It has been two years since I ran in the same old boring park every day. It has been two years since I put on that tight purple uniform every Tuesday and Saturday. And it has been two years since I was part of an awesome team and an awesome family.

If some of you recall the banquet at the end of the season where I was supposed to deliver my senior speech, you will remember that it was a total failure. It was a failure because I was so sad to have to break away from the routine I was so used to. Every fall, we ran together six days a week. And all of a sudden, that came to an end. I could not stop myself from crying in front of all of those people. It felt so weird that I had to leave my running family forever. I can never get it back.

I do regret not actually giving my written speech that I worked so hard on. So I just wanted to let you know that I loved all of you. I really loved being on the team even if I did not always want to run. I loved being on the team even though I was not the best runner. I just loved being around you which is what made it so great.

When I first joined the team, I was in seventh grade which is the earliest you can at our high school. I was a shy little middle schooler who was afraid of the older members of the team. They were intense and such good runners that it was intimidating. I did not always enjoy going to practice and I would always try to get out of it.

As I got older, people graduated and I was becoming one of the oldest members of the team. Younger students joined and eventually we had our nice but small team. That is the team I remember the most. I loved being part of the team from sophomore to senior year because of the people.

Running was not always my thing and I did not really believe in myself. Yet, I stuck with it because I just kept liking the team more and more as I got older. So thank you to the people that made these the best six years. Thank you for being the best team and creating the best memories with me. I love you.

Love,

Your former teammate.