Blogs : Tyrone Ross

ALL IN

The proverbial pushing the chips to the middle of the table. No more excuses, strategies or preparation.  All in your mind? No this is ALL IN, everything has to go, the liquidation of any reservations or concerns. And by ALL I do mean ALL. So many of us want and desire things that we are unwilling to commit 100% to achieving.  Spare me all the talk of well I “train hard”, or I worked out when it was raining or I lift weights or “work harder” than anyone.  EVERYBODY does that.  All dominant people have a dark side, a place where they work in solitude away from the average “90%’s” of the world. You see they get it, they snap and take themselves to that next 10% you always leave on the track.

Anyone can have high self-esteem just aim low enough to have people believe your All IN. Self Efficacy on the other hand is the ability to go All IN. This means you are willing to put all that status quo garbage on the line and take a shot. If you can’t totally sell-out for your dreams then I guess you already sold out….Get it?....if not then your not All IN. You must be willing to give up being comfortable in order to be dominant, give up pride in order to be the best, give up half ass effort to be ALL IN. 

It’s more than your love for the sport or the big dreams of Olympic Gold. It’s a validation of failed attempts at being elite and dreams realized. This isn’t something Clyde Hart, or Dan Pfaff has a workout for…..this is the covenant you make with your soul. Reaching way down into the deepest cave of your existence and pulling out a victory. Not a “victory” in the sense of being first to win a race, but a win over your own half hearted effort disguised by the everyday mediocre regime of the “star” athlete.

If not now then when? If not here then where? If not you then who?

If you’re on the outside looking in, you’re not All IN.

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3:56 PM, April 29, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

Well put....That was the best perspective about post-collegiate track and field i have ever read!

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8:53 PM, April 29, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

wow, that's getting printed out and put on my locker! you just expressed every competitive athlete has wrestled with at one time or another. really made you self examine yourself. great work, keep it up!

Track and field

2:28 AM, May 1, 2008 .. Posted by joshwyn

Nick called me yesterday..Email me some info...

joshwynabrams@hotmail.com

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12:10 AM, May 8, 2008 .. Posted by CMB

Reaching way down into the deepest cave of your existence and pulling out a victory.....you can't describe self realization any better than that. I hope that in time, we all can get to that level of understanding. Perhaps then we can push in all of our chips....even the few we hid for a rainy day. Until that day happens, here's a good saying to remember:

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labours & aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

CMB

just dropping by for some nostalgia and to wish you the best

6:54 PM, May 13, 2008 .. Posted by solomon

i grew up in south edison and always remember how metuchen would churn out 400m runners despite being such a small school. i didn't start running until the year after you graduated, but i always remember seeing "tyrone ross 48.04" for the group I meet record and the older guys on my team would talk about how dominant you were.

metuchen track was also the scene of my first mental break-out and where a cop questioned me at 1am on a summer morning when i was doing my best to come back from injury.

terrible track and yet for me a magical place.

as my mom always told me and i too often forgot, "run to your destiny."