26 Days Left, The Wrestling Team

Today's Run:

Distance: 5.1
Time: 36.5 min
Ave Pace: 7 min 12 sec.
caleries: 494


The Wrestling Team:


So, after running 68 seconds in a 400 M dash, I got it in my head that if i trained hard enough, I could make the varsity team my Freshman year.

Naturally, I trained like crazy. When school started, i stayed after and ran laps and did stairs inside the school. Or at least I did, as soon as it got snowy or icy.

Unfortunately and fortunately, I had an older brother who was SUPER popular (unlike me, who liked to hide in the shadows unnoticed). He also was on the wrestling team. He could get anyone to think that what HE thought was cool.

So he bragged to everyone that his sister was now at high school with him (my other sister went to a different school).

When I would do laps around (inside) the school sometimes the wrestling team would be doing warm ups in one of the halls.

I would try to avoid them, or turn around, but my brother would yell, "Make way for my Sister" and sure enough the whole team would step aside.

HOW EMBARRASSING. I had no choice but to pass through. Another kid formed a nick name for me, "Forest".

Soon, I would find myself being cheered on by the team, including the coach.
.... WEIRD. this is the kind of unusual influence my brother Clay had on people.

I would also lift weights in the weight room.

The scene was ...well....lets just say I tried to put on a tough front.

Picture this:
Huge... no MASSIVE football players and wrestlers doing dumbbells, leg presses, squats, etc. and one 110 pound short girl cringing and straining to lift five pounds.

I tried to make up for my weakness and show off on the sit up machine and leg press.

The wrestling team was actually good for me. I found myself often walking laps around the school trying to get myself to run, but feeling so drained I was doing a better job at talking myself out of it than into it.

A typical scene would be : "Hey Laura, this is the third time you passed the weight room walking, why aren't you running?" uh, what do I say, " You know, I just feel too tired today. and have no real determination. Just like every other day this week" No way! I was a little too prideful for that.

Come On, I was a high schooler, like everyone else, I still wanted to appear cool when put on the spot.

My reply, " Just warming up" and then I would run harder and longer, just to prove I was no wimp. That and I knew they were right. If I wanted to improve my time, I needed to be running.

There's nothing like a whole team of big BIG brothers to whip you into gear, and get your rear moving. So props to Clay who used his influence on the team to help me keep going.

Clay didn't just do that , he did something else for me that pushed me harder than ever.