What hobbies have been passed down from your family?
I'm about 15 words over the limit so let me know if you have any suggestions on parts I could take out. The reason I started running was because of my family. Both my mom and my dad run. When I was little I watched them run half marathons and other races. I always loved going to their races because the atmosphere was so exciting. I loved the nervous tension and the excited chatter as the racers got ready to run. I especially loved cheering my parents on when they ran because they would always wave to me. So, when my dad asked me if I wanted to run the 1k at Illinois Marathon, I was pumped that I was finally going to be able to race just like my parents and follow in their footsteps. I didn’t really train much for my first race—I think I ran a lap around Hessel Park once or twice, but I still had a blast on race day. I ran a very slow 1k and I didn’t really understand the concept of push...