"The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship" or "The First Year of Running"
Hi everyone!
So, my last post was about basketball. Looking back on the years that I have been involved in that sport, I can honestly say that I loved it. I still love it. I wish I could play basketball again, but I can't for one reason: Running.
I love Running so much more than I love basketball. As stated in the last blog, I signed up for cross country (not cross country skiing--cross country running) when I was in sixth grade. I was a bit reluctant to participate due to past experiences. When I was eight, my dad would have my sisters and I run up and down the street we lived on. We would only run about 10 minutes, but I did not enjoy it at all. I was not a very athletic kid. I mean, I played tag and hide-and-seek with my sisters and friends and I was a great stickball player, but I could not get into official sports. I was a nerdy kid, and to be honest, I preferred to stay inside where the air-conditioner was blowing.
Anyway, I went to the first cross country practice of the year in August of 2011. My dad came with me, and even though I did not want to run, I was really excited about meeting new people.
After the first few minutes, I learned that I was the slowest person on the team by a lot, and that I was woefully out of shape. Thankfully, the coach had some pretty basic advice on how to get faster and stronger: Run Everyday.
So, after the first practice, I got into the routine of running about four days a week. I would only run about 10-15 minutes. As the weeks progressed, I found myself getting stronger. Then, I ran my first cross country race.
My First Cross Country Race
I found out that I was running a cross country race the day before the cross country race. The night before, my dad told me, "pack a bag, you have a meet tomorrow." I said "Okay, yes sir," and went back to my room to prepare.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I learned soon after I had started packing that I was running a two-mile race. Now, for a person who just started running regularly about four weeks ago, two miles is a VERY long way. I was a little bit nervous, but I was mostly excited.
I am a very competitive person. After I rolled the thought of racing around in my mind for a few minutes, I was pretty sure that I could win the race. That same night, I asked my parents, "if I win the race, will you give me 100 dollars?" Without blinking, my mom says "Leah, if you win, we will give you 100 dollars." I love my mom. I went to bed excited. I knew I was going to win the race the next day and get my 100 dollars. My ship was coming in!
Never did I consider that I was still pretty slow, I could not beat my teammates at practice, and I had never run two miles before.
Side Note: "My ship was coming in" means "I was going to get some money!"
The next day, I got on the team van headed to the race course. I was a really shy sixth grader, so I did not talk much to my teammates. They were pretty nice though, and they played some cool music.
When we got to the race course, we got out of the van and started warming up and stretching (the girls' race would be starting pretty soon). My family came to watch the race. That was pretty cool.
45 minutes after we started stretching, we lined up alongside about 150 other girls. The race official yelled "On Your Mark! Set!Go!" and we all started sprinting towards the woods. The race had begun. After about 10 seconds, two of my teammates told me "Leah, you should probably slow down. You're going to fast. " So, I listened to them. After about 3-4 minutes of running, I kind of got tired and started walking for a few seconds (I know I should have said "I got kind of tired" instead of "I kind of got tired," but I like the way I said it before.). There were so many runners everywhere, and I was no where near the front. I decided not to give up despite the fact that there was no physical way that I was going to win the race. I started back running about a couple of seconds, and that became my strategy for the rest of the race. I came up on my first mile marker and crossed it in 9:59.
That race seemed to take forever. I was so happy to finally see the finish line. I had to run up a hill to get to it, but it really did not matter. I crossed the finish line with a two-mile time of 20:43. When I received my placement card, I was disappointed to see that I placed 103rd. However, after getting so many "good jobs" from my family and friends. I felt better about how I did. To be honest, my disappointment only came from the fact that I did not win...I would not be getting my 100 dollars.
My Second Cross Country Meet
By the time my second cross country meet came around, I had trained a little more. My goal was to run under 20 minutes for two miles. I told my dad my goal, and he told me "I bet you can run under 19 minutes." I told my dad "I can't run under 19 minutes!" The very thought shocked me. I proceeded to tell him "If I run a 19-minute two-mile, you have to buy me an iPod!" He responded with "If you do that, I will buy you an iPod."
So, when I lined up for my second race (that I don't know the name of it because when I was in sixth grade, I did not care about the names of races), my goal was to crack 19 minutes. That race felt a lot better than my first race. I did not walk as much. My parents thought it was very funny that I crossed the finish line at 18:59.
My Third Cross Country Meet
So, I was still the slowest person on the girls' team, but I was getting closer to my teammates in my race times. I was excited about that. My third race was my last race of my sixth grade season, and it was my favorite one. The course was flat, and I was actually kind of in shape. Deep down inside, my goal was to be as fast as the fastest girl on our team. She would run two miles in under 13 minutes, and that just amazed me. I really looked up to her.
Anyway, at the starting line, I was super confident. I ran most of the race without stopping. I was so happy. I finished the race in 17:44 and placed 61st. My parents were happy, my coach was happy, and my teammates congratulated me. I was ecstatic. I did not think I could run that fast.
So, that's my very first cross country season. When I finished the season, I had every intention of running again next year.
This is the beginning of my running "career." When I started, I had no idea that I would end where I am now. But that's another story.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell someone about my blog.
