running in a small town.
I live in a town of five thousand people. I have one hundred kids in my grade, and we all know one another well. My daily running route consists of a one and a half mile loop around the school, with the occasional cemetery loop extension. After forty to fifty minutes of the same scenery, it’s understandable that I get bored. All of the adults in my town are extremely kind to me and are always cheering me on. My family is my biggest fan. They never miss any running event, and are always the first people I see once I finish.
I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to stand on the state podium four times. The last time, I came in second, behind an extremely talented runner. These four moments, for me, have been when I was most in my element. I’m honored to stand next to girls who give everything to this sport. Everyone who gets to stand on the podium and receive a medal has put in more time, more effort, and more heart than many people will ever know. At the state cross country championships, I can look around at every runner and guarantee that they put the right things in their bodies; they don’t stay out late while in season; they don’t give in to any peer pressure; they love what they do and are willing to do whatever it takes.
Our high school has a little over 350 students. This year, fourteen of them joined the cross country team. Everyone else in the school would not even think about joining. Nobody truly understands why anyone would love running. Many students have it in their minds that the only thing to do in a small town is to go out and party. They don’t understand the rush of nailing 400 repeats, and would rather get a rush of nicotine from vaping. This has been something I have had to deal with mentally for the past few months. I have two amazing friends who are always there for me and understand why I do what I do, but that’s it. I’m not going to go out and vape. I’m not going to go out and drink. That’s not in my nature as a distance runner. But as anyone who lives in a small town knows, there’s not many people to choose to hangout with. It may seem like you’re alone and left out because you aren’t out doing bad things.
One thing I’ve begun to realize is that maybe it’s okay to be the weird one who stays in and does a core workout. It’s okay to say no to things for the sake of your running career, and it’s okay if nobody understands why you do what you do. I have come to terms with the fact that I’m high school, I may not have hundreds of friends. I don’t have a giant team who all think like me, but what I do have is a great family and a few amazing friends who will always be there for me.
- Lydia Roller (@lyridaroller)
