Ten Days and Counting

Ten days. 

Just ten days is what separates me from the start of indoor track season. This may not seem very important to you, but to me, it represents the start of something I have been waiting almost two years for. As a heads up, the official start to the indoor season is next Wednesday at 3:15 pm, but to us runners, it may as well be Christmas morning. The reason why this season’s start is so special is that I have something to prove to my team and myself this year. 

So far, my collegiate track career has not been as stellar as I wish it to be. My freshman year, I had an ego which would suffocate even the most modest of athletes. I thought I was the "bee's knees" and that I was about to dominate everyone in college like I did in high school. Well that ego led to me being injured on the third day of official practice. Once I got healthy, I soon realized I am not as good as I thought I was. For the first time in years I was losing races consistently, thus causing my ego to quickly deflate. As the year went on, I was in and out of the trainer’s room for various injuries because my body was not prepared for the intensity of college track. 

On top of those minor injuries, after my first collegiate outdoor season race, I began to have knee issues. It got to the point I could not walk or sit without it being in pain. After months of therapy and not seeing results, I finally saw a surgeon who knew exactly what was wrong with my knee. I end up having surgery on my right knee one week before sophomore year move in. With that in mind, you can already tell how my sophomore year track seasons went. After months of therapy, I was able to compete, but of course, my results were well slower than the rest of the athletes. I did not care regardless of the time I ran because I was ecstatic I was still able to do what I love.  

                   

During the summer going into my junior year, my year and half relationship ended which devastated me. I had only two reasons to why I stayed at Ohio Northern, her and track. Well needless to say, I resorted to working out three times a day in order to keep myself busy. It was during one of the workouts I told myself I now have something to prove to not only myself but to also my team and all those who doubt me. I trained day in and day out with that mindset. It took almost eleven months for me to gain what I had lost from my surgery. It was from my mindset I surpassed my previous standard and put on gains which I should have had my freshman year. 

People have noticed the change I have gone through, both physically and mentally. Coach has put me in a leadership role and sees the potential I now have. Ten days is what separates me and the start of what I have been working towards for months. I need to prove to myself I have what it takes and that all my hard work is not for nothing. I need to prove to my teammates I can walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. I need to prove those who doubted me that I am stronger and above what they said I was. All that is left is ten days, 240 hours, 14,400 minutes, or 864,000 seconds before I get the chance to prove it all once again.   

Until Next Time,

Matt