Chapter 2

The run home was predictably uneventful. I wasn't the type to hold a grudge on getting the push from my dad to run home. It was that same type of push that helped make me want to be better, even if some days I wanted to relax and take it easy. As with any sport, to be successful in running, in any small form, you need to have the mental discipline to do it. It always helps to have some of the intangibles, of course, but that wasn't something I could control.

There were things I could control though, as well as get help on. During a run, especially a solo run I focused on technique. Simple things like body position, stride length, and general body mechanics. As a 5'3 runner I knew that there would always be runners who had a longer stride than I did, I just had to maximize what I did have.

My advantage was that I had my coach on the team helping and also my dad. Coaching was something my dad did at the junior high in wrestling as well as shot put and discus. He combined coaching with teaching by teaching skiing. Teaching skiing had a strong focus on body mechanics, position, balance, and general body movements. He took that same approach in my running, watching what I did as I ran and pointing out what I needed to work on.

There were definite advantages to running, things I enjoyed about it. During a run it was very easy to let the mind wander as the body worked. That was what I was doing as I went home.

The last look I'd given towards the two girls I'd seen earlier had confirmed something that was in the back of my mind; that I recognized Tenille. The freedom of thought allowed me to think back. I'd never had a class with her, but we'd both gone to Kaysville Junior High. She was just a year younger than me. There was even a connection between us; my dad had spent a little time acting as a tutor when she'd been out of school for a while due to a surgery.

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful; typical routine. The family dog, a chocolate lab, was waiting for me to take him out for a walk. With the walk over, the rest of the night was dinner, home work, and a little TV watching. As was usual for me, I'd put in a CD towards bedtime and spent the rest of the night listening to U2's "Joshua Tree" before falling asleep.

The rest of the week, as a whole, went by fairly normally; school days ending in a workout for track. The workout on Wednesday was a fairly easy workout for the sophomores that were competing on Thursday. The races I was slotted for were the two longest distance races, the 1-mile and 2-mile run.

When Thursday did finally come by, I found myself a little nervous. This was a race that would show where I stood compared to the other runners of my grade. Each of the track meets before this had been all inclusive, which for Utah high schools meant that grades 10 – 12 were included. It would also help establish whether Davis High as a school would be able to field a strong team going forward. Out of the sophomores Aaron was our top runner, for him this was a warm up to the regular region finals, as well as possibly state, if he made it that far. After that there were two or three of us who all had comparable running times; the main difference being whoever was having the better day.

As the meet went on it started turning into a two team show down. Viewmont and Davis were creating separation from the rest of the pack. The mile run went reasonably well. My time ended up setting a personal best while placing me fifth. The way the meet was setup the mile was one of the first events with the two mile coming as one of the last.