12 days left/ and a new story

Today's Run:
2 miles, nice and easy

Saturday's Run:
13 miles

Sorry I took such a long break on my stories, I've been busy and unwell.

I believe I left off in my freshman year of high school.

I had a fantastic coach, Coach Kurth.

He put me in both JV and Varsity track. All Freshman were allowed to run in JV meets.

My new Mile relay team consisted of Erin Bong, Heather P. (I'm not even going to attempt to spell her last name. Franklin had a habit of producing people with really cool Polish last names) me and the fourth person seemed to always be someone different.

Here's the honest truth. Erin and Heather, didn't run a 400 M Dash before high school. They didn't get obsessed with training throughout the year like I did, but they both ran this ran faster than I did. I actually thought that was really cool. Way to go, on their part!

I couldn't help wondering what was wrong with me. Although I knew full well. Just because I work hard at it and just because I love it, does NOT make me a natural at it in anyway. Erin was taller, but Heather was shorter. We all had a similar build.

They probably wouldn't say they were naturals at it, and maybe they weren't. That just goes to show how FAR from naturally being in shape I was. I'm not kidding running is hard for me.

The last leg of the relay is usually supposed to be the fastest runner. Coach Kurth liked keeping me the final runner, I'm not sure why, I certainly didn't earn it.

I do have a slight hunch, though. Coach Kurth knew something about me, and what motivates me. He was all about trying to figure out his runner's thought patterns and trying to push the buttons that get them to run faster.

One time another runner asked him while on the bus to a track meet, "Coach, why don't you put Erin or Heather last... they have a faster time?"

Coach: "No, I'll stick with Laura.... it won't stay that way for long. I'm pretty sure she's going to surprise us."

He always seemed to tell me that I was amazing even if I completely flopped. See, he figured me out.

Lie to me and tell me I'm amazing anyway, give me a good label, and I'll live up to it. The opposite might slow me down.

I did get faster and so did the others. We generally all had the same time. I really don't think any one particular person was really better than the others.

In the end it was me that was lucky enough to get an extra race to improve me time. Really, it was undeserved.

That is a story of it's own, which I will tell next post.

I do have to say this,
"Thanks, Coach, for believing in me, even though I probably never did become that amazing runner you pictured me as."