Ever Since I Was a Little Kid

Ever since I was a little kid, I loved to run. I still remember the days of my childhood, running around chasing friends and siblings. One of my favorite games was tag. I’m sure just about everyone remembers playing this never ending game when they were a child. I didn’t care what type of tag we played, freeze tag, t.v tag, lava tag, hide and go seek tag. I loved every minute of each game. Every time I played I loved the part where someone is chasing you, and they’re trying their absolute hardest to tag you. The feeling of out running that person to the point where they had to take a break made me feel like I was king of the playground. These childhood memories began my love for running track.
I started to run track in the seventh grade, my first year of middle school. I was very intimidated by all of the older, more experienced eighth graders. They were quick and strong compared to my long lanky legs and arms. However, this did not faze me. I would become an even stronger runner if I continued with track. Over that year I learned that I could go the distance of any race and win. I was asked to run anchor in the 4x400 meter relay with eighth graders. I was extremely nervous; I couldn’t possibly disappoint the coaches. The eighth graders were waiting at the finish line screaming with joy. I finished off my 400 meters with a 1:02, the fastest time in the relay. As a team we finished with 4:20, we placed first and broke the school record. I was one of the only seventh graders to ever break a record in Emerson Middle School history. This opened up doors for me in the next year of middle school track.
We lost all of our eighth graders as they went to high school and we, the new eighth graders had to pick up the slack from an undefeated season last year. I ran in four events almost every meet, and was expected to get first in every event, if we wanted to win. I learned that year that I could run the 800 meter race, very well. Every single 800 I ran that year I got first place, nothing less. My time dropped from about a 2:30 to a 2:17 over the track season. I ran my best time in the 2009 Livonia City Meet on June 1st. The second place runner is now one of my good buddies, Dan Macias, who finished four seconds behind me. I was originally going for the city meet record of 2:13.3 but came short and only got the broke the school record. That year I also helped the 4x100 meter relay to get the school record of 51.97. I had a passion for breaking records and I still do today.
This year coming into high school I heard that the best 800 runners could run it around two minutes flat. This scared me way more than the measly eighth graders in middle school. I would have new competition and my streak of winning would be snapped. I began running with the long distance runners before the track season and met the new coach, Chris Inch. He was a very beastly runner back in high school and earned a full ride scholarship to the University of Illinois. He was not only the new distance coach but also the new cross country coach. I was really impressed, and surprised to have such a good runner as a coach. I told him my 800 time from last year and he was determined to get me under 2:10. I thought he was nuts but now I thank him. After many rigorous workouts and runs I ran a 2:11.6 in the 2010 Freshman City Meet.
Every day since the first day of school I have stopped in front of the track records board and stared at the 800 meter record. K. Brown 75’ 1:52.8. This is the record I’m determined to beat by my senior year. I figure if I continue to drop at least six seconds from my time every year than I will have the record. To prepare for this I plan on running cross country next fall. With Coach Inch pushing me in both cross country and track next year, I believe I can accomplish this feat.