The Running Must Go On

Nobody living and over the age of 13 will ever forget the word pandemic again.  The corona virus has taken 2020 by storm, and has caused every person across the globe to make some sort of a lifestyle change. 

Locally, many changes have been implemented for the Kansas City area.  For me, or any student/teacher, we could all name off lists longer than a greedy eight year old’s Christmas wish-list. 

I’d describe the changes and effects of COVID-19 as eerie and cinematic, like one of those sci-fi movies where infections spread like wildfire.  Through all the sad cancellations though, I am attempting to take the changes in stride.

Running strides, that is!  I, along with every other South student mourned quarantine for most of Spring Break:  No prom, no classes (which I genuinely miss), and potentially no Spring Sports. The spring sports were oddly tough for me, and not because we have to do a Zoom tryout for dance.  My second favorite sport, running/track would be an up in the air thing, along with soccer, golf, baseball and tennis.

I put a lot of time and hard work into dance, but this past year I’ve also been running quite a bit.  I’m not a star of the team by any means, but the past two years the 4 by 400 meter relay that I have been a part of has been just shy of a State cut at the Sectional meets. 

Last year we placed fifth and the year before we placed sixth. Here’s the kicker; only the top four relays qualify to the State meet. After my sophomore season, I made it a goal to qualify for State somehow before graduation-and that goal still stands-if there even is a State this year.  

With practice on pause, I have still been trying my best to get out and do some running.  The coaches haven’t given up hope, so neither have I or my teammates. Each day around 9, I get up and crank out most of my schoolwork, take a break after lunch and get some running in, and return back to my laptop afterwards for any odds and ends in my classes.  While I’m dying on my runs, I keep in the back of my head the end goal of getting to go to State, and push on.

It’s important that I stay in shape and keep my stamina up, because if we are lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a track season, I want to be there for all of it.