How We Can Be More Like Desi

I’ll start with the somewhat-disappointing fact that I have had no more than thirty seconds of interaction with Desi Linden while working at the 2012 Olympic Trials, so I am simply writing this from an observational stand point but I feel it’s pretty accurate. Now that my lack of real street cred has been established, let's get into it-

What I will say about my 30 seconds with Ms. Linden is this: she radiates a quiet, confident intensity. Even after qualifying for the Olympic Team that year, she still carried herself quietly and confidently in a businesslike manner-as if she knew she was a force to be reckoned with yet felt no need to show it; because the world will soon find that out on its own. Desi has always stricken me as the type of athlete who mostly lets her work do the talking; that or she may actually be a mythical unicorn, but I doubt it. Now to the main content of this post: how we can be more like her-according to Adrienne, at least!

In case you don’t follow the Boston Marathon, today Desi Linden was the first American woman in 33 years (almost as long as I’ve been alive to put it in perspective) to win the prestigious race. Oh, and it was in horrible conditions. I’m not gonna get all “be positive, transcend the elements, blah, blah,” here because rainy temps in the 30’s are actually deplorable and not good for racing. In fact, it is my understanding that she told competitor Shalane Flanagan that she was thinking of dropping out early in the race. So how does one go from contemplating bailing to the 2018 Champion in a historically loaded field? More importantly, how can we be more like her? (minus the unicorn part, because that’s impossible, but its fun to think about)

We can start by showing sportsmanship, even if the stakes are high. Desi actually actually slowed to wait on competitor Flanagan so they can work together on the streets of Boston. According to any sports news story out there, this was the point where she was thinking about dropping out. Honestly, I don't blame her because it was brutal out there. This (obviously) helped both athletes psychologically. Don’t believe me, check the research on supraordinate goals (yes that is a real word) or social facilitation. I highly doubt either athlete would have done as well (Flanagan also cracked the top 10) without each other to run alongside. This worked so well, the rest is history. How can all of us apply this? Sometimes if things aren’t going according to plan, take the opportunity to put your original goals aside and let someone come with you. While most see this as a sacrifice, if we focus more on others, it often gives us energy back.

But what we saw on TV, streaming live, or read on social media I think only tells a small part of the story-

I read a caption on her Instagram page sometime last year reading “chop wood, carry water”. Desi Linden is not known for being the flashiest or most glamorous athlete out there. She doesn’t have to be. We can take her example and focus on what really matters by perhaps focusing some on the following things:

1.       Don’t be afraid to fly under the radar. It actually may be easier that way and is way less distracting. And its easier to focus on your own goals.

2.       Embrace the grind and work that it takes to achieve a goal-whether this be finishing a marathon or getting a big project done. This woman appears to be a master of delayed gratification. Side note: this is very, very challenging sometimes. Don’t shoot the messenger.

3.       Find out what works and develop confidence in it. In a world full of people seeking a quick fix and looking for recognition on the fast track, ‘doing you’ may be the best choice you can ever make. Everything I’ve read on Desi Linden alludes to her consistent approach. Boring? Maybe. Effective? Heck yes.

4.       Trust your coaches, your 'people' and the program that you’re working. Gradual, sustained, success may not always be social-media worthy, but that’s not the point. Again, our culture is often very quick to make changes if something doesn’t immediately go right. Just something to think about…..

5.       Respect others and be true to yourself. Know yourself as an athlete, student, businessperson, etc. and show positive regard to others. America might never all be watching, but those who matter in life are. Actually, that statement should be the other way around-you respect you, respecting others becomes almost a given. 

6.       Build grit. We do this by doing hard things: sometimes these hard things are things we originally thought impossible, like win the Boston Marathon, nail a PR, or grow a business. Sometimes it’s simply getting that run in during the frigid months or in the middle of the summer or doing things that are uncomfortable. Do this enough and often, you are set up to rise to some pretty gnarly challenges. Trust me. If you don’t trust me,  trust Desi, because she's a champ and all. 

7.       Keep showing up. Chop wood, carry water….

Notice that nothing on this list is other-worldly or impossible for any of us to do and we don’t have to win the Boston Marathon to do great things in our lives. My underlying message is this: what we see on TV and the Internet is the limelight and the product of a lot of un-glamorous, repetitive, work. Yes, it has it’s highs along the way but not always. If we want our moments, we have to take them. And in order to take them, there are some steps to take along the way. And when that moment comes, OWN IT. And own who you are. Just like Desi Linden did.

So here you have my observations and analysis. Thanks for reading!