I fvcking quit running

I think that's a fair rating. It was a good story that just let down me down at the end with only knocking over the water jug and kicking bottles. I was looking for some passive agressive swipe at said soccer players. All in all good job.

Bonkers I like your ending, you have a bright future in trolling these boards.

Maybe the OP is a troll thread. Maybe not. Something in me tells me its legit. Because his story could've easily been mine, twelve years ago.

One of the maddening things about running, is that you can work your ass off, and still get beat by a relative newcomer, because they're simply more talented. It was my experience. I worked so hard in high school. As a freshman I wasn't sure running was for me, but then I started to see some success in Track, and I got motivated to do even better. By the end of sophomore year in cross, I was running varsity, albeit bottom of varsity when we could field 8 to 10. At Regionals I had a breakthrough and actually beat the regular 5 and 6 team finishers. I thought my spot on the state team was secured. Instead, the coach picked me as alternate. He was the wise choice in hindsight, to go with the proven runners, over one who, for all he knew, just had a good day, but might still not be counted on to repeat the performance at State. So I sat it out and got to watch as the team won state meet.

But I resolved to work harder. When everyone else on the team was doing six miles, I'd add on a couple. They never went with me even though I asked. There were a lot of lonely runs for sure. I was hitting 60 MPW at one point. And yet, I still couldn't beat some of the varsity who I knew did little work at all. Because they had more natural talent.

Still I didn't give up. I had a whole summer ahead of me, and we were losing some varsity members. My time was gonna come. On top of that, I cracked 17:00 for the first time ever in a summer road race, on a hilly course. It was a major breakthrough for me, and our team strength was such that, a sub 17:00 5K was usually good enough to get you a secure spot on varsity in the 6th or 7th slot...maybe the 5th if the team was weaker that year.

Instead I got injured. I struggled through the time trial knowing something wasn't right. I bombed and the coach put me on JV. I raced the first meet, winning the JV race by over a minute and a half. But I knew right after that I couldn't make it the whole season. I had a stress fracture. I sat out much of the season. I started to get fit and thought I might still salvage things in time for Regionals, but in the meantime others had moved up to fill the gap, and I was shut out. A season lost.

After that I wasn't the same. I'd train and get injured, or I'd underperform. I'd second guess myself. I got mad that those around me were running great times, and I was just spinning my wheels.

I wound up losing a whole summer due to another stress fracture, but managed to get fit enough to squeak onto the varsity as a senior (it was a VERY weak year). The whole season I was bringing up the rear of the varsity pack. Never cracked 17:00, never won an individual medal, never scored points.

My one moment I had was at state meet. I had nothing to lose, I figured, so I went balls to the wall. I wound up finishing fourth man on the team, despite losing steam badly and only running mid 17:00s. But our team won state by seven points. The coach later said if I hadn't stepped up that day they wouldn't have won.

I didn't care. I was still disappointed that from all the work and dreams of success I had, all I could manage was a 4th place finish on the team, and 29th overall, off the awards stand and out of medals. I was the only senior on the team, and to be beaten by younger kids, who largely avoided me because I was the lone "old man." I was so often injured, so varied in my performance that I never really managed to earn the respect of my teammates, never had the camaraderie. I was always the outsider. Not to be relied upon. Except that one time.

Ten years on, that period still bothers the hell out of me. Wondering what I could've done if only I'd been a little more talented, or if my body had been a bit more resilient. I think I could've made a go of it. Could've raced in college. Could've been better than I am.

And I wish I could say it gets better but it really doesn't. I had one good summer, back in 2008, where everything clicked. I hit 80 miles a week, and ran a 33:26 in a 10K...and yet, I got beaten, by another guy who ran 31:59, who later told me he hadn't done any speed work in months. Some are just that good. A few months later I got laid up by P.F. and since then I've not managed to ever get beyond 30 to 40 miles a week. Any more and my feet go.

I just never had the knack, which is kind of a cruel twist. I love running, I adore the sport, and I so wanted to make my mark. But instead I've never transcended what would even be considered good for a high schooler. Because you can love a sport all to death, but without the talent, you'll never be more than a mediocrity, which is what I was and am.

I've found great success in other aspects of life. But honestly, to this day, I'd willingly give up everything I've accomplished the last decade..every friend I've met, every girl I've known, every joy I've experienced, for just one more shot at being a great runner. Just one.

So to the OP I wish I could say have heart and stick with it, you'll succeed. Because it is quite frankly unlikely. There'll always be those who are better, yet work less. Because work isn't enough.

