So, this is it. This
is the last trip I will take with the Greenville College track team as a
Panther. Tomorrow evening (well, more
like today) I will take the line at North Central College, for the last time in
Orange and Black. People keep asking me
if I am sad that this is “the end.”
Although this may be the end of one chapter in my life, I am ready to
move on and start something new. One
thing may be ending, but I am sure there is something good waiting for me
around some corner…I just have to go for it.
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and time has flown by, but I
know it is my time to go.
Really,
this is my last race as a Panther. It
has been an interesting four years to say the least. Freshman year I struggled
through cross country, indoor, and outdoor track, and finally ran a PR at the
Gregory Invite (same meet we are at this weekend). Sophomore year I had a Great start to the
cross country season, only to get injured after the 2nd meet. I then came back strong for indoor track, and
ended up injured for all of outdoor.
Although I never got to compete outdoor that year, it is still one of my
most memorable seasons. Last year cross country was a struggle, but I was
consistently solid all though indoor and outdoor running PR’s all across the
board. This year cross country was just
a hot mess for me. Indoor went about as well as I could hope for as I tied or
set new PR’s in everything from 400m-3000m, and set the school record in the
mile. With a fairytale-like indoor season under my belt, I had high hopes for
outdoor! This outdoor season has been anything but easy. With multiple health issues along the way,
and a few weeks of downtime, things are just not clicking like they were during
indoor. Although I have not run any PR’s
this outdoor season, I still have one more chance. Even if I don’t run a PR, this season still
has been great. The times on paper may
not show it, but the memories I have made this year are well worth it.
Tomorrow,
when I take the line, it marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new
one. Am I sad this will be my last time
in the Orange and Black? Yes, but it is
not the racing I will miss…anybody that knows me can tell you I already have “a
million” races picked out that I would like to do. I will miss going to practice every day at
3:35 with the same group of people I have grown to know over the past four
years. There will be no more “Sic ‘em
Panthers!” before cross country races.
There won’t be the same team lap and prayer before track races. I won’t see Coach P jumping up and down
yelling lap splits. There won’t be a sea
of Orange and Black running across the field cheering us on during the
4x400m. I will miss the family. Heck, I will even miss competing against the
same teams week after week, and some of the other coaches we have grown to
know.
I do have
another outdoor season left of track to run.
As much as everybody wants me to come back and run it here, I will be
gone. I will hopefully be getting into the nursing program at Louisiana Tech
and running for them next year. It will be a new and different adventure. New school, new team, new races. If I can have half as much fun there as I
have had here, then it will be well worth my time. So, while this may be the end of my time at
Greenville, my next adventure is soon to begin!
Anyway,
back to the race. 1500m of…well…pleasure
and pain. I want to enjoy every moment
of the race. I want this to be a race to
remember. When I step onto that track, I
am committing to give it everything I have.
I am out there to PR, I want to literally be picked up off the track
after I finish. I have one last race in
the Orange and Black, one last chance to PR this year, and I’m going to take
it!
