I got this new pair of track shoes and the first thing I did was write "IN" on one shoe and "OUT" on the other. I do that with all my shoes because when I run my shoes get to stinking so bad I need to air them out every day. Because my neighbors complain about the stink so much if I put both shoes out at the same time, I can only put out one shoe. So you see, if I can tell which one I had been out and which one still stinks without having to put my nose in and smell the shoe, my nose is a lot happier.
Well one day IN was out and OUT was in and I decided it was time to bring IN in and put out OUT. But when I looked out, IN was not out there. I put on OUT and hopped out to find IN but IN was nowhere in sight. I hopped back in with OUT wondering what to do. Suddenly my doorbell rang and there was my neighbor with a plastic bag bloated as if gas had been injected into the bag. And in the bag was IN. I said to my neighbor, how did you know IN was out?
IN-stinct, he told me.
When the Gods created man, it was so man could do the work of the Gods. They endowed man with enormous courage and strength because the work the Gods envisioned was hard work. But, knowing man could work for his own self as easily as he could work for the Gods, they created in man an "on-off" switch. When man is working on something that does not benefit himself, the switch is "on" and when man is working to benegit himself the switch is"off." That is why an old lady who has trouble lifting her garden hose to water her dasies can find the strength to lift a car to save someone trapped underneath. That is why a long jumper in the Olympics, who has never jumped further than 25' can dedicate one jump to his coach and leap nearly two feet further then man has ever jumped before.
You too can hit the "on" button in running. If you could dedicate this race, this performance, to the coach, to your school, to building a legacy of track at your school, to displaying courage and dedication for upcoming runners, to any cause greater than self, your performance could live on in the minds of runners for years to come.
I've written a book; well, I should say my shadow has written a book. I have them with me if anyone is interested and has $15. My book is about how to use the "on button" in running. I don't have the books in any bookstore yet; I only sell on line at
.
Well, let me see (look at notes) I've talked, plugged my book, I guess I can sit down and shut up now. That is all that is written on my notes that I haven't done. Have fun out there tomorrow! Thank you!