I was never much of a runner growing up. In fact, I was never much of anything athletic. I lacked coordination, as evidenced by the fact that I was in the back corner in every dance recital. My parents still encouraged my participation in soccer, softball, and jazz and ballet classes. When I was one of five kids cut from the swim team freshmen year in high school (after getting the ax from the volleyball team one week earlier), I got a call from Coach Shields, the girls cross country coach. I hated running, and I was sick at the thought of running such crazy distances, which ironically, at the time were not more than 4 miles. All my athletic friends were a part of the soccer, volleyball , or field hockey team. I joined the cross country team because I wanted to be a part of a team as well. I wasn't a B!tching fast runner. In fact, our team averaged only 2 wins a season. But, I felt confident and found a group of people who motivated me to not only be a better runner, but a better student and overall person. Three seasons later, I was elected captain and could help motivate and build confidence in other "new runners."
Well, after Lauren and I climbed the hills last night, we ran by the Dunkin Donuts at BC. My friend Chris came running
out to give me a hug. He had just finished running a tempo run on the hills with his club. Chris and I were co-captains of cross-country, along with our friends Sheede and Lorin. The four of us have remained close over the years. Sheede is by far one of my best friends of all time. Sheede and I typically called each other "Oh Captain! My Co-Captain!", our spin on Walt Whitman's poem, but a line that became dear to us watching Dead Poets Society in our Latin class (taught by Kevin O'Malley, one of our cross-country coaches). Lorin has been serving in Iraq after graduating from West Point. Despite this, we manage to see each other whenever he returns to the states, including hopefully this weekend when he is home! (from left to right: Chris, Sheede, Lorin, and yours truly - Thanksgiving 2005)I took a running hiatus in college. I worked out a bit, but not nearly as much as I probably would have liked, and certainly would have needed, given the Freshman 15 that I gained, but never lost.
But the runner in me came out of hibernation last summer, and my run last night reminded me why. After turning onto Beacon, Lauren and I were chatting away as per usual. I looked to my right and across the street was a guy who I dated briefly last summer. After courting me like crazy, he ended it out of the blue, saying some vague things related to the fact that he "didn't know where it was going" and he "wasn't over the Ex." All of this is fine in hindsight, and I still forever have respect for him because he didn't drag me along for the ride. When I heard this though, it was a shock. Rather than eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's and watching Love Actually, I went for a run around the river. And the next day...I did the same...but this run was followed up by my impulse decision to sign up for the BAA Half. Halfway through training for that, I had another impulse decision and applied to run Boston as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team.
Lauren and I finished our run by crossing the finish line after a sprint down Boylston (Jack always said: "Start slow, finish strong"). I stared down the finish line, and said "See ya on April 21st, B!TCH!".
We ended our evening at Crossroads by throwing a few beverages back with the DFMC crew. Through random life circumstance, I found a team again. A group of people who boost my confidence, always keep me smiling, and motivate me to become both a better runner and a better person.
And the rest is history.
2 comments:
Ugh - I should have suggested the other picture. I look like I just got punched in my eye.
Awesome, awesome post. You're going to OWN that finish line in 14 days :)
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