Mind over matter for M. Track's Martin

Penn sophomore track star Robin Martin takes a new spiritual and mental philosophy to running game. It all started like a fairy tale for Penn sophomore track star Robin Martin. Discovered during an elementary school field day and running ever since he was six-years-old, track was an integral part of his life from the very beginning. And boyhood dreams of the Olympics swirled through his mind. Enter this newly budding superstar into the University of Pennsylvania. As a heralded freshman he was to make history and set himself up to attain national recognition. Martin's freshman season was outstanding by any measure. He was a Heptagonal champion, an almost unheard of task as a freshman, and his time of one minute, 49.6 seconds qualified him for the Junior World Championships in Sydney, Australia, last August. For Martin, the meet didn't go according to plan, as he failed to qualify for the finals of the 800-meter run. He and his teammates began the outdoor season Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field when they host the Quaker Classic. Regardless of his exceptional freshman season, Martin felt something was missing from his running and life in general. "I accomplished a lot as a freshman," Martin said. "But, I really hadn't set or realized any goals so I was left with an empty feeling." Martin soon realized it was time for change -- a mental and spiritual one, instead of a strictly physical one. Last November, with the indoor season merely a month away, the Marquette, Mich., native turned his life to Christianity. He changed the way he lived his entire life -- even his running style. "I began concentrating more on doing the best that God has given me the ability to do instead of worrying about winning," Martin said. "Now, if I win a race running with a sub-par effort, I get upset with myself, whereas before I would have been happy with the win." Another change in Martin's running approach is the immense amount of motivation that Martin has shown. He has taken his game to another level altogether, according to Penn coach Charlie Powell. He now pushes himself at a high level at all times. Not only is the motivation overwhelming in races, but it is also incredible in all of the practices and training that Martin undergoes. Martin, in this sense, is one step above the typical outstanding athlete. Unlike many others at his level, Martin really does believe in and abides by the rule that practice makes perfect. "How you're training is really a better indicator than your finishes of how you're doing," Martin said. Martin's new approach contains a higher degree of focus, which has helped put his running in proper order. This focus includes blocking out all unnecessary thoughts from his mind, preparing himself mentally for races and a willingness to go all out each and every race and practice. "God has given me the focus to run," Martin said. "He has opened my eyes as to what I have to do to be better as a runner." Powell has also seen Martin's change in mentality and feels that it was part of the maturing process. Powell feels Martin did much soul-searching and gave his life and his running a solid direction. He said that Martin, through his newfound focus, motivation and work-ethic, has gotten that "little extra" which many great runners lack. "He has made a very tough decision to move up to a new level in running," Powell said. "He has decided to not just be a great runner but to be a world-class runner." The results of Martin's new attitude are just that -- world class. This year, in the indoor season alone, Martin has broken a school record, claimed another Heptagonal championship and finished fifth in the USA Indoor Championships in Atlanta. The latter is a national tournament showcasing the best athletes the country has to offer. With his showing in Atlanta, Martin is on his way to establishing himself as one of the nation's best runners. Now that he has a terrific indoor season under his belt, great things are expected of Martin in the outdoor season. "I expect a lot from Martin, but I don't have to tell him that," Powell said. "Personally, I think he can be an All-American this spring, if he cuts his time to 1:46 or 1:47." This may seem like an awesome amount of pressure for an athlete, but again Martin is no ordinary athlete. Martin has made the decision that he will do the best of his ability and carry out God's will. He does not feel external pressure, just internal ones. He has set out his plan and will work to go after it. "I will go as far as God wants me to," Martin said. "Right now, I believe that it is His will that I go to Sydney again, but this time in the Olympics." So the boyhood dream once again comes to life in this "born-again" individual. Ironically, through a newfound mentality the ultimate goal becomes one of many years past. The only difference is that then it was a faraway dream and now it's a tangible possibility.