How Running Changed My Life

It started in High School. As a teenager, a good student but hesitant to join in with the other kids. I had my group of friends, yes, but I always felt something missing.

That’s when I decided to join the cross country team.

Just like that. I don’t know. It was the sort of idea you have every reason to ignore (and most of the time you do). But this time, for whatever reason, I didn’t ignore it. I told my dad I wanted to join, and he–an athlete himself–beamed with pride. He knew the coach personally.

“I’ll call him up,” he said.

And he did.

And that was it. I was a runner. No turning back.

And so I went to practice–nervously–and ran around the track, my head hung low. I struggled to finish the first few laps and when the coach yelled for us to run the stairs, I nearly fainted for fear of not finishing.

As the other perfect runners completed their perfect times, I jogged like an ungraceful baboon to the finish. As I approached the field, I envied the way the others stretched their long perfect legs. Always, all of them looking perfect perfect perfect.

And that was when I threw up.

Imperfectly, of course. And everywhere. And that is when a boy uttered, “Ahhh, nasty!”, his friends all nodding in agreement. And of course, I couldn’t argue with them.

It was nasty.

And that’s when it happened.

The assistant coach approached me. I was still blushing when he arrived, afraid of what he might say. But he didn’t embarrass me as I feared he would. Instead, he leaned in close so that only I could hear as he whispered into my ear:

“You know, you shouldn’t be embarrassed for trying hard. You pushed yourself today, and that’s something. They won’t respect you less for it–he paused–“As a matter of fact, they’ll respect you more.”

In the following months, I learned what he said was true. I was never fast. But I always worked hard.

And that was enough.

I hope to eventually add more to the story of “How Running Changed My Life.” I am a long way off from being where I was in High School, but I know now not to be embarrassed to try.