Going the Distance

     I'm just going to be real, those first couple months down at ENMU were tough. I lived by myself. I woke up at 5am for practice, afterwards  I would shower, rush through breakfast in order to get to classes on time and then go back to my little dorm, change into a second pair of running clothes and rush to my second practice of the day. There were times I ran until my feet were bleeding. If you think I'm kidding I have blood stains on my running shoes to prove it. I would run until I threw up, I would run until I couldn't see, hear, even feel my body anymore. And then I would go back to my dorm, drag myself to the shower, eat dinner, stay up all night doing homework and then get up the next morning to do it all over again. Becoming a college athlete was to this day one of the hardest things I've ever done, but one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.
     Being a long distance athlete is just like being in a long distance relationship. Last year I learned a lot about both. Here's some personal advice from someone whose gone the distance and knows what it's like to "be there and have done that."

     Endurance is key, it takes a heck of a long time to build up and a very short amount of time to loose. In long distance running endurance is the base to all success, you will literally get no where without it. In long distance relationships endurance is just as vital. Those first couple months I spent away from my high school sweetheart were some tough ones. We fought against living in two different time zones with extremely conflicting schedules. My Kyle worked two jobs in addition to going to school that first semester. The only time we had to talk with each other was when he got off of working the night shift. Mind you he would get off of work at 11pm his time, which was 12am my time, don't forget that I also had to wake up at 5am to run in the mornings as well. We had to set new boundaries, bypass road blocks and find new ways to support and love each other all while being 1,512 miles apart. There were some days that being away from Kyle was completely miserable. But we endured through the hard stuff. Just like any long distance run, it's going to get tough. The truth is it's going to be hard, the defining moment is when you want to give up and throw in the towel, that's the moment you need endurance the most. If you can just put one foot, theoretically and physically, in front of the other for just a little bit longer it'll start to become easier and you will be so thankful you didn't quit. I'm so glad I didn't give up on running when it got tough and I am extremely glad Kyle and I didn't give up on each other those first few months spent apart.
     With any long distance sport or relationship sacrifice is incredibly important. I could write a never ending list of ways that I have sacrificed in order to be a long distance athlete. I have sacrificed sleep, money, friendships, time, comfort, and countless other things all in pursuit of my athletic dreams. To me those sacrifices are all worth it. And when it comes to long distance relationships you need to learn to sacrifice as well. Learn to stop being so freaking selfish. Take your selfishness and throw it in the trash. Not the recycling bin, the trash. Then proceed to burn it all up so that you don't have any left. People these days go into relationships thinking, "what's this person going to do for me?" when in reality a real relationship consists of two people constantly thinking, "What can I do for this other person." Kyle does an amazing job at sacrificing for our relationship. He is one of the most unselfish people I know. Me on the other hand, I've had to learn along the way. Kyle would send me long texts the night before my championship races so that I could wake up to a heartfelt message full of inspiration and support. He mailed me care packages of groceries and my favorite snacks to make sure that I was always getting enough to eat. The days I was overwhelmed from having a bad practice or a bad race he would FaceTime me and sing me my favorite songs to help me calm down. For Christmas he helped me buy plane tickets to come home to him and even planned a surprise trip to visit my grandparents who live up near Canada. He made me breakfast and blueberry tea in the mornings and ran along side me in the cold snow when I had to train. Kyle is the perfect example of being unselfish and I look up to him so much for that. If you are unwilling to sacrifice for your sport or your relationship than you better be prepared for a complete and utter lack of success.
     Goals. Goals. Goals. When it comes to being a long distance athlete you will not accomplish anything without short term and long term goals. I can't tell you how many team meetings I've been to over the years just to discuss season goals. Goals require planning and hard work. If I had to endure and sacrifice the things that I do for running without an end goal in sight it would make all my suffering seem pointless. Why in the world would I run until my feet bleed if I didn't have a reason to? It would be ridiculous! The same applies to long distance relationships. You need to sit down and have a talk with your significant other about goals. One thing Kyle and I always do is plan out the
next time we will see each other. When I saw him during Thanksgiving last year we had a plan to visit each other for our anniversary in December. In December we had a plan to visit each other at my parents house in Pennsylvania during the summer. Having these sort term goals made the distance seem less difficult. We would count down the days until we got to see each other again, giving us something to look forward to. It wasn't until Kyle and I had been doing long distance for 5 months that we sat down and had the long term goal talk. This is important for any relationship and any long distance sport.  Kyle and I decided that we needed to close the distance as soon as possible. It took months and months of planning on my part to make this happen. I was already very unhappy at ENMU and knew I couldn't stay. I decided to transfer. After gaining permission from the athletic director, my coach and the NCAA I received my release papers and started looking for new schools. After additional months of looking I chose to transfer to Central Washington University which was conveniently 45 minutes from the town I grew up in as a child and 45 minutes away from my high school sweetheart. The decision to transfer schools especially as a college athlete is not for everyone, in fact I don't recommend it. There's a butt ton of paperwork and stress involved. But transferring was perfect for me. So many unnamed factors played a part in me needing to leave ENMU, and I'm so happy to be moving back home and ending the distance with my sweet Kyle.
     After only getting to see each other 3 times in the past 12 months, Kyle and I are beyond thrilled that later this month, almost exactly a year from when I first moved away from Washington, I will be moving back. This time to stay. With a new coach, a new team, a new apartment, and a new ring on my finger symbolizing our race to end the distance and my personal race to become the best long distance runner that I could ever possibly be. A promise.