If anyone cares to read about this, here it is.
My inspiration as a runner.
Well during the end of 7th grade a girl asked if I would like to join track. I accept the challenge knowing that I've never really done sports and that I'm really bad at them, especially running.
So during that time my coach had be run just half a mile for races, which was OK since I was scared of running half a mile and a mile. I really stunk for the half mile always ending up last and walking some of it.
8th grade comes and I join Cross Country. I wanted to start loosing weight and feeling great and just getting active. The reaction that most of the guys had anyway was "Are you kidding me?" While we would just run laps in the back of Keller Junior High where we have "the hill" a guy tells me "No one likes you." Just like that. I was hurt and struggling of course until I come across a teacher named Mrs. Naaf. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have improved so much. She's in her fifties but still pretty good. She got me through the tough times and we helped each other out. After the Cross Country season we started running twice a week together. I was happy and felt proud. B
But as weeks past by she got busy and we sort of stopped the twice a week running thing until Track and Field came into season. That's when I really kicked the ball. This girl named Lauren was really fast and played travel soccer but was doing only the high jump so she decided to run with me before she had to practice. That's when I ran my first two miles with her. I was really tired but she kept me going and she slowed down for me and everything. I was so happy and then for three weeks I stop running after school ends.
I see a summer school list for Schuamburg High School and I decide to take Cross Country training for the whole summer. Hey like I had anything better to do. My first few weeks running with Mac was difficult. I got lost two times and yea Macnider wasn't really pleased with me and I don't think he saw strong potential in me. As the rest of the months pass by I was getting better but still nothing special happened.
Until school begins.
My first meet against Buffalo Grove at Hoover, Mac only has me run a mile. A mile?!?!?! I spend the whole summer running 2 and then 3 mile road runs and working on the track and everything and all I have to show for is a stupid mile? I didn't even know when the mile ended so I wasn't going as fast as I should have. I was so upset and I don't know it got to me real hard and I just was down in the dumps. I knew I had to show Mac that I could do better.
Then the next meet against Hoffman Estates comes and well the weather was crummy. Mac saw how much harder I worked ever since he only had me do a mile and since I was trying to show him I can do it he let me do 2 miles and a half. Well I still ended last, not to far from the girl ahead of me, with about 25:14 time. Not the best but I hopefully will improve.
Then we had the Lake Park invitational today and well it was exciting and I ran an 18:30 2 miles (the coarse was farely flat) and I came in 259 out of 282. Mac saw I was upset and well I kind of was because I felt like I didn't try hard enough and I was so afraid of trying too hard and slowing down and everything and I should have sprinted harder instead of just increasing my pace but negativity will not get me anywhere.
I met a muslim girl there and I cheered for her on the JV race and although she got last place out of like 200 people, I felt like she deserved something for trying. She hugged me and said "Thank you" and I told her "No problem. I know how it feels just keep working at it and you'll do great." I don't care if your fast or slow or black or white or from a competing school. I just want you to... well to try harder but most importantly to do your best and even if you didn't try your best it's alright just don't quit. "There's no Elevator to Success, You have to take the Stairs."
Oh and by the way Janeth Salazar!!!! Even though It's been about 20 years since you ran at Schuamburg High School I am still a fan of yours and would like to know all your secrets on running and everything!!!!!
2 comments:
Runner2b,
Wow a fellow Saxon! (I also went to Helen Keller Jr. High). Welcome to high school cross country and to Mac's Pac! There is a lot of history behind Mac's Pac and I'm proud to have been a member. Let me gather some of my thoughts on what advice I might be able to give you and I will post again within the week, okay?
Say hi to Mac for me. I usually come to a race or two during the season so be sure to introduce yourself :-)
In the meantime - P.A.M.A.
RunnerGirl - Janeth
Hi runner2b (although it should be runner-I-am )! I love your blog and it is great hearing about your experiences as a young runner. I thought it very interesting how you decided to join track even though you felt you were not good at sports. Choosing to take on this challenge even though you knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. I like that, and it says a lot of good things about you! As you develop as a runner/athlete you will find that the dedication, focus, and hard work needed to succeed are tools you can use for life.
Okay here is some advice.
You are a relatively “new” runner so you must keep in mind that training builds upon itself from month to month, season to season, year to year. Now that you are in high school under Mac’s program you are really training for the first time so I would look at this as a real learning year. The kind of speed and strength you see in older runners on your team come from all the work they have done before hand. They all had a starting point just as you did. So keep your head on straight, put in the work, and be patient but most of all really love it for the challenge of it all.
In order to be the runner you want to be you must, and I cannot stress this enough, you must take care of yourself. Sleep and nutrition are important for any teenager and more so if you are an athlete. Get that homework done, don’t procrastinate and find yourself up all night or suffering from bad grades. Eat those vegetables, fruits, lean meats, etc and get plenty of WATER. You are growing and training puts extra demands on your body making nutrition so very important. Never diet, satisfy your hunger but do it with good healthy foods.
I see you mentioned in your blog about being afraid of slowing down, or afraid of the distance etc. Athletes must learn at some point what to do about this, how to manage this. You know that saying “There is nothing to fear but fear itself?” You are running from point a to point b as fast as you can and you are a member of a team that trains with you and supports you. Doesn’t sound scary to me. You know that anxiety you feel before you race? That’s just your body getting ready to do its thing out there on the race course and that’s exactly what you want your body to be doing. When people ask me if I’m nervous I say “No, I’m excited”. Don’t let fear limit you, because that is what it will do if you let it.
I wish you the very best this season and I look forward to seeing you progress over the next few years. You sound like you have a great attitude and desire to do the work and that will take you very far.
“P.A.M.A. all the way” as my Dad would always say to me. That “all the way” part still makes me laugh.
Best wishes always
Janeth
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