Friday, February 17, 2006
A reminder for ordinary people: An athlete is a special beast, she is like you and me, and then she is not, a creature of the most exquisite suffering.
referring to dan's earlier post, yes both of us are preetttyyyy excited about the race tomorrow but; DAN. you excited abt the green people or the green grass? :) hahahaha.kidding dont think i got you there =P anyway, some of my thoughts for the team..you will never fathom the success you hold, for the team, in your hands. but go for it anyway crossies, go for it.
You run not for yourself but for the future of 20
tiff
[ `looked to the heavens for strength ]
10:39 PM
Thursday, February 16, 2006
greetings my fellow crossies!
our first race of the year is this saturday!
when mr quek asked if we were excited i saw some hands shooting up. :) i liked that. i was talking on the phone to tiff just a while ago... we're totally bubbling over with excitement. are you?
nats is just... less than 2 months away if you guys realise. (and for those who've been living under a rock its on 12th april.) and i think we have the ability to do well. very well.
when mr quek talked to us abt taking precautions abt falling sick, he said that he can see people putting effort in that.
i felt so proud. we've come quite a long way dontcha think? from the time where we couldnt be bothered and made mr quek so mad at us...
from the time where we complained about everything and anything...
well the point is that i see vast improvements in this team. in our team.
our team.
so people, in less than 2 months, what we train for... for... the longest time will be over. so let's start getting excited. its not that far from now. in just a bit youll find yourself standing on that starting line at turf city. ready to run that race. you get flashbacks of training. do you feel prepared? or do u regret and wish you trained with more effort?
thats the question youll have to anwer for yourselves.
or perhaps you dont run for nats.
BUT in one year's time when you look back at what you've achieved in cross country, do you want to see that major improvement in your timings and know that cross country has made you stronger? or do you think cross country was just a cca? cos if its the latter then i have nothing to say.
lets give our all. at training. at races.
lets spur one another on!
for CHRIST. with CHRIST.
FOR-our purpose and motivation.
WITH- our source of strength.
danielle. :)
[ `looked to the heavens for strength ]
8:55 PM
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
helo crossies,
natls in abt less than 10weeks i think every one should know by now.and those who lost hope in running for natls.well always know that like even if you dont run for natls this year at least you still have the experience of team training so dont slack and say that like i dont think i'm going to make it to the team so i dont run fast and dont need to improve.
yea so dont give up. -grace(sec2,k.s)
[ `looked to the heavens for strength ]
7:07 PM
Monday, February 06, 2006
HELLO HEELLOOOO. Remember me?!!! You had better mann. At least the Sec 2s and older should. HELLO SEC 1S!! I'm er, down there *points to the part which says the alumni * Yesyes, I'm the "Jen" listed there. Hehehe.
Hokay so what's been up eh? Been dutifully reading the crossie blog(as always) and I realised that something is amiss here. Something is lacking in this team. So much turmoilll. Haiyoo. World peace!! Kidding kidding. Okay see lah. I'm high, most of you would know that I am most of the time anyway, so I must simmer down. Omg. I sound like some sorta soup thing.
Yeah so anyway why like that oneee? Read Tiff's entry and it looks like we're lacking a bit of confidence eh? Come on teammates, don't doubt yourselves just because you think the rest of the world is running a heck of a lot faster than you. Don't doubt your TEAM just because it's not a perfect season or a perfect environment. It's not a movie yeahh, hollywood sets all these images of "perfect" situations but in Life, there are no such things all right? I mean you're not always gonna get along, and you're not always gonna agree on everything but just bear in mind that these people, whether you like it or not, are your teammates. And if you're willing to give up that shot at gold just because you don't want to trust/believe in/cooperate with each other, then I say yeah, go ahead and doubt yourselves.
Go on, doubt.
I can guarantee you that it's not going to get you any closer to that gold or that kind of feeling of belonging in cross. Please please people, I'm begging you. Please. You have to get rid of this mentality and well, narrow your thoughts. You have to concentrate. Concentrate on working towards your goals as a team. Believe that all you're going through now, all the pain you feel after training, all the agony that reeks from your very bones after a timetrial- is worth it. That it's doing something for you. I can stand before you and prove that it works. Honest. I have living testimonies man. Remember dear ole Nukie?(Sec3s and 4s I expect you to explain to your juniors ahh) Perfect example.
I know it's hard on you guys. With school and training and everything else to balance out...I know it's difficult. Sometimes you just wonder whether you're actually gonna get as much out of all this as you put in. But take heart, dear friends, if you won't accept scientific truth and principle then just trust me; you will get something at the end of this all. If not in the form of medals and trophies then in the form of lifelong friends and a lasting resilience to all of Life's shortcomings. Those things last longer than any gold-plated cup or medal. Those things won't collect any dust. Years later when you look back on your days in MG X-CTRY, you might not remember the agony of speek work, or the dull drag of long runs. As it is for me now, I don't remember the feel of the sun's scorching rays on my back during track work, or the bursting of my lungs. What I do remember though is the way that the whole team would unite with a common mindset, for a common cause, and work towards a common goal just because we believed it was possible.
That's the key factor, dear teammates- BELIEF. And not just belief but FAITH(I could go on and on about "faith" and "belief" because I had to do my Theory of Knowledge reflections on it, but I shan't). FAITH that all that you're going through now, the people beside you, and the person you're becoming is good enough. Have faith that all these things are going to be sufficient to carry you through. Keep this faith close to your heart and RUN.
Don't run just for that medal or just because you want to beat somebody else; Run because you know, deep down in your heart, that it is possible. Don't run because you think you're the only one who can help this team along; Run because you believe that this team has what it takes to win.
Train with dedication, Live with integrity and Run with faith.
Come on MG. You can do this, you know you can....I know you can. It happens to every batch of crossies. We get down and out and we lose focus. What's important now is that you recognise that you've gotta get yourself, and YOUR team back on track. Keep working towards that goal. Rally together! No one is going to do it if you don't. Turn up those downcast eyes and look to the Lord for strength. Come on, plastered on most of your backs are two very very important words "FOR. CHRIST" You know where your strength comes from, and you know where the glory goes. You're all united under one banner, you all don the same colours, you all slug it out on the track/route day in and day out. BELIEVE that you've got what it takes, BELIEVE your team has what it takes, BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE.
On the fateful day of Nationals I'll be standing there, somewhere in the crowd watching you, my dearest juniors, keep the MG X-CTRY spirit alive. And while watching you all come back with medals and positions would bring immense elation, watching you run with faith and belief in yourselves and your teammates would bring an inexplicable joy to my heart. Because then, and only then, would I truly know that somehow, in one way or another, you've managed to succeed where I have failed time and time again. Nothing, could make me prouder (:
-jen, mgXie '02-'05
[ `looked to the heavens for strength ]
10:12 PM