So, my last post was about basketball. Looking back on the years that I have been involved in that sport, I can honestly say that I loved it. I still love it. I wish I could play basketball again, but I can't for one reason: Running.
I love Running so much more than I love basketball. As stated in the last blog, I signed up for cross country (not cross country skiing--cross country running) when I was in sixth grade. I was a bit reluctant to participate due to past experiences. When I was eight, my dad would have my sisters and I run up and down the street we lived on. We would only run about 10 minutes, but I did not enjoy it at all. I was not a very athletic kid. I mean, I played tag and hide-and-seek with my sisters and friends and I was a great stickball player, but I could not get into official sports. I was a nerdy kid, and to be honest, I preferred to stay inside where the air-conditioner was blowing.
Anyway, I went to the first cross country practice of the year in August of 2011. My dad came with me, and even though I did not want to run, I was really excited about meeting new people.
After the first few minutes, I learned that I was the slowest person on the team by a lot, and that I was woefully out of shape. Thankfully, the coach had some pretty basic advice on how to get faster and stronger: Run Everyday.
So, after the first practice, I got into the routine of running about four days a week. I would only run about 10-15 minutes. As the weeks progressed, I found myself getting stronger. Then, I ran my first cross country race.
My First Cross Country Race
I found out that I was running a cross country race the day before the cross country race. The night before, my dad told me, "pack a bag, you have a meet tomorrow." I said "Okay, yes sir," and went back to my room to prepare.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I learned soon after I had started packing that I was running a two-mile race. Now, for a person who just started running regularly about four weeks ago, two miles is a VERY long way. I was a little bit nervous, but I was mostly excited.
I am a very competitive person. After I rolled the thought of racing around in my mind for a few minutes, I was pretty sure that I could win the race. That same night, I asked my parents, "if I win the race, will you give me 100 dollars?" Without blinking, my mom says "Leah, if you win, we will give you 100 dollars." I love my mom. I went to bed excited. I knew I was going to win the race the next day and get my 100 dollars. My ship was coming in!
Never did I consider that I was still pretty slow, I could not beat my teammates at practice, and I had never run two miles before.
Side Note: "My ship was coming in" means "I was going to get some money!"
The next day, I got on the team van headed to the race course. I was a really shy sixth grader, so I did not talk much to my teammates. They were pretty nice though, and they played some cool music.
When we got to the race course, we got out of the van and started warming up and stretching (the girls' race would be starting pretty soon). My family came to watch the race. That was pretty cool.
45 minutes after we started stretching, we lined up alongside about 150 other girls. The race official yelled "On Your Mark! Set!Go!" and we all started sprinting towards the woods. The race had begun. After about 10 seconds, two of my teammates told me "Leah, you should probably slow down. You're going to fast. " So, I listened to them. After about 3-4 minutes of running, I kind of got tired and started walking for a few seconds (I know I should have said "I got kind of tired" instead of "I kind of got tired," but I like the way I said it before.). There were so many runners everywhere, and I was no where near the front. I decided not to give up despite the fact that there was no physical way that I was going to win the race. I started back running about a couple of seconds, and that became my strategy for the rest of the race. I came up on my first mile marker and crossed it in 9:59.
That race seemed to take forever. I was so happy to finally see the finish line. I had to run up a hill to get to it, but it really did not matter. I crossed the finish line with a two-mile time of 20:43. When I received my placement card, I was disappointed to see that I placed 103rd. However, after getting so many "good jobs" from my family and friends. I felt better about how I did. To be honest, my disappointment only came from the fact that I did not win...I would not be getting my 100 dollars.
My Second Cross Country Meet
By the time my second cross country meet came around, I had trained a little more. My goal was to run under 20 minutes for two miles. I told my dad my goal, and he told me "I bet you can run under 19 minutes." I told my dad "I can't run under 19 minutes!" The very thought shocked me. I proceeded to tell him "If I run a 19-minute two-mile, you have to buy me an iPod!" He responded with "If you do that, I will buy you an iPod."
So, when I lined up for my second race (that I don't know the name of it because when I was in sixth grade, I did not care about the names of races), my goal was to crack 19 minutes. That race felt a lot better than my first race. I did not walk as much. My parents thought it was very funny that I crossed the finish line at 18:59.
My Third Cross Country Meet
So, I was still the slowest person on the girls' team, but I was getting closer to my teammates in my race times. I was excited about that. My third race was my last race of my sixth grade season, and it was my favorite one. The course was flat, and I was actually kind of in shape. Deep down inside, my goal was to be as fast as the fastest girl on our team. She would run two miles in under 13 minutes, and that just amazed me. I really looked up to her.
Anyway, at the starting line, I was super confident. I ran most of the race without stopping. I was so happy. I finished the race in 17:44 and placed 61st. My parents were happy, my coach was happy, and my teammates congratulated me. I was ecstatic. I did not think I could run that fast.
So, that's my very first cross country season. When I finished the season, I had every intention of running again next year.
This is the beginning of my running "career." When I started, I had no idea that I would end where I am now. But that's another story.
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell someone about my blog.
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