On my way home from work yesterday I was supposed to be thinking about the paper that is due tonight at 8pm but my mind kept wandering to the day this photo was taken. This is my favorite photo of myself and there aren’t enough words to sum up what it says or why it is my favorite photo but I want to share what I see when I look at this photo.
1. This was less than 2 months after I got hurt in a bad car accident in high school.
2. I was running mile repeats (one of my favorite workouts) during xc practice. School had just started.
3. I thought I was so cool because I was wearing my soffe shorts and my cotton tank top. Our whole team dressed like this and I had this outfit in every color imaginable. (side note: they don’t make soffe shorts the way they used too, if they did I WOULD still run in them)
4. This season was the most focused I had ever been in my whole entire running career. After this photo was taken I discovered boys, dating, and the importance of getting out of high school and into college. The boys and dating really did me in.
5. I have never been a true front runner but this photo was the start of the one season in my life where I was.
6. In the picture I am wearing my favorite necklace and I was having a really good hair day before I did this workout. I cringed when I knew my hair would be gross and sweaty after this workout. (Yes, I really do remember these little things)
7. I thought I was really buff but I was really scrawny. I can see that now, I couldn’t then.
8. This was definitely a mind over matter situation and the first time in my life I realized how powerful my mind was.
9. This photo was taken at the point in my life when I discovered who I was meant to be. You will never know how significant that workout and the moment that was captured in this photo were to me becoming how I am today.
The Road Less Run 
I love the idea of writing out your reflections on a favorite photograph. I might have to try this. Also, I used to LOVE those Soffe shorts! I didn’t know they changed the way they made them, otherwise I would consider running in them again too.
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I used to wear those soffee shorts also.
I love thae moment that you discribe in this pic.. when everything is just right, everything is right at your finger tips for life. So much potiential 🙂
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I didn’t run in 2003, but I remember 2003 soffe shorts and how awesome they were. I didn’t realize they changed how they were made either (but no one runs in em anymore!) Soffe shorts and tank top were the look of the early 2000s :). It’s so cool how you remember the thoughts behind this photo and that day so well. It is a great picture of you and obviously very special, as you’ve run races and probably have many race photos (whether bought or free) from PRs, etc, but this was from a workout. It just shows how much you value the sport and the hard work it takes, not just the outcome.
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This just shows that a picture can truly be worth a 1000 words and obviously this picture is that for you in a good way 😊
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