It's so hard to motivate yourself to get out there and run. It's hot, it's cold, you didn't get enough sleep last night, you haven't hydrated enough all morning, you're feeling too sore from running yesterday. Or maybe, you think, this will be the run where you get hit by a car coming too fast around that blind corner you've always been scared of- better stay inside just in case and avoid immediate death. Even if you've been running for most of your life, it's still easy for those excuses to creep up and make you second guess going for a run. One thing I've learned is the importance of teammates. They force you out of your comfort zone and hold you accountable for being lazy. However you don't necessarily need a team to have teammates. Some of my closest teammates are not even runners themselves. When I got injured a couple months ago with my stress fracture I was devastated. I don't know what I would've done without the help of my teammates.
The week after getting in my boot, my teammate Cynthia who had a hamstring strain at the time, called me after classes and dragged my butt to the gym. She exiled me to the corner with all the free weights and told me to lift until my arms couldn't move and then do some core. Until the morning I flew out from the airport for the summer, Cynthia was there every day making me go to the gym with her to workout even though we were both injured. She would'nt take any excuses and said that my fractured leg didn't change the fact that I was still an athlete. She drove me to rehab five times a week and always made sure I iced. Before we both got injured she paced all of my workouts and ran in lane two on the track side by side me, encouraging me when I lost form or got tired. She cheered me on during workouts and made me get up early for our weekend long runs. She was with me through some of the hardest track workouts I've ever ran in my life. If it wasn't for her I have no clue what I would've done this last track season. Cynthia is the realest teammate and one of the most important running buddies I've ever had. She held me accountable to my goals and made sure that I literally stayed on track. To me that's what true friendship, sportsmanship and being a teammate is all about.
For six years Kaili Keefe was my teammate. We ran track and cross-country together from 7th grade junior high to our senior year of high school. We ran almost every workout together and almost every race together for six years. Senior year we both signed to run for Eastern's. Her to Eastern Washington University, me to Eastern New Mexico University. Kaili always pushed me to do my best. One particular time during our junior year of cross country,I had gotten mono and was incredibly sick for half of the season. I lost weight and could hardly run. During the district championships she looked at me on the starting line and told me to do whatever it took in order to run the race. The gun went off and we sprinted those first few meters of the race until our pack found its rhythm. I struggled to stay with her and every time I dropped back she would yell at me saying, "Emily you can do it!" On the last 800 meters of the 5k race, I had lost pace. I was exhausted but refused to stop. Kaili turned the corner from first place and yelled with what she had left, "Come on Em!" Because of her I finished that race, broke 20 minutes in the 5k for the first time, and came in top ten, individually qualifying for state. Kaili never allowed me to give up on myself and always pushed me to be my best. Now she's crushing times and breaking records at EWU and I couldn't be more proud of her! Her encouragement and friendship helped both of us become the athletes we are now and I can't wait to meet up for some runs this August when I fly back home to Washington!
Sometimes our closest teammates don't necessarily have to be on the team with us. When I was in eighth grade as a 13 year old, a boy named Kyle Wilkinson asked me to run a local race with him. Knowing that I could never turn down an opportunity to race, of course I said yes! Five years later when we were both 18 we sat in the back of our AP Writing class, giving the teacher an impression that we were doing our work when in reality we'd google mapped all of our favorite hiking trails together. It only took a week or so for that boy to take me hiking, meet my parents, and start going to the gym with me twice a week to lift legs. Kyle completely changed my life. I went from the very self-conscious girl who did nothing but run to a self-confident woman who could do anything she put her mind to. Kyle was there for all my senior track races, cheering for me just as loudly if I lost or won. He reminded me to follow my dreams, eat enough protein, and find balance in my life. Almost two years after that first hiking trip Kyle is still here encouraging me today. I have never been with anyone so willing to sacrifice in order to see me achieve my goals. He has bought plane tickets, driven for hours, given up his time and sleep to come support me and make sure that I feel loved. He's taught me to open up to other things than just running and even taught me how to fish. Kyle is my best friend, and the best teammate I've ever had.
Having a support system is extremely important. I'm so grateful for all the many people in my life who've cheered me on. It's a whole lot easier to accomplish your goals when you've got your closest teammates holding you accountable. You don't need a team to have teammates, and you certainly don't need a team to be a teammate yourself. Magic happens when people decide to lift each other up and support each other's dreams!
No comments