But you'll never know unless you've tried. You might be a late bloomer. You might even find greater success later in the season, as your conditioning takes root. Or you may find you've got nothing more in you than to be a merely adequate runner. But if you quit now, you'll never know for sure, and that is a far worse thing to live with. Better to live a failure knowing you tried, than to go through life not knowing, and wondering "What if I HAD tried?"

lol great ending with the punting of water bottles

Brianruns10 wrote:

Maybe the OP is a troll thread. Maybe not.

Nah it's a troll thred. Any school that's 8+ guys deep through to sub 17 5ks has a good program and a coach that isn't basing the permanent varsity lineup off july time trials.

Would have believed it if OP had said 19:58, and then we'd all be able to congratulate him on breaking 20 for the first time.

Maybe not 7/10, but he gets 5/10 right off the bat for the story, which is obviously fictional, but pretty well written nonetheless. Some observations:

1. He is older, at least in his 30s and did have an experience like this at some point. His diction is too sophisticated for a HS kid. But no question he lived at least some of this. As Hemingway said, "Write what you know."

2. The last part is 100% false. He never yelled at the coach or punted the drinks. This, however, is what he wishes he did do.

I look forward to reading more of his posts.

A few years back -- actually, over a decade now -- my high school had 2 soccer players quit the team and come out for XC instead. They wound up being our 2nd and 3rd men, both breaking 16 at Holmdel (equivalent to 15:30 or better on a flat course), and helping the team win States with one of the fastest team averages ever. For years afterward, the soccer coach would tell his teams "Now, if you want to quit so you can go run around the woods in your underwear, do it now!" at the first team meeting of the year. There was probably some dweeb who was disappointed his 18:30 5k didn't get him a varsity letter and a kiss from Mary Sue that year, but them's the breaks.

Ca$hclay wrote:

Maybe not 7/10, but he gets 5/10 right off the bat for the story, which is obviously fictional, but pretty well written nonetheless. Some observations:

1. He is older, at least in his 30s and did have an experience like this at some point. His diction is too sophisticated for a HS kid. But no question he lived at least some of this. As Hemingway said, "Write what you know."

2. The last part is 100% false. He never yelled at the coach or punted the drinks. This, however, is what he wishes he did do.

I look forward to reading more of his posts.

Hemingway didn't say that.

Just out of curiosity, are there states where high schools do not play soccer in the fall? In NY and most of the Northeast they were both fall sports.

You did PR by like 20 seconds. The worst thing to do is quit. If you quit everyone will hold that on you for the rest of high school.

I have been in your situation before in basketball and football and know how it feels...

You should go back and congratulate your teammates on their performance and keep working hard!! It will eventually pay off.. Give it time, And remember God loves you and has a plan for u.. :)

-sa-town runner 210

South Carolina plays soccer in the spring.

Not bad for imagery and poetic description. But it KILLS THE HUMOR! Keep the orginal--I'm still laughing about it.

I've been running for almost 10 years and still wouldn't be on many high school varsity teams. Sooner or later you realize that you just have to train to be a better runner and you can't compare yourself to others. Unless you're in the top .001% in talent, there's someone out there who will crush you without even trying. That's the reality of a sport where it all comes down to who crosses the line first.

I've been running for almost 10 years and still wouldn't be on many high school varsity teams. Sooner or later you realize that you just have to train to be a better runner and you can't compare yourself to others. Unless you're in the top .001% in talent, there's someone out there who will crush you without even trying. That's the reality of a sport where it all comes down to who crosses the line first.

If you get this disappointed about a time trial and one bad race, you don't deserve to do this sport. Every runner goes through tough times. Even the guys who win the NCAA's and Championships are always challenged. But what makes this sport so great is that you can piece together all the great training, bad races, and sacrifice into a great race. It is one of the best feelings when you accomplish a goal. Don't be a b!tch about a time trial and quit after that, you'll never know how good you could have been and you've improved so much since last year and its july 18th.

Easily a troll... Your account is incomparative to Alan Webb. If true those soccer guys would probably drop with injuries after 2 weeks of training.

obvious troll thread, but if not...why are soccer players running time trials to make varsity cross country...did they quit soccer?

He's def a troll....I think his goal was to make "soccer dudes" sound awesome

hagos wrote:

He's def a troll....I think his goal was to make "soccer dudes" sound awesome

Soccer Dudes are cool!!!

I ran 1:57 for 800 m in high school once