On track

When I ran in High School (not quite a gazillion years ago but about 15 or so) I was blessed to be a part of a progressive school that had a GREAT Sports program. We not only had a great all weather track but our school was one of the only in the area that had Water Polo and a swim team. Let me tell you it was always nice to leave the track a little early and walk s-l-o-w-l-y past the hot and wet water polo team. Ahhh the days. That was my freshman year when I was one of the fasted girls in my class. 3 of us girls made the Varsity Track team. Of course it helped that the track looped around the soccer field where the BOYS PRACTICED during our practice. Yea, I had a great school my freshman year.

Then my parents decided to MOVE!

I had been with the same kids for 10 or more years if you include pre-school. I knew almost everyone. I had palls in all different groups, Preppies, Jocks, drama, skaters, stoners, dorks, etc. I didn't' really fit in to any of these and the group I did hang out with most of the time were older than I was by about two years and consisted of Really HOT (who I enjoyed kissing) to really dorky (No I didnt' kiss the really dorky ones here). I was in Drama, I was VP of the schools Business Club, I ran track and field. I was somewhere in the middle of it all and LOVING IT! I couldn't have asked for a better freshman year.

Then My PARENTS decided to MOVE!

I had lived in the same house for 10 years. I knew how long it would take to get from one side of town to the other by bike. I knew where all the boys I had my eye on lived and had NO problem stopping by to say a very inocent "hello". I had 30 kids on my block that we would play hide and go seek til midnight up and down the street. Although I never did, I knew where to get pot or coke if I wanted it. This was my town.

Then MY PARENTS DECIDED TO MOVE!

That Spring (actually it was March 10th) I had a mole removed from my back. It turns out that at (a week short of) 15 years old.. I had Stage II Malignant Melanoma. I had a huge scar and I was told to stop running.

OK, not so much not running but don't go outside in the sun and don't stretch which is exactly like saying... Stop running. My parents decided it was time to move to a place where she could see us settling down when we met someone, somewhere more quaint and tight knit. So we moved.

Actually I moved to a SHITTY school with a even worse track and field program. I stayed with Drama and became the sports editor for the school paper which was really cool but not quite cool enough for this po-dunk school where everyone has literally known each other their whole lives. They were me when I was at MY school. Now I'm at their school.

I did make some friends. Actually I made more friends with those I went to High School in the last year or so then I did when I was actually in school with them. One of them is running in the CIM with me in December.

I can't fault my parents. They did do what was best. I met the man of my dreams. I have two beautiful children. I met my best friend at that awful school. I still have a great love and affection for my drama and my biology teachers. I learned a lot at that school, it just NEVER felt like it was my school. I never ran there, I never lettered there, I never raced my friends down that track... the one made of dirt with rocks embedded into the path that would cause us all to trip and fall.



So that's pretty much how I stopped running... then decided enough was enough and I started running again and I haven't stopped. Not sure if I ever will. I've got 20 miles on the books for Sunday.