
These are the words of legendary football player and now an extraordinary coach, Deion Sanders.
The words resonate very loudly with me both as a coach and athlete.
Mistakes are made in training all the time.
Here are a few I experience regularly -
Going out too hard in a workout (or race) and paying for it.
Focusing too heavily on proving yourself versus focusing on the emphasis and goal of the day.
Poor planning around workout location and timing
Not taking the extra precautions to fuel before, during, and after a workout.
This list goes on and on.
While I sometimes want to beat my head into the wall when I see my athletes experiencing these mistakes, I also know that they are a critical piece of development for an athlete.
Everyone makes mistakes - it's human.
In pursuit of reaching your best as a runner, there is almost a 100% chance you did a lot of stupid stuff before you took a step back and decided to invest your time into being a smarter runner.
Without making mistakes, you might not learn the right path forward.
Mistakes provide an avenue to reflect, adapt, and make a real change.
That is if you see your mistake and put actual energy into creating a better plan for your future self.
So goes the saying, "Don't waste a mistake."
Don't waste a mistake because this is a catalyst for growth.
Learn from it, and make yourself better because of it.
Food for thought!
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