Throwback Thursday–journaling at age 14(part 1)

At age 14 I was a freshman in high school running varsity cross country and apparently I journaled about it. Last year my mom discovered this notebook in my bedroom and gave it to me.

Now that I’m actually reading it I realize how valuable and intense my teenage thoughts were.
This is directly from my 14 year old mind so please no one think I’m crazy. I am simply just typing what I hand wrote back in 2001. (Maybe I’ve always been meant to blog??)

When fall sport sign ups were being held for next year at the high school I went and I signed up for cross-country. Then I found out I would have to run 3.1 miles in 25 minutes. It was too late though, what’s done is done. That day 4 girls signed up. The coach said she would like us to start training as soon as possible so when I went home I ran. I ran almost every day that summer. I mapped out a course. I was slow at first but this was easier than middle school track was. That’s when I realized that I was not a sprinter. I still didn’t know if I liked this whole running thing….but by the end of the summer I was about 7 minutes faster. Cross country started in July. That’s when I met all of my teammates. Some of them were really good at this. Well, all of them were. I was kind of scared. I knew that I wouldn’t make varsity. We didn’t do much that day but we weight trained. When I went home I ran. I wanted so badly to be good at this and to be recognized as a runner. On one hot July night when I went to practice the coach said she wanted those of us who could to run the whole entire cross country course. I knew who would be able to and who would not. I thought I could. No, I knew I could so I stuck with the girls who were about my speed. I ran with them and they praised me and told me what a good runner I was going to be. I had no idea what to think. I never knew I was good. When we finished I was excited. I think that because of those two girls that moment is when I actually started to like this. I was the second runner all summer long. Things were great. They were really starting to look great for me. One day a former team member moved back. She was quick. I did not want her to beat me and I was furious with her for returning. Then I realized that this was her team, her sport, and her spot first. I am only a freshman. I got over it. On September 11th we had a meet and we were going to race my uncle’s team. The unfortunate turn of events caused the race to be canceled. Eventually we had a time trial at practice and I made varsity. I also got beat and by who, of course it was someone I wouldn’t expect. The slacker. The girl who never came to practice and the girl who I think secretly trained all summer. I am devastated and more furious than ever before. Now I am determined to not let her beat me.

To be continued next week…..