Go Further & Explore More...
"A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.”
Billie Jean King
When Sparta was founded almost 3,000 years ago, life was tough and losing more than likely meant death. Over the intervening time, the Spartan people, their rituals and beliefs have all been discussed and judged in academic and popular culture. Spartan society and its structure were strict and tough. It is well known that the only occupational choice for Spartan-born males was to be a soldier. It is also believed, but not proven, that if a boy was not deemed strong or able enough, they may well meet a grisly end. One intriguing and not-so-gruesome element that is not so widely known is one of the training races that the young soldiers had to undergo. At the start of the race, they had to take a mouthful of water and keep it in their mouths throughout the race, delivering this water at the finish. It was checked to see how much may have been lost during the brutal race. This taught them to only breathe through their noses to improve air intake and efficiency, but probably more than that, it instilled strict discipline. The mental strength that no matter how tempting the liquid in their mouths was, especially in the intense heat and effort during the race, they couldn’t swallow it. To do so would mean losing…and let’s not speculate what losing might mean for those young warriors. Thankfully, we don’t need to undertake such demanding and potentially life-ending challenges these days, but a similar fear of losing mentally can be applied to anything you undertake (and you can enjoy a drink while you do it!)
Until next week, be safe and enjoy the trails...
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📸 Praia da Ursa, Lisbon, Portugal
Each week, I update the Kings of the Trail playlist with a new selection of music. Like trail runs or hikes, the playlist will be varied and eclectic, but hopefully, there will be something for everyone to enjoy…
I will leave the intro to this week’s song to the singer/songwriter, Jeffry Martin, himself…"This is a simple song that fell out of a complicated moment. We are in this mad race of technology and progress, and the pace of it can feel dizzying at times. Paper Crown is a hopeful reminder that contentment is found in all the little ways we step outside of the rat race."
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