Text Box: Coach G speaks:   After a long hiatus recovering from the Grand Pricks Series  (GPS) I feel I should mention a few things.  A lot of folks came up to me after the series asking “What happened?”, “How come Coach G doesn’t write any more?”   and  “I really enjoyed reading the coaches perspective on the New England running scene.”  First of all the Coach had to enter Detox for a little problem with prescription drugs and alcohol, not surprising if you follow Coach G.  Now with a lot a AA meetings and group and individual therapy I feel I can impart some of the wisdom I’ve learned over the last five months of sobriety.    The root cause of all drug and alcohol abuse stem from feelings of inadequacy and fear.    It probably goes back to being potty trained too early and constantly being told how bad you are for crapping in your diaper.  And reinforcing this by being told over the years that in whatever you attempt you don’t measure up.  You don’t deserve any reward.  You don’t have the right to even be here.  Now you catch yourself whenever you make a mistake and say to yourself: “what a screw up I am” or “Why did I even try this”.  Without a solid foundation of self worth you are sure to foul up in anything you do and you can begin to see how reaching for a pill or a bottle or a big fat joint to seek an escape from this verbal assault is a destructive coping mechanism.   Well stories from the GPS with the exception of Ken Jacobson are all losers.  Think the old Nike slogans: “ Second place is the first loser”, “If your not here to win, your a tourist” and “No one trains for second place”.  Yet the GPS and Life itself isn’t about winning, its about participating.    The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.  It’s all about giving it your all, doing the best you can do.   This is what keeps me going: getting up everyday and giving a hundred percent.  It is a shame we live a culture that says if you can’t win, don’t even try.  This is why kids today don’t go out for sports in school or attempt anything that pushes back on their comfort zone. On top of that there are the cruel idiots that shower any attempt with verbal abuse.  This sets the environment for everyone to be a spectator or maybe a participant but rarely a competitor.  Why put yourself out there if your not going to win, why try, why care, your nothing but a loser…    Part II   Wow,  Read that last line again “why put yourself out there if your not going to win, why try, why care, your nothing but a loser”.  Heavy stuff.  Yet people talk/think like that all the time.  Not good, not good at all.  Another lesson I’ve learned is to not think in the negative.  Period.  Don’t even go there.  And avoid people who talk that way as well.  Always think and speak in a positive tone and surround yourself with positive thinkers and doers.  Since I’ve become aware of this it has worked wonders.  Sarcasm is one thing, but a little goes along way, be careful in only using it in small amounts.    Now: sing/read this song like you mean it—Everything is beautiful...

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