Lean

I was always a fast runner growing up. In fact, that genetic gift helped me immensely as I participated in schoolyard games and sports. In high school I played soccer and, at the encouragement of my soccer coach, ran track in the off season. I hadn’t really considered it, but after attending an open tryout and running 100 and 200 meters, I found my niche, and I was asked to join the team. It was a completely new set of skills and different type of athlete than I had competed with before, and it took some adjustment. But it was worth it. The talent and speed of these guys led us to many championships in the next two years, which would be a highlight of my high school experience.

Our sprint coach spent a lot of time watching us run from start to finish.

We were each fast, but he was looking to help us run correctly, and then fine tune our techniques. “The race is won or lost in the lean,” he’d say.

I didn’t really understand what he meant by that, as I had never run track before, but the rest of my teammates were veterans. 

“Line up for block work,” Coach said. I didn’t know what that was, but followed the example of the other guys by selecting a starting block and setting it in my lane. They got comfortable measurements for their feet and practiced bursting out of the blocks at the sound of the gun.

Coach said, “I want you to place your hands behind the line, draw your legs up like a spring. Then lean your shoulders forward so that if I kicked your arms out, you’d fall on your nose. Most will hold themselves back. Then hold that position until the starting gun. When it fires, explode off the block with short driving steps then slowly rise to your full running stride.”

Over and over, we practiced these skills and drills. It felt sort of awkward initially, especially leaning so far forward over my hands. My shoulder muscles would quiver, but in time my technique improved.

The race is won or lost in the lean

Eventually, I became an expert starter, able to explode off the line at the crack of the gun. My race times improved, too, which captured citywide attention.

I can remember an individual track meet against a rival school, who had a sprinter with a similar record in the city as I did. We had met several times at other meets, and he had always just edged me out at the line. My coach worked with me the week before, convinced we could beat him if we further perfected my “lean."

He said, “At the block, Rus, lean your weight forward over your hands; this will give you an advantage. As you battle down the straightaway to the line, lean through the finish line. Many racers let up right at the end.”

“Lean at the beginning and lean at the end.” It felt like a secret advantage when I came to the race that day.

When the track official called the runners to the line, all I was thinking about was the “lean."

“Runners to the mark, Set, Bang!”

I don’t know if my block work was good or my form was correct for that race, but I did lean demonstratively at the finish line and ended up winning the day. What a thrill!

Coach said I would have won even without the lean.

I’ve heard it said that there are two different approaches in life: whether to lean into it or away from it. I suggest leaning forward.

What or Who are you leaning toward these days? 

The One who watches over the beginnings and ends of your life says, “The race is won or lost in your lean.”