My home away from home

At first, I just liked to run. It was something I had done for soccer and other sports. I never gave it much thought. Until, my elementary school hosted a 1 mile Turkey Trot. The top 2 from each race won a real turkey, and I can just remember thinking to myself, “Man, if I won that turkey, I could have it all to myself on Thanksgiving”. As the starter said, “GO!”, I’m automatically found myself sprinting as fast as I can. I can remember the feeling of my body moving through space, and feeling that I was the one to causing my legs to move like this. The feeling that I am causing my body to propel forward, and causing the wind to rush by me quickly. As I came to the finish line, I realized I won. I also realized that, running was fun and I might actually want to run some more. My mindset changed that day, the need and want to be fast. The mindset that I would try to outrun anybody that toed the line next to me. 

The thing about running is that you can do it anywhere. Growing up in a military household, meant that I moved around from state to state. While, I still tried to participate in other sports, I couldn’t always join a team or get enough practice. There is only one thing that reached out to me, running. I can run wherever I wanted to, no one stopping me, no mandatory practices, and no one around me. It hit me close to home, that wherever my family moved, or wherever I travel I’ll always be able to run. The wind rushing past me would still be there wherever I went. Running became such a wonderful feeling to me, it was like being home in a sense. It’s a feeling of acceptance and lovingness for what you’re doing no matter what. With that I’ve come to realize no matter how far I am from my current living situation in the world, I’d always have running to call my safe haven. 

Along with that, I would say that running is my thing in my family. My parents had been high school varsity athletes, along with college athletes for just about every sport. On their list of sports they both have participated in, there wasn’t competitive running. After all, both my parents had voiced their dislike of running for a sport. They simply stated, running wasn’t their thing. Since that I’ve decided running is going to my thing. I was going to make me an individual in this family of athletes. That I was going to take the road less traveled by and start running. 

Sophomore year of high school, I’m running in the state meet. I’m the 3rd leg in our 4x800 relay. This was pretty normal for me, I had already experienced an outstanding running career so far. As, I wait on the line to receive the baton, I’m suddenly struck with the same feeling. The feeling I had at my first race, The Turkey Trot. The feeling of want, the feeling to win. I wanted to win, I needed to win. No matter who I needed to outrun, no matter how much pain will be inflicted upon me. As the baton hits my hand with force, and I took off. At this time my team was in 5th place, and all I was thinking about it catching up to the front runner. “I am going to beat him no matter what,” was my mentality the whole time. I kept on speeding up and pushing myself. I’m feeling invincible at this point, my legs were feeling great, and I can feel the wind rushing past me. 

Suddenly, I’m right behind the front runner with 200 meters to go, and I made the decision to sit on him before I make my move. The final turn approaches, I can feel my heart beating fast, and my lungs burning, but I floor it anyway. I past him by an inch, and all I could feel is the power I’m exerting, and it felt like running was something I was born to do. We finally break past the finish line, and hand our batons off to our anchor legs. All I remember was feeling like I just won the lottery. I had done it. I caught up to him. I helped my team get into a better position. I pushed myself to be great. When we finished and placed 3rd, I felt like I was on top of the world. 

All the early morning practices, late night runs, never ending core workouts, the team dinners, the long bus rides, believing in myself, and the “one mores” had paid off for both my teammates, and I. This indescribable feeling of want and pushing myself is what I was always searching for, and I found it through running. I remember thinking this is what it’s always been about. That all the hard work that I’ve put in has finally displayed itself, and it was the most beautiful sight to see.