Running

Just Call Me Forrest Gump.. Just Kidding, I Hate Running

     Okay, so you are all probably thinking why tf would this girl write about running when she hates it..? That doesn't make any sense?! Well I have to be honest with you. I actually don't exactly hate running. It's more of like a love hate relationship. I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

     It all started in kindergarten- yeah I know, what throwback.  I was THE fastest girl in my class.  I felt like an actual God. I was zooming around everywhere. Tag was my all time favorite game to play as a kid mostly because of the running. I was undefeatable. So all through elementary school, running was my thing. I liked it and I was good at it. Then came middle school.... Throughout those dark three years, I joined the running club. Ha I know how adorable and incredibly stupid. Like why in the world would I join a club with a bunch of people to just run??? Why can't you just do it on your own? You don't need a group of people in order to run...? Well actually in my case, I do actually need other people to run. I don't have the motivation to get myself up and run on my own. Okay but anyway, every day after school, I would go with my friends to the soccer field where we would warm up. So you know how I said that I was super fast in elementary school. Well yeah not in middle school. That was a horse of a different color. My fast was not their fast. SO needless to say, that made me sad because I thought I was IT. The real deal. But I was that little tiny kid that had no idea what I was doing. My first race ( which wasn't even a real 5K) was horrible. I was only like two miles but I literally died. Like that was NOT good. I don't really have anyone to blame but myself because I never really 100% tried. But like what's new. I never apply myself. So after my long awful two miles I finished the race. I threw up after, but its was fine, I was fine. It was all fine. I still showed up to practice the following week; and continued to throughout the entire rest of my middle school career.  As the years passed, I did in fact improve and dare I say... grew to love the sport. After graduating from middle school, I decided that I wanted to continue my running career through to high school. My middle school coach had given my name to the running coaches at the high school. 

     Freshman year, I was going to do cross country. I figured it would be a good way to meet people, stay active and fuel my need for speedddddd. I never ended up joining because I wanted to focus on my schoolwork since it was technically my first year in high school!!! By the time spring rolled around, I had a good grasp on my school work and how to balance everything so I decided to join the track team! Bad idea. I soon found out that there are so many events in track. Its not just one set thing. I ended up sprinting my freshman year. I know what you're thinking. Why is some Asian girl pretending that she's actually fast and SPRINTING?? Well I wasn't terrible at short distances, however, it was a change from what I was used to running. The practices were much more intense and competitive. I quickly learned that if you were not serious about running, then you should get you're lazy ass off that track because they were not having it. There were so many times where I wanted to quit, but im not a quitter. I powered through until I made it to the end of the season. Never again I though. Never again would I put myself through that torture. Okay so I keep saying that freshman year was awful, but I do have to say that I did have some friends that made it a little less miserable. Overall freshman year really taught me that this ins't a "running club" this is big girl serious running get your shit together team. I am proud to say that I was not the slowest out there; which is fine by me. as long as I wasn't last. Freshman year I was roped into hurdles. The coach saw me a "having potential". Mostly because I have long legs. Needless to say, that didn't go so well. At first I did well! I got over the hurdles. So thats good right? Practically the whole point. But yeah so one time I was doing a drill and my legs were just not having it that day and just decided to give out on me. Ha ha yeah fun. I bet you can imagine what happened next. I ended up twisting my ankle and embarrassing the crap outta myself. So yeah that was a fun experience. 10/10 don't recommend. 

     Sophomore year is kinda a blur. It is the year that doesn't really matter, it's just there. So I hate to say it, but I did not join cross country this year. I know I should have and I was totally thinking about it, but I did was scared of being slow. And I know thats the whole point of practicing and conditioning, but like I didn't want to go out there and completely suck ya know. I have a problem with my pride. I guess I could have continued to train and run to stay in shape after track and just run on my own but who tf is that motivated?? Nobody. I rest my case. Sophomore year I sprinted again. I improved a lot this year. I still wasn't the best, which low key ticked me off, but what did I expect?? I was a little asian girl who thought she was speedy. Asians art known for their endurance or speed, they're known for how good they are at math- I guarantee you I break that stereotype because I suck as math- and how amazing they are a ping pong ( I started a ping pong club at my school lol how asian of me). So I guess instead of running I should have joined a mathletes or something like that but whatever. So yeah.. I didn't totally suck at spraining, but I really missed distance running. I was so jealous of the distance kids who would just have long run and the sprinters would have a ladder workout. Like wtf how is that fair?! For those of you who don't know what a ladder workout is, it is a series  of sprints where the distances increases every time. Like 100m, then 200m, then 300m then 400m and then back down 400,300,200 and 100. Doesn't seem too too hard but when you're running at full speed which minimal break in-between in the Florida heat, its the worst thing in the world. Trust me. As sophomore year came to an end, I though wow only two more years of high school, maybe next year I'll actually join cross country. Or maybe I'll try another sport... I've always entertained the thought of joining the swim team.... 

