Running Sucks... Or so I thought.

Running sucks. Or so I thought. Since my dad and my older siblings ran it was pretty much expected of me to run too, so when I was I middle school I hopped on the train and oh boy was it tough. I constantly struggled and quite honestly I hated it. I was the slowest person on the girls team during cross country (granted I would still finish top 20 most races) and I even had the chance to go to the state meet but I didn’t take it because I knew that I’d probably finished around the last girl. I went and supported the team and my oldest sister and realized that I loved to watch the team more than running the races.

I still competed in track though. Track season wasn’t so bad, I started to catch up to some girls on my team and even beat them by a second but I was never satisfied. I still didn’t like running and I definitely didn’t like the pressure of being the sister of a really good runner and not being that great. 

When cross season rolled around 8th grade year I decided not to compete. I joined volleyball to be with a bunch of my friends and still be active. I was fairly good at volleyball and when tryouts came I was super excited. I knew I did really good compared to a lot of the girls and I was pumped to be on A team. But instead I was put on B. That crushed me. 

After volleyball season I decided I’d do track but I’d be a sprinter. So when the season started I joined and crushed all the work outs because I was used to running way longer and further. I tried out hurdles too and ended up being super good at them. I placed top 5 most of the meets. That really motivated me and I eventually got to race in high school races even though I was only in eighth grade. I loved that. I didn’t make it to the state meet but I still went and watched all the distance kids run solid races and place on there podium. Made me miss the team but I still didn’t want to join again

Over the summer my sister was constantly going to cross country off season practice early in the morning and I was like “why would you get up early to run all summer long?” And she replied with “I love to run”
I thought she was CRAZY running to me was hell. 

My first day of high school was rolling up quickly with only 2 weeks until school started. I was super excited and my sister was too because she was ready for official cross country practice to start. Pretty soon it was 3 days into her official practice and volleyball hadn’t started yet. I told my dad that I didn’t think I wanted to do a sport in the fall and I would just train for basketball during that season. 

But then something changed. I didn’t want to join cross again but I missed the drama free team and all the close knit friends. So four days into practice I randomly showed up to practice wondering what in the world I was doing. I knew I didn’t like to run but I did it anyway. I joined and struggled with a bad knee injury all season which kept me from running in meets (which I was happy about) soon enough I was on the bus heading to the state meet. 

That day started out great, it was the perfect temperature, a fairly flat course, and I was actually looking forward to running on a brand new course that I’d never seen before. We walked the course, warmed up, and soon we were lacing up our shoes at the starting line. 

BANG
My first state meet. I started out in the back of the pack but I was constantly passing people. At each mile my time was right where it should be and I was feeling super good. Granted I was still in the back but I was in front of my teammates helping push them. And then it happened. 

I got a terrible headache, my knee started to hurt so bad that I thought I got shot, and I had an TERRIBLE side ache. I was only 600 meters to the finish and I couldn’t go any further. I stopped and I woman said “you got it keep going” so I did I ran 200 more meters before I started balling into one of my friends parents shoulders. I got lifted to the finish on a cart and I was so disappointed in myself.

The rest of the day was terrible I left the meet early and headed home with my mom and just laid in bed crying for hours. I knew I let the team down and I was super upset. I was DONE running. After the meet the whole team took two weeks off from running before they were going to start training for track. I was not planning on doing that at all, I was going to stick to my short distance track season again this year. 

But then I ending up beginning to train once again with the distance kids. I don’t know why but I guess I just felt like I wanted to push myself more. As I was training I was running an average of 3 miles a day 6 days a week. I was feeling pretty good but my calves were started to bug me bunches. I pushed through it day after day thinking it would go away. One day they were hurting pretty bad so I only went 2 miles and oh boy that was the hardest 2 miles I’ve ever done. I got to the end point and just sat down because it hurt to stand. I talked to me coach and he told me that it was probably just because my calves were weak and I needed to spend more time strengthening them. 

My parents took me to a doctor and they told me the same thing and they showed me some exercises to help them. I did them every night and every morning hoping they would start to heal. 

But wait..

I hated running why was I trying to help them when I could just give up? Looking back on it I realized that something in my brain switched after the state meet. I wanted to prove that I was able to do anything I set my mind to. It took a lot of time and effort to get them healthy but eventually I did and I was pumped. That track season was so exciting, I still competed in hurdles but I also did distance. I may not have been finishing first but I was finishing and making my self proud. 

Now I’m a senior winter training for my last high school track season. I’m super grateful for my teammates always pushing me along with my coaches. But I’m mostly proud. I still never finished in the top 20 at a state cross meet but I never didn’t finish a race the rest of my high school career. That makes ME proud. 

I know this is super long but the whole point is this: you may hate running, and you may only be doing it for reasons other than yourself. But eventually you will love every second of it. Even if your not a state champion, the feeling of finishing a race is enough gratification to make yourself proud. Push your limits and never give up. I know it sounds cheesy but it’s 100% true. make yourself proud and push yourself beyond your limits. It pays of in the end.

- Anonymous