Why We Run Analysis

Is mental strength as important as physical strength? Some people asked this may say no, and some may say yes. I think mental and physical strength are equal in many ways. I think the articles Why We Run by Bernd Heinrich, ¨Confessions of a Doper¨ by Jonathan Vaughters, and other quotes by famous athletes can back me up a little. If anything, maybe they help me go through my own struggles as an athlete.

First, Bernd Heinrich, professor of biology at the University of Vermont, writer of Why We Run, tells us how he keeps running. The excerpt says,¨ I will never forget when I first ran barefoot as a child on the warm sand of a lonely wooded road in Germany, where I smelled the pines, heard wood pigeons coo, and saw bright green tiger beetles running or flying ahead of me.¨(pg.66) Heinrich is remembering his past, and this helps him mentally keep going. On the same page, he says, ¨The problem was: how to prepare to run that far?¨ He is showing his prowess to make himself physically better.

Next, former cyclist Jonathan Vaughters talks about doping, and how before he decided to dope, and his mindset on when he did decide to dope. Vaughters, on page 90, states, ¨Now imagine that you've paid the dues, you've done the work, you've got the talent, and your
resolve is as solid as concrete. At that point, the dream is 98 percent complete, but there is that last little bit you need to become great.¨ Vaughters is talking about how there is always room to improve. Before this, while he was in high school, he states, ¨For the next 30 miles, I pushed my heart rate and the pedals as high and as fast as they could go.¨ Vaughters explains how, as a child, he pushed the limits of his bike, and himself.

Many athletes have talked about their physical training regimen, like weightlifting, but how many talk about mental things?
How about Bill Russell, a 5 time MVP and former center for the Boston Celtics? He quoted, ¨Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.¨ I think he means that whenever you focus, you can win it all. Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James talks about how you go the extra mile by saying, ¨Success favors the flexible. You must be able to stretch that extra mile and be malleable in your ways, know this and you will make it.¨ In this quote, James talks about both being ¨...malleable in your ways...¨ and being ¨...able to stretch that extra mile...¨ so, both are important to
LeBron.

So, both types of strength, mental and physical, are very important in sports. Famous runner Bernd Heinrich, former cyclist Jonathan Vaughters, and basketball legends Bill Russell and LeBron James, all say so. Maybe physical strength is more important. Maybe mental strength is more important. In this athlete's eyes, both are equal.