Running In High School

Sweat trickles down my hot, flushed back. I lick my lips and taste the salt running down my face while I look further down the gravel road, which seems to have no end. My blisters have blisters, but I continue on. This sounds similar to a form of torture; however, this is my idea of fun and relaxation. Most summer mornings you will find me doing what I adore most: running.
Whether I have realized it or not, running has always played a major role in my life. When I was young, I was an annoying ball of energy who was always begging my brother to wander outside and play with me. Among sword fights, failed flips on the trampoline, and good old-fashioned tag, my brother and I spent many hours a day running and playing around. During this time, …show more content…
Up until fifth grade, I had been homeschooled by my mother and loved it. I have always been a student who learned new concepts quickly and easily, so I had a ton of spare time while I was homeschooled. I had a few friends at West Delaware before I joined the school system from dual enrollment for classes such as art and music, but the idea of going to school from eight until three, Monday through Friday, was incredibly intimidating. When I first joined public school I tried my best to blend in with the other students, but was about as successful as a turtle in the two hundred meter dash. I endured fifth and sixth grade with scant friends and plentiful tears. At the end of sixth grade I made the decision to skip seventh grade and move straight into eighth grade. To this day I am grateful for that decision; however, I do have a few regrets from skipping a grade. Missing out on all sports available in seventh grade is definitely at the top of my list of regrets. When I tried joining sports in eighth grade, such as basketball, the coaches and girls already knew who they expected to play where, and there was no room for a scrawny, awkward girl like myself. I also tried my luck in volleyball instead of following my gut and joining cross country. Back in eighth grade my idea of a long run was two miles, and this would soon …show more content…
Durocher’s earlier compliments might have given me a bit too much confidence. Sure I went on a couple two mile runs before the season started, but that would not even begin to prepare me for what I was about to endure. Sore calves, aching knees, and a doubtful mind sum up my first two weeks of practice. Suddenly, the first meet had come and gone and I had moved up to varsity, with the best time of anyone on the team. Up until that race I had stayed in the middle of the pack at practice, so a freshman moving into the top varsity spot took everyone by surprise. For the rest of my freshman year I consistently placed at meets and finished first for the West Delaware team. This led me to enter track with great confidence, which would soon be taken