Remember Your First Time?

I’m a few days from my first triathlon.  Knowing I trained too much or not enough.  Knowing and not knowing, all at the same time, what I can expect and what I can accomplish.  The anticipation of something new makes me think back on my first race.

I ran track for two weeks my freshman year in high school.  Oh, I’d like that opportunity again.  Not all the other crap, but the opportunity to replay running as a 13 year old athlete.  My school had one distance runner on the track team – a Junior (Paul).  Like many schools in my area, the track team was a way for football coaches to keep their players fit in the off season.   Runners were an unnecessary distraction.  Paul was not a football player, he was a runner.  I didn’t know this for a long time, but during Paul’s Sophomore year he ran under well under 5 minute miles and was truly feared by area distance runners. 

My first day of track the football coach spots this tall, 130 pound when wet, scrawny-ass punk hanging around.  I’m sure he rapidly deduced I was not football material.  He didn’t ask my name or why I was there.  He said, “Go with Paul.”  In less than 30 seconds I had become the Number 2 man on the “Distance Team.”  What did I do on Day 1 with Paul?  We ran 10 miles.  Paul took it easy on me.  He never said a word, but I ran the distance.  No watches, no cares, no worries.  Just Paul, me, and my black high top Converse shoes.  Paul and I repeated this run over the next 4 days. 

During Week two we had 2 track meets.   When the mile event came up during the first meet the coached told me to, “Go with Paul.”  So, I ran with Paul – like always, not knowing Paul was a running super star.  Either I hung with Paul for two laps or he was taunting me.  I still don’t know.    I do know I worked on my “fading with grace” techniques for the final two laps.  My high tops and I ran a 5:04 on a dirt track that day. 

I gave up running that week.  No one ever said if I did well or sucked.  The football coach was really pissed when I didn’t show for week three of track.   I was more determined than ever to not run because of the football ass.  It was years before I realized that I had missed what may have very well been a golden opportunity.   It’s funny and a little sad how we look at opportunity when revealed.