a run down memory lane.

Running--It's been such a huge part of my life and true passion; but it wasn't always that way. I can remember my mom & dad forcing bribing me to run with my dad, enter races and try-out for track as they saw the God-given talent I had. I would often say, "it's pointless....at least with soccer you're chasing a ball." As part of one of their deals, I had to at least try-out for track in 7th grade. Fine. So on lunch, the PE coach took me out to a field and told me to run a lap (1/4 mile). Easy. He continually kept asking, "Can you run another?.....and another?.....and another?" So around I went getting rather bored with this task. The coach looked at my mom and the other coaches and said, "well, I think we have our distance runner."

So now that I had gotten myself into committing to track that year, I knew I had to make the best of it.  At first, I liked running for purely one reason: I was good.  I was making a name for myself.  It wasn't until that season when Coach Davis {or "Fish" as I called him} was introduced to work with the distance team. What an inspiring coach! He taught me all that running has to offer, the pure joy behind running, the life lessons that can be learned by just your feet hitting the pavement in the same cadence for miles and miles. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. He just got me. And oh boy, would I do anything to please him, to make him proud.

Here are a few of my favorite stories of our runs:

It was an early Saturday morning training run and he told me we would be going out for a 3 mile run. Ok, great. That's the furthest I had ever ran but I was comfortable with it. As we were running this random route, all I can remember was getting so so tired and thinking, man! longest 3 miles ever. After we finished, Fish disclosed that we actually ran 4 miles and that I am capable of more than I think.

We were doing a tempo run down to the park from the stadium and as we were coming back, I was doggin' it and Fish was busy jumping around in the ditches as he ran. All of a sudden we saw a turtle in the road.  I would have overlooked this but that was made difficult because Fish picked the turtle up and started running with it....later he put it down in a safe location. How fun it is to be in touch with nature and God's creation.  I learned to look around, not be solely focused on the end but enjoy the creation and praise God for his great works.....all because of a turtle.

So, this all began my journey of running. I loved it. I went on to beat a school record, run in multiple state meets, obtain medal after medal....until that moment when it had turned into competition instead of love for the sport. I got burnt out with the pressure of always having to be on top, I took a year off to try to find that passion again. As soon as I found it, I joined the team again and that passion was channeled into encouraging the newer runners. That was my new goal...to encourage others in the way that Fish encouraged me. Which lead to going to college for an exercise science degree, studying running programs {for fun}, coaching 3rd-5th grade boys to run a 5k, and my ultimate dream: to be a middle school running coach. One day....

I have the urge to start running for myself again...to enjoy my surroundings, get lost in thought, to have quiet time with God, to love the sport for all that it offers. Join me on my journey to establish a new identity in running--not that of a "good" runner--but of an encourager, a follower of Christ's teachings, and a joyful spirit.

My little running team.

Race finish-I couldn't have been more proud of this little boy.