Life of a Runner 1

The Life of a Runner Santana Gemini College of DuPage Composition I Elizabeth Anderson 11 1 !"1#

Runner ! The Life of a Runner I don$t remember the first da% of high s&hool' it is all a blur' I (as so ner)ous that I (ouldn$t find m% &lasses and that I (ouldn$t ma*e an% friends+ ,or me- an a(*(ard- s*inn%frizz% long haired girl (ith bra&es- I .ust (anted to fit in+ /ne (a% I defined m%self gro(ing up (as al(a%s being a part of a sports team (hether it (as so&&er- )olle%ball- tra&*- or bas*etball+ 0igh s&hool is (here I (anted to sho( (ho I (as and all I needed to do (as find the right team to .oin+ I lo)e being a part of a team and being athleti& but there (here so man% different sports to &hoose from it (as diffi&ult to de&ide (hi&h one I (anted to tr% out for+ I de&ided I (asn$t good enough to pla% )olle%ball so I s*ipped the tr%outs+ To *eep m%self o&&upied I .oined the tra&* team (here (e didn$t ha)e to tr% out- and (hen tr%outs &ame for so&&er I too* a (ee* off and tried out for so&&er+ I ended up not ma*ing the team- but (as a little reli)ed be&ause I (as se&retl% s&ared of the so&&er ball+ All I &ould thin* of (as ho( I ne)er &onsidered tra&* as a sport+ I (anted to &reate a bond (ith the other teammates- I (anted to pla% something- and tra&* (as so indi)idual+ It didn$t satisf% m% (ant to be apart of team one bit and I (as determined to *eep tr%ing out for other sports+ See- m% mom (as an all1star at softball+ She e)en attended the same high s&hool I did and (as on the softball team pla%ing (ith girls older than her+ It must be in m% genes+ If she (as so good at softball- then I must be too+ 0o(e)er- I ne)er pla%ed softball unless %ou &ount T12all- and it had been %ears sin&e then+ 2efore I *ne( it I found m%self standing in the g%m (ith t(ent% other girls read% for softball tr%outs+ The g%m (as lit (ith a %ello( hue and %ou &ould see the s&rat&h mar*s a&ross the (ooden of the floor+ As I loo*ed around the other girls (ere so mu&h tougher loo*ing than I (as+ Some (ere big and mus&ular and others (ere tin% but had this intense loo* in their fa&e that

Runner # implied- I don$t ta*e &rap from an%one so don$t mess (ith me+ The% had their gear on- &leatsmitt- and shorts- and huge bags &ontaining bats- balls- glo)es- and (hate)er else one (ould need+ I- on the other hand- stood there in a T1shirt and shorts holding m% mitt+ I had no idea (hat I (as doing and all the other girls &ould tell+ 3e started (ith a batting drill+ As soon as the &oa&hes mar*ed do(n (ho had attended tr%outs (e all slo(l% shuffled our (a% o)er to the other side of the g%m+ The &oa&h e4plained the drill and I (aited patientl% for e)er%one to ta*e their pla&e before I too* mine be&ause I had no idea (here I (as going+ I stood on a %ello( pentagon mat that (as .ust big enough for both m% feet+ 3hen I loo*ed around e)er%one else held the bat o)er their shoulder and stood in a read% position ne4t to the mat (ith one foot for(ard and the other behind and slightl% to the side+ So as an% &lueless person (ould do I &opied (hat e)er%one else (as doing- telling m%self that I *ne( (hat I (as doing all along+ 5READ6789 I loo*ed up and a &oa&h (as standing fifteen feet in front of me (inding up to thro( the ball+ 5Sure+++9 I (as not+ I ga)e the hit all m% might+ I s(ung (ith m% (hole bod%- pra%ing I (ould ha)e some super po(er I ne)er *ne( of that made the ball soar a&ross the g%m+ I didn$t realize I had m% e%es &losed until I opened them and sa( the dirt% %ello( softball sitting on the floor in front of me+ The &oa&h (as understanding and ga)e me another tr% at hitting the ball after le&turing me+ 5/*a% mo)e %our foot a little to the right+ 0old the bat (ith %our right hand up top b% the tape and the left hand belo( the tape+ :a*e sure the bat is not behind %ou- but o)er %our shoulder+ Don$t s(ing (ith %our bod%' use %our hips and arms+9 I too* it all in and s(ung the bat (ith all the strength in m% bone% arms (hi&h &ould barel% lift t(ent% pounds+ I made sure to *eep m% e%es open and I hit the ball8 It onl% (ent a fe( feet in front of me- but I hit the ball+

