Do you ever look at a runner and wonder when they started doing such a crazy thing? When did is seem like a good idea to lace up the Brooks and start running down the hard concrete sidewalk?
For me, it happened in 7th grade. Before 7th grade, I pretty much thought I didn’t have any athletic talent. I’d already gotten cut from the basketball team. And I had practiced all summer. Besides, I hated running like all of my friends. Why? Because you were supposed to. But we had this race called the “Turkey Trot.” I think it was a mile run through the woods behind the middle school. I started jogging and was shocked and thrilled to realize that 1) it didn’t hurt and 2) I could keep running faster and faster. I finished that race elated. The next year, I ran a 6 min. mile to get 2nd in the mile race for track and field. A long distance runner in the making.
Highschool is another long story. I’ll tell that one another time.
