Preface: Where it all Begins
A look at how I discovered my passion for running.
It’s not always easy not knowing what you want to do in life. I have always been kind of an outlier when it comes to running, living in a family with no running experience. Growing up I played baseball and some pickup basketball/soccer with friends on the weekend. When baseball didn’t seem to be a comfortable place, I took up gymnastics. It’s still a team sport after all, but with a focus on individual performance; I could succeed at my own pace. I enjoyed that for a few years, it was a good way to explore my interests. It was going great until I broke my collar bone in a tree climbing accident with my brother. At that point we realized gymnastics may no longer be a good option, but I was encouraged to join cross country. That was my first experience with running. I wish I had started running in middle school, but at that time it wasn’t something I thought I would be interested in.
The years went by, not capitalizing on my potential in running. Then, heading into sophomore year of high school, some friends persuaded me to come out for cross country in the fall. This was a reality check for me, I had never run that much. It opened my eyes to what I was able to accomplish, both individually, but also as part of a team. Despite only having that one cross country season before changing schools, I had a great time. It left me wishing I had done track/field in the spring.
After living in the city of Atlanta all my life, my family traded the city life for a more rural lifestyle about an hour south of the city. Once I started in my new high school, everything just felt right. I wasn’t really enjoying my previous high school environment, bus some things you just can’t control. It was quite nerve-wracking showing up to that cross country interest meeting not knowing a single soul, but I was blown away by the reception I received. I felt like I would be a great addition to the team. Everyone was super nice an I quickly made friends, which made the transition a breeze.
Despite all this, I still didn’t feel like I had that passion for running. I was doing it to be involved with a team and to make friends. I hadn’t run but maybe 3 or 4 times all that summer, and twice before the 30 minute time trial to gauge fitness level. Like I said, I wasn’t big into running, so I didn’t commit fully. My beat up Nike tennis shoes had seen better days, that’s for sure. The following weeks were fun in spite of navigating persisting injuries, shin splints then achilles issues. That cross country season taught me a lot about myself. That’s why I continued with track/field in the spring.
I often struggled mentally with the quality of my practice. I would do tempo/repeats with varsity, but that didn’t seem to translate into competitive pacing on race day. Instead of just going in stride, I found myself overthinking my times, and putting too much pressure on myself to perform. During my tenure as a high school runner, I ran varsity only a handful of times and never qualified for the state meet. I wasn’t the fastest, but you could say I was the teammate providing the funny moments, the energy, and the entertainment.
We all know we need one of those on the team!