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Note
from Hilary...
March
21, 2008 - An inspiration: Meeting The Great One
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Trent,
Haile and I in Lisbon |
Last
weekend I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Haile Gebrselassie
at the Lisbon 1/2 marathon during a PowerBar product launch.
Haile was an inspiration to talk with - his charisma can
light up a room, he gives you his full attention when he
talks to you and is extremely down-to-earth. Considered
probably the best distance runner ever - one might expect
him to be conceited, but he actually seems more comfortable
giving advice rather than speaking about his own ambitions.
Don't get me wrong, he's extemely confident in his abilities,
but this confidence is exuded more in his stories or in
the advice he offers.
When I asked him what keeps him motivated and how I might
overcome the defeat of not always achieving the results
in which I aim, when I know I've worked so hard, he had
some great advice. With his permenantly displayed grin,
he urged me to "win yourself" meaning I must have
full confidence in my hard work and that I can be the best;
believe no one else is better. After explaining to me that
breaking 4-mins in 1500m is easy, he states that in this
sport you have to be a selfish and step on the line showing
you belong there - even throw a few elbows now and again
- don't let anyone push you around, he said! All things
I agree with and try to practice, but I still feel quite
priviledged to have had a pep talk from the greatest distance
runner ever - I'm ready to go!
I had
a nice week of down-time. I really feel refreshed and ready
to embark on a great summer season. I know my fitness is
good and I plan to build on that with a hard training stint
leading into May when I start my competitive season.
For
more photos of my weekend in Lisbon, see here.
Previous Posts...
Latest News
March
8, 2008 - Running's
covergirl - Sarnia Observer
March 14, 2008 - Olympic
push for speed star - Guelph Tribune
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