best manage their employees have less turnover, more long term profits, and higher customer satisfaction. People are more motivated when they’re working towards a bigger purpose, when they feel a part of the company’s success, and when they buy into the mission. Create a “team” whenever possible.
4. MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
So much of running is mental, and I wouldn’t have believed it until I did it myself. When I started as a college athlete I had to prove I belonged on the team, and part of that was working hard to physically be my best, but the other part was telling myself I could be the best from the beginning. I knew what I wanted and I didn’t let anyone get in my head about if I could achieve it or not. I didn’t look up their times and decide who I should keep up with, I set the pace whenever possible. In reality, with two years of running under my belt, I shouldn’t have been keeping up with these girls. I was no prodigy. But I believed in myself and I wasn’t afraid of the pain.
Competitions were a different story. It was hard to enjoy the meets because of how nervous and anxious I felt. Every race I would feel my heart pound, my lungs tighten, and my mind would start doubting even though I had put in all of the work. I had other health issues that affected my performance, but looking back on it, I didn’t spend enough time working on my mental preparation. The confidence I had in practice didn’t carry over to race day, and that alone made a difference in my times.
The lesson from this is to put your mental health first. No matter what you do, whether it’s working, taking care of someone, or school, you can’t be your best if your mental health is suffering. It’s hard to get through the simplest tasks, things can become overwhelming, and you can feel easily irritated and frustrated. Take care of your mental health and everything else will start to fall into place. Remember to ground yourself and put things into perspective. Instead of putting pressure on myself, I should have enjoyed the run.
5. PACE YOURSELF
My race was the 400m — a single lap around the track. I still remember my first time running the event. It was my first high school track meet and I was leading off the 4x400m relay. Making it on the relay with the top runners in the school was already nerve-wrecking, but my coach also told me before I got on the track not to let them cut in front of me at the beginning of the race. I stood on the line, baton in my hand, and when I heard the gun I sprinted. I ran like my little life depended on it. At the 200m mark, I was in first. I felt great, I was dusting these girls, I was going to run a remarkable time on my first try. Then I hit the notorious “wall”. My legs started burning, I was gasping for air, I was running as fast as I could but felt like I was barely moving, and people slowly started to pass me.
I learned later on that I had gone out too quickly. You have to pace yourself in the 400m, it isn’t a full out sprint. You have to know when to conserve and when to kick. The more you do it, the better your race strategy becomes. In fact, by the end of that season I placed fourth in my regional 400m.
Sometimes in life it’s better to see the whole picture and come up with a strategy. Don’t use so much energy in the beginning that you have nothing left at the end. If something doesn’t work the first time, take a step back, reevaluate, and try a different approach.
Running track taught me so much about life, about people, and about myself. I look back at those four years with so much gratitude for the places it took me and the lessons I learned. If you ever get the chance to do a sport, take it- you’d be surprised at how much your mind, your body, and your team is capable of.