Personal Narrative: Girls On The Run

Running was a part of my life between 2014 and 2016, when I was still a young middle school kid. I tried out for the track team, and I ran for my first time in March. Track and Field was a new experience for me, I had

There was a time in my life when participating in every sports was a requirement. From volleyball to golf I was determined to become MVP of all of them. I was dumb to think I would succeed in volleyball, golf, or even basketball because I was cursed with clumsiness. It only look one twisted ankle in warming up for volley ball and one hit in the head by a basketball to realize that sports with the word “ball” in them just weren’t for me. At the time, my 13 year old self believed my athletic career was over, until one childish punishment exposed me to my passion; running. After several punishments for climbing on top of the lockers I knew that running would become my best friend. Running was never my first choice, but it became something I grew

Running has been a crucial part of my development as a person and a student. I was a terribly unathletic child growing up. Truly focused on academics, music, and art, I was weak and skinny. Gym class would cause me stress as my peers looked down upon my skills and did not pick me to participate in their team. I still remember my seventh grade gym teacher laughing at my terrible volley ball skills. However, I started track and field in seventh grade. I was definitely not the best runner and it took a while for me to become used to moving after years of idle activities. I was still seen as an un-athletic person, but I decided to persevere and continue to run. I joined the cross country team in eighth grade and continued to run ever since. By

This led me to begin to wonder if that conclusion was true, how then, did everyone I know that is a runner, end up being just that: a runner. After all, let’s be honest. Running can hurt; sometimes a lot. It also takes time, patience, and determination and will never fall under the category of “Instant Gratification Activities.”

Eventually, the regular running trails became littered with crisp brown leaves and my breath left cool condensation floating in the air. Now, I could run 6 miles without pausing. I even went as far as to join my middle school cross country team. I worked hard with my teammates and finally achieved a 13:27 two mile time. In my exercising process, I had lost 20 pounds. Better yet, my high blood pressure was a thing of the past; I was back in the healthy range.

To complete a task as incredible as finishing a marathon, a person’s motivation has to be strong. Inspiration must strike a person throughout their whole journey. For Connor Reynolds, a current junior at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), he wanted to run a race that would test his limits, but his real inspiration came from his friend who had previously completed one. Every runner has a different motivation which drives them to participate

“Race you down the street,” was a common phrase friends and I would say in 4th grade. Honestly, I was a helpless victim in my friends forcing running upon me. My life thanked me as this gave me motivation to do more. In my youth, I stayed as active as I could and running was a major part in my journey. Minimizing down-time was key and I’m glad I got into a habit of running freelance. However,

I was able to run at the State cross-country championship when I was a freshman. That experience shaped me into the person and runner I am today. Running in such an intense race as a freshman pushed me to reach to my maximum potential. I felt I had more then what I was putting out on the table. The summer of my sophomore year I ran everyday, I wanted to get my 5k time down. With hard work and dedication I was able to shave seven minutes off of my 5k in my four years of high school. Running taught me that no one is going to hand me anything, if I want something I need to work for it myself. I was able to jump over so many mental barriers and realize everything I need is within me. Running is a metaphor for life and I’ve been so blessed to have

Running wasn't always a chore, a lot of times I could enjoy going out for a run with friends. Communities would have races which would be enjoyable and a great way to support a local cause. This last December, when I was in Millinocket running a half-marathon to support the town after the mills had closed, I met a massive number of runners that soon became friends. They are competitively racing all over the globe. This last summer I had the chance to be a part of an engineering camp at the University of Maine in Orono, and it felt like the same experience as Millinocket. I met many kids, that like me were preparing and hoping to go to college for an engineering

Even though I had the talents and desire to run I still had a lot to learn in this support and utilized mentors, one being my father. He always taught me that the mind is pretty powerful thing. He taught me that there would be days when I would feel like I wouldn’t be able to run that extra mile or finish that last interval. I can't tell you how many times a positive attitude has helped me get through situations like that. By telling yourself you can do it, and listening to my coaches.

But all this changed when I joined the cross country team. Prior to that, I had never participated in a school sport before; everything changed when I realized how important running was to me personally. Running reminded me to breathe and to keep in tune with my body, my mind, and my surroundings. It made me realize that I did have the power. If I could run for 6 miles, I could literally do anything.

I began running track and field in the seventh grade for my school. The coach had asked me to join and I obliged, truly having nothing better to do. Within two weeks of try-outs, I had my first track meet. At the time I was only doing high-jump, but it was at this meet that I won my first event and would subsequently fall in love with track. Sprinting down the track, jumping over the high-jump bar and landing in the sand pit were exhilarating and most of all fun. The pleasure track gave me made me return the next year to become the middle school team captain. Once high school started, however, my involvement became more serious and the fun aspect started to fade. Months before the season commences, I begin training for two to three hours, six

Board games like chess and Risk are a staple pastime for me. When those are not on hand I will inundate myself with unanswerable questions like “What is the best system of government?” or “How many dimensions would be possible”? I never handle a cliche like the meaning of life because I think it is a bad question, something that should be boiled down into components so that it can be solved properly. Running is one of my most interesting pastimes because it takes a philosophical argument into the practical realm. Near the last kilometer of a 5k when my legs start drowning themselves in lactic acid because they are too tired to work, I have to do my best to shut them up and have them work with me to get to the finish. In this way, being a runner is similar to teaching kids at the summer camp I worked at for the past three years. They both taught me that to lead anything you need two ideas: a goal that you passionately believe needs to be accomplished, and an empathy to connect to others without the same drive. I recently decided my passionate goal would be for humanity to not die by any of the plethora of things that are sure to kill us in the next 50 years like genocidal warfare and global warming. For me, running is a step in the right direction. It allows me to first lead myself, so that when I finally have the education and open-mindedness necessary to solve global issues, I will be able to help lead others

When I was a freshman on the cross country team, I was just starting out running. I played other sports but found my true passion in running. Running just speaks to me. It is a way for me to release what is in me. From the help of the upper class men and experienced runners I climbed myself to the top. All four years I have been the number one runner for the cross country team at the varsity level. I have earned two most valuable runner awards, been All-County four times, and All-Region three times.

When I run I feel numb, not numb as in without feelings, not numb as in freezing. I feel numb with the joy of sweat, aching joints, unhealthy air, and blazing 100 degree weather. The grand moment when I can hear the cheering crowd at the finish line just a couple meters away. Before cross country, my definition of dedication was finishing a complete television series on Netflix. My new meaning of dedication is now the endurance, commitment, and persistence I experience through running. I consider running my greatest talent, not only because of my times or records, but what it has taught me. Attaining fifth place in my junior varsity race at the league championships, improving my 3 mile time by 4 minutes, and becoming the fifth runner at my school were all important milestones for me. Sophomore year was my first year of running on a team.