From Last Place to First

“Any freshman who can break 20 minutes in a 5k their freshman year will be great with hard work”. My coach told me that during summer conditioning of my freshman year for cross country. I never planned to run that fast, I just wanted to know what it took to be the guy winning state, making course records, and getting all-conference. I didn’t even care for running at the time, my mom practically forced me to do it--I can not thank her enough for doing so--but I just decided to make running a way to be physically fit initially.

I trained just as much as most freshmen do, very little and only when it was perfect conditions, which happened probably once a week when it wasn't raining, or hot, or a cloud in the sky, but I ran. Not conditioning showed during my first race, running a 24:01 5k and feeling miserable throughout the race, but I finished, and that’s what I cared about. The course was nearly the flattest I’d ever run and would become one of my later stomping grounds. But not without finishing my struggle of freshman year.

Later, I became varsity as the seventh runner (there were only 8 teammates at the time) and I was excited, I finally made a varsity team in something! But making varsity came with a stipulation, I raced the faster kids, not the junior varsity. During the first varsity race of the year, I took dead last; I could explain every step of the race stride by stride, it was the worst feeling a runner can have in the world. The person in front of me was near a minute ahead, nobody was on the ropes cheering for me as I went along my way, and all I heard was the hum of an electric golf cart trailing my heels. It was the most demotivating race of my life, I may have set a personal record by well over a minute, but I took last. I promised to myself to never let it happen again.

Finishing my freshman year, I was dropping minutes off my time, then half minutes, and closed in on the 20 minute barrier. I remembered what my coach told me early in the season; I wanted nothing more than to break 20 minutes now. There were two races left in the year, I was ready to break 20. The first race of the two, I ran a 20:00.4, no joke, that close, but that proved I can do it. When regionals hit, I slaughtered 20 minutes and ran 19:13, proving I could be one of my coach’s best runners.

Skip ahead to my junior year, I had great races throughout sophomore year and moved up to be a decent runner in the mid 18s, but my breakout came junior year. My first race I broke my personal record by 10 seconds, right then I knew I would be what my coach said I could become, a great runner. My racing was better, I learned to compete for top spots, and managed to become the county runner-up, all-conference, and a state qualifier. I had hit the point where I knew I can come in and start shattering records and win races my senior year.

I trained non-stop throughout the summer, twice a day, 6 days a week. The seventh day I’d usually bike because I loved being active. When senior year hit, I was ready to win and rarely would settle for last. I no longer was nervous stepping on the line like the little freshman me, I was no longer worried about the disappointment of last place, I was no longer scared to race so hard that I couldn’t walk. I finally fell in love with running. I set 3 course records, one of them at same course I ran freshman year for a 24:01. It was the final conference meet and I was prepared to break the record and show myself, my coach, and most importantly my family (which included my teammates who were now my brothers) how much I’ve improved. I ran a 16:15 that day, getting the course record and becoming the conference champion. It was ecstatic, I was happier than ever and was even more proud that my team followed through with my win with the team conference title, that was the first time Fruitport boy’s cross country ever won a conference meet! Then the focused shifted to the most important races, regionals and state. I continued dominance into regionals, even though I had a bad day I still went to state with my team, another first for my team, Fruitport never had a guy’s team go to state, and we were ready to compete at the biggest meet in the state.

Was I nervous? Oh of course, who wouldn’t be at state? But did my coach prepare me for the big day? Better than any other coach in the state. I was here to go all-state and prove that an average runner as a freshman can become someone great, and I did. I placed 17th and ran a 16:12, my second fastest time. 

That’s the beauty of our sport; anyone can become great. Running takes hard work and dedication, and once you find the love, you never want to stop running. So in a way, my coach was wrong, a runner does not have to run under 20 minutes to become great, he/she just needs to love and dedication and anyone can prevail as the best.

- @Goodlollipop ( Aaron Simot )