Thank you for being there for me when nobody else could. When I couldn't get the words out, when I couldn't tell others exactly what I felt, you were there to pick me up and make me feel as if I could conquer anything. You helped me clear my head on some of the worst days and helped me to become more disciplined. I spent some of the best days of my life running with my teammates, with my friends, and with random strangers. The sweat ran down my back while forming the biggest smile.

I went out on a limb my freshman year of high school and truly tried you for the first time. While you have put me through hell, I know that all the sweat, tears, and blood were worth it. Nothing can compare to the feeling of crossing the finish line and knowing I gave it my all. Whether it was a PR (personal record) or my worst 5K yet, there was still a sense of accomplishment.

However, you haven't always been my best friend. You’ve put me through some harsh physical pain. Whether it was having blisters cover the surface areas of my feet, having my knee caps rub against each other, or the feeling of being stabbed in the ribs, I never gave up. Somehow I kept coming back, I couldn’t give up this runner’s high. It’s because of after all that you had done to me, you were still the place that I would go when I needed to get my mind off of the real world. Any physical pain was nothing as long as my mind was able to freely wander.

Running to me was never about being the very best on the team, it was about being the best that I could be. I never truly knew how much I missed you until I went without you. When I had to sit out at a meet or had to skip practice to bike instead. As much as I would complain when coach told us we were doing 1000 meter speed workouts, I never thought that I would miss you as much as I did when I couldn’t run.

You gave me a family I didn’t know I even needed. I met some of the most amazing friends through running. People I hope to stay in contact with for the rest of my life, and if I don’t I want to continue to reminisce on the days when I got to spend every Monday-Friday from 3:00 until 5:00 running with some of my best friends.

Thank you for teaching me to be mentally and physically tough. Thank you for teaching me to never give up. Thank you for teaching me that I can time and time again surprise myself. Thank you for teaching me to persevere when I don’t meet my own expectations. Running has taught me so much about who I am and how I want to live my life.