Every runner thinks about something different when they run, and each person has their own technique. Some may like to listen to music while running, but others may not. Some may daydream, while others prefer to stay focused on their feet hitting the pavement (I, personally, feel like running clears my head, which is one of the reasons I love it so much).

    Today was a particularly sunny day; the sun beating down on us as we neared the starting line. Me, my dad, my sister, and a whole bunch of other dedicated runners. The air was full of promise. Who knows? Maybe there was someone there to support someone else. A first time runner. Someone running for a cause. Or maybe someone you’d call a “veteran runner”. But whatever their sole purposes were, smiles were upon their faces. That’s the thing about running. It brings totally different people together--each person working towards a common goal. The finish line.

    “BANG!” the pistol blows. My sister covers her ears. I don’t like it very much, either, but one thing’s for sure--it really gets the adrenaline pumping!

    For the first few seconds, all of the runners move as a group. It’s graceful,  almost --all of those people moving together. As one.

    Soon the group starts to separate and fan out. I pat my little sister on the back and smile up at my dad. “Go get ‘em.”

    I accelerate, pulling ahead of my dad and sister. There are 3.1 miles in this race, and I need to find my groove. Once I’ve found it, my body relaxes. Soon I’ve passed the first mile, in just under seven minutes.

    Sometimes the second mile is harder. But when I get tired, I just think of what my dad tells my sister and me: “Reel ‘em in.” This means that you look at the person in front of you, and pretend that there’s an imaginary fishhook attached to them. What do you do? Well, you’re going to want to reel them in. Soon you’re pulling ahead of them, and you don’t really even notice!

    But running isn’t about beating anyone--not really. It is more so about beating yourself, and your mind. Will you let your mind play tricks on you and tell you that you’re tired, or will you be mentally strong, and overcome that weakness? Will you set a new PR? How fast can you run your splits? This is what you should be thinking. Of course, it’s always an added bonus to win a medal because of your hard work.

I start to pant, but blow out all of the bad air and chemicals and take a deep breath. Holding it for a moment, I let the nice, fresh air enter my muscles. This is another technique that my dad has taught my sister and me, which helps you avoid sideaches and muscle fatigue.

    As I run, I think about my dad and all he has taught us. He got us into running when we were very young, starting out with one-milers and soon working our way up to 5ks. He taught us how to run fast, when to “kick it in” (at the final stretch), and many other things about running. I remember all of the races we’d done, seeing my dad at the last mile yelling, “Kick it in! Go! One mile left!” or “One block left! You can do it!” and my mom at the finish line with her camera, saying, “You did great!”

    Those were all great lessons, but one of the best lessons that my dad has ever taught us is about mental toughness. I don’t know if most people realize this, but lessons and techniques that you learn with running really correlate into your everyday life. In running, mental toughness is not quitting when things get tough. It is to keep going, to persevere. To keep pushing. And in the end, you will be rewarded. Life. Mental toughness. Running. Do you see how these correlate? I am very fortunate that my dad taught me this at an early age. Many people do not understand how these correlate.

You see, in life, there are times when you really need mental toughness. Maybe you are having a rough day. Or--simply--in school! Some people may quit on school work, because they think it is too hard or they feel like giving up. But people who have mental toughness, or are simply hard workers, will know to not to give up or quit. And to this I thank my parents.

I kept running, kept pushing forward, and thought back to one of my most favorite runs...My shoes pounded against the road: creating a rhythm that weaved in and out of my mind, my body. Just a little more, I thought, although it seemed I was as tired as anyone could be. “Mental toughness,” I whispered, breaking into a dead sprint.

There it was, not too far away, and it seemed to glower at me through the noise of the spectators. Beckoning me. Pushing me forward. In a final burst of energy, I propelled myself forward and I was there. Looking at it. Crossing it as a smile spread across my face. The finish line.

I suddenly looked up, pulled out of my daydream. It wasn’t a daydream anymore, but reality. I was there. In this race. I made it. I smiled at my mom as she snapped my picture, I checked my time, and I whipped around to wait for my dad and sister. Why? To cheer them on, of course! I might as well share some of my happiness with others, or I might burst! There is nothing like the feeling of crossing the finish line after a hard race.  Only runners know about that feeling--I wish I could share it with everyone.

    I don’t know if you’ve ever thought of this, but in some--or, should I say, even most-- of the races I’ve ran in, the finish line is also the starting line. So if you’re a runner, you’re planning to run, or even if you think running is the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard of (which, in that case, you’d be wrong), I ask that you keep that with you the next time you are in a race or see a race taking place...