Not many people enjoy running. I'm not one of them.
Not many people enjoy running. I however am not one of those people. I find running to be enjoyable and exciting.
When i was in middle school I didn't give much thought to the whole thing. It was just something I did whenever I found myself at Ramirez Park. The fact that I lived only two blocks away was even better. However, it wasn't until tenth grade that I joined Cross Country and Track. That's what finally sparked my commitment I now have for running.
It's the way running gets my heart beating and sweat dripping. My determination to increase my milage. My legs slowly going numb as the pain in my legs disintegrated to nothing at all. Not until I finish that is. The sight of everything I pass becoming a blur in my peripheral vision. My running routes constantly changing and the noises varying from nature's creatures to busses rumbling to their stops. The ground laid out before me also constantly changing, from hard flat concrete to uneven dirt and grass twisting my ankle in the dips and curves of it all. It's all non-stop until I come to a crosswalk that constantly repeats the word “wait” as cars begin to pass on by.
I find running to be somewhat calming, a place to go to to clear my mind. When I run, whether it be at practice or a meet, all the noises seem to faint. The loud cheering of people in the crowds or the neighborhood dogs barking as I run by, they all become nothing more than a background noise. My only focus is on what's ahead in order to finish my run.
Running is exhilarating despite the soreness or aching it may cause. Maintaining my pace for miles to come and passing every light on my milage runs. It all becomes so easy and a routine thing for me. It's almost as if im injected with some type of love for the run because I can't stop once i've began.
Although I enjoy the easy, slow runs, I still crave the competitive races. The best part is finishing the last 400 meters. I slowly begin to pass up girls, making me that much closer to crossing the finish line. As I open up my strides, quicken my pace and finish the race. That's when the noises that were once so faint, begin to come alive again.
I'm not someone who gives up easily and this is why I push myself, I practice and practice because there is always room for improvement. I can't just settle because I think that'll be good enough. Settling is something no one should ever do. Hard work and dedication is always the key to your success. There will always be someone better at doing what you do, stopping can never be an option.
What i do in my runs is what I do in life. I improve and pursue. If I want something I won't stop working way up until I reach it.
- Destiny Enriquez ( @TinyEnriquez )
