Personal Narrative: How Running Changed My Life

“Sprinters don’t even do anything,” is what the distance runners say. “You guys hardly even run,” they go on. As a sprinter, I hear this a lot. Every year we get grief from them about how they think we don’t do anything and it’s very agitating. Track and field is supposed to be a team sport, although people do run in their separate events. Having the long distance runners always talk gossip and tell us we never do anything is just adding unnecessary drama. I hope some day they can learn to stop making perceptions of us.

I found my love for athletic activity at a young age. When I was 7 years old, I was enrolled in a YMCA summer program in Michigan. That is where it all started. My summer days were filled with various sport activities. Unfortunately, when I moved to California at the age of 10, I stopped playing sports for at least a year. However, during the rest of elementary school, throughout middle school, and in high school, I played different sports to figure out which one I liked best, which is now, Track & Field.

Every time I travel a trail they are always a few months apart what I always do is a sport to help me prepare for the long hike. From my experiences I could be called athletic, but from my point of view I am not and may never be. But that is besides the point, so this is how I got into my first sport which also changed my life, it was swimming the reason why I started in the first place was because of my sister. You see when I was about like 7 or 8 I always was determined to be like my sister, I know it may sound weird but kids always see their older siblings as a example in their life. But I am starting to digress, anyway the reason why swimming changed my life was because it help me make new friends and be more active. And maybe because

As a track runner, it is a necessity to be relaxed yet focused and determined. When I participate in track meets or even at practices, I receive a comforting warmth just by stepping onto the track. I feel as though burdens and worries temporarily lift from my shoulders. One may wonder how this can make someone content with their surroundings instead of nervous and uneasy based upon their environment and luckily for me this is an uncomplicated notion to explain. Unlike particular people, the track calms me and gives me a place to clear my head. I work relentlessly to achieve my goals, nevertheless it also gives me the clearance and space I need to effectively work my hardest whether it be a physical goal I am working to achieve

All throughout history people have been made to feel less than because the color of their skin. I encountered this all throughout high school running track. Track consists mainly of African Americans while a small portion consists of Caucasians for sprinting and field events. My high school coach was named Coach Lucas and he was African American. He constantly told me I wouldn’t be able to do well or that I should find a different sport because track is not a white woman’s sport. He also degraded me when I would do well at track meets by always saying I won because I got lucky and the other kids just had a bad day running.

I honestly didn’t like to run until I joined Track and Field. I like track and field. At first i wasn’t going to do track and field until by sibling made me join . I like practice since our group ( long distance) would always be messing around with each and our coach would motivate us to try our hardest. When we would have meets, I would get really nervous before the race. During the race I would like the wind going through my hair and hearing the people cheering. Seeing the finish line would make me sprint the last 100 m and it would make me smile because I was done. I have learned the importance of working together and learn to not give up

Imagine yourself, about to join your first season as a student-athlete of an elite, collegiate Cross Country team. It could be scary at first, but if you think about it, that is the next level to improving your physical and mental body. It’s also because it’s your first time joining an actual elite team that includes individuals, similar to you that have the same driven desire to win and go to finals like you. For instance, I was able to feel the same feeling when I joined DeAnza’s Cross Country team a year ago. It was hard to decide whether I should join the Cross Country or not since I'm in college now.

Blue flashes of light left you temporarily blind as you ran from her. Her spears fired at you with the intent to kill. Your health is low, only 4 hp left. Then you felt it, A piercing pain in your thigh. You collapsed to the ground as the now bleeding wound rendered you unable to walk. You tried crawling but it was of no use, you could feel yourself bleeding out, and the sound of boot steps was getting closer. You gave up, knowing the end was near and there was hardly anything you could do about it. You felt the tip of Undyne's boot wedge it's self under you as she flipped you over.

that I can be happy at and if running track in college is a good idea and when I realize what the best thing to do then I will decide but until that time comes I wait and research and think about what I could do to my life to have a smile on my face everyday and having the life that is worthwhile. I love running track with a passion I know that because when I'm on the line about to push off the blocks the feeling I have in my stomach is like faith telling me and all I think about is run run run and saying repeatedly “I can do it”, then when that gunshot goes off I go, I run my heart out and I don't stop until I win and go for the best of my

To say that I've invested myself into the sport of Track and Field would be a gross understatement. I indulged myself in an almost cultic workout routine for what encompassed the majority of my sophomore years summer. I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into my training for one of my most anticipated seasons of Track and Field yet. With my regiment beginning at 10:00am and ending at 3:00pm everyday for almost 5 months, I felt more invested in it then anything else I had ever endeavoured on in my life. Needless to say, by the time the beginning of the season finally rolled around, I felt more prepared than ever to tackle the lengthy and vexatious sport.

Many people dread Mondays, but I always looked forward to Mondays spent at TOPSoccer. This student-run, community-based program enables children with disabilities to learn the sport in a supportive environment. This is where I met Evan, an 11-year-old with cerebral palsy. Evan was limited in his mobility and had speech difficulties, which made communication trying at times, so forging a relationship with him was challenging; understandably, he wasn't the most willing participant. Over the next four years together, I continually sought new ways to engage Evan, whether pushing his wheelchair around the field house or playing catch. With my encouragement, Evan's attitude began to change. By my senior year, Evan's grinning face and clapping hands

I am a runner. At least that is what I would always tell people. Laziness and injury isn't what is usually thought of when I say that. But that is what I am, I just am constantly battling between my body and mind. Exercise makes it better. At Least that's what they told me. So I tried I put all my effort, all my energy into it. I thought if I kept pushing myself either I would break or all of a sudden I would feel alright for once. We are taught that exercise creates endorphins, and endorphins make you happy. So clearly I wasn't exercising enough or I wouldn't be depressed. I wasn't born with depression I was taught it.

It has made me disciplined and motivated to strive for something greater than I am. As someone who has struggled to get things done because of my lifelong battle with ADHD, running has given me the motivation to commit myself to something. I could have given up on running long ago, however that just would have given me no growth in learning. Now I am capable of completing anything. I have been empowered and motivated because of what cross country has given me. Cross Country has also instilled in me a sharpness in mind, a keen ability to recognize your surroundings. When running I am constantly in nature. A Cross Country course can be unpredictable. It may seem cliches, since I don’t necessarily consider myself and athlete it has helped me commit to something. But because of this I feel that I am a qualified and strong young woman who can overcome any

Everyone is good at something in life. For me, running is something that I truly excel at. Running allows me to focus on my dreams and goals that stand in front of me. I can never look back at what is behind me, because my feet are taking me to a moving paradise where nothing else matters. Whenever I run, all of the negativity in my life disappears in an instant. Stressors that swirl like fog in my mind cease to exist. The anxiety that once made my limbs vigorously vibrate is now blown away by a bullet. All of the pessimistic voices in my head that once hindered my happiness

“I’m coming!” I yelled back. My brother stood next to him fumbling with the tent poles. I hopped off the playground slide and ran over to them, nearly tripping on a sign that read “Do Not Feed The Animals”. “Here, hold this up.” My dad said, handing me a part of the tent.