I push the pole above my head and then swing it down in an arch to my hip, its tip lifting into the sky. Leaning back, I focus on the back of the metal box in the ground, my head clearing. I take my first step forward and begin to count back in my head as my right foot hits the ground. Five… four… three… My pole begins to drop, and as I reach my final step, I push it into the box and launch myself into the air. As my legs swing up, I clear the bar and fall with a soft thud onto the mat. For a moment, I lay there, my breath caught in my throat, and then I roll off and grab my pole. Track has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started out in a Hershey Track & Field program, then moved on to join middle school track, and
Cross country and track to an outsider, they can only be seen as running. Well, to a student of the sport they are both so much more. Runners are gathered to both, but there are plenty of variations between the two. Although I love both of these sports, if I had to side with one, I would choose track. These can commonly be seen in training, races, and people.
In the world of high school running, there are two types of runners: cross country runners and track runners. I am both, as I have been in cross country since seventh grade and track since first grade. I know how it feels to train and compete in both, and I have come to a conclusion that track & field is way better than cross country.
The sandlot was a vacant lot we especially used for unorganized sports. It was a place during my childhood years where I could go and not have a worry on my mind, except being with my best friends and playing some baseball. The lot was a place where the memories of endless fun and games took place. I can still hear the voices of neighbors yelling at us to go home because of the tennis balls we hit against their houses and off their windows. To us the sandlot was better than Wrigley Field, nothing else could compare to all the times we had there.
... and out of my lungs as I breath, the thunderous beating in my ears is starting to resend. I look around and realize that I have fallen less than halfway to the ground. I am a live, but my job isn't done yet. I pulled my feet together and make two perfect bounds to the ground below.
There are many things that have molded me into the person I am today such as being born into a family with four children. With three siblings, I have been forced to be able to work out problems from stealing each other’s toys to having to rush to the emergency room to get stiches because my brother chased me around the house and I tripped. My mother, father, brother, and two sisters were all born in Pennsylvania and I am the odd ball and I was born in Adrian, Michigan. From when I was a child I always loved being involved with sports because of my competitive nature. I grew up playing soccer and having success with that but then my love changed and I began playing lacrosse and football. I started playing lacrosse in middle school and played
My first week of school, everyone encouraged me to join a club or a team. Of course I did not want to, until I heard we had a track team, and even then I did not know if I wanted to pursue it. In my mind, debating if I should dedicate myself to track was a hard decision. I was about to not only give this sport my time but also nothing but
The ground moved farther away from me as I went higher up. I nervously swung my legs back and forth and placed my ski poles next to me. When I looked down, everyone looked like itsy-bitsy specks in the vast, white snow. Whoa…, I thought to myself, the sight made me feel disoriented. As I went up the lift shuddered, shook, and occasionally swung side to side which made me feel jitterish. I couldn’t believe I was doing this though, but there was no going back now. After a few minutes, or what felt like hours, I could see the end of the ski lift coming closer. I prepared myself by getting ready to stand up by grabbing my poles and tensing my legs. There was a bright red line printed on the snow a few feet ahead and when I reached the line, I quickly stood up and got off. “Phew, at least half the journey’s done”, I thought to
1. My involvement in the running culture began in late 2011 when I was fourteen years old. My friends and I decided to run and train for the Los Angeles Marathon. We did it for fun and ran after school and during the weekends. We would go to the beach and run as well as on trails. In 2012 we ran the Los Angeles Marathon and had a great time. The people from the running culture have a lot of fun; there are many groups of people who run including the LA roadrunners. This group who trains anyone who is willing to run; all walks of life are welcomed to participate.
Growing up, I played just about every sport our small town provided: soccer, basketball, baseball, football, boxing, golf, you name it. There was only one sport that I had yet to embark upon: running; however, during my seventh grade year, I decided to try it out, and it ended up being a great decision. From the beginning, the one thing that drew me in was the atmosphere. All of the older runners on the team really embraced us younger runners, despite our youth and immaturity. As a seventh grade kid not really knowing what to expect participating in a varsity sport, this gesture really meant a lot, and it is one of the main reasons that I fell in love with the sport. I stayed with this sport throughout my high school career, and now that I am older, I have the opportunity of being on the other side of the spectrum. My teammates and I love having the middle school kids on the team, and I try my best to ensure that they have a similar experience to the one I had just five short years ago.
This past spring, was my first year running track and field at a high school level. I had spent my freshman year on the lacrosse team and had therefore missed out on track and field. From the other sports I had participated in at school, both coaches and fellow teammates had acknowledged my speed, this kept my confidence alive and made me believe I would strive in high school track
I’ve always been the type of person that truly enjoys athletics and have participated in nearly all sports offered to me. I started playing sports in elementary with club softball and basketball. As I entered my middle and high school years I was able to add the school sanctioned sports to my list of activities. This afforded me the opportunity of competing in volleyball, basketball, golf, track and softball. The camaraderie and life lessons of sports seemed invaluable to me.
I was so excited to start my new journey in school. I knew that being involved in a sport was going to help me become more confident. Running has taught me how to achieve my goals, be tough; both physically and mentally, and appreciate life. The first week of cross country was difficult.
I slide under it, placing it on my upper back. I grab the bar, firmly, with my elbows back. I inhale, arch my back, contract my core and take the bar from the rack. I take a few steps backwards and place my feet shoulder width apart, with my toes pointing slightly outwards. I then
I am from Friday nights, spent in a large backyard chasing lightening bugs only to be depressed on Saturday mornings to find they had escaped from the Mason jar I had trapped them in. I am from Mac and Cheese with cut up hotdogs, and realizing that it is the most disgusting thing in the world as I got older. I am from running down the basement steps after my shower to watch episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, and Will and Grace on Thursdays nights with my mom, even though I was far too young to understand any of the jokes. I am from a dog named Max, who set unrealistic standards for what every first pet should be. I am from a spoiled cat named Bing Clawsby. I am from a father who taught me 90’s rap and a mother who doesn’t know how to cook. I am from
When I was young, I was a very scrawny Asian kid, very much like the others, I like to eat lots of sweets. I mostly enjoy eating a large amount of chocolate, such as Recesses with their peanut butter filling in the middle, Snickers have delicious roasted almonds in Every bite, Hershey has a milky creamy texture, M&m's entertaining because it has many different colored bite sizes, Twix known for their caramelized taste, Almond joy with coconut flavored filling, and my favorite one of them all Kit Kat with a waffle-like crispy taste. I was an average size kid. I wasn't too fat nor skinny, and I eat as much as I want without gaining any weight because of my high metabolism.