The Best Is Yet To Come

Mambu Baddu

In Kenya, when the local papers are scanned on a Monday morning at the training camps and the athletes smile over seemingly endless lists of Kenyan victories, they often would say, "Ah, Mambu Baddu Bwana!" Meaning, "This is good, yes, but the best is yet to come, Mister." There is a surety that stands above conviction in that land, that their landsmen will sweep each and every race, with a faster performance coming at will. (from The Kenyan Way)

Complacent:
Contented to a fault; self-satisfied and unconcerned: He had become complacent after years of success.

As a competitive runner, this is ONE thing you do not want to be. Complacency indicates an “oh well” attitude….it means you no longer have that fire burning….that edge that puts you ABOVE other runners. The will to win….to compete….to push yourself further than you’ve been before…that is something that you do not want to lose!

Your years as a competitive runner are something to be cherished! Putting on that uniform….lacing up those spikes….lining up with your competitors side by side in battle. I still have dreams of running competitively. I loved the feeling I would get rounding that last turn with the finish line in sight….my parents cheering….my coach yelling….my teammates urging me on. The days I left the cross country course knowing I could not have gone any faster….they have become my very best running memories.

So my advice to you is this: Make the MOST of these next two weeks….The County Championships…The State Championships. Do not let any doubt enter your mind! Instead, let all the hard work you have put in this season shine through in our last two meets.

No Regrets! Leave it ALL on the course!

Mambu Baddu my bulldogs….Mambu Baddu!

Quotes and Commentary

"People say that racing is 90 percent mental and I would agree with that. It takes time to accept the responsibility of putting your body through agony for the good of your fellow teammates. Sometimes it takes a race like the one at Notre Dame to stir that fire in your legs and soul, so you can make the hurt of racing work for you."
Ashley Higginson



I know many of you were disappointed after the Bellevue Invitational. Some of you settled in when the gun went off and never RACED. Others lost that fire letting ten people pass you in the last mile of the race. Still others were overwhelmed. It's time to put that race behind you and look toward Conferences. Think about what went WRONG at Bellevue and make it RIGHT on Friday!


"God has given me the ability. The rest is up to me. Believe. Believe. Believe." Billy Mills

You need to BELIEVE that you are capable of running faster times. There is so much un-tapped potential on this team. Many of you still have that BIG RACE inside you....waiting to break free! We have some All Conference, All County, and All State runners on this team. You need to BELIEVE in yourself to reach your goals.


"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts. PRE

Try picking up the pace INSTEAD of slowing down during a race. It takes GUTS but you will feel BETTER and you will run BETTER! Never settle. Never give up.


"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift." PRE

You owe it to yourself and your teammates to give your BEST in EVERY race! Leave it ALL on the course!


"We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not disappoint. "
Romans, 5:3-5

Rejoice when you are racing! Be a positive force on your team! Channel all that nervous energy and make it work for you!


Mambu Baddu, Bulldogs!
The Best is Yet to Come!

The End is in Sight

We Start with Our Legs and Finish with our Hearts

What separates GREAT runners from their peers? In most cases, it has less to do with physical attributes and more to do with character. Great runners have HEART! They are willing to make sacrifices…they train harder….they set goals…they stay focused….they hunt their dreams down and beat them mercilessly into submission.


Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your potential? Or will you always wonder WHAT IF?

What if I trained harder?

What if I took a chance?

What if I pushed past the pain?

What if I looked at cross country as more than a chance to socialize?

What if I discovered my heart?

We have FOUR meets left. What will you do when you are away from the crowds...when the pain starts to set it? You can either settle or you can take a chance. I urge you to trust yourself and all the hard work you have put in this season.

I urge you to discover your heart.