I had posted this on the Runner's World Forum a while back, but I think it's a good idea if I post it here too as well.
Part One -- Spring 04' to Winter 06'
Although I first did track in the 7th Grade, I didn't really start running until a year later. Both times I had been asked by my Social Worker, who was also the Coach, if I'd be interested in doing it. That first year I barely even jogged; I hated the sport and many of the guys there hated me because of my poor attitude. I didn't even last to the first meet.
The next year, which was a little more noteworthy, at the beginning of the season I could barely even make my way around the 400M course at the High School. But I kept to it, on several occasions I recall breaking down in tears for god knows what reasons. But through it all by the end of the season I ran a 200M time of 32 seconds, and I was awarded "Most Improved Track Athlete" from the Coach.
That summer I spend in idle, though I had my mind set on doing Cross country in the Fall, during my first year at High School. By the time school started I was, according to the BMI, Overweight. I was 6'2" weighing 203lbs. The First Day of Cross country Practice I couldn't even run from the High School to the nearest street corner. Though over the season I improved, it was in small steps. By the end of the season I had a 5K time of 29:50, all other attempts at the 5K ended in 3 letters: D-N-F.
I went and did Winter Track, running a 600M PR of 1:54, as well as earning 3rd Place for our 4X800 Division in the Frosh/Soph Championships, we were Suffolk County Champions.
Afterwards I did Spring Track, and after countless attempts to try and break 2:30 at the 800M, the closest I came was 2:33. But in that time I made a promise to my Cross-Country Coach, I told him that my Sophomore year I would try and break 20:00 at the 5K. He said it was a good goal, but I'm sure he was a little skeptical. Heck, I was. And more good news came, upon visiting the Doctor, I discovered that from the beginning of the year I had lost 25lbs. I now weighed a trip 175lbs.
At the start of the Summer I had gone down to Virginia with some of the family and we stayed at a campsite. I made it a priority of mine to get at-least a half-mile to a mile in everyday. Though at risk of being mauled by bears, I had to limit how far I ran away from the campsite.
Once we came home, I went to the local track and started running according to a schedule our Cross-country Coach had given us. At first I had difficulty running the 2-3 miles he asked us to run, but I knew that was the only way I was going to get better. Sure enough, by the start of August I had broken though a barrier and found myself full of energy. It was then that my progress began to accelerate like never before.
One of my friends of the team asked me to come to the local park and run 3-6 miles with him, hard. I tried my best to come, although on occasions we'd fail to meet up and he'd get frustrated. But I kept to it, certain times with pain etched into my face I ran 23:00-24:00 5Ks. My friend was impressed, and other friends who came along were also impressed.
I then went off to my Grandparent's house for much of August, where like a ray of light through the darkness a long 6 mile road lay, screaming to be run. As often as I could, in heat waves and balmy nights I would run that road. On one notable occasion I was struck down with the urge to use the bathroom 4 miles in, after urging myself on, I found myself in need of actually stopping at a total strangers house and asking to use their bathroom. Now, if a 6'3" 16 year old Italian Stranger ,who's drenched in sweat, came at your door asking to use YOUR bathroom? Would you let him in? Well, thankfully they did.
Finally at the Start of the much awaited 2006 Cross-Country Season, our coach gave a run-down of what he expected from everyone. With me, he put a question-mark. He didn't know what to expect from me; I was either going to be bad or good.
The first meet at the local park, I ran a 22:40. The next meet at Sunken Meadow, 23:40... 23:03. By the end of the season I was running 20:42 at one duel meet, and a 20:50 at the Freshman/Sophomore. But two events came about that would drastically effect my performance in the Winter Track Season: First my Coach ousted me from the Divisionals on account I had ran a non-sanctioned 5K race, and secondly, in response. I went to train on my own.
In that week or 2, I ran further then I had ever run before: 6 miles, 7 miles, 8 miles, and so on. But in exchange for the distances I wasn't running as fast as I should've been (more precisely 10 minute miles), and when I started coming to the Winter Track Practices to see where everyone else was. I found out with dread that everyone else had gotten faster. I had gone astray, I needed to do Winter Track again.
One Appeal Later and I was on the team, though it was a bummer of a season. Despite my attempts to get into the mile, the Head Coach of Winter Track insisted on putting me in the 1000M (my PR turning out to be 3:18) and at times I would put myself in the mile event (PR being 6:00)
But at the Freshman/Sophomore Championships, 365 days after I had ran a 600M PR of 1:54. Our Cross-Country coach made an unexpected visit (he had taken the season off to spent it with his wife and kids) though I was reluctant to really speak with him at first, conversation inevitably ensued. And I told him about how I had gone astray with my running-on-my-own, as well as many other things. He just patted me on the shoulder and told me that the skies were the limits for me, that if anyone had told him in Cross-Country '05 that I, the kid who couldn't even complete a 5K, within a year would be on the verge of break 20 minutes, he would've laughed.