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 pushing myself in
a race. After the race, I was pretty disappointed that there were no results
online because I had seen my dad analyzing his results after a race and I
wanted to do the same thing. After I ran the 1k, I moved on to 5ks which I
always ran with my mom. She always let me beat her, but my proudest moment was
when I ran a 5k and at the end she told me to go ahead because she couldn’t
keep up with me. I was so happy that I was actually faster than one of my
parents.
I never really trained for any
of the races that I ran when I was younger. And, not surprisingly, I was not a
stand out runner. I never won my age group, and I rarely ever placed in it
either. But I still believed I was a runner. Even when I was at elementary
school, I wore my running shoes to school every day so I could spend recess
running around the backyard with my friends playing tag or some other game.
When I was older, I became obsessed with playing capture the flag, and I spent
most of my recess running around the backyard of our school tagging people as
they tried to steal my team’s flag. When I played these games, I always had the
idea in the back of my head that one day I would pursue running one day and be just
like my parents.
So when I was had a choice to do a subbie sport at Uni, I
chose Cross Country without even thinking about it. I assumed that this was
just what I was supposed to do since I thought of myself as a runner. The first
few weeks of Cross Country were rough. I had never run more than 3 miles in my
life. I had never even come close to doing a workout—I didn’t understand the
concept of a workout. The first workout of Cross Country was terrible. I struggled
on the 1.5 mile run over to the U of I Arboretum and the 400s and 200s we ran were
torturous, especially in the blistering heat. As we ran the 1.5 miles back to
Kenney, I could not stop thinking about how much I wanted to walk. However, as
the weeks went on, I started to get used to the workouts, even with the
increased mileage. I began to see running as my sport and not just as something
my parents did.
I still love to talk to my parents about running, especially
my dad who loves to analyze running stats and splits. Sometimes we’ll even go
on a run together if we’re on vacation or I have school off. However, I no
longer see myself as a runner just because my parents are. Rather, as I started
to enjoy the sport more and set my own goals for it, it became my sport. Now, I
choose to do it because I enjoy running, not because my parents do.
This post is very relatable, especially the part about the workouts, and getting adjusted to them. I like the essay a lot, but since you are over the word limit, I suggest even taking out the part "when I was older, I became...steal teams flag" because you already explain how you were into running, and it makes more sense to tie the previous sentence with the subsequent sentence. Also, I would suggest taking it out because if you didn't, I think you should explain the connection between capture the flag (and other recess sports) and running a little bit more because those sports aren't exactly pure running, so it's a little convoluted. Otherwise, I thought you did a good job addressing the prompt, and explaining your reasoning behind running.
ReplyDeleteGreat essay! I especially like your conclusion because it ties everything together and confirms that your work is truly personal. You have excellent chronological flow with reflection dispersed throughout. If anything, I'd focus on revising the introduction. It is informative but doesn't have a significant "hook." Think show more than tell, possibly describing a specific race you watched your parents do that inspired you to start running.
ReplyDeleteI really love how you talk about growing into being a runner. It makes so much sense how it was just a natural part of your childhood at the beginning. You were an active kid that loved playing games that required running, like most kids. I also like how you talk about how cross country ended up being much more work than you expected. You introduce this conflict just in time to make sure the audience isn't bored.
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