     Junior year I was determined I would join the cross country team. Long story short, that did not happen. No matter how many times I told myself I was going to do it and that it was MY year, it still never happened. Soooo since I didn't do cross country I thought well I guess I'll just do track.. again. Spring rolls around and as per usual I attend conditioning and freeze my butt off. Lovely right? Yeah no. So track season beings and I decide to switch it up and run distance this year. Just for laughs and giggles ya know. Yeah so that was definitely an adjustment because I was so used to running short distances. By the time the season actually starts I begin to get used to the practices and workouts. I actually still participated in some sprint events because the coaches just absolutely love to kill me. I swear all of the coaches get together and this of ways just to make me miserable. Or at least thats what it seems like. Junior year I actually decided to try something new because the running thing was NOT it. I was always so jealous of the throwers because they still were considered part of the track team, but they didn't have to run.... They had that shit figured out. Anyway, I decided to try a field event and maybe find out that maybe I was good at something. So I was roped into the high jump. I was excited to try something new. after a dew practices, I learned that high jump was NOT my thing. I then decided to try something else so the next option was long jump. I figured it couldn't be THAT hard. All you have to do is just run and jump. Simple right? No. There are so many rules and measurements you have to meet!! I actually was not bad at it and I liked it! I was so excited because I thought maybe this was something I could do and still be on the track team and not run! That however was not a reality because I was already roped into the whole running thing which kinda sucked. Anyway I began to compete in the long jump and like I said, I wasn't horrible. I didn't get last, so that's good. Since I was competing in long jump, my coach suggested I attempt the triple jump. I was like WTF is that. I looked up a video and thought wow I could never do that. Like ever, I'm not that coordinated. Me being the person I am, took the challenge and tried it.Not going to lie, it took a while to get used to the movements. I looked like a total idiot going through the practices and workouts. I always went to the triple jump pit after the distance workout to work on my jumps and strides. By the time the next meet rolled around, I was signed up to compete in the triple and long jump. I did well in both, but I was able to actually score points for my team in the triple jump. I was so exited and tilt my coach that I'm more useful in field event that running and that I should just not run anymore but he just laughed in my face and told me I was crazy. So that's how I tried to get out of running but nobody ever takes me seriously. Anyway, junior year track ended up being pretty good, I felt purposeful and like actually good at something. 

     Senior year I was determined I was going to join the cross country team. After three long years of putting it off, I finally joined the cross country team. I attended the summer conditionings and they weren't too bad since track just finished. The season starts and I ended up making so many friends and formed a bond that I really wouldn't trade for the world. So cross country I will say was rough. I honestly never did the workouts in full. I can confidently say that I did not complete any workout at all the entire season. Then again, I didn't really put forth much effort. Throughout ,y entire running career, I have one rule to follow- Don't show potential, or else they'll expect too much of you. So through the xc season, I followed by this rule, never applied myself during practice and settled for meritocracy during meets. I was on varsity and ran sub 30 min without even tying or training on the weekends so just imagine the potential I had and how fast I could've been loll.  Waking up at 4:45 am to be at the school at 5 to go to a random ass school and run a 5k every Saturday really was crazy. I can't believe I actually did that. I honestly don't think I'll ever be in that good shape ever again. Running 3 miles on a every Saturday morning for about three and a half months really made me feel more productive and good about myself. So for anyone out there debating if they should join a cross country team, I definitely recommend it! I  mean I'm not going to lie it was three straight months of pure hell but so worth it. After xc season comes to an end, I think about the upcoming track season and just wanna die. I go back and forth between should I or should I not do track this year. The whole running and competition was getting old. But I was my senior year! Only one more year. I had done track all three previous years of high school, so how could I not do it my last year?! I did end up doing track, and for the most part hating it and just counting down the days until the season was over. Typically I would say wow senior year! This is MY year. I am going to show my potential because it is my last year and they can't do anything about it. Well needless to say, I the year did not go like that. I did show my potential and I immediately regretted it because then I was expected to be fast and was then put in so many events. As the season started to come to and end, everyone was training for the district meet. My coach was banking on me to be the last link in the 4x8 team. He was expecting me to put my all and ya know do well maybe even go for some Pr's. Ha well turned out Grad bash was the same day as districts. #dodgedabullet. All of my 4x8 girls were relieved because that meant they had one less race to run. On the other hand, my coach was not too happy. But I said he's a big boy, he'll just have to suck it up and work it out. Turned out not only were all of the seniors not going to the district meet, but some other the other best runners because of other reasons or injuries. Basically, the team was screwed. I do have to say that my last meet was bittersweet. I claimed that after my my last event, I was never going to step foot on a track again. Swore I was never going to run again.

     Well, now I'm at college.... going to the track and running everyday. Like wow oh have the tables have turned. For me, running I've discovered is a big stress reliever to me. I find peace whenever I run, I don't know why but I do. With all of the pressure to be good and all of the competition that goes along with it in high school gone, I actually find running more enjoyable. Plus, if I don't run, I usually am not able to sleep at night. Overall I guess you could say I am a runner. Are you even a runner if you hate running???  

     I've noticed that all of my posts are kinda long. I am sorry for that. I still don't really know what I'm doing. I just have a lot to say I guess. please give me ideas of what to write about! Please. Im running out of ideas. - Maya 

2018-19 Girls Track Distance Team- yeah we're a pretty small group 

XC 2018-19 -- I'm the idiot not wearing school colors 

1200 m  - The Mile 

Girls XC Team at Districts 

Home Meet - I promise I'm not in a gang