I found my diary today from when I was 13 years old. I got it at my 13th birthday, which was the summer between 7th and 8th grade (the only time I was on a cross country team). It's a bit obvious to claim that I'm quite different now, but wow, I was a completely different person then. Different goals, feelings, etc. But not quite entirely different. It seems as if I had a similar running ambition then too. Here are a few quotes:
I hope that 10 years from now I can reread this to remember what I was like. XI have a goal this summer: be able to run 2 miles in 15 minutes or less. I will run almost every day. I will eat better. I will swim often. Duh! There's going to be a new coach next year. I want to impress (him? her?), I want to be captain of the girls team, and most important of all, I want to impress myself. If I pace myself this summer, I know I can do it. I'll have to work hard, but I don't mind. I've never really been good at sports. I discovered this year that I'm good at cross country, and I like it a lot. I get freedom, I got at my own pace, it feels good when I pass people near the end. I want to stick with it.
Today I ran 3 miles. It was hard but I think I did good. Tomorrow I'm going running and to the mall. I can't wait.
Today I worked on my pogo stick. Tomorrow I might be online! (Slightly off topic, but that made me laugh)
X-country practice went xcelent. Get it? On the first day of school we ran 3 miles on the track. That was so boring. On the second day we ran a route by ourselves. It was like 5 miles. I was so tired.
At the McQuaid invite, I tried to go really fast, but I didn't go as fast as I wanted to. I was doing pretty good. But I came in 3rd from Spencerport.
At our last meet, it was a 2 mile course and it poured the whole time, I was soaked to the bone. I did pretty good.
That marks the end of my middle school days as a runner and I turned to singing. Oh young Vanessa, you grew up. Sort of. You got a better idea of what the world was like, but apparently retained a love for running! How funny, tired from 5 miles and now tired by 20. I don't play on the pogo stick anymore, but I still have trouble starting races.
The thing that struck me most was reading my list of goals and plans for the summer in regard to running. I really haven't changed at all. That is exactly how I attack marathon training now: name the goal and plan and persevere. And I still get excited about the whole process and don't mind that it's a daunting task. I don't have anything written down from then about running a marathon someday, but I remember telling my gym teacher that I would and send her a postcard when I did one (all before the days of e-mail, of course). When I ran the National Marathon, I e-mailed her, and it felt like it all had come full circle.
How funny. I've changed a little, grown an inch or two, but am still loving this crazy sport.
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