7 Seconds

This is a good piece - not mine, but a damn fine read nonetheless.

Every Second Counts

By Josh Cox

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.”

-Jim Rohn

There’s nothing more productive than an hour spent with the body sweating and heart pumping. One of the reasons I love running is that every second counts. This fact is never more apparent than on race day, it’s a fact I’ve been mulling over the past week and a half.

You see, eleven days ago I missed the 50k World Record by 7 seconds. It’s not a lot of time; it’s the time it took me to put on my shirt this morning, the time it took me to pour my coffee, the time it took you to read this sentence.

I’ve thought about those seconds, I’ve dreamt about those seconds. We’re talking only .225 seconds per mile faster and I’d be a world record holder. I know, a marathon win and an American Record by three and a half minutes is nothing to whine about, but to go so far and come so close is heart wrenching. I’m disappointed, bothered, frustrated, aggravated, and annoyed by those seven seconds. But the story doesn’t end here, and that’s good news.

To be totally frank, my goal in life, and athletics, is to be the very best I can be, to be 100% faithful with the gifts God has granted. Times, places, and records aren’t the verdict on my performance, they merely serve as a way of keeping score against myself. Truth is, I like those 7 seconds, they are my dangling carrot. We all need one of those, a target, something on which to hang our hope. Hope is a good thing, sometimes it’s the best of things. Hope knows no limits; it has no bounds.  And although the aforementioned emotions are real, the overwhelming sentiment I feel is motivation, inspiration even. Seven seconds, one second for every day of the week.

There is only one you; no one can fill your unique place. This isn’t a dress rehearsal. Time squandered is time lost. Set a goal and pursue it with all your might. Bleed, claw, scrape, and bleed to make your dreams come true.

Be thankful but never be satisfied. Go harder. Go longer. You can accomplish more than you know.

What’s motivating you now? What’s your dangling carrot? What’s your next goal?

Josh Cox on his way to smashing the 50k American Record