Runner ; :o)ing onto the ne4t drill (e all gathered our e<uipment and headed outside to the baseball fields+ The dirt around the bases had been groomed and home plate opened up to a huge field+ I had no idea (hat (as in store for me ne4t so I stood in line (ith all the other girls and ner)ousl% (aited+ 5/utfield- go find a spot9 The &oa&h had pointed to me+ Oh dear lord please dont let me get hit with a ball. How hard can this be? I have a mitt. But I have never caught a ball coming so fast and so high. I cant believe I am doing this. After momentaril% pani&*ing I su&*ed it up and a&ted li*e I *ne( (hat I (as doing+ I (al*ed to the outfield .ust bet(een se&ond and third base and stood in read% position for an%thing &oming m% (a%+ /ne of the &oa&hes stood at home plate and started hitting softballs+ There (ere grounders- fl% balls- and e)en ones that (ent (a% past all of us+ Lu&*il% none had &ome m% (a% %et- but I *ne( I (ould be&ome a target sooner or later+ T(o hits later a fl% ball &ame right in m% dire&tion+ You got this Santana, ust run to it and put !our mitt out, dont be afraid" #ont be afraid" The ball hit m% glo)e and )ibrations radiated through m% hand all the (a% up m% arm as I s<ueezed m% hand together hoping that a ball (ould be in the noo* of m% glo)e (hen I opened it+ Than*full% the pulsating pain in m% hand (as (orth something be&ause I had a&tuall% &aught the ball+ I am prett% sure e)er%one else (as .ust as surprised as I (as+ :o)ing on to the ne4t drill all I &ould thin* (as- I made it past the hard part+ 3e paired up and started passing the ball ba&* and forth thro(ing ground balls and smooth thro(s through the air+ The sun (as beaming into m% e%es and a &hill of air (ould (ash a&ross m% bare and e4posed legs e)er% fe( minutes+ I (as able to &alm do(n and fo&us on (hat I (as doing+ =o( and then m% arm (ould gi)e out and the softball (ould fl% slightl% to one side or the other- but m% partner understood+ >ust as I (as getting in the s(ing of things m% partner thre( a ground ball at me faster than (hat I (as &apable of &at&hing+ The ball boun&ed a&ross the rigid pat&h%

Runner ? ground &ausing it to spin in different dire&tions after ea&h boun&e+ :% arms (obbles ba&* and forth tr%ing to follo( it and I franti&all% stepped for(ard (ith m% arms e4tended hoping the ball (ould land in m% mitt+ All I &ould feel (as a stinging sensation pounding up and do(n m% left shin+ The ball had &ra&*ed me right on the bone .ust belo( m% *nee &reating an instant lump turning slightl% green and blue+ I brushed it off- pi&*ed up the ball- and (al*ed a fe( steps ba&* tr%ing to hide the limp in m% step- but also a)oiding putting pressure on m% &rippled leg+ I had ne)er realized ho( hard the softballs (ere and ho( fragile I a&tuall% (as+ That night I (ent home and draped m%self o)er the &ou&h- m% legs and arms spra(led all o)er+ :% hand felt li*e it (as bro*en and m% shin (as s(ollen and had a bruise (ith e)er% &olor of the rainbo(+ I didn$t (ant to gi)e up but the ne4t da% at tr%outs I found out that I (as &ut from the team+ It (as no surprise to me' so- I (al*ed m% (a% do(n the halls of m% high s&hool and attended tra&* pra&ti&e+ /)er time running be&ame one of m% fa)orite hobbies and passions- and I (as a&tuall% good at it+ Through high s&hool I realized ho( mu&h of a team sport running has to be be&ause %our teammates are the ones (ho moti)ate %ou and help %ou through the grueling t(o hour pra&ti&es under the burning sun- or freezing rain+ I ha)e formed friendships (ith teammates that (ill last a lifetime+ Running is in m% blood and it is something e)er%one has noti&ed from (hen I (as little- but I (as afraid to admit and e4press the runner I reall% am- .ust to fit in (ith something else+ I fit in .ust fine (ith m% friends on the tra&* and &ross &ountr% teamand I (ouldn$t &hange m% failures during freshman %ear for an%thing else+

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