Having an elite attitude is so much more than first place medals, achieving Olympic qualifying standards and getting sponsored by Nike or any other big company.
Quite frankly, there are some elite athletes who don’t have an elite attitude.
Just because you run a sub 15-min 5k, does not mean that you are better than everyone else.
At the same time, if it takes you over an hour to do a 5k, it doesn’t mean that you can’t display an elite attitude.
What are the 4 secrets to an elite attitude?
- Do not give up. Working out and running won’t always be fun. There will be days where you won’t want to get out the door. There will be times when after 1 mile you will want to turn around and go home (I’ve been there more times than I want to admit). It’s the choice you make on days like that that will determine whether you are displaying an elite attitude or not.
- Encourage other people. Being cocky because you are faster than other people is not conducive to an elite attitude. It’s important to be supportive of other people’s goals. You most definitely don’t tear other people down. Display your elite attitude by building people up, whether it’s in fitness, running, business and life. It’s very important to value every runner’s efforts, goals and potential.
- Your race times do not determine your self-worth. If you are reading this, I want you to know that you are worth so much more than the number beside your name on the “race results” page. Sure, you want to be a faster runner. However, don’t beat yourself up over what you consider a bad race time. Regardless of how fast you are, YOU are still an awesome, beautiful, healthy, productive and amazing person.
- Seek opportunities to learn. Every interaction with another runner is an opportunity to learn. With every training run and race, you learn more and more about yourself and your body. You begin to learn what works and what doesn’t work.
Final takeaways
When it comes to having an elite attitude, the key is not beating yourself up. It’s a very difficult lesson to learn. Although we can’t all place first or win Olympic medals, we can still enjoy the sport and enjoy being part of an inclusive community filled with positive-minded and forward thinking people.
Let’s unite the running community and encourage everyone to have an elite attitude.