Listen to your inner coach

While driving through Red Bluff on a cold, windy day a few weeks ago, I was protected from the elements by my nice warm car. That's when I thought I was somehow stumbling into the midst of an episode of the TV show "COPS."

With my dashboard reading showing an outside temperature of 44 degrees to go along with the aforementioned rain, I spotted a man running down the sidewalk wearing shorts and no shirt. I half expected to see a few members or Red Bluff's finest giving chase, until I realized - this guy WANTED to be out in the elements and jogging.

He was listening to his "inner coach."

We all have inner coaches, they are the voices inside that drive us to be the best we can be in all aspects of life. Just sometimes we decide we might know more than the coach.

My inner coach used to drive me to do things others would think were as crazy as I viewed the Red Bluff jogger. My job at the time required me to start at 7 a.m., and I took advantage of the dark early mornings to power-walk to work.

My coach got me out of bed and out the door by 6:00 every morning, as I tried besting my previous fastest time covering the 2.7 mile course I took to my job. Luckily, I was working in a hospital at the time and wore green medical "scrubs" provided by the hospital, so it did not matter how sweaty I got on my morning walk, because I showered before I hit the floor.

As a typical Iowa winter hit me in the face with all it could muster, I continued my walking - just being smart to layer my clothing and cover as much skin as possible on days when the wind chill was far below zero. A full beard provided additional warmth, and was frozen solid by the time I got to work.

My inner coach still works me just as hard, just not in the same physical sense. Now it tells me to drive to games at night when a cozy evening at home with my wife is my more favorable option. It sends me running to tournaments on weekends much like a coach having me run "suicides" on a gym floor.

At times, I think my coach works me too hard, but in the end I know it is just trying to get the best out of me.

Contact Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com.