Overcoming Obstacles

Running is much more than it seems. People view it as a way to get in shape, lose weight or even just a hobby. It is much more than that, running is a dumbed down version of a psychologist. Two miles in, a lifetime to go, came directly from what someone's mind wants them to believe during a run, it wants them to quit, cut it short. Why would someone keep going if the only reward they could maybe receive is a shiny piece of metal or to lose a few pounds? Why would someone go to practice and push themselves to the point of exhaustion, get up, and do it again everyday? For most, this would be absurd, but a select few realize the undercover benefits that come with this kind of self induced trauma.

"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort." Running has been a part of my life for four years now and in my short involvement in the sport, it has completely changed the kind of person I am, and the kind of person I want to be. Throughout the past few years, people always ask me "why do you run? What motivates you? And to be honest, I have a variety of reasons for why I am 100% committed and dedicated to being a runner.

Running is in my blood. If you ask my parents, they will tell you as soon as I learned to walk, I ran everywhere I went.There are pictures of me at 18 months old chasing my dad as he mowed the lawn. It was difficult to convince me to walk anywhere. I’m a little bit older now but not much has changed. I’ve been running for PD since 8th grade, and it was a mistake that I didn’t start in 7th. Every year I have shown growth in not only my times, but also my character and attitude toward the team. As each season went by, I’ve come to realize how PDXC is more than just a team: it’s a family. During my freshman year at camp in Boone, Coach Hovis had a speech that conveyed how and why PDXC is a family. I remember almost scoffing at that in 9th grade,

There are many things that people can learn from this sport. Patience is one of those essentials. One thing runners will quickly realize is that times do not get faster overnight. People have to put in a lot of work and effort to drop seconds on of their times. It strengthens one’s endurance levels since they are not handed being a good athlete. Runners have to train hard and log many miles into their shoes to get faster. Good runners also create a great work ethic. Even when they are in immense pain, they keep going. When someone is a runner, he or she has to zone out and forget the pain. This is good because runners are known to be hard-workers at their occupations. Persistence and work ethic go together. One has to be persistent to work hard. Out of all the life skills running teaches, the strongest one is expanding runner’s mental capabilities. Runners have to be motivated. If a person does not have the willpower and strength to say that he or she can do it, they will not go very far. Having a positive mindset goes a long way. One could be the slowest runner, but when they believe they can run faster, they will achieve their goal. Giving up is not an option. This applies to not just running but to other things in life also. Runners learn many life lessons; these being just a few of

I constantly set goals for myself that I am determined to reach. I’m very adamant when it comes to improving my times. Running could even pay off for me and my ability could possibly be even worth money, because I may get a scholarship. Also, just like Wang Lung’s land, running is extremely important in my life, it's a part of who I am as a person and no one can really take that from me or rob me of running. They can say mean things, they can take other things away, but they can’t take away my passion for running.

It was one of those times that, once again, reminded me that “Runners are different.” For most, It doesn’t really matter how successful they are and despite being competitive athletes - above all else - they are good and decent human beings first.

Along with my specialty of running into mailboxes, I am also known for tripping over flat surfaces, eating my weight in pasta, braiding my teammates’ hair before races, and face planting at the bottoms of hills. Life is short, running makes it longer. Despite all of this, lacing up a pair of shoes and heading out the door is a passion of mine that continually challenges me day in and day out to improve myself. Running clears my head and makes me feel like I can conquer anything. I cannot wait to make more sensational memories and friendships with this sport.

Running has always been a passion of mine, along the way it has helped me overcome and push towards my goals in life. My cross country and track teams have become more like a family, than a team. We win together, and we lose together. Becoming the distance runner I am today has allowed me to have a purpose in life and to always try to be the best that I can.

Surprisingly, there are multiple factors that will guide a person to become a runner. Genes have a way to influence running, but they are not the deciding factor if an individual will be talented. A “Runner’s Body” is an advantage that may push a person to run, although this on its own is not what will make an individual succeed. Society also decides if a person will be successful or if a person will try to be a runner. Genes have a way to influence running, but in America, they are not what determines if a person will be a successful runner. As said by runner, David Bradford (2017, pgh 29), “Talent isn’t destiny decipherable from DNA; it waits to be realized hard work, like a sculpture inside of a boulder.” Running is based upon the amount

I'm a runner; I always have been and I always will be. Why? I'll tell you why. Running is the one physical activity, the one hobby, the one life style you can have that can change your life in a lot more ways than one. I started running when I was ten years old. I really enjoyed doing it and it was good for me. I started to get into it when my father married what is now my step mother. She was a runner in high school and college and told me about how she enjoyed it. At first I thought the idea was completely absurd, but then I actually tried it. I started to go out on the old county road that I lived on and just run a couple miles. It was fun to me and everything but I never understood why I did it until I grew older. I ran local 5K's and such but never ran to my full potential until I was in junior high. But even then I didn’t take it as serious as I do now. Something about doing something that no one else could at my age was enjoyable. Adults would wonder with amazement as my parents told them about how I would run miles and miles everyday. The most common comment I received was “I don't know how

No matter how much training you have had, you still have to fight for every inch with full power for three point one miles, progressively getting faster with every step as you get closer to the finish line. You can do a full sprint to the finish line to beat your competitors, and in that sprint you get a high better than any other; it should be illegal. All you worried about is beating that guy beside you, and in the end it all comes down to who has the heart to win and a little bit of gas left in your tank. When you cross the finish line and after you pass out from exhaustion, you look up to see your coach, family and hopefully a medal, coming your way. If not, there will be more meets and more running because unlike football, you can run whenever and wherever on any day of the year.

Running has been a crucial part of my development as a person and a student. I was a terribly unathletic child growing up. Truly focused on academics, music, and art, I was weak and skinny. Gym class would cause me stress as my peers looked down upon my skills and did not pick me to participate in their team. I still remember my seventh grade gym teacher laughing at my terrible volley ball skills. However, I started track and field in seventh grade. I was definitely not the best runner and it took a while for me to become used to moving after years of idle activities. I was still seen as an un-athletic person, but I decided to persevere and continue to run. I joined the cross country team in eighth grade and continued to run ever since. By

These runners run just for fun or to pass the time between meet days. These runners live for meet days and it by far is their favorite day of the week. The rest of their week they spend preparing for this day. They usually run about five miles every practice, but never more than 10. They try to weight train and carbo load on the days leading up to meet day, but their intense desire to eat everything in their path usually ends up defeating the plan. They are team players and need others to help them keep going. They take many aspects of what the team does very seriously and lose all ambition when having to anything by themselves. The Average Runner is commonly surrounded by others of their kind being that 90% of their friend group consists of other runners and most of them are on the same team or running group as they are. They consider the act of running to be one of their hobbies and only participate in the physical movement when they are in the right mood, either bored or extremely bored, or when they are at practice. The Average Runner does not own much for gear besides their immense collection of meet shirts. These runners are easily identifiable in the average social setting, they can usually be found wearing a pair of sweatpants, one of their numerous meet shirts and a cheap set of brightly colored running

Because when it comes down to the end of a tough run/race/speed workout, it is the runner that did all the work to finish it.

There can also be too much competition which happens when there are people competing for a prize. People can also get discouraged when running because some are doing it to lose weight and some do not lose weight. People can also “hit the wall” when running which happens when a person overdoes their exercise and can be physically harmed. Although there are some negatives, there are more positives